Looking For Jane by Heather Marshall

 

2017

When Angela discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession in a stack of forgotten letters, she begins to look for the intended recipient. Her search takes her to the 1970s and 80s, when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network known only by its whispered code name: Jane . . .

1971

As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was forced to give her baby up for adoption. Swearing she'll do everything she can to make sure other women have the right to choose, she joins the Jane Network to provide safe but illegal abortions. There, she crosses paths with Nancy, who was told that if she ever found herself 'in a position', she should ask for Jane. Nancy soon becomes the Network's newest volunteer, desperately trying to help others while family secrets threaten everything she knows to be true.

Over the years, Evelyn, Nancy, and Angela's lives intertwine to reveal the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice, and the buried secrets that will always find a way to the surface . . .

I received a copy of this from the publisher Hodder and Staughton, and Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I read this with Kath as our November buddy read, although I really should apologize as I took ages reading this and Kath finished it way before I did. But that was down to me being tired, nothing to do with the book. 

The story was so good, I loved it. A heartbreaking and beautiful tale of 3 women, whose lives intertwine and connect. I loved learning about all 3 of them.

I wasn’t surprised at how hard things were back then for women and girls who needed an abortion, and how scary it was for them trying to find it. What I was surprised with though was realizing  that this was happening not so long ago. What those women and girls went through, the fear of being caught, I can’t even imagine. But also what the girls went through in those homes, the Sisters treating them the way they did, taking their babies without consent, giving them away and sometimes even selling them. 

But the Jane’s, well they were lifesavers weren't they. I’ve been researching them as I’m really interested in what they have done. Amazing women standing up for a much needed cause. They put their lives at stake to do what they did. 

I’d definitely recommend this book, it’s opened my eyes to just how scary and frightening this all was. I was about to say I’m glad things have changed and its different now, but honestly, in some places it still hasn’t.

This Much Is True by Miriam Margolyes

 

Award-winning actor, creator of a myriad of memorable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes is a national treasure.

Now, at last, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her extraordinary life story. And it's far richer and stranger than any part she's played.

Find out how being conceived in an air-raid gave her curly hair; what pranks led to her being known as the naughtiest girl Oxford High School ever had; how she ended up posing nude for Augustus John aged 17, being sent to Coventry by Monty Python and the Goodies and swearing on University Challenge (she was the first woman to say F*** on TV). This book is packed with unforgettable stories from why Bob Monkhouse was the best (male) kiss she's ever had to being told off by the Queen. With a cast list stretching from Scorsese to Streisand, Leonardo di Caprio to Isaiah Berlin, This Much is True is as warm and honest, as full of life and surprises, as she is.

I read this with my reading buddy Kath in September, and my god I loved it! 

Miriam has always been a cracking lady, but reading her book I realised just how much more amazing she really is. You can’t go into this book without knowing what you’re going to be face with. Anyone who knows Miriam knows this book is going to be full of swearing, sex, and a lot of shocking moments. And boy it did not disappoint!

I loved reading about young Miriam, from starting school she was an absolute little tinker. She wasn’t naughty, but done silly things like dressing up as a french woman and pretending to be a new students mother. I can imagine her being such a funny girl. It was nice to read about her home life growing up, and finding her own way in the world as she got older. The hilarious stories carry on throughout the book, and the one with The Queen was brilliant. I noticed how much has changed since this book was written, which wasn’t that long ago. She talks about how much she admires The Queen, her husband Prince Phillip, and how Charles will make a good King one day. Well, this is all different now, with The Queen and Prince Phillip no longer with us, and King Charles now ruling. 

There is so much sex in this book. I love how truthful and honest Miriam is, she gives herself big props as the best person around to erm ‘service’ a man, and how she often did this for anyone who asked. 

This lady is wonderful, she’s had a brilliant life so far, and I hope she still has a good few years in her yet.

Paper Towns by John Green

Quentin Jacobsen has always loved Margo Roth Spiegelman, for Margo (and her adventures) are the stuff of legend at their high school. So when she one day climbs through his window and summons him on an all-night road trip of revenge he cannot help but follow. But the next day Margo doesn't come to school and a week later she is still missing. Q soon learns that there are clues in her disappearance . . . and they are for him. But as he gets deeper into the mystery - culminating in another awesome road trip across America - he becomes less sure of who and what he is looking for.

I read this with my buddy reader pal Kath. We’ve read a few together now and this was our second John Green novel, the first being Looking For Alaska. 

