Recent Reads - holiday edition!

FYI, me titling this a ‘holiday edition’ literally means: I went on holiday, and that thing happened when I read quite a few books in just a few days, and it was magical. 

I not only got through a whole load of new books (‘new’ here meaning: had been sitting on my bookshelves for any time from a week to a year, unread) and also polished off a couple I’d started before the flight out. I feel so much lighter somehow, having done an intense, week-long reading sesh, and now I'm refreshed and ready to keep the streak going at home. 

So, here's what I read while burning under the sun in Mallorca... 

 

'What a Time to Be Alone (The Slumflower's Guide to Why You Are Already Enough', by Chidera Eggerue. 

The Slumflower will be your life guru, confidante and best friend. She'll show you that being alone is not just okay: it's just about the best freaking thing that's ever happened to you.

As she says, 'You're bad as hell and you were made with intention.'

It's about time you realised. 

Peppered with insightful Igbo proverbs from Chidera's Nigerian mother and full of her own original artwork, [this book] will help you navigate the modern world. We can all decide our own fates and Chidera shows us how, using a three-part approach filled with sass, wisdom and charm. 

(via goodreads.com) 

What a Time to Be Alone: The Slumflower's Guide to Why You Are Already Enough by Chidera Eggerue

I took this one slowly, to make sure all the messages sunk in, and found every time I opened it to a new page whatever was in there perfectly summed up and/or explained what was happening at that exact moment in my life.

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This book was everything I needed at this point in my life, and I suspect that if I keep it on my shelf for however many years to come, it will still be just as relevant in various new ways as my life continues on its twisting path. Cannot wait to chat more with the beautiful Chidera at that upcoming #bodypositivity event... 

This wonderful book comes out 26th of July, and is only £9.70 on A Great Read! 
(aff link)

'The Secret Deep' by Lindsay Galvin.  

When Aster wakes alone on a tropical island, she has no idea what has happened, why she is there, or where to find her younger sister, Poppy. Meanwhile Sam, who once met the sisters on a plane, makes links between the mystery of their disappearance and suspicious happenings in his own life. In a stunning dual narrative, the truth unravels with devastating effect – and the answer lies in the secret underwater world surrounding the desert island, populated by the beautiful and the impossible...

(via goodreads.com) 

The Secret Deep by Lindsay Galvin
Not at all what I expected - a beautiful, thrilling tale of young people thrown in the deep end (!) and finding their way out.



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There is a much more in-depth (hehehe) post coming about this book, planned to coincide with its publication date, but until then here’s a teaser…

I was holding my breath throughout; even for the scenes set on land. It was the perfect mix of magical and real life. 

(Photo by Mama Lattz, taken while she read my ARC on holiday.)

This fabulous tale publishes on the 2nd of August and is available to pre-order for just £6.60 on A Great Read! 
(aff link)

'One Italian Summer' by Keris Stainton.

It's been a year since Milly, Elyse and Leonie's dad died, and a year since their last trip to Rome. Summer's here again, and once again they are heading with their mum to Italy – but what's it going to be like going without Dad? Rome still holds its familiar charms – the sun is still as warm, the gelato as delicious, the people as welcoming. But nothing is quite as it once was…

(via goodreads.com) 

One Italian Summer by Keris Stainton
This has to be my favourite of the lovely Keris' novels; I related to it intensely (despite never having been to Rome) and enjoyed it immensely. It swept me away for a day. I really loved the two main themes were grief and...thirst!


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This is honestly my new favourite of my lovely friend Keris’ brilliant books. I loved every part of this story; yes, the sex positivity and openness amongst the sisters, the full-on thirst the main character Milly experienced when she so much as glanced at her huge crush, Luke (the twangs in her pants as she gawped at his fingers and imagined them inside her… dear lord, KERIS!!!)… but also the intense grief the characters all felt for a lost father, husband and friend. I was right there with them as they ached for him, and loved how that gaping empty space in their hearts got so mixed up with the excitable coming-of-age feels that were happening elsewhere. 

I read this one in less than 24 hours; I drank it up, poolside. 

This beautiful story is only £7.50 on A Great Read!
(aff link)

'But Then I Came Back', by Estelle Laure. 

As far as coma patients go, Eden’s lucky. She woke up. But still, she can’t shake the feeling that she might have dragged something back from the near-afterlife. 

But Then I Came Back by Estelle Laure
Totally my vibe. My heart really wanted the magic to be real. 


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"Time served on planet earth is yours to use as you see fit. It keeps spinning, and just because someone's life ends or pauses doesn't mean we have to do the same."

This book is one of those that's technically a sequel, but it's not strictly necessary to have read the first book...first. Also, it's written from the perspective of a character in the first book, who is going on her own journey which began at the end of the first book – and she's also looking on at the MC from the first book, with her own opinions about her and her actions...in the first book. Y'know!? 

Anyway, I loved this story. The magic of it was really quite beautiful, and the actual writing of it was so poetic. I loved the friendships, the perfectly inappropriate crush, the impossibility of life and the whole heap of existential crises. I also loved the regular insertions of alleged entries from a book of short essays by people who almost died. 

I was quite apprehensive when I picked it out of my pile of holiday reads next to my bed in the hotel room, as it had 300+ pages and I wanted to blitz through several books in a week rather than get stuck in a bigger-than-medium size one...but it was all lapped up, again, within 24 hours. 

You can find my review of 'This Raging Light' HERE.  

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