The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

"I've been following her for the past few days. I know where she buys her groceries, where she works. I don't know the color of her eyes or what they look like when she's scared. But I will." 

One night, Mia Dennett enters a bar to meet her on-again, off-again boyfriend. But when he doesn't show, she unwisely leaves with an enigmatic stranger. At first Colin Thatcher seems like a safe one-night stand. But following Colin home will turn out to be the worst mistake of Mia's life. 

When Colin decides to hide Mia in a secluded cabin in rural Minnesota instead of delivering her to his employers, Mia's mother, Eve, and detective Gabe Hoffman will stop at nothing to find them. But no one could have predicted the emotional entanglements that eventually cause this family's world to shatter. 

An addictively suspenseful and tautly written thriller, The Good Girl is a propulsive debut that reveals how even in the perfect family, nothing is as it seems.

I don't think it is fair to compare this book to Gone Girl because Gone Girl was a physiological thriller, whereas this could only be really classified as a general thriller novel. 

I don't mean to imply that it wasn't good, because I actually enjoyed it (and finished it in just 2 days). I just don't think there was as much character / plot depth as other thrillers, which made it a nice easy read.

It was pretty easy to pick early on how it was going to play out, but there were still a couple of surprises at the end.

Read my review on Goodreads

Us by David Nicholls

“Of course, after nearly a quarter of a century, the questions about our distant pasts have all been posed and we’re left with ‘how was your day?’ and ‘when will you be home?’ and ‘have you put the bins out?’ Our biographies involve each other so intrinsically now that we’re both on nearly every page. We know the answers because we were there, and so curiosity becomes hard to maintain; replaced, I suppose, by nostalgia.”

Douglas Petersen may be mild-mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen-year-old son, Albie; then Connie tells him she thinks she wants a divorce.

The timing couldn’t be worse. Hoping to encourage her son’s artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the world’s greatest works of art as a family, and she can’t bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best anyway. Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage and might even help him bond with Albie.

Narrated from Douglas’s endearingly honest, slyly witty, and at times achingly optimistic point of view, Us is the story of a man trying to rescue his relationship with the woman he loves and learning how to get closer to a son who’s always felt like a stranger. 

I thought this was actually a pretty traumatic story. I'm so used to reading how couples meet and fall in love, but to have that side-by-side with the unravelling of that same relationship is just brutal!

It all unravelled in a very clever way. Each character was so relatable that I felt my allegiance shifting each time another clue to the demise of this relationship developed. It seems so obvious that Connie and Douglas are not right for each other, but that didn't mean I wasn't still hoping that they'd somehow work it out and their holiday would magically fix everything.

I give the story 4 stars, but the writing deserved 5 stars.

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Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . "

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now- reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

Seriously what is there not to love about this book? Witty friends who 'keep it real', a broody hot guitar player in a band, a funny hot nerd, flirty work colleagues, a slightly wacky Mum, loud-mouthed best friend and looooove!

This book was the perfect ratio of realistic modern-day communication and stalking, against dreamy and probably wouldn't actually ever happen (making out in the cinemas before ever meeting or talking? Umm, maybe not, or at least not unless it really happened in a nightclub!)

A really quick read so I burned through it in 24 hours! This is one of the rare times that I actually would want to see a movie made from a novel. I wouldn't change a thing about this book.

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You (You #1) by Caroline Kepnes

“Lies don’t pave the way to joy,” he says and sometimes he reminds me of a rabbi and I can’t believe I used to think that you had sex with him. “And, if there’s anything I’ve learned in almost fifty years on this planet, it’s this: If you don’t start with crazy, crazy love, the kind of love that Van Morrison sings about, then you don’t have a shot to go the distance. Love’s a marathon, Danny, not a sprint.”

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

"I didn’t go to college, Beck, so I don’t waste my adulthood trying to recapture my time in college. I’m not a soft motherfucker who never had the guts to live life right now, as is."

Umm, no wonder why so many women have trust issues these days! This was a seriously disturbingly good story, but maybe not one that the weak hearted would enjoy as much. 

I think most people will admit to checking the Facebook / instagram / twitter feed of an ex or new crush, but this is taking it to a whole new level!