We both enjoyed this one, and we kept on chatting throughout about what was happening. We both agreed on the ending being not what we expected, and a little disappointing. But overall we enjoyed the story. It gave me ‘Looking For Alaska’ vibes, the kids running around, sneaking away from the grown ups and doing random stuff they shouldn’t have been doing.

I like Q, and I liked his friends. Margo was a bit hit and miss for me, sometimes I liked her, sometimes I didn’t. 

If you like John Greens books I’d recommend it. 

Falling by T.J Newman

You just boarded a flight to New York.

There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard.

What you don't know is that thirty minutes before the flight your pilot's family was kidnapped.

For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.

The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.

I read this with my friend Kath, I love our buddy reads as we always chat loads.

Well if this book isn’t gripping then I don’t know what the hell is! I was glued. I read the first 8 chapters, then stopped to let Kath catch up. But once we both started properly again, we had to finish. I raced through the last 100 or so pages in one morning as I just couldn’t put it down!

The book all takes place within 6 hours I think, either on the plane or down on the ground with the Bad Guy, and the pilot’s family. All I kept thinking was what would I do in this situation. The pilot is amazing, Bill his name is. I loved reading his parts, trying to figure out what he was going to do, how he was feeling, and how was he staying so calm? There were so many times me or Kath messaged each other saying things like ‘OMG ch8’! OMG ch 18’.

Honestly I’d recommend everyone read this, what a debut novel it is! Fast paced, edge of your seat thriller. Very exciting read . Well done Ms Newman… I don’t know if I’ll fly again!

Crying In H Mart by Michelle Zauner

From the indie rockstar Japanese Breakfast, an unflinching, powerful, deeply moving memoir about growing up mixed-race, Korean food, losing her Korean mother, and forging her own identity.

In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humour and heart, she tells of growing up the only Asian-American kid at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother's particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother's tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food.

As she grew up, moving to the east coast for college, finding work in the restaurant industry, performing gigs with her fledgling band - and meeting the man who would become her husband - her Koreanness began to feel ever more distant, even as she found the life she wanted to live.

It was her mother's diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer, when Michelle was twenty-five, that forced a reckoning with her identity and brought her to reclaim the gifts of taste, language, and history her mother had given her.

Thank you to Gaby over at Picador books for my gifted copy!

I read this with my book buddy Kath, we took our time and talked about each part, and I loved it. 

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting from this book, but I was really surprised at how much I liked it. First off, the main story is Michelle’s mother finding out she has terminal cancer, and then the three of them (Michelle, her mother and her father) trying to come to terms with what’s happening. It’s a sad story, and I cried, but there was so much love too. The stories of the bonding over the years were so heartwarming.

Another major part of the story is food. Now I love food, but wow does Michelle’s family like their food! Oh the descriptions had my mouth watering at times. But there is a deep connection with the family through food, and Michelle told it so beautifully. There’s a scene where Michelle is at a food hall and is watching and describing the other people around her, it’s so mesmerising.

I loved the trips they took, and at times felt like I needed to reach in and help them in sticky situations. I felt you forget sometimes this isn’t fiction, and you’re brought back down to earth with heartbreaking scenes. 

Please read this book, it’s beautiful. Thanks Kath for reading and chatting along with me.

Now, off to find more Korean recipes!

Forget Me Not by Claire Allan

I disappeared on a Tuesday afternoon. I was there one minute and the next I was gone. They've never found my body...

It's six in the morning during the hottest summer on record when Elizabeth O'Loughlin, out walking her dog, comes across Clare, a victim of a horrific knife attack, clinging onto life at the side of the road.

Clare dies minutes later, but not before whispering her haunting last words to Elizabeth.

When it becomes clear that Clare's killer has more than one murder on his mind, Elizabeth has to take drastic action or face losing everything.

But what if she can't stop a killer determined never to be forgotten?

This was Tsundoku Squad’s February read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that instead of stopping at the end of week 3’s part, I missed the stopping point and finished the book!

I do love a good thriller, and this one was a good one. The amount of twists, and moments I shouted out and gasped! Elizabeth was a great character, and I think my favourite throughout. The main character really is a lady named Rachel. She, Clare and Julie have been best friends for years, since school. They are wrapped into this murder in ways they can’t imagine, and it was so fun trying to figure out what was happening!

Claire Allan knows how to confuse you and surprise you, and I’ll gladly read another of her books.

I gave this book a big 5 stars, Tsundoku Squad gave it. Check out Em’s collective group review over on emandherbooks.com

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

What is wrong with you?’

Laura has spent most of her life being judged. She’s seen as hot-tempered, troubled, a loner. Some even call her dangerous.

