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The Trick to Time
The Trick to Time
Kit De Waal | 2018 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A surprisingly beautiful novel.
I knew (and hoped) that this was going to be a good book, based on Kit de Waal's previous book 'My Name is Leon'. I have not been let down. I loved this. If it wasn't a library book, I would probably have turned back to the start and begun again.
This is the story of Mona: her life as a child, a young woman and an older woman (in the present day). She moves from Ireland to England to work and find more excitement than the village life she has experienced in Ireland, leaving her father behind (her mother dies when she is young). She meets a young Irish man and marries him. We skip between the present day and her past from chapter to chapter. In the present day, Mona hand makes dolls which she sells online around the world. These wooden dolls are made by 'the carpenter' and Mona makes their clothes. She meets a German 'gentleman' who always seems a little pushy to me (he made me feel uncomfortable).
It's the gradual revelations that really affected me: the hard life she had and the heartache. Such a beautifully written, emotional novel.
  
The Midwife of Auschwitz
The Midwife of Auschwitz
Anna Stuart | 2022 | History & Politics
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This is one of those books that hits you and stays with you for a long time and although it is a work of fiction, the author has clearly done her research and there is a lot of this book that is based on fact.

As you can imagine, this is a hard book to read; it's a story filled with despair, death and unimaginable suffering but it's also a story filled with hope, the power of friendship and love.

Ana and Ester are the two main characters and oh what characters they are; strong and with a will to continue to do good whilst all around them descends into chaos and madness.

This book had my emotions in a constant state of flux; angry, sad, tearful, horrified but also hopeful and in awe and wonder of the people who went through such despicable crimes but continued to keep their humanity unlike the Nazis!

Like I said, this is a difficult read but, I think, an essential one and I must thank Bookouture and NetGalley for enabling me to read it and share my thoughts.
  
Everything, Everything
Everything, Everything
Nicola Yoon | 2015 | Children
9
8.3 (49 Ratings)
Book Rating
Read the book first
Made the very big mistake of watching the movie before I knew of the books existence, so the storyline was not unfamiliar to me... However I do stand my view that a film based on a novel, rarely lives up to its literary starting point. In this case it was definitely true, whilst the movie was well casted and well acted, Yoon’s novel was wonderfully fresh and gives real in head insight into Maddy and Olly and the development of their relationship!
Well worded and written it allows you to imagine and form your own images from the words on the pages. Loved it. Will be ordering more from Nicola Yoon.