Even though Joe is clearly crazy (actually, after reading the Psychopath test recently, I feel I can confidently diagnose him as a true Psychopath), he does raise some valid points about society these days. And Beck is one beautiful disaster herself! They really should be perfect for each other...if only they weren't so self-indulged, damaged and mentally unstable their love story might actually be romantic!

They were definitely messed up, but these were some of the better sex scenes I've read in a book. They were graphic but I didn't feel like I was reading a porno mag, and they weren't as cringe-worthy or predictable as other 'romance' novels (*cough* rhymes with Nifty Shrades of Lay)

Read my review on Goodreads

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

“I think grief is like a really ugly couch. It never goes away. You can decorate around it; you can slap a doily on top of it; you can push it to the corner of the room—but eventually, you learn to live with it.” 

Alice Metcalf was a devoted mother, loving wife and accomplished scientist who studied grief among elephants. Yet it's been a decade since she disappeared under mysterious circumstances, leaving behind her small daughter, husband, and the animals to which she devoted her life. All signs point to abandonment - or worse.

Still Jenna - now thirteen years old and truly orphaned by a father maddened by grief - steadfastly refuses to believe in her mother's desertion. So she decides to approach the two people who might still be able to help her find Alice: a disgraced psychic named Serenity Jones, and Virgil Stanhope, the cynical detective who first investigated her mother's disappearance and the strange, possibly linked death of one of her WC mother's coworkers.

Together these three lonely souls will discover truths destined to forever change their lives. Deeply moving and suspenseful, Jodi Picoult's 21st novel is a radiant exploration of the enduring love between mothers and daughters. 

Animals, Family, Love, After-life, and add on top of that how well written and in-depth the story was - what more could I want? The story around the elephants was well researched and I love reading books that also make me feel like I've learnt something (without actually having to read a text book).

I had an idea where the story and plot twist was heading after a little while, but there were still a few surprises I didn't see coming. And I loved the format of hearing from alternating characters each chapter, they each had different voices which were clear and distinct.

I honestly think that Jodi Picoult can do no wrong, well not any of her books that I've read as yet anyway. 

Read my review on Goodreads

November 9 by Colleen Hoover

“That's what love is, Ben. Love is sacrifice. I got this tattoo the day I felt that kind of love for your father. And I chose it because if I had to describe love that day, I would say it felt like my two favourite things, amplified and thrown together. Like my favourite poetic line mixed into the lyrics of my favourite song”

Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist. 

I'm a sucker for a bit of romance every now and then, and t's even better if the female character is strong, funny and independent weather than weak/helpless in a damsel in distress situation. Even though life had a few downturns for Fallon, and her confidence had taken a beating, she was still strong and independent enough to move across the country and not fall helplessly in love with the first guy that showed her attention (but really, who could resist Ben forever). She was strong and witty and I would love to see more female characters like that.

The ONE and ONLY thing that I thought was a tad disappointing (*Slight SPOILER ALERT*) was in the final chapter, when Ben and Fallon met up the last time, she said she wasn't there to forgive him because he didn't do anything wrong...then SHE apologised. I disagreed with this and the fact she was then begging him to forgive her made me gag that such a cool chic ended up being so pathetic.

I don't think you can read a book like this thinking 100% realistically, because if you did, you would have to question their dedication to only meeting up on November 9 and not succumbing to contacting each other on social media when they were desperate (i.e. when planes were delayed and family members were in accidents). 

But other than that, I loved every minute I was reading their story. 

Read my review on Goodreads.

Forty Rooms by Olga Grushin

"Papa, do you  believe there is any meaning to life?" I blurted out. "I don't not believe" he said sternly. "I know. The meaning of life - the meaning of a single, individual human life, since I assume that is what you are asking - consists of figuring out the one thing you are great stand then pushing mankind's mastery of that one thing as far as you are able, be it an inch or a mile. If you are a carpenter, be a carpenter with every ounce of your being and invent a new type of saw. If you are an archaeologist, find the tomb of Alexander the Great. If you are Alexander the Great, conquer the world. And never to anything by half."

