One of the only times I read through the year is when I’m on holiday, I struggle to pick up a book for half an hour at the time and lose interest quickly, I much prefer long hours spent by the pool or on the beach reading where I can see big blocks of progress at once. Strangely one of my most visited posts on my blog was a post called Holiday Reads which I posted last year about 4 books which I read whilst on holiday in Turkey from last October so have created a second post with what I read on holiday last year.
I normally tend to go for YA fiction that’s easy to digest and usually I really love a book series to sink my teeth into as I get really attached to characters and their stories and often feel a wave of sorrow when finishing a book knowing I’ll never hear from the characters again! This time though all I read was quite heavy serious books (nice and cheery for holiday!).
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides
I don’t know what made me pick this as the first book that I decided to read, I think because it was relatively short I thought – I’ll get through this quickly and it will ease me in to reading and it’s been on my list of things to read for a long time. Boy-oh-boy was this a heavy read, I don’t think I was actually expecting it to be about suicide so much and out of the three I read despite being the shortest I read, this took me the longest to read as it wasn’t exactly a page turner.
Following the story of 3 sisters and their 2 bizarre parents after the suicide of their eldest sister. I’d love to go into lots of description of how the book develops, but essentially it’s narrated by a character who you never meet who is obsessed with the family and watching the girls in particular. There’s not a lot which really happens in the book, I felt like I was constantly waiting the twist and the turn and when it eventually got to the end point it felt completely anti-climactic and there was no real explanation behind what happened. If anyone has read this have a chat with me in the comments about it and let me know your thoughts, I know this is a movie too so if anyone thinks that’s any good let me know!
Read? No
Flavours of Love by Dorothy Koomson
After the disappointment of The Virgin Suicides I decided to read a book by one of my favourite author’s Dorothy Koomson, so I knew I was going to read something that I would like this time. I couldn’t put this book down and I think I was starting to annoy my boyfriend as at one point where the story took a particular twist I couldn’t stop turning pages – even as I was eating at lunch!
The story starts following a Mother called Saffron 18 months after her husband Joel was murdered and the killer was never caught. The story jumps back in forth in time and as the story progresses you get to know her husband as someone who was living rather than all in retrospect. As the story continues you discover who killed Joel but in addition the book exposes the struggles of their family life after the murder with an additional emotional burden added by a secret revealed by her teenage daughter.
Compared to other Dorothy Koomson books, the twist that was in the tale was more obvious than others but there was something that was warming about the characters that made me turn the page quicker and quicker.
Read? Yes
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
This was the book I knew I wanted to read whilst away as I’ve been wanting to watch the film but wanted to read first. This is a really difficult story not to give too much away on, so I’ll leave it brief as I’m sure most people will have read this or seen the movie if interested by now. On the day of their 5th Wedding anniversary Amy Dunne is taken from her home with a suspicious looking break in and set up, fingers are pointed at Nick, Amy’s husband who has to fight to prove his innocence and to help get his wife back home.
The book completely doesn’t end how you want it to and I can imagine it being quite a marmite ending. I quite liked it as I imagine when I meet someone who has read or watched it, it will be the main point of discussion as to what you wished had happened. Reading interviews with Gillian after you understand why she wrote the ending the way she did and it does completely make sense although it’s not what you want.
Watching this at some point over the weekend!
Read? Yes
Are there any books you would recommend?
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I haven’t read Gone Girl but I have seen the movie. I have it on my Kobo but I’m so lazy about reading… I barely made it through 1 book while on holiday last year lol (it was Life of Pi and I would recommend it).
I have read life of pi when I was about 14! I do have it on my kindle to re read at some point as I can’t really remember it!
Oooh thanks for the insight into these books. I’ve been wanting to pick up my reading again now that the nights are drawing in, but didn’t know where to start. I usually always turn to a Jodie Piccoult books as I love the twists in those, so will definitely have to give the flavours of love a read. You’ve inspired me to dust off the old library card and get my head in a good book. Love the way you’ve reviewed them as well without giving away too much of the story. 🙂 Thanks for sharing. Lizzie xx :o)
Thanks Lizzie – I used to read Jodi Piccoult books a lot when I was younger – you’ve just reminded me of an author I’d forgotten about! If you like her books I think you’ll like Dorothy Koomson too, check out the Ice Cream Girls and the Woman He Loved Before by her too! It’s hard reviewing books without discussing the whole story – glad you liked it! xxx