2017 Favourites // Books

Hello guys! This time last year I started a new job and as a result, I suddenly found that that I had lot more spare time so I finally rediscovered my childhood love of reading. I didn’t quite meet my Goodreads challenge of 40 books, I only managed to hit 37 but overall I’m actually really proud of that as I read some really amazing novels and started a new hobby, which was something that I really wanted to achieve in 2017. In this post I’m going to talk about my favourite books of 2017 (which was very hard to narrow down). Throughout my childhood and now my adulthood, no books ever manage to compare to my ultimate favourite series, Harry Potter as I have so many amazing memories of reading the books and watching the films over the years. Overall, 2017 was a good year for me; I read so many incredible books and some of them I doubt I’ll ever forget. It was difficult to choose the best of a good bunch, but I think (hope) that I’ve managed it.

The Keeper of Lost Things

One of my favourite books of last year, Sunshine was a character who completely stole my heart. She’s definitely one that I doubt that I’ll ever be able to forget, she made the entire novel so memorable with her chatty ways and love of a simple cup of tea. Actually, the majority of the characters were lovely, often supporting each other through some hard times. The concept of looking after lost items and returning them to their owners was so lovely too; it was an unusual book and full of pleasant surprises.

Tin Man

A modern take on love and loss, there were elements of a love story for it to be untangled at the last minute. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I starting reading this novel, but Sarah Winman always writes in such a beautiful way that it doesn’t matter; the content is always amazing. I loved how it started with a husband and wife and then the reader got to know their child and his wife and best friend too; everyone had their own story, everything was explained and developed.

This Is Now

This was a novel full of characters and surprises; Ciara Geraghty isn’t an author who I was familiar with, but having read this book I’m sure I’ll read more of her works. Her writing style is lovely; I liked that this book began with an event which was then broken down, showing the reader individual stories of those who were involved with the major incident. It has a bit of social commentary too, as many of the characters are immigrants from Ireland or Poland which was delicately handled.

The Couple Next Door

Over the past year I started reading more and more thrillers; this one was an incredible read. It all started with a double dinner date, then ended up with a missing child, such is the case for those who often seem to have it all. In an evening, the perfect relationship, the perfect life is slowly unravelled. It was such a gripping read; the plot never failing to be an absolute shocker.

After You

I loved this because it went against the grain of the average sequel; filled with grief and mixed in with endless love, an ordinary girl attempting to live an ordinary life after experiencing the worst kind of detachment from her best friend. Her life is a bit of a mess, which only seems to increase over the year after his death. The story wasn't similar to the prequel and that was a good thing; it was a continuation through new life.

The Muse

This book is arguably the best of them all; so unique and so beautifully written.I loved the concept that art, and an art gallery in two different countries and two different timelines can correspond through a painting. The elements of racism and war foreshadowed by the artworks are described so perfectly it was easy to let the imagination run wild.

I See You

An incredible thriller, made all the more terrifying by its twenty first century setting; using social media, the internet and commuter newspapers, there's someone watching your every move, documenting your way to work every single day. This book contains one of the best twists I think I've ever read in a thriller, it is completely addictive. You have to read until you know whodunnit.

The Shock of The Fall

This is likely to be the most realistic novel that I've ever read regarding mental health. A boy whose life is deeply affected by loss and survivor's guilt; a boy who finds comfort in his best friend, his only friend.This is a novel that makes you laugh, scream and cry because throughout the novel we see a boy turn into a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. It is told sensitively and honestly, the ugly side of life is visible throughout.

A Year of Marvellous Ways

One of my favourite authors, her novels never fail to amaze me. The story of a woman in the later stages of life sounds boring on the outset, but through the pages she seems to grow and grow, finding people to help along her journey to the end. I love the way that all of the main characters explored the idea that being human is a complex thing. It begins slowly but the beautifully written prose draws you in.

The Little Pieces of You and Me

A story of two friends, who have managed to keep their friendship as close as it was back in their university days, despite one living the dream working and residing in another country and the other married and settled beyond her years. Until a diagnosis changes the course of their lives forever; this is a well written novel that is an enjoyable read. The idea of a perfect life is unravelled as the book goes on, it’s a realistic view of the world.

Baby Doll

This book starts where others end; all about escape. Escape from captivity, escape from the mind; finally being free, except that freedom also comes at a price. I loved how this book explored so many taboo subjects and the main character was so strong throughout that it was an incredible read. Usually a kidnapping is how a book ends, so this one immediately stood out as it was focused instead on recovering from capture and moving on.

The Miniaturist 

This was a recommended read for me and I instantly fell in love. Based on a dolls house on display in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, it tells the story of Petronella Oortman. As I studied art, I love Jessie Burton’s novels as they always describe various pieces of art whilst adding her interpretation of the world within an artwork. This book explored 17th century life for women in what was a man’s world as well as commenting on the place of merchant families within society. This was an incredible read, I can’t fault it.

Book Review: The Couple Next Door

Over the past couple of months I seem to be drawn to thrillers, which is why I picked up this novel by Shari Lapena. The plot has a lot of promise; an rich couple living in an affluent area leaving their six month old baby in the house alone whilst they attend a dinner party at another couples house. Straightaway, the warning signs are obviously there, but apparently all should be fine as it is only next door and the parents are regularly checking up on their daughter. Add in a cocktail of various alcohol and it is definitely a case of who to believe. Early on in the novel it becomes not only a case of neglect, but also of child abduction; however it begs to question who is truly at fault? Is it the mother suffering from post natal depression, the father who has a business rapidly going under or is it the friends Cynthia and Graham who refused to have a baby come to their house? Anne, the mother blames Marco, the father for persuading her to leave Cora behind with the pretext of regular checkups.

However, nothing is ever as it seems and soon the circle expands to Anne's wealthy parents; strangely, the reader never sees or hears from Marco's family. On the one hand, you feel exceedingly sorry for Anne and Marco as they're living through a parents worst nightmare, but at the same time something doesn't quite add up in places, although they called the Police soon after they realised that Cora was missing from her nursery, everyone is a potential suspect. The Detective leading the investigation is an incredibly astute man and trusts nobody, which isn't a bad thing. The novel is centered around the attempt to find Cora safely alive, although we all know that the likelihood of murder increases after several hours of disappearance.

On the surface all of the characters are respectable, hard working people but this novel really does make you question how well you really know anyone. The literary style is simple, but effective with short, sharp chapters that flit between multiple narrators and it as interesting to look at the investigation from the Detective's perspective in particular. The kidnapper is revealed fairly early on, but the twists seem to never stop; every character seems to be guilty of something but it's a matter of working out what it is that they're guilty of doing. It's not hard to realise that someone is lying, but the question is who is lying? This novel is full of lies, deceit, blackmail, secrets and untrustworthy people. It was hard to know who to place the blame on and impossible to work out who was behind the kidnapping as each character seemed know far more than they wanted to admit.

Overall, this novel is one of the most beautifully crafted pieces that I've read in a while; each character had a fatal flaw that made them difficult to like and impossible to trust. I think I literally pinned the blame onto each one of them at different points as not only were they unlikable, they also seemed to have an undeniable connection with Cora's disappearance. The only character free from dislike was the Detective and honestly, he seemed to share a similar set of ideas to mine throughout the novel, albeit he was a few steps ahead of me. Although the instincts are to blame the parents, no one ever works alone and it this novel is the perfect 'whodunnit' without being obvious in any way. There were so many hints throughout the novel to do with the framework of the crime, but at no point did I guess any of the finale correctly. That is what makes a good book exceptional.