The Reader's Room

Jan 24

Louis & Louise by Julie Cohen

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Louis & Louise by Julie Cohen
Published in: 2019
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: [★★★★]

This ARC was provided by Orion Publishing Group (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: If you could look at one life in two different ways, what would you see?

Louis and Louise are separated by a single moment in time, a strike of chance that decided their future. The day they were born is when their story began.

In one, Louis David Alder is born a male.
In the other, Louise Dawn Alder is born a female.

Louis and Louise are the same in many ways – they have the same best friends, the same parents, the same dream of being a writer and leaving their hometown in Maine as soon as they can. But because of their gender, everything looks different. Certain things will happen in their lives to shape them, hurt them, build them back up again. But what will bring them back home?

Book Worm’s Thoughts: I love the premise of this book and I love the execution there were several moments when I felt myself tearing up and that ending what more could a reader want?

The book is told from 3 different viewpoints we have the non gender specific view of “Lou” who is both Louis and Louise at the moments in there lives where gender doesn’t matter but important events still occur like the moment of birth (very important that). Then you have the view of the male Louis and the female Louise.

Born on the same day to the same parents in the same papermill town in Maine Louis and Louise really do share one life. They have the same friends and the same dates will be significant to both of them but in different ways and in the end it is the same reason that will bring them both back home to Maine to revisit the past, to learn from their mistakes and to give and seek forgiveness.

The book tackles important issues about perception, about money, about entitlement, about small town life, about what it takes to make a family and most importantly the influence of gender on your whole life.

As well as having great characters the setting of small town Maine is really brought to life and is the butt of several affectionate jokes.

“That’s another way you can tell you’re in main: 70 per cent of radio stations, when you land on them, are playing either the Eagles of Bob Seger”

“Or Stephen King! He makes loads of money. And you’re from Maine, you’re halfway there right?”

“Maine front doors are for company, for salesmen and out-of-town guests. They have doorbells and knockers for strangers to announce their presence. The back door is for everyday coming and going, for family”

Then we have the touching side of the story:

“She smiles, and she’s the girl he’s known all his life, the girl who borrowed his favourite book and took care not to break the spine or crease the pages.”

“That’s the point of funerals, she supposes, much like the point of all the casseroles that have been turning up. They’re excuses for the offering of kindness. They’re meant to make the living feel less alone.”

Who would like this? I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good family story, anyone who enjoys a quirky storyline and anyone who likes stories about small town America and the class difference.

We want to hear from you! Have you read this book? What did you think?

Jan 18

3 Comments

The Binding by Bridget Collins

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The Binding by Bridget Collins
Published in: 2019
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: [★★★★]

This ARC was provided by Harper Collins UK (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Imagine you could erase grief.
Imagine you could remove pain.
Imagine you could hide the darkest, most horrifying secret.
Forever.

Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to begin an apprenticeship as a Bookbinder—a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice among their small community but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse.

For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice, and he is a binder born. Under the old woman’s watchful eye, Emmett learns to hand-craft the elegant leather-bound volumes. Within each one they will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, a binder can help. If there’s something you need to erase, they can assist. Within the pages of the books they create, secrets are concealed and the past is locked away. In a vault under his mentor’s workshop, rows upon rows of books are meticulously stored.

But while Seredith is an artisan, there are others of their kind, avaricious and amoral tradesman who use their talents for dark ends—and just as Emmett begins to settle into his new circumstances, he makes an astonishing discovery: one of the books has his name on it. Soon, everything he thought he understood about his life will be dramatically rewritten.

Book Worm’s Thoughts: First how gorgeous is that cover? The book is split into three sections and each section beginning has another gorgeous illustration, while the images may be beautiful the words inside are much darker. One of the central themes of this book is the moral ambiguity created when you can forget everything that hurts you or that you have done to hurt others. Used in the right way binding could be a force for good in society but in the wrong hands there is no end to the damage that can be caused.

At its heart this is a beautifully told love story about star crossed lovers. I enjoyed the way the relationship developed slowly out of initial mistrust and suspicion. The romance felt real as did the need for secrecy and the conflict that drives the lovers apart. While the central characters may have found happiness at the end of the story I think the door has been left open for a sequel one in which the morality of binding can be explored further along with the trade in memories for money, what drives people to give up part of their lives and how do they live with the blanks.

As a book addict I found it intriguing to visit a world where books are bad, and where all books are non fiction. This is not a world I want to live in but a 448 page visit was pure escapism from the worries of the real world.

Who would like this? First a warning this book does involve sexual abuse and manipulation. Warnings out of the way if you like books with a fairy tale feel I would say check this out. Without spoilers the central romance is well worth reading.

We want to hear from you! Have you read this book? What did you think?

Jan 13

3 Comments

1001 Book Review: London Fields by Martin Amis

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Murder mystery where the victim manipulates the murderer…

Jan 6

3 Comments

1001 Book Review: Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolfe

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My first 1001 read of the year…

Jan 2

The Chosen Ones by Howard Linskey

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First book of 2019 Done!

Dec 31

3 Comments

The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne

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My last read of 2018 and it’s a good one…

Dec 30

You Were Gone by Tim Weaver

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You Were Gone by Tim Weaver
Published in: 2018
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: [★★★]

This ARC was provided by Penguin UK (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Three days after Christmas, a woman walks into a police station. She has no phone and no ID, just a piece of paper with the name of investigator David Raker on it. She tells officers that Raker is her husband.

SHE SAYS SHE’S MY WIFE.

When he turns up at the station, Raker is stunned. The woman looks exactly like his wife. She knows all about their marriage, their history, even private conversations the two of them had. There’s just one problem: Raker’s wife has been dead for eight years.

MY WIFE DIED . . . DIDN’T SHE?

The woman tells the police that Raker had a breakdown. A respected doctor backs up her account. Items are missing that prove Raker’s side of the story – and, worst of all, he soon becomes the prime suspect in a disappearance.

SHE’S EITHER A LIAR – OR I AM.

Could Raker have imagined their whole marriage? Is he delusional? Is this really the woman he loved and grieved for? Hunted by the police, Raker will have to find out the truth before it costs him everything – his memories, his sanity, his life . . .

Book Worm’s Thoughts: When I requested this ARC I didn’t actually realise it was book 9 in an ongoing series I am normally completely anal and will only read a series in order however as I was already behind with my reviews I decided to take the plunge…

Personally I don’t feel that I missed out on anything major not having read the other books in the series, in fact in some ways it added to the suspense and the book can definitely be read as a stand alone. I think it was easier for me to question Raker’s state of mind having only read this book than it would have been if I already had a reader’s relationship with him.

As this is a thriller there is not much you can write in a review without giving away spoilers so here are my very basic thoughts – I really enjoyed the first half of the book, I loved the fact that the unreliable narrator was a man and that even he wasn’t sure if he was reliable or not, I also liked the fact that the police officer who deals with Raker is an intelligent woman who is prepared to cross certain lines to solve the case. When it comes to the second half and the resolution of the mystery I felt that things were way too unbelievable, there is a massive conspiracy and events for this book actually have their roots in the past I get that really this is the only way events could have played out but I just couldn’t suspend disbelief enough to just go with it.

Overall this was a fast paced read that did keep me guessing even if I ended up rolling my eyes a lot in the second half.

Who would like this? I would say anyone who has already read the rest of the series and anyone who likes Jonathan Kellerman thrillers as this has the same kind of feel to it. If you don’t mind your thrillers being on the wrong side of credulity this could also suit you.

We want to hear from you! Have you read this book? What did you think?

Dec 28