Totally original in conception and magnificently executed, Forty Rooms is mysterious, withholding, and ultimately emotionally devastating. Olga Grushin is dealing with issues of women’s identity, of women’s choices, that no modern novel has explored so deeply. 

“Forty rooms” is a conceit: it proposes that a modern woman will inhabit forty rooms in her lifetime. They form her biography, from childhood to death. For our protagonist, the much-loved child of a late marriage, the first rooms she is aware of as she nears the age of five are those that make up her family’s Moscow apartment. We follow this child as she reaches adolescence, leaves home to study in America, and slowly discovers sexual happiness and love. But her hunger for adventure and her longing to be a great poet conspire to kill the affair. She seems to have made her choice. But one day she runs into a college classmate. He is sure of his path through life, and he is protective of her. (He is also a great cook.) They drift into an affair and marriage. What follows are the decades of births and deaths, the celebrations, material accumulations, and home comforts—until one day, her children grown and gone, her husband absent, she finds herself alone except for the ghosts of her youth, who have come back to haunt and even taunt her. 

Compelling and complex, Forty Rooms is also profoundly affecting, its ending shattering but true. We know that Mrs. Caldwell (for that is the only name by which we know her) has died. Was it a life well lived? Quite likely. Was it a life complete? Does such a life ever really exist? Life is, after all, full of trade-offs and choices. Who is to say her path was not well taken? It is this ambiguity that is at the heart of this provocative novel.

This is such a fantastic concept for a story. Even though each chapter is only a snapshot of her life in a particular room/year, I felt like I had such a clear image of who she was.

The story is so crushing, not because of the intense drama in the characters actions, but because this theory could be applied to anyones life, unintentionally making you question how many shadow lives you have of your own. 

The plot isn't really anything new - girl has dreams, goes to uni, falls in love, gets heart broken, meets new boy, gets married and starts a family, there is an affair, life, deaths, friends...but there is so much angst and so many parallel lives in this story that it is hard not to feel it within yourself too.

Some chapters I could relate to, others not as much, but more so as she became a mother and struggled with the new identity and how to fit in time for who she was as well as all the there things that need doing. The first half of the book was the hardest to enjoy, because at times I found her a little annoying - each era of her life was frayed by more and more hesitation, selfish,unsure of herself and never quite satisfied yet not really doing anything to change it - but on reflection I think tis is what makes the story so real and relatable, because what young adult isn't like that at times?

There was a lot going on in this book with so many layers, and while it is ver intelligent and poetic at the same time, it isn't the sort of book I could read if I didn't have any mental energy to focus. 

What I have taken away from reading this, is that sometimes the only real challenges some of us face are the ones we put in front of ourselves.

Read my review on Goodreads

Sweet Thing (Sweet Thing #1) by Renee Carlino

“You are your mother and your father. You are your experiences and your fears and the love you let yourself feel. You are your degree and your talent and your passion. You are your pain, your joy, and your fantasies.” 

Mia Kelly thinks she has it all figured out. She's an Ivy League graduate, a classically trained pianist, and the beloved daughter of a sensible mother and offbeat father. Yet Mia has been stalling since graduation, torn between putting her business degree to use and exploring music, her true love.

When her father unexpectedly dies, she decides to pick up the threads of his life while she figures out her own. Uprooting herself from Ann Arbor to New York City, Mia takes over her father's cafe, a treasured neighborhood institution that plays host to undiscovered musicians and artists. She's denied herself the thrilling and unpredictable life of a musician, but a chance encounter with Will, a sweet, gorgeous, and charming guitarist, offers her a glimpse of what could be. When Will becomes her friend and then her roommate, she does everything in her power to suppress her passions—for him, for music—but her father's legacy slowly opens her heart to the possibility of something more.

A "heartbreaking and romantic" (Aestas Book Blog) debut, Sweet Thing explores the intensity and complexities of first love and self-discovery. 

This was the best prologue I have read, and I loved how it was woven through the story again at the end.

The writing was really really good. Not only did it have cool band/music references, but the actual writing itself was intelligent and articulate. For a romance novel there was also the right amount of lovin' without being too cheesy, tacky or overpowering.

