Category Archives: Books

Keeping My Hands Out of the Biscuit Tin – Book Review: A Man Called Ove

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I am not paid for any of the reviews I write and products that I review are paid for with my own money. Read more on my disclaimer page.

October’s Big Comfy Book Club read was Fredrick Backman’s A Man Called Ove. It was nominated by my sister, and following her previous disastrous nomination of the weirdest book most of us had ever come across, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The Premise:

Ove is a grumpy old man who is bitter towards his neighbours and fed-up with the stupidity and ineptitude of pretty much everyone he meets. But behind his hostile exterior, is there a softer side to this solitary, unsociable old curmudgeon?

My thoughts:

Beware of spoilers from this point on.

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Keeping my hands out of the biscuit tin – Book Review: Songs of the Humpback Whale

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Having fallen in love with Jodi Picoult’s writing by accident a couple of years ago, I now pick up copies of her books whenever I spot them in book exchanges or charity shops. This one was a book swap find and I was looking forward to reading it over the summer.

The Premise:

Jane Jones and her husband, Oliver have drifted apart. Oliver takes no interest in family life which always come in second place to his high-flying oceanography career tracking and studying humpback whales. One day, Jane reaches breaking point and leaves. The story follows Jane as she and her daughter drive from California to Massachusetts to stay with her brother while Oliver tries to track them down.

My thoughts:

Beware of spoilers from this point on

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Keeping my hands out of the biscuit tin – Book Review: The Girls

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To kick off the first in my series about things I’ve been doing to replace habitual eating, I thought I’d share my views on last month’s book club* choice – The Girls by Emma Cline.

*The book club I attend is held at the amazing Big Comfy Book Shop. For more details visit their website or to join the online version of the book club, visit their Facebook page.

The Premise:

It’s San Francisco, 1969 and for 14 year old Evie, a long, lonely summer stretches ahead of her before she’s shipped off to boarding school. But then she meets the intoxicating Suzanne and is soon caught up in her heady world of free love, drugs and communal living. But what at first appears to be a whimsical life of freedom soon reveals itself to be one of control and darkness.

My thoughts:

Beware of spoilers from this point on

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