Summer reading

By now, you've probably noticed that I really enjoy reading but hardly have anytime to do so. Well summer is the exception to that rule so here's a little summary of what I have been reading and my views on each book.

Firstly, an author I really enjoy is Cathy Glass. She is an inspirational woman who writes true stories, under a pseudonym, about her experiences of fostering children. In the past I've read quite a few of her books so my pre-holiday library visit started with a visit to her section. I picked up 'Daddy's Little Princess' and 'The Child Bride' both of which were very emotional and moving but I found some of the points raised in the second horrifying. I don't want to give too much away but what I'm going to say can all be gathered from the title! The little girl in this story is of Bangladeshi decent and it shows just how different the culture is and how living in England doesn't necessarily change that. The poor girl is subject to a forced marriage to someone three times her age and is hiding secrets that she wishes she could forget. 

After reading these two I read 'Cut' which, for me, ended a little too abruptly and I'm now reading 'Will Anyone Love Me?' which is becoming a personal favourite. It tells the story of Cathy's adopted daughter Lucy and has been such a heartwarming read.

Something else that I read on holiday was 'One Million Lovely Letters'. It is another true story about Jodi who contracts a life-threatening brain infection after a tick bite. It leaves her quality of life restricted but tells us about a project she set up to spread happiness, hope and joy across all corners of the world. It was lovely to see how positive things can come from anything and made me realise that there are so many inspirational people in the world who go unnoticed. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone.

And my final book is 'The book of you'. I read this one on my flight home from Egypt and it's a little bit different to the others; I have a varied taste. It's a thriller about a young woman, Clarissa, who has to do jury service. She is assigned on to a case about another young woman. One who is trying to get her stalker convicted. As the trial progresses it becomes more and more obvious about the similarities between the two women's lives. Not only that, it shows Clarissa just how difficult it is for her to do something about it. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and will certainly be looking out for more by the same author in the near future. 

And that's the end of my summer reading. It's becoming more and more autumnal at the moment, and I'm working more than full time hours, so I think I'll have to admit that summer is over. But I've realised how much I've missed escaping to new worlds so hopefully I'll manage to do a similar post soon.

Keep smiling,

Kathryn x

Looking For Alaska: book review

Having now finished reading John Greene's novel 'Looking for Alaska's, I am back, as promised, with a quick review for you to (hopefully) enjoy. I have no intentions of spoiling it in any way but just in case you're currently reading it or about to read it, you may choose not to read any further for now and that's fine!

Looking For Alaska is quite clearly aimed at a young adult audience although it could easily be enjoyed by people of other ages and I wouldn't let the target audience put anyone off giving John Green's novels a try.

The novel tells the story of Miles, the protagonist, who leaves his school in Florida (where he is far from popular) to join a boarding school in Alabama. When he arrives he meets his roommate, The Colonel, who provides him with the nickname Pudge and introduces him to Alaska. Alaska is quite a complex character whose respect for the rules is lacking in many areas, and it is the relationships between the three characters that are expected throughout the novel. 

I found the way that the novel was written extremely interesting. The first chapter is called 'One hundred and thirty-six days before' which leaves you pretty convinced that it is a countdown to a huge event but even knowing this doesn't quite leave you emotionally prepared. Without giving too much away, the final day leaves the characters separated and the days after take you on Miles' journey to discover the full events of that night. In some ways I found the final few pages a little bit predictable but I don't think it would be enough for me to dissuade anyone from reading it. 

Another thing I really loved about this book was the way two different, possibly clashing, personalities were brought together. Miles and the Colonel are from completely contrasting backgrounds but form a remarkable friendship which is tested to an extreme level.

There's not too much more that I can say without giving everything away but I can certainly say that I would recommend giving Looking For Alaska a read! Feel free to leave your views on the novel down below and if you have any book recommendations for me, please leave them too! 

Keep smiling,
Kathryn x