The only section I didn't really enjoy was watching Mia screw things up (again and again) so badly, and then having to watch her wallow in self-pity for so long. I found that a bit hard to believe because in the real world you can't lie on the couch and drink tequila for months without more consequences - well not in my world anyway. And if it was 'their dream' then why did Will exclude Mia from the planning and keep secrets from her? 

But overall I really enjoyed it. I didn't realise it was a series so I will probably end up reading more to see how it follows on. 

Read my review on Goodreads

The Gravity of Birds by Tracy Guzeman

I was born old. My mother told me once that I looked like a grumpy old man from the moment I was born - wrinkled, pruney face, rheumy eyes. You've heard of the expression an old soul? I was born with a head full of someone else's failed dreams  and a heart full of someone else's memories.

In this compelling debut novel, an art authenticator and an art historian are employed by a famous, reclusive painter to sell a never-before-seen portrait, leading them to discover devastating secrets two sisters have kept from each other, and from the artist who determined the course of their lives.

How do you find someone who wants to be lost?

Sisters Natalie and Alice Kessler were close, until adolescence wrenched them apart. Natalie is headstrong, manipulative—and beautiful; Alice is a dreamer who loves books and birds. During their family’s summer holiday at the lake, Alice falls under the thrall of a struggling young painter, Thomas Bayber, in whom she finds a kindred spirit. Natalie, however, remains strangely unmoved, sitting for a family portrait with surprising indifference. But by the end of the summer, three lives are shattered.

Decades later, Bayber, now a reclusive, world-renowned artist, unveils a never-before-seen work, Kessler Sisters—a provocative painting depicting the young Thomas, Natalie, and Alice. Bayber asks Dennis Finch, an art history professor, and Stephen Jameson, an eccentric young art authenticator, to sell the painting for him. That task becomes more complicated when the artist requires that they first locate Natalie and Alice, who seem to have vanished. And Finch finds himself wondering why Thomas is suddenly so intent on resurrecting the past.

In The Gravity of Birds histories and memories refuse to stay buried; in the end only the excavation of the past will enable its survivors to love again.

A 3 star rating sounds too harsh, but I can't quite make myself commit to 4 stars, so 3.5 it is. 

The story was intriguing and engaging enough to make me want to keep reading until the end, it was just that I was never really shocked enough by anything (I would call them 'plot bends' instead of 'plot twists'). It was extremely well written (see above quote, this is just one example) and a good display on how a decision can change the course of a persons life, but there was just something missing for me to consider this a great book rather than just a good book. 

I found Alice to be a bit of a bore. I understand there was probably another side to her (i.e. that she showed the children in scouts) but you didn't really ever get to meet that side of Alice, only the whinging self-pitying cripple side of Alice.

It was a similar thing with Natalie - she was apparently so despicable and callous as a teenager and adult, but you never really found out how much until the end, you just had to trust the other characters opinion of her until then.

I loved how the story evolved through the different times, and how it was entwined with art. Overall I enjoyed it but would not recommend for anyone who loves their thriller novels fast paced. 

Read my review on Goodreads

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

“Everything's a risk. Not doing anything is a risk. It's up to you.”

...

“Life is a gift. Don't forget to live it.” 

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster. 

What a good girl Madeline must have been to never questioned her disease. I understand that you would probably never think your Mother would be capable of deceiving you on such a massive thing, but she seems like such an intelligent woman that I find it hard to believe that it had honestly never crossed her mind before. And what about her full time nurse? Why did she not pick anything up? Especially after she disclosed she had a hunch that there was something not right?

I was about halfway through when I had my suspicions that this was coming, and I was kind of hoping that it wouldn't. I was kind of hoping that Olly and Maddy would build on their love and overcome the massive health obstacle and that it would work out that way, but it didn't happen like that. 

I read/watch the news, so I know that (particularly in America it seems...) things like this actually do happen to real people, so it didn't make me enjoy the story any less when it panned out this way - it was still really well written and I loved the blossoming love between Olly and Maddy - I was just less surprised.

It had similar stirrings to Room, and The Fault in our Stars, while not being exactly the same as either of those other books. I also really loved how the books referenced throughout the story were real - I've even downloaded a few of them to read!

