The Woman with All the Answers by Linda Green

Rating:

3 Stars

Themes:

Domestic Fiction, Dual POV

Thoughts:

This was my first book by this author and I haven’t read many from this midlife style of domestic fiction either so it was all pretty new to me. Having the Alexa as a real human was an intriguing premise and I may have asked the Alexa in our house if she is really a real human called Pauline but she hasn’t been programmed with a response to this book yet. Michelle seemed to have everything that could go wrong for her happen but I know someone who has had that type of year so it didn’t feel like an exaggeration to me. However, she also did seem like a little bit of a midlife cliche at some points but I’m sure that was done intentionally to represent the target audience. I have to admit that Marc did my head in and I get that he’s feeling unfulfilled but why should that mean that he causes more problems that Michelle has to fix and why when he claims the socialisation of ordering sh*t online is what he likes, does he not look after his own mother in his more free time instead of leaving that to Michelle too. Although I know that’s representative as we can see online just how many married single mothers/women there are due to this behaviour in men so even though it peeved me off I know it’s representative and realistic to many people. Pauline is an interesting character as despite us seeing half of the book from her POV, we know so little about her as a person and instead see her perspective on the family instead. It does have quite a sweet ending, all the conflict is resolved and it does feel warm and cosy. Overall, it’s an easy read with a few funny parts.

Favourite Quote:

“Apparently, the job description for being a woman includes all the things others can't be bothered to do. Along with no holidays or sick pay and not so much as a sniff at any wage. And they wonder why we're full of rage.”

Comments

Mint and Murder by Carly Winter

Rating: Stars Themes: Short Story, Cosy Mystery Thoughts: Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I had to read this book, seeing it was available, after reading Pipers Piping and Puppies last year. I did read it as a standalone (it’s not the first time I’ve read a series out of order and likely won’t be the last) I managed to follow along fine although I’m sure I’d have understood the relationship dynamics better had I read it in the correct order. I found the story great and as for the mystery I was guessing myself right the way through until Sam figured it out. Sam is a strong female main character who feels worth investing in so I may have to go search some more of the Heywood Herbalist series out. I enjoyed seeing Sam interact with her friends as they had great chemistry and it felt real, and also really liked Sam’s interactions with Doug as it added another layer of humanity to her and reality to the town. I would love ...

Porn is Not Sex Ed! by Jessica Melendez

Rating: 3 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Young Adult Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. In the age of lessening sex education this book could be a great tool to help bridge the gap. I appreciate the talk to an adult bits that can encourage children to start to have conversations that are important but they often think are cringy. The note to trusted adults bit at the end is great too and there’s quite a few useful activities to help the messages really sink in. Some of the points here such as fetishisation and body image are really important ones that I never learned that young (which could be the reason I had such poor body image as a teen) and for the most part the book talks to kids on their level although some areas may feel a little immaturely worded for older teens. With thanks to Hachette UK and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy of this book.

The War of Sober by Edward Rand

Rating: 4 Stars Themes: Non-Fiction, Self-Help, Addiction, Psychology Thoughts: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a great book not just for addicts trying to establish and maintain their sobriety but also psychologists, counsellors and the people working with them. It approaches the experience of addiction from the perspective of going to war and may help those who can’t get along with the 12 steps, contingency management or other forms of therapy traditionally used. It’s also helpful to have Edward detail his own experiences and approaches throughout so it feels less clinical and shows he does know what he’s talking about when he mentions the difficulties so it comes across less patronising than some self-help addiction books. Favourite Quote: "It doesn't matter what happened yesterday. Win or lose, if we are still alive, we must decide to be different today and then make the correct choices today, because friends, ...

KJK Reads

Search This Blog