I’m reading

8. A year of Haiku by Linda Cooper
I joined the Fosseway Writing group for a few reasons (as well as having my arm twisted by Nick (Chair)) I wanted to improve my writing, learn about different forms of writing and meet other writers. Through this group I’ve met some amazing people and one of them is Linda, she’s an extremely talented writer and rarely gives herself credit for just how awesome she is, through Linda’s book I was introduced to the wonderful world of Haiku. For those who don’t know what it is, I quote from Linda’s book
‘Simply put a haiku is a form of Japanese verse which has three lines, where the first and the last lines have five syllables, while the middle line has seven.’

It had taken me a year to read this, because I decided to read one haiku per day. The haiku are observations of Linda’s life and this collection is simply stunning. Some days they were spot on when describing the weather or reflecting feelings and I found myself nodding along at how accurate they were. I really cannot recommend this book highly enough. Grab yourself a copy from a local bookshop, you really won’t be disappointed…
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7. My One True North by Milly Johnson
A brilliant read. Milly takes you through every emotion possible in this wonderful book. I laughed out loud on so many occasions, the snippets from The Daily Trumpet were hilarious. If Milly ever decides to run a newspaper like this, I will be the first in line for a copy! I love the way she cleverly crafts the breadcrumbs throughout her stories. You have that ‘AH-HA’ moment when you realise, Milly set-up the storyline in earlier chapters. I’m not surprised this book has received so many amazing reviews. You must read this book, you really must.
Amazon link
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6. In Cold Blood by Jane Bettany
This is a debut crime book by Jane Bettany. I loved it! Expertly crafted, with lots of little details which quickly creates the atmosphere for the scene. I always find, especially with crime novels, that I don’t want to get bogged down in pages and pages of descriptive detail, I want the focus to be on the story and the characters. I instantly liked the main character D.I. Blood and felt all the characters were well rounded. The fact that the case they were investigating was connected to the D. I’s life was cleverly written and added extra intrigue. It also helped that the book is set in my old stomping ground and I find it adds another element of enjoyment to the story. If you’re looking for your next crime novel, look no further. I read this in a couple of days as I kept wanting to get back to the story. I hope there will be more books in this series.
Amazon link

5. Get over yourself by Leanne Moden
Before I start, poetry has never really been my thing, so forgive my attempt at a review! I struggle because I’m a speedy reader and it’s hard to slow myself down. I’ve come to learn that not all poems need to be read slowly and like some books, I prefer to listen to the poet perform their work so I understand them better. I purchased this a while ago from Leanne, but I’ve tried to make an occasion of reading the poems, rather than consuming the whole book in one sitting. As always, there is a stunning attention to detail in all of Leanne’s poems. Each one makes you think and reflect. Some I re-read when I was in a different frame of mind and I found I got (rubbish word!) something different by doing this. Highly recommend you reading these…
To quote ‘Get Over Yourself’ is a collection about transformation and self-acceptance, grief and sex, rebellion and conformity, belonging and self-discovery’  
I certainly found I identified my past in some of the poems.
Click here (link to Amazon)
Click here (link to Leanne’s Website)

4. Day 7 by Kerry Drewery: You know that feeling when you get gripped by a book and then you realise it’s the second one in a trilogy… oops. Oh well, thankfully it wasn’t a problem as the author gave enough information so I knew the characters lives before and caught up easily. It reminded me a bit of the Hunger Games and also Ready, Player, One and possibly another book I cannot quite bring to mind. I found some of it infuriating (in a well written way!) – mainly the way the Government and media controlled everything, perhaps it’s because it was too close to real life! Anyway, at some point I will get around to reading the others, but I felt this worked as a standalone, although I do need to read the last one to tie the story up. I read another by Kerry Drewery book last year: The Last Paper Crane. If you haven’t read this, then you must. (B)

3. The Universe Versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence: I loved, loved this audiobook. At first I struggled as the narration was a little too fast for me so I had to turn the speed down. I find with audiobooks it can take a little bit of time to adjust to a new narrator. But the speed did suit the book. The characters were constructed perfectly and in my humble opinion it must be a masterclass in the old ‘show, don’t tell’ which everyone mentions in the writing world. Which I get but equally, I sometimes want the author to just tell me. The author deals with so many issues head on but in a careful and compassionate way. My brother suffers with epilepsy, so I found the information related to this fascinating, as my brother often describes it like being hit in the head with a hammer(ouch).  At the beginning I did wonder when the aliens were going to turn up! (spoiler – no aliens) I broke my own book group rule when I had to share my love of this book on Twitter before we had discussed it at book group (oops) and Gavin replied! (I did meet Gavin when I was volunteering with Newark Book Festival in 2019 – such a lovely guy.) There are going to be a lot of contenders for my favourite book this year! (A)

2. The Salt Path by Raynor Winn: This was a Christmas gift (well done, Santa, AKA my mum) I picked this book up and put it down again a few times as, to be honest, the start was rather depressing and with depressing news coming in daily, I wasn’t sure my mental state could take any more. But, I really wanted to read it, so I carried on and I’m so glad I did. I’ve been on a few walking trips but nothing like this. The best I managed was walking the Yorkshire Three Peaks in one day and I had a comfy bed, 3 drifter chocolate bars and access to money, help and the promise of a warm comfy bed at the end of the night, even if the toilets on the farmlands were a bit dodgy! This book is so beautifully written and the descriptions make you feel like you’re alongside them. It makes you think about the terrible positions people end up in, and how easy it is to take having a home for granted. Very thought provoking and a must read. Looking forward to reading the next book. (B)