Read my review on Goodreads

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed

“It is not so incomprehensible as you pretend, sweet pea. Love is the feeling we have for those we care deeply about and hold in high regard. It can be light as the hug we give a friend or heavy as the sacrifices we make for our children. It can be romantic, platonic, familial, fleeting, everlasting, conditional, unconditional, imbued with sorrow, stoked by sex, sullied by abuse, amplified by kindness, twisted by betrayal, deepened by time, darkened by difficulty, leavened by generosity, nourished by humor and “loaded with promises and commitments” that we may or may not want or keep.

The best thing you can possibly do with your life is to tackle the motherfucking shit out of it.” 

Life can be hard: your lover cheats on you; you lose a family member; you can’t pay the bills—and it can be great: you’ve had the hottest sex of your life; you get that plum job; you muster the courage to write your novel. Sugar—the once-anonymous online columnist at The Rumpus, now revealed as Cheryl Strayed, author of the bestselling memoir Wild—is the person thousands turn to for advice. 
Tiny Beautiful Things brings the best of Dear Sugar in one place and includes never-before-published columns and a new introduction by Steve Almond.  Rich with humor, insight, compassion—and absolute honesty—this book is a balm for everything life throws our way.

I have never highlighted so many paragraphs in one book before. 

The advice given by 'Sugar' is so raw and real, and even though the situation she is replying to might not apply to my life, there were so many things I want to remember because they touched a cord with me and I want to keep them for my future self, or so I can pass them on to someone I know at some stage. 

The words that I would use to describe this book are: Motivating, Passionate, and Heartwarming.

• Motivating: it made me feel like I should get off my butt and stop reading to sort my life out. Be a better friend, be a better Mum, stop feeling sorry for myself.
• Passionate: her advice is blunt and direct and she says it like it is. You can read the honesty in her words clearly, and you get the sense that the responses stems from the same talks she might give herself in the mirror every now and then - they are words she lives by herself.
• Heartwarming: you can tell there is a genuine care behind her responses. Even when she is telling someone to pull their head in, it is done in such a caring way that it makes you genuinely want to comply because she makes you feel like it is the right thing to do.

I wish I knew of an advice column like this one to read when I was a teenager! It would be interesting to see my 'sister life' and see if it would have helped me navigate my younger life with less angst and confusion.

After finishing this book it makes me want to read even more from Cheryl Strayed (I have already read Wild)

One Day by David Nicholls

“What are you going to do with your life?" In one way or another it seemed that people had been asking her this forever; teachers, her parents, friends at three in the morning, but the question had never seemed this pressing and still she was no nearer an answer... "Live each day as if it's your last', that was the conventional advice, but really, who had the energy for that? What if it rained or you felt a bit glandy? It just wasn't practical. Better by far to be good and courageous and bold and to make difference. Not change the world exactly, but the bit around you. Cherish your friends, stay true to your principles, live passionately and fully and well. Experience new things. Love and be loved, if you ever get the chance.” 

It’s 1988 and Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley have only just met on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. But after only one day together, they cannot stop thinking about one another. 
Over twenty years, snapshots of that relationship are revealed on the same day—July 15th—of each year. Dex and Em face squabbles and fights, hopes and missed opportunities, laughter and tears. And as the true meaning of this one crucial day is revealed, they must come to grips with the nature of love and life itself.

Twenty years, two people, one day.

I loved this book, and devoured in 3 days (a particularly impressive feat considering I have a toddler). I haven't cried like this because of a book since Me Before You . 

I fell in love with Dex and Em, Em and Dex. They were awkward and flawed and in theory they are so wrong for each other. Watching their lives unfold made me fondly remember my jerk ex-boyfriends and forgive them, just like I was able to forgive Dexter for his poor choices and bad behaviour.

Something else I found realistic and that also stuck with me from this book was how your identity can change through the different stages of your life, and depending on your circumstances you may even go through quite a few - the angst (and/or pain) will pass and and you can settle in to something that feels a bit more stable and comfortable.    

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

“Marin believes love is better in the chase than caught,’ she says. He raises his eyebrows. ‘That does not surprise me. It is not better. But it is easier. One’s imagination is always more generous. And yet, the chase always tires you out in the end.” 

