Category: Book reviews

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is a magical masterpiece. Central to this story is a library, which alone makes it a must read in my “books” (see what I did there?). With a sprinkle of magic, some expertly drawn characters and beautiful words, I was hooked!

About the Book

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

While I may not have faced the same demons as the main character, Nora, I was able to relate to the idea of ‘what if?’.

Through the magic of the Midnight Library Nora gets to experience her unrealised dreams and “alternative” lives. It leads to a powerful journey and exploration of “what is the perfect life?”.

Trigger warning: this book does deal with mental illness and suicide. While these are hefty themes I found that Haig managed them with a sensitive and deft hand, and I appreciated that it left the reader with a feeling of hope.

The Midnight Library is published by Canongate. Get the book from Amazon or Booktopia today.

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I was a little late to the party when it came to The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman having picked it up at my local bookshop because of its comparisons to Stranger Things and Riverdale. But I’m glad I did. 

The story follows Violet Saunders who moves to the small town, Four Paths – a place with dark secrets in the form of a beast that haunts the woods – trapped in in the Gray.

Violet faces all of the usual challenges of being the new girl in town. She struggles to find friends and soon discovers that the students who do take an interest in her have their own motives. They are children of the founding families and it’s their job to protect the town from the Gray – something they are failing dismally at. 

When it is discovered that Violet is also descended from one of the town’s founders and has inherited deadly powers, she is called on to confront the Gray in a heart-stopping showdown.

There’s so much to love about this book. Violet has just the right amount of teenage snark and wit to engage the reader. Her tragic back story also endears her to you. The love-hate dynamics between the other characters offer interesting sub plots and add depth to the overall story.

The real star is the moody, dark setting of the town and the woods – the Gray feels terrifyingly real. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with how the book left off, and the lead in to Book 2 felt a little forced, but overall it’s a great read. And the pink-edged pages of the edition I have are gorgeous! 4 out of 5. 🌟

You can buy Devouring Gray in eBook form here or a print copy via Booktopia here.

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I’ve been catching up on my “to be read” list lately and finally got to Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. I’m just sorry I didn’t read it sooner.

Pachinko is a multi-generational spanning most of the 20th century in Korea and Japan.

An exquisitely told saga that mainly follows Sunja who falls pregnant to a yakuza boss. She must find salvation in a hostile land where she faces everything from poverty and racism to war. 

I was hooked from the beginning and fully invested in each of the characters.

Having lived in Japan I loved getting a new insight into the country and I’m also a sucker for historical fiction.

Not a short read but worth every word. Just make sure you have the tissues handy. 5 stars 🌟 

You can buy Pachinko in ebook form here or a print copy via Booktopia here.

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Roselle Lim’s latest book, Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop, perfectly captures the same lighthearted, fabulist rom-com style of her debut novel, Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune.

Lim is particularly adept at weaving the magical and fantastical into vividly described and familiar settings. As the title indicates, the setting of the latest book is Paris, with Vanessa exploring the city and all the magical possibilities of life. The reader gets to experience all of the wonders of Paris, from art and food to love, through Vanessa’s eyes.

But Vanessa also has serious business to attend to while in the city. Vanessa has inherited the ability to see people’s fortunes – or misfortunes – in tea leaves. She has no control over these visions, blurting out what she sees at the most inopportune times. Under the tutelage of her clairvoyant aunt in her tea shop, Vanessa tries to learn to control her abilities.

Unfortunately, nothing goes to plan and Vanessa discovers she may be better suited to matchmaking – if only she could have her own match.

Over the course of the book, Vanessa confronts the idea of fate, and challenges whether it’s possible to change your own destiny.

This is a delightful story with enough twists, turns and romance to keep the reader engaged. A fabulously fun read.

You can buy Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop at Book Depository here or via Booktopia here.

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Celia Lily is rich, beautiful, and admired. She’s also missing. And the search for the glamorous socialite is about to expose all the dark, dirty secrets of Vanishing Falls…

The remote town of Vanishing Falls, is set within a lush Tasmanian rainforest – a setting that is as beautiful as it is haunting.

Poppy Gee, who grew up in Tassie, expertly captures the mood and character of the place, with all of its small town quirks, breathtaking landscape and history.

This mystery is told from several points of view including the missing woman’s husband, and prime suspect, Jack Lily.

Jack, as a prominent art collector and a wealthy landowner, appears to have it all until his wife vanishes without a trace. But you don’t have to dig far below the surface to discover some unsavoury secrets.

While Jack and those characters in his immediate social circle are engaging and vividly portrayed, this story belongs to Joelle Smithton.

Seeing Vanishing Falls through Joelle’s unique perspective is refreshing. You feel every bit of Joelle’s curiosity, wonder and frustration at not being properly understood. The fact that most of the town thinks she’s simple-minded though works in her favour, as she notices things other people don’t.

Joelle is driven to find out what happened to Celia even if it means exposing her own troubled past.

Vanishing Falls is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It delivers exactly what you would expect in a quality crime meets women’s fiction novel, while having plenty of unexpected twists and turns.

Gee has a deft hand when it comes to her description of character and setting. Her precise word choices means the reader instantly understands and can picture every detail, without being bogged down with excessive exposition.

Some have described it as an easy read, and I’d agree while acknowledging that is a huge feat in itself. There’s nothing easy about creating a story that carries the reader as effortlessly and seamlessly as Gee does in Vanishing Falls.

You can buy Vanishing Falls in ebook form here or a print copy via Booktopia here.