For the Love of Books | Currently Reading May 2022

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin | Kindle | This is an uplifting, feel-good novel which whisks the reader through a whole range of emotions before building to a climax that ties things off just perfectly. I knew I was going to like it a few pages in when AJ, the irascible owner of the only bookshop on Alice Island, launched into an impassioned tirade about the kind of books he does NOT like and, with only a few exceptions, managed to pinpoint just about all of my own thoughts on the matter. I do hope we’re meant to like him because, if not, I spent far too many pages nodding in agreement.

What I highlighted –

What is the point of bad dates if not to have amusing anecdotes for your friend

You can totally describe a hospital room. It’s grey. The art is the worst art you’ve ever seen. Like stuff that got rejected by the Holiday Inn. Everything smells like someone is trying to cover up the smell of piss.

… novels certainly have their charms, but the most elegant creation in the prose universe is a short story. Master the short story and you’ll have mastered the world.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry | Kindle | I’ve read Henry’s earlier titles, Beach Read and You and Me on Vacation, and enjoyed them but they haven’t stuck with me. But it turns out I enjoyed this one for so many reasons. I love Charlie and Nora, I loved that it’s not just a romance book but also a book about being a big sister. I laughed and I almost cried.

The Break by Marian Keyes | Kindle | recommended by Deb | The story didn’t quite go the way I thought it would. That said, I loved Amy’s attitude to the many gritty topics that came up during the course of the book, her outlook on life in general and the way she handled events and issues at home, without her husband Hugh (who I wanted to punch through most of this read).

What I highlighted –

Emotions – particularly the unpleasant ones dole themselves in fits and starts. They play their cards close to their chests, taking pride in their unpredictability

Chapter 20

Everything passes in the end, good and bad, love and pain

Chapter 57

The Bookshop on Primrose Hill by Sarah Jio | Kindle | If you are a lover of books, handwritten letters, literature, quaint bookshops, vintage, and the charm of London, then this is a book you will enjoy. This book seems to have been published in the US under the title With Love From London.

What I highlighted –

What makes books more special than, say, a movie, is that you can hold them. When your own world feels bleak, a book is a portal to anywhere. You can hide within the pages, linger there for comfort or protection. The best part? Whether you’re seven or sixty-seven, a favourite book is like an old friend, waiting for you with open arms.

Chapter 5

Grief comes in fits and spurts. One day you’re on top of the world; the next you’re drowning in a puddle of tears.

Chapter 5

Don’t take life too seriously. No matter what, just laugh because at the end of the day, it’s all funny.

Chapter 7

Trauma isn’t a single event, but rather an ongoing process. The brain wants to move on quickly, to stomp out any memories associated with the trauma. But the heart wants to understand.

Chapter 15

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer | Kindle | A searing page-turner of hope, family secrets and a love to defy all odds and inspired by the author’s family history. Set over a dual timeline, I particularly liked the descriptions of the husband’s struggle with their son’s autism diagnosis, as I felt that they were relatable.

What I highlighted –

Life has a way of shattering our expectations, of leaving our hopes in pieces without explanation. But when there’s love in a family, the fragments left behind from our shattered dreams can always be pulled together again, even if the end is a mosaic.

Chapter 40

---