My 2023 Goodreads Reading Challenge: November - December

The Island by Catherine Cooper

When a select group of influencers and journalists receive an exclusive invitation to a luxury resort in the Maldives, it seems like the ultimate press trip. But when the island is cut off during a storm and people start dying, it looks like someone has murder in mind. Are the guests really who they seem to be, or does each one of them have a secret to hide? Something they would kill for?

As a freelance journalist and blogger, it felt really believable. I also liked the switching of POVs and perspectives throughout. It had great pacing, was well written and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. There was a nice mix of unlikeable and more relatable characters, to keep you invested. And I enjoyed the number of twists towards the end and seeing how one timeline had ultimately led to the other.

The Woman In Me by Britney Spears

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice – her truth – was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Sadly, I didn't love the way in which this book was written. There's also very little depth to most of the book. Parts that fans of Britney or readers in general will be looking forward to are reduced to a couple of paragraphs. It also feels like she's just checking off points to talk about rather than delving into them more. However, when she starts to detail the conservatorship, this is when it is at its most compelling. It is a quick read, that you could easily do in one sitting. Plus it almost reads like a magazine article, with the linear timeline making it straightforward to follow along.

Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle

Daphne believes the universe has a plan for her. Every time she meets a new man, she receives a slip of paper with his name and a number on it - the exact amount of time they will be together. Finally, the night of a blind date, there's only a name: Jake. But as Jake and Daphne's story unfolds, Daphne finds herself doubting the paper's prediction, and wrestling with what it means to be both committed and truthful. Because Daphne knows things Jake doesn't, information that – if he found out – would break his heart.

This had an interesting concept, even if it was never explained. It also wasn't exactly what I was expecting, after reading the blurb, either. While I did come away with the message of making the most of life and not letting anything hold you back, as tomorrow isn't promised. I felt zero chemistry between Daphne and Jake. