Tag: book blog

You Must Read ‘Apples Never Fall’ in 2023!

You know me. I love books. I absolutely adore reading fiction and biographies, as well as YA novellas and graphic novels. Most days I dip into several different books. There will always be a drama that I am half way through, a YA story I am enjoying and a celebrity biography. Today, I am going to focus on a book that I have truly enjoyed – ‘Apples Never Fall’.

My signed copy is a treasured possession.

A Talented Author

I was first made aware of Liane Moriarty when I saw Big Little Lies laying on a book shelf in a shop, with Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman on the cover. I went on to read the book and watch the TV show. This was thrilling and gave me a taste for Liane’s writing.

Soon after that I was hooked on ‘Nine Perfect Strangers’, ‘The Hypnotist’s Love Story’ and ‘The Last Anniversary’. Recently I lapped up ‘Three Wishes’ and finally finished ‘Apples Never Fall’.

My Review

This book is absolutely a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ contemporary drama.

It is about an elderly couple who used to run a very successful tennis school. We start the narrative when Joy, the wife and mother of four, has disappeared suddenly. The storytelling then flicks back to months before, when a new arrival seems able to rattle the family and begin the drama.

Things I especially enjoyed about book:

– She uses the close third person to zone in on each character.

– The family dynamic is fascinating. Troy and Logan were competitive children. One grew up to be a millionaire, the other a teacher. Amy and Brooke always sought their mother’s approval and were especially jealous of the new arrival.

– The story went backwards and forwards on a well organised timeline. Sometimes a police interview would draw out an intriguing incident. Then Liane would go back three months to when that actually happened.

– An ex- student of Stan’s had become a tournament-winning tennis player. His autobiography was set to tell stories which involved Joy and Stan. This link was important throughout and left you guessing.

– The use of dialogue was really good and balanced carefully. It moved the story onwards but there was also plenty of exposition.

– The clever way that characters would be arguing and suddenly flash back to previous events or conversations. This happened so naturally and helped me understand the backstory well.

In A Nutshell

It is fair to say that I found this book incredibly entertaining. There are no negatives as far as I am concerned. The brilliantly woven scenes and fully developed, relatable characters made this satisfying to consume. Little tidbits of detail were strewn around like chicken feed. I was kept in the dark but constantly asking questions as I went further into the book.

I have enjoyed every Liane Moriarty book that I have read so far. However, this novel felt even more brilliant than the rest. Even though it is a family drama and not a thriller as such, it had plenty of twists and dilemmas. I was totally invested in the narrative right from page one.

Final Thoughts

I totally recommend checking out an extract of ‘Apples Never Fall’ and grabbing yourself a copy. It really was a great read and I cannot wait to see what the Harry Potter producer – David Heyman – does with it. He has bought the TV rights and will soon convert it into a TV series.

For a previous review of a Liane Moriarty book, check out my review of Three Wishes. Thank you for taking the time to read my book review.

Perhaps consider following my little blog for similar future content about books, TV and the climate crisis. My recent thoughts on The House of the Dragon may interest you too.

Review: Sara Cox’s Thrown – A Dramatic Hit?

I have always liked Sara Cox and remember seeing her present the Big Breakfast as well as the Radio One Breakfast Show back in the early 2000s. She made me smile when she hosted ‘The Great Pottery Throwdown’ and I especially enjoy her TV panel show about books – ‘Between The Covers’ – on BBC 2. So it was obvious that I would want to try out her autobiography and now this new work of fiction. Make up your own mind about her book but here is my Sara Cox’s ‘Thrown’ review.

I was lucky enough to bump into Sara Cox at the Eurostar terminal in Amsterdam in the summer and she had a book tucked into her pocket. We spoke about her TV show and she mentioned that she actually read each book that would be discussed in the upcoming series. She was absolutely wonderful to chat with and I later discovered that she had a debut novel – which is what I reviewed in this post.

I am excited to have offer this book for review.

What’s It All About?

Four women join a new pottery class at their local community centre, not knowing just how important that group would be for them. Becky hopes that the class will breathe a new breath of fresh air into the venue which had been struggling to find users.

She had an ex-boyfriend in prison who was soon to be released and her son was about to go abroad and work as a club rep. Meanwhile, Sheila was getting used to her son having flown the nest and her husband being unwilling to consider retirement in sunny Spain.

Jameela was a successful lawyer whose inability to get pregnant had forced a wedge between her and her husband while Louise was longing to work in a more creative career.

The pottery teacher was handsome and intriguing with a skilful way of bringing the potters together. Each chapter was told from a different character’s viewpoint and the storyline was cleverly entwined.

In A Nutshell

The book was cleverly written and I could feel the northern aspect of the setting. Sara worked hard to give nuggets of information as the book went on. Her narrative was moving, amusing and relatable. The pottery references were interesting and the use of humour was great.

I would totally recommend picking up a copy of this very warm and inviting book. As a book review writer, I really have enjoyed both reading and reviewing this new novel.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you will consider commenting and following my blog for future similar content. Meanwhile, here is a review of Joanne Harris’ fantastic novel, Blackberry Wine.

——————————————————————-

If you have Kindle Unlimited, perhaps you would like to check out my original short stories. I would appreciate some reads to celebrate the fourth birthday of my book Short Dates. Thank you so much for checking out my bookish blog,

Blackberry Wine – Book Review

As a fan of contemporary literature, I love a good story. Over the years I have developed a taste for narratives that are complex, well told and written in short chapters. This week I want to share a book which has all of these elements and many more.

BlackBerry Wine – Delicious and Tempting

This story is about Jay Mackintosh and is partly told through the lens of a bottle of long-brewed wine which he holds dear to him. His ‘specials’ (the wine bottles) remind him of his childhood stays at his grandparents’ where he explored the northern landscapes and befriended an old man who was filled with tall tales and gardening tips. He also made homemade blackberry wine.

Now, Jay has decided to follow his dream and move to a quaint village in France -Lansquenet- where he bought a run-down farm house and began writing another book. His big selling novel was several years earlier and he hadn’t been able to replicate that book for lack of ideas.

In Lansquenet (also a setting for the Chocolat novels) he finds a split family with a mysterious rift. He also makes friends with the initially suspicious locals. When an ex arrives from England to mix things up, Jay has a wake up call that changes his outlook on things.

Haunted by memories of the intriguing old man, Joe, he finds himself torn between memories, hopes and emotional awakening.

In A Nutshell

As always, Joanne has written a narrative which is fascinating, warm and full of twists and turns. It is not a thriller but sits well as a strong drama. The story is carefully written, with elements which seem unrelated but then become clearly woven together in a satisfying way.

Final Thoughts

Check out Blackberry Wine and see for yourself. Even though it was published in 2000 it is still highly relevant, really entertaining and well worth reading with a coffee on a rainy day (I say this as rain is going to soon be the most common type of weather in the UK – thanks climate change). Please comment your own thoughts on this book and share if possible.

To learn more about Joanne Harris’ books, visit her author website.

For another of my book review posts, check out my thoughts on Three Wishes by Australian author Liane Moriarty.

If you have Kindle Unlimited, perhaps you would like to check out my original short stories. I would appreciate some reads to celebrate the fourth birthday of my book Short Dates. Thank you so much for checking out my bookish blog,