On a brisk autumn day in 1686, eighteen-year-old Nella Oortman arrives in Amsterdam to begin a new life as the wife of illustrious merchant trader Johannes Brandt. But her new home, while splendorous, is not welcoming. Johannes is kind yet distant, always locked in his study or at his warehouse office-leaving Nella alone with his sister, the sharp-tongued and forbidding Marin.

But Nella's world changes when Johannes presents her with an extraordinary wedding gift: a cabinet-sized replica of their home. To furnish her gift, Nella engages the services of a miniaturist-an elusive and enigmatic artist whose tiny creations mirror their real-life counterparts in eerie and unexpected ways . . .

Johannes' gift helps Nella to pierce the closed world of the Brandt household. But as she uncovers its unusual secrets, she begins to understand-and fear-the escalating dangers that await them all. In this repressively pious society where gold is worshipped second only to God, to be different is a threat to the moral fabric of society, and not even a man as rich as Johannes is safe. Only one person seems to see the fate that awaits them. Is the miniaturist the key to their salvation . . . or the architect of their destruction?

Enchanting, beautiful, and exquisitely suspenseful, The Miniaturist is a magnificent story of love and obsession, betrayal and retribution, appearance and truth.

So beautifully written, with a beautiful cover to match.

While I wouldn't describe this story as shocking or action-packed, there was actually quite a lot that went on that kept me guessing until the end.

Wild Connection: What Animal Courtship and Mating Tell Us about Human Relationships

"Animals don't feel badly about who they are, and unless animals are hunting or being hunted by predators, they don't spend their lives trying to look like or be something they are not. Maybe we can take our cues from them. I mean, have you ever seen a squirrel trying to act like a swan to get the girl next door? Not likely. Squirrels spend their time perfecting everything about being a squirrel. So, for all you squirrels out there, if you find that you are more squirrel than swan, your best bet is to embrace those acorn hoarding instincts in you and just be the very finest squirrel you can be."

Wild Kingdom meets Sex and the City in this scientific perspective on dating and relationships.

A specialist in animal behavior compares the courtship rituals and mating behaviors of animals to their human equivalents, revealing the many and often surprising ways we are both similar to and different from other species.

What makes an individual attractive to the opposite sex? Does size matter? Why do we tend to "keep score" in our relationships? From perfume and cosmetics to online dating and therapy, our ultimate goal is to successfully connect with someone. So why is romance such an effort for humans, while animals have little trouble getting it right?

Wild Connection is full of fascinating and suggestive observations about animal behavior. For example, in most species smell is an important component of determining compatibility. So are we humans doing the right thing by masking our natural scents with soaps and colognes? Royal albatrosses have a lengthy courtship period lasting several years. These birds instinctively know that casual hook-ups are not the way to find a reliable mate. And older female chimpanzees often mate with younger males. Is this the evolutionary basis of the human "cougar" phenomenon?

Fun to read as well as educational, this unique take on the perennial human quest to find the ideal mate shows that we have much to learn from our cousins in the wild.

This book is the best example of interesting, intellectual and hilarious. I loved reading it because I learnt lots of interesting facts that I can easily retell to friends and family, and it still made me chuckle in every single chapter.

It covered a diverse range of animal species, but there were still some interesting parallels to human relationships and behaviours. 

This was one of those books that I kept on my bedside table and picked up in between other books to read a few more chapters at a time. 

The Elegant Art of Falling Apart by Jessica Jones

"After cancer, every gift seems like a treasure. Every day is special. Some are simply magical."

Inspiring, unflinchingly honest, and laugh out loud hilarious, The Elegant Art of Falling Apart shows us how, sometimes, we have to lose everything to understand that the moment is all we have. And living that moment with style, grace and a damn good lipstick is all that matters.

Jessica Jones had a complicated life. Booze, cocaine, bad boyfriends – it was a rollercoaster ride of what self help writers call ‘opportunities for growth’ But she got way from all that. She rebuilt her career, became prosperous and, at last, found happiness in a wonderful, new relationship. 