Miriam knows that just because Laura is witnessed leaving the scene of a horrific murder with blood on her clothes, that doesn’t mean she’s a killer. Bitter experience has taught her how easy it is to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Carla is reeling from the brutal murder of her nephew. She trusts no one: good people are capable of terrible deeds. But how far will she go to find peace?

Innocent or guilty, everyone is damaged. Some are damaged enough to kill.

Look what you started.

I read this book as a buddy read with my good pal Kath. It was also on my 22 in 2022 list so that’s another one crossed off! 

I really enjoyed this one. I loved Paula’s last book Girl on The Train, so I was really eager to buy this when it came out. The story is a fab thriller type book full of twists and turns. There were a few times I thought I knew what was going on, who done what, but turned out to be wrong. I loved the character Irene, I think she was my favourite. She was a very sweet little old lady and I would have loved to have been her friend. I also really liked Laura, a down on her luck girl who has an awful past bless her. The more you find out about her, the more I just wanted to hug her. But she has her faults and has gotten herself into a bit of trouble a few times. 

I also really liked the ‘novel’ elements in the book, the pages in between chapters which are part of a novel from within the book.

If you like thrillers and whodunnits, I think you’ll like this one. I gave it 5 stars in the end. I was going to go 4 as personally I did find a couple of things a bit cliche, but honestly I don’t care, the story pulled me in and I couldn’t put it down, so 5 big stars from me!

What Might have Been by Holly Miller

 

Is Lucy's life 'meant to be' . . . or meant to be different?

Lucy's life is at a crossroads. She's just walked out of her unrewarding job and has no idea about her next step: use her savings to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, or move to London to try and revive her career? It almost seems like fate that on that same night she meets Caleb, a stranger in a bar, and runs into Max, the one-time love of her life.

Should Lucy stay in the seaside town she grew up in, and in doing so, get to know Caleb better? Or should she go to London and reconnect with Max again after he broke her heart a decade ago? It's just one decision - but sometimes one decision can change the course of your whole life . . .

I received a copy of this from Netgalley, and the publisher Hodder and Staughton in return for an honest review. 

I read this as a buddy read with a few of the TsundokuSquad girls. 

Ever wondered what your life would be like if one moment had went differently? I loved this book! I laughed, I felt sad, and I cried like an absolute baby. I loved the way the book was set out, each chapter with a ‘go’ part, and a ‘stay’ part. I kept changing my mind all the way through whether I wanted the book to end on ‘go’ or ‘stay’, and both lives had amazing things happen. Lucy is lush and deserves so much happiness. Max is amazing… but so is Caleb… see my problem lol? There were a few great characters in the story, and I really liked the story behind Lucy’s mam and dad, a proper love story. 

If you like romantic tear jerkers this is definitely one for you. Thanks again to Netgalley and the publisher Hodder and Staughton for my e-arc.

Looking For Alaska by John Green

 

In the dark beside me, she smelled of sweat and sunshine and vanilla and on that thin-mooned night I could see little more than her silhouette, but even in the dark, I could see her eyes - fierce emeralds. And not just beautiful, but hot too.

BEFORE. Miles Halter's whole life has been one big non-event until he starts at anything-but-boring Culver Creek Boarding School and meets Alaska Young. Gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, screwed up and utterly fascinating she pulls Miles into her world, launches him into a new life, and steals his heart. But when tragedy strikes, and Miles comes face-to-face with death he discovers the value of living and loving unconditionally.

AFTER: Nothing will ever be the same.

Poignant, funny, heartbreaking and compelling, this novel will stay with you forever.

I read this as a buddy read with my fab pal Kath. I’d only ever read one of John Green’s books, The Fault in Our Stars , and I loved it, so was looking forward to reading this one. 

I really enjoyed it. I think the thingI liked the most was the way the kids spent their free time. It was just like I imagined a boarding school to be like. They hung out, snuck around with buried alcohol (yes, you heard that right lol), smoked cigarettes secret out of the windows or down at the smoking hole. It was just proper friend time and bonding. 

I loved The Colonel, he was my favourite character. A cheeky chap, with witty come backs, and I think he would just be a cool person to hang out with. I did like the main characters Alaska and Miles, and there were times I felt so bad for them both. And yes I cried a bit too.

Looking forward to reading more of John Greens books! Thanks to Kath for reading alongside me :)

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

 

Irina obsessively takes explicit photographs of the average-looking men she persuades to model for her, scouted from the streets of Newcastle. Placed on sabbatical from her dead-end bar job, she is offered an exhibition at a fashionable London gallery, promising to revive her career in the art world and offering an escape from her rut of drugs, alcohol, and extreme cinema. The news triggers a self-destructive tailspin, centred around Irina's relationship with her obsessive best-friend, and a shy young man from her local supermarket who has attracted her attention.

