The weather this month is literally blowing hot and cold, so whether you're curling up on the sofa with a blanket or basking in the sunshine, pick up these books from May's round-up and enjoy the tales.
WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING - DELIA OWEN
Firstly, wow. Secondly, W O W. At first, I was apprehensive of reading this since it had accumulated so much hype and I'm usually disappointed with over-hyped things, but it's worth it and then some. Where The Crawdads Sing is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read. I'm a bit late to the party here as it feels everyone has already read this but here's my review anyway.
The novel is about a girl named Kya who grows up, abandoned in a marshland and subjected to discrimination by the townspeople. When a boy is found murdered, the town immediately assume she is the culprit.
It's not a thriller, by any means, but more a captivating tale about loneliness, love and prejudice. I absolutely fell in love with Kya and her story and didn't want the book to end. The writing was so descriptive and gorgeous, it literally transports you to another place. I already want to read this book all over again. It's totally worth all the praise it is getting, totally magical. It reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird with it's underlying messages about essentially being a better person, and I reckon it will probably end up on the curriculum at some point. Basically, I just LOVED this book and have fully jumped on the Where The Crawdads Sing bandwagon. And not sorry about it.
THE SILENT PATIENT - ALEX MICHAELIDES
I've heard such good things about this book so I was a little apprehensive that it wouldn't live up to the hype, but oh my god it did and more. SO many twists and turns, you can't trust anyone, and the ending left me totally shocked. LOVED. IT.
The story is centered around Theo, a psychotherapist determined to get a particular patient talking again after she murders her husband and goes mute. And that's pretty much all I can say without any spoilers. So, when I say go and pick up a copy of this book, you need to trust me.
The book does have a lot of unrealistic parts in it but on the whole this thriller was completely edge-of-your-seat stuff. I couldn't put it down and finished it in 2 days. It was brilliantly written, cliff-hangers everywhere you looked, small, quick chapters that had you going 'just one more...' and such an energy around it. I've heard it's going to be made into a film so I can't wait for that. Definitely up there now with some of my favourite thrillers!
HOW TO FAIL - ELIZABETH DAY
I'm a big fan of the How To Fail Podcast with Elizabeth Day, so I'm not sure why it took me so long to pick up this book. It was a birthday present and was definitely worth the wait. I absolutely loved it. I had heard great reviews and some not-so-great reviews, so I went in with an open mind, but fell in love. At some points, I actually thought Day was writing about my life, thoughts and feelings.
Part memoir and part manifesto, Day recalls 'failures' in her life that she has eventually seen have led to successes. She is very honest and doesn't hold back; some parts are definitely a tough read. I won't lie, I had to skip most of the Babies chapter due to being completely squeamish (read:nearly fainted). I completely fell in love with this book, and where other self-help books have failed to make me relate/take advice, this one really spoke to me. And it's not even a self-help book. I couldn't recommend this novel more, regardless of what stage of life you're going through, it's just a lovely read to remind you that failing is more than okay. In fact, not being a success when you think you should be, is actually probably better...
PRETENDING - HOLLY BOURNE
Wow. Just wow. I LOVED Holly Bourne's debut adult novel, How Do You Like Me Now? and luckily, her second didn't disappoint at all. I literally devoured this book and read it in 72 hours. Bourne has the most beautiful writing; witty, funny, emotional and still packs a serious punch. Probably being bias cos I love her, but I cannot recommend this book enough. Would go as far as to say, one of my favourite books of 2020 so far, if not my actual favourite book of 2020 so far.
The novel follows the story of unlucky-in-love April who's trying to find her Prince Charming after being in a sexually abusive relationship. After too many dates and heartbreaks, she decides to create an alter ego called Gretel and get her revenge on all men in John-Tucker-Must-Die kinda way.
You might think this sounds like a rom-com, but it's so much more than that. It delves deep into the relationship us women have with dating apps and what we think men want and ultimately how that makes us view ourselves. It sensitively addresses the story of a rape victim and how much sexual abuse isn't cared for enough in society or again, in the eye's of most men. (Sorry for the man bashing, but this book does speak truth). It made me laugh, made me cry and triggered a lot of feelings and thoughts and I loved every single word. Go and read this now and thank me later.
All imagery and content from @thegoodbookclub_