Just when things were almost perfect... she learned that she had breast cancer. Jessica did what she’s always done, she got through it. After seven months of gruelling treatments she travelled from London to Sydney to begin a three-month holiday of a lifetime with her gorgeous man - only to find herself plunged into a different, and totally unexpected, life crisis. 

A story of courage, friendship and laughter that gives us hope that, no matter what, we can always start again.

Its been a few weeks since I finished reading this book, and although I've been busy, I was also putting off writing down my thoughts on this book because when it comes to Memoirs, I really don't like to seem too critical. It must take so much guts to write down your personal story, especially when you can't hide behind a fictional character/setting.

When I first started reading this book, I thought it was going to be one of those books that I just had to tell my girlfriends to read - it was raw, inspiring and important. But somewhere along the way I lost touch with the author and I couldn't relate to her personality as much - even though I have never had depression, an addiction OR cancer. Maybe it is through my own fault and I was shying away from the harsh truth of depression, but I just couldn't relate to her 'love addiction' and the fact that she was struggling so much to let go of what seemed like such a toxic relationship. To me that overshadowed the positive way she seemed to tackle her cancer treatment. 

But overall, I think this book would be helpful for someone who has a close friend or family member diagnosed with cancer and going through treatment, and even to someone healthy who just wants a reminder not to take that fact for granted. 

How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern

“Life is a series of moments and moments are always changing, just like thoughts, negative and positive. And though it may be human nature to dwell, like many natural things it's senseless, senseless to allow a single thought to inhabit a mind because thoughts are like guests or fair-weather friends. As soon as they arrive, they can leave, and even the ones that take a long time to emerge fully can disappear in an instant. Moments are precious; sometimes they linger and other times they're fleeting, and yet so much could be done in them; you could change a mind, you could save a life and you could even fall in love.” 

She has just two weeks. Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life.

Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him she can show him that life is worth living before then.

Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life.

But has she done enough to change his mind for good? And is that all that’s starting to happen? 

Despite how morbid the blurb sounds, this novel wasn't all doom and gloom. Yes it covered some pretty serious topics - heartbreak, depression, suicide, bullying... - but there were just as many laughs and sweet moments, I felt I was smiling inside way more than shedding a tear.

I've loved every Cecelia Ahern novel so far, but this one read slightly differently for me, slightly more Marian Keyes that some of her others. Loveable characters, witty punchlines, a quirky family and a creative way to weave an unusual 'How-To' dependancy through a love story. 

“Where would we be without tomorrows? What we’d have instead are todays. And if that was the case, with you, I’d hope for the longest day for today. I’d fill today with you, doing everything I’ve ever loved. I’d laugh, I’d talk, I’d listen and learn, I’d love, I’d love, I’d love. I’d make every day today and spend them all with you, and I’d never worry about tomorrow, when I wouldn’t be with you. And when that dreaded tomorrow comes for us, please know that I didn’t want to leave you, or be left behind, that every single moment spent with you were the best times in my life.” 

Across the Nightingale Floor (Tales of the Otori #1) by Lian Hearn

“I learned embroidery," Kaede said, "But you can't kill anyone with a needle."
"You can," Shizuka said offhandedly. "I'll show you one day.” 

In his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard.

The youth Takeo has been brought up in a remote mountain village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people who have taught him only the ways of peace. But unbeknownst to him, his father was a celebrated assassin and a member of the Tribe, an ancient network of families with extraordinary, preternatural skills. When Takeo's village is pillaged, he is rescued and adopted by the mysterious Lord Otori Shigeru. Under the tutelage of Shigeru, he learns that he too possesses the skills of the Tribe. And, with this knowledge, he embarks on a journey that will lead him across the famed nightingale floor—and to his own unimaginable destiny...

Not something I would usually pick up to read - the back cover blurb doesn't do the book justice. 

I was worried at first that I would get too confused by all the different names, and wouldn't be able to keep track of who was who, but it wasn't as issue. The characters were beautifully written.

I read a few reviews before I started so I already knew it was set in fictional times, I wasn't bothered at all that it didn't follow a true-to-life order.  

I loved it and will definitely keep reading to finish the trilogy and see how it ends. 

