Tag: book blog

Three Reasons I Love Reading

Lately I have been enjoying making more time to read fiction books. Having always loved reading books, I was finding that work was taking up too much time and I wasn’t spending enough time absorbed in a novel. Now I have made sure I read every day again and I am really happy. If you love reading, you may identify with the same reasons.

Here are three reasons why I find reading a great way to spend my time:

1) Stories are engaging

A good book can really entertain and make you think. Being gripped by a dramatic story is thrilling. If the narrative is strong then you find yourself invested in the characters and locations. It can be very therapeutic to spend time immersed in a story, engaging with its plot twists and caring about what takes place.

2) Books are good for your mental health.

Reading a book can be soothing. It helps people to relax and reduce stress levels after a busy day. With a storyline to care about, readers can find solace in a story and gain a lot of satisfaction from following characters on their journeys and adventures. Reading is a wonderful hobby that can help you to unwind.

3) Books are talking points

I love talking to my friends about books that we have both read. I have one friend who tends to read the same book as me at the same time. It is fun to share our thoughts about the narrative and discuss what we think the characters will do next.

Book clubs are also great places to chat about stories and unpick plot points together. I like to see what Booktube readers think of books, especially when I am considering buying a new book and just want to know how others felt about it.

Summary

In my view, books are very entertaining and I find reading them very relaxing. Having a good book to go home to is reassuring and I love nothing more than to make a cup of tea and read a chapter or two every day.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope that you will consider following my blog for future similar content. For a review of a book that I really enjoyed reading, check out my opinion of Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty.

Book Review: Different Class – A Gripping Novel

It has been a while since I finished a book and wrote a book review on the blog. This week I got to the end of ‘Different Class’ by Joanne Harris and I am keen to share my thoughts on it.

Having read the first book in the series, ‘Gentlemen and Players,’ I was really looking forward to get to find out what happened next. St Oswald’s Grammar School in North Yorkshire was once again the setting for a complex drama which revolved around Roy Straitley, the Latin teacher who was devoted to his job.

The Plot

The story jumps back and forth between 1981 and 2005. Back then some boys had got into some bother related to a missing lad and some drowned mice. Later on, one of those boys returned to St Oswald’s as the head teacher. His presence shakes Roy and begins a suspicious set of events that rock the whole town.

Straitley is soon under pressure to retire so that a fresh group of staff can come onboard. He smells trouble and finds himself in the middle of a confusing set of events. In the background, a disappearance, a staff reshuffle and some fairly offensive policies make St Oswald’s seem much less popular than before.

As usual, Harris can be relied upon to unravel a gripping storyline which soon engages you and sucks you right in. Twists and turns are written cleverly and help to keep you guessing. Each chapter is told by one of the key characters and the quality of writing is wonderful.

Summary

If you like a mystery drama then this novel is for you. Although it follows Gentlemen and Players, it also sits well as a story by itself. The characters are interesting and fully developed. Definitely download a sample of this narrative and I am sure you will find yourself wanting more.

I hope that you enjoyed my book review. For more of my bookish content, check out Books that are satisfying me . Please follow my blog and share a comment if you have read this or another of Joanne’s books.

Drama Books Are Everything

Perhaps I haven’t written as much as usual about drama books that I am enjoying. So I thought it would be good to talk about a few that I have recently started. Nothing beats a good book and these two are already lining themselves up as top quality reads.

So if you like nothing more than putting your feet up and opening a good book, it would be well worth checking these titles out.

Already fun and character led.

Thrown by Sara Cox

I have been a fan of Sara Cox for a long time and have laughed out loud at her radio show for many years. I also really like her BBC2 show ‘Between The Covers’ where she gets a panel of celebrities to review upcoming and existing novels.

Knowing that Sara used to present a pottery TV show called The Great British Pottery Throwdown, it was amusing to think that she had written a story about people who meet in a pottery class. I love how she is setting the story up by writing each chapter from a different character’s point of view. Her anecdotes are quirky and her way with words is brilliant. So much so that I can hear her warm northern accent shining through.

Solitaire by Alice Oseman

Another little gem is the debut novel from Alice Oseman. The creator of Heartstopper began with a book about Charlie’s sister Tori Spring and her fascination with blogging. A solitaire blog sets a game into action that she is quickly drawn into whilst dealing with some mental health issues.

Her struggle with depression feels real and Alice holds no punches when dealing with very current and relevant topics such as suicidal ideation. This book reads well and is very character driven. I love her cleverness in telling YA tales.

In A Nutshell

This was just a rapid overview of what I am currently reading but I can tell you that I am hooked on both of these drama books. Each one is well worth checking out. If you want a contemporary drama go for Thrown and if you prefer YA stories then try Alice’s book.