I read this as a buddy read with my fab pal Kath (go check out her review on her Bookstagram account kathvbooks). I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Kath sporadically throughout reading this and can’t wait to do another buddy read with her. I was drawn to this after reading that its set in my home town.

So at first I wasn’t sure on how I was feeling about this one. Irving talks photographs of male models she finds in Newcastle, the photos range from topless to full on erotic poses. Irina has some issues, there is a lot of drug taking, drinking, and just plain nastiness . She isn’t a dry nice person at all and you can tell she wants things her own way or no way. She’s a bully to her friends, and manipulates the guys she photographs into doing whatever she wants.

Kath mentions Eddie in her review, and I agree that we both fell for him, and he just seemed so sweet. He just wanted to be liked and unfortunately the friend he met and made was Irina.

There was a lot of has someone been killed or not throughout the book and it had us quite confused at times. But I actually enjoyed the book, and after the first few chapters I got quite addicted to finding out what was going on! A different read, but well written and a good book.

Because Of You by Dawn French

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock . . . midnight.

The old millennium turns into the new.

In the same hospital, two very different women give birth to two very similar daughters.

Hope leaves with a beautiful baby girl.

Anna leaves with empty arms.

Seventeen years later, the gods who keep watch over broken-hearted mothers wreak mighty revenge, and the truth starts rolling, terrible and deep, toward them all.

The power of mother-love will be tested to its limits.

Perhaps beyond ...

I read this as a buddy read with Lisa @tot_and_tales, this was my first buddy read and it went very well, I will definitely do more of these. I wasn’t sure where this book was going to go, two ladies, Hope and Anna, both give birth on the same day in the same hospital, on the same ward. One lady leaves with a baby, one lady leaves without. 

This book was a strange one, it’s the first time I’ve really been rooting for somebody who I know has done something wrong. Me and Lisa agreed it plays with your morals a little.

I loved quiet Isaac, he was my favourite character throughout, I just think he seemed like the sweetest person. Hope was a good character, she seemed very loving and her family did too. Julius is a shit, I’m not even going to lie. Anna is strong, and seems like a lovely Person. I did feel so bad for her throughout the story, and I’m glad she grew some balls. When you read you know what I mean. 

But Minnie is the main character in this book, I liked her, she seemed very young and vulnerable, but grown up at the same time.

I’m not going to say much as to give spoilers, but let’s just say by the end my heart was broke and my face was soaked with tears. Definitely read this one.

Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott

Can you love someone you can never touch?

Stella Grant likes to be in control - even though her totally out of control lungs have sent her in and out of the hospital most of her life. At this point, what Stella needs to control most is keeping herself away from anyone or anything that might pass along an infection and jeopardize the possibility of a lung transplant. Six feet apart. No exceptions.

The only thing Will Newman wants to be in control of is getting out of this hospital. He couldn't care less about his treatments, or a fancy new clinical drug trial. Soon, he'll turn eighteen and then he'll be able to unplug all these machines and actually go see the world, not just its hospitals.

Will's exactly what Stella needs to stay away from. If he so much as breathes on Stella she could lose her spot on the transplant list. Either one of them could die. The only way to stay alive is to stay apart. But suddenly six feet doesn't feel like safety. It feels like punishment.

What if they could steal back just a little bit of the space their broken lungs have stolen from them? Would five feet apart really be so dangerous if it stops their hearts from breaking too?

This was my second buddy read, and I read this with Becky @beckithebookworm. We both really enjoyed it. 

I had seen the movie quite a while ago so I kind of knew what to expect, but I had also heard that the movie ended differently to the book so I was quite looking forward to seeing the difference. 

I really liked this book, I loved the characters Will and Stella, and I really loved Poe. I liked Will’s confidence, which sometimes comes off as cocky, but he’s great. Stella seems like a good girl, kind natured which you can’t tell throughout the book, and I love her vlogs. Poe is just so happy. I loved the friendship between him and Stella.

Reading about how difficult it is living with CF made me realise how hard it must be for everyone who has this condition. We find out in the book that Will has a bacterial infection known as B Cepacia on top of his CF, and he’s there doing a new trial to try to get rid of it. This is how the 2 meet.

I did not know that two people with CF shouldn’t touch, or you should never be within six-foot of each other, or anyone with a cold or flu, but it makes sense. As we’ve learned during the pandemic, water droplets from coughs and sneezes can travel six feet in the air. 

The book makes you feel happy and sad, love and a lot of happy. Fab YA book and I’d definitely read more from this author.