The Memory Of Running by Ron McLarty

“Is that possible? I said.
All things, all things are possible. What do you think your bike ride says? People would say "Is that possible?" Of course you know it is, now.”

Every decade seems to produce a novel that captures the public's imagination with a story that sweeps readers up and takes them on a thrilling, unforgettable ride.

Ron McLarty's The Memory of Running is this decade's novel. By all accounts, especially his own, Smithson "Smithy" Ide is a loser. An overweight, friendless, chain-smoking, forty-three-year-old drunk, Smithy's life becomes completely unhinged when he loses his parents and long-lost sister within the span of one week.

Rolling down the driveway of his parents' house in Rhode Island on his old Raleigh bicycle to escape his grief, the emotionally bereft Smithy embarks on an epic, hilarious, luminous, and extraordinary journey of discovery and redemption.

I was a fair few chapters in before I felt connected to the story and where it was going, but once I did, I was enchanted by the idea. Imagine hopping on a bike drunk with no plan, then riding for about 2 months, only letting circumstances and the people you meet along the way influence you. I really wish I could do it!

I loved watching each character unfold. Initially they seem a little rough around the edges, but as the story went on, I saw a little deeper into their character and I really felt for them and their hardships in life - but then in the next paragraph I'd be chuckling to myself at or something they said or that happened. It reminded me of the saying "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about". 

I liked how both the best and the worst of life was shown throughout this story. It wasn't too sweet to stomach but it didn't depress me either - I felt like this could be one of those amazing true stories that you hear about every now and then.

Dirt Music by Tim Winton

Luther Fox, a loner, haunted by his past, makes his living as an illegal fisherman, a shamateur. Before everyone in his family was killed in a freak rollover, he grew melons and played guitar in the family band. Robbed of all that, he has turned his back on music. There's too much emotion in it, too much memory and pain.

One morning Fox is observed poaching by Georgie Jutland. Chance, or a kind of willed recklessness, has brought Georgie into the life and home of Jim Buckridge, the most prosperous fisherman in the area and a man who loathes poachers, Fox above all. But she's never fully settled into Jim's grand house on the water or into the inbred community with its history of violent secrets. After Georgie encounters Fox, her tentative hold on conventional life is severed. Neither of them would call it love, but they can't stay away from each other no matter how dangerous it is, and out on White Point it is very dangerous. 

Set in the dramatic landscape of Western Australia, Dirt Music is a love story about people stifled by grief and regret; a novel about the odds of breaking with the past and about the lure of music. Dirt music, Fox tells Georgie, is "anything you can play on a verandah or porch, without electricity." Even in the wild, Luther cannot escape it. There is, he discovers, no silence in nature. 

Ambitious, perfectly calibrated, Dirt Music resonates with suspense and supercharged emotion, and it confirms Tim Winton's status as the preeminent Australian novelist of his generation.

My main emotion when finishing this book was bitter disappointment - the ending was infuriating and it very nearly completely ruined the whole book for me. I don't necessarily need it to be a happy ending where they sail off in to the sunset together, but I don't like open ended tales where I need to guess what happens next - I want some kind of answers.  

But now I've had a bit more time to reflect, and I have come to the conclusion that I can disregard the other 479 pages just because of the last paragraph. 

Dirt Music was a long and very descriptive novel, but if you stay with it you will be able to close your eyes and feel Australia - the humidity in your lungs and the sun scorching your eyebrows. I loved the desolate journey through Western Australia, and now that I have finished, this is what is staying with me the most after I have closed the book.

Nobody can write broken humans quote like Winton. The main themes of the book were brooding - typecasting, redemption, and struggle  - with a tiny bit of love sprinkled in. The connection between Lu and Georgia was only 48 hours, if that even, yet it seemed to have made enough of an impact on both of them that it totally wrecked and ruined them both. 

The characters were flawed and real. Right up until the very end, I didn't know if i could trust Jim Buckridge and his "mission", and Lu's flirting with madness was too believable. Who would have thought that Georgie would end up being the most stable one of the three!?

I really enjoyed reading it, but would love it even more if there was an extra couple of paragraphs to give me a bit of closure.