Tag: review

Three Wishes – Book Review

AF – This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and decide to buy a product I may get a small fee, at no extra cost to yourself.

Happy Easter everyone! As we all crack open the Easter eggs and spend time thinking about our history, let’s make the most of the tradition and rest up, ready for a busy summer ahead. I am not especially religious but Easter represents new life and symbolises how everything starts to become green again, during the Spring.

What better time to read some books? I love nothing more than putting my feet up in a quiet room, flicking through the pages of a good quality novel. For those of you who are new to my blog, you may not realise that I read mainly contemporary dramas and YA fiction, as well as a sprinkling of biographies.

Three Wishes

Although I am a massive fan of Liane Moriarty, I am never surprised when an author writes a book that doesn’t quite meet up to their usual standards. ‘Three Wishes’ is definitely not a book that lowers expectations. With Liane, I am yet to come across any that are sub-standard. For a previous review of one of her masterpieces, check out Bewitching Books which also includes a classic by my other favourite writer, Joanne Harris.

Review

Three wishes is all about three triplets who are in their thirties, living in Australia, going through the usual challenges of modern living. Their parents split up when they were young, but are still a big part of their lives. Two sisters, Lyn and Cat, are identical, while Gemma isn’t. What I love about Liane’s books is that they are grounded in normality, exploring family life in forensic detail.

Liane usually writes in the ‘close third person’ which means that each chapter focuses on a particular character and examines their thoughts, but remains written from a third person angle. We follow each sister as they deal with issues relating to mental health, motherhood, dating and marital upheaval.

Cat , for instance, is keen to have a baby with her husband, Dan. Her career is soaring and she envies Lyn, who balances having a toddler and teenage step daughter effortlessly. Lyn, meanwhile, is having anxiety issues related to car parks. Both sisters have used their identical features to their advantage in the past. They recall a time when one pretended to be the other on a date, for example.

Gemma is used to dating and being happy in short term relationships, which she is always ready to terminate. Being engaged to a guy who suddenly died in an accident, everyone feels sorry for her, but she harbours some resentment for her apparently romantic ex.

A celebration at a suave restaurant for their 34th birthdays turns into a battleground when the sisters finally let loose some revelations that upset the rest of the family. Some things just have to be said, but these women bottle stuff up and let it all out in one explosive evening.

Summary

I love this wonderfully told story, which is no thriller but is definitely compelling, with moments of humour along the way. Liane is very good at making sharp observations about modern life and her playfulness is really amusing. If you have never read a Moriarty book before (Why ever not?) then why not start with this one?

Check out the book on Amazon, here:

https://amzn.to/3KS1WG8

Thank you for taking the time to read my little review of this brilliant book. Please drop a comment about your thoughts or questions related to this. If you enjoyed my article, please consider following my blog for future similar content.

More Great TV Shows

TV has already been brilliant this January and now we enter February I have added even more great TV shows to my recommended list. The choice of quality and fun series feels better than ever after a slow down in production during the pandemic. I am still registered with a TV Extra agency and the shear amount of offers I have received lately is great. Sadly I just don’t have time to do them as I no longer work part time and haven’t done for a while.

Anyway, the following TV shows have got my attention and sustained my interest so far. If you are looking for new shows to grab your interest, then these are definitely worth a try.

Casting agents have been doing a great job lately, especially in the shows I have reviewed.

Trigger Point – ITV

This show was always going to be good. It is produced by Jed Mercurio, of ‘Line of Duty’ fame, and stars Vicky McClure, with a guest spot by Adrian Lester. All about a bomb disposal team who are dealing with some challenging times, this series is thrilling and fascinating.

Vicky plays Lana, who is a strong female lead that is trying to solve a puzzle related to recent bomb discoveries in London. Alongside this, she is dating a Police detective, making work and personal life an interesting balance. Also the loss of a close friend and colleague provides more incentive to rid London of the preceding threat.

Only two episodes in, but this masterpiece of an ITV drama is compelling and well written, with fully rounded characters. The gritty subject matter makes this unsuitable for kids but as far as storyline goes it had similar ingredients to the incredible ‘Bodyguard’ series, also penned by Jed Mercurio.

The Book of Bobba Fett – Disney

Oh my goodness! For any Star Wars fans, there have been some brilliant series coming out since Disney Plus emerged onto the streaming market. First we had ‘The Mandalorian’ (reviewed here), which was followed up with a second season and now we have ‘The Book of Bobba Fett.’

Baby Yoda, otherwise known as `Grogu’ is a regular Mandalorian character.

I don’t want to give any spoilers for proper Star Wars fans but can say that these two series are linked in several ways. In the six episodes of Bobba Fett we find out what happened to him after he was thrown into the Sarlak pit during ‘The Return of the Jedi.’ Let’s face it – we were all wondering if that was the end of him or not.

Bobba had already appeared in the Mandalorian series and now we get to find out about how he dragged his way out of a pit (literally!) and quickly became a big player in Mos Eisley, the town that Jabba once ruled. The other main characters are well cast (especially Ming-Na Wen as Fennec Shand – Bobba’s loyal deputy) and help to make this narrative interesting and entertaining. There are many flashbacks and connections to the original George Lucas movies, too.

Both of my recommendations are six part series so can be spread out or easily watched in binges. I absolutely love Trigger Point for its unpredictability and pace. Bobba is all about Star Wars nostalgia and filling in the gaps of ongoing stories. Created by Jon Favreau, this series is another example of Lucasfilm magic.

I hope that you enjoyed these brief reviews and consider checking out my blog for similar future content. As well as TV show reviews, I also write about books and the environment.

Danny O’Dea’s 2021 in Review

This was a fun read, revisiting some outstanding moments in the movies made in 2021. I especially loved West Side Story, In The Heights, Luca and Dune. Check out this intriguing review. 2021 saw the return of big screen movies.

To write a year-in-review list immediately after the year ends is always a fascinating experiment. What ends up sticking in your brain five, ten, …

Danny O’Dea’s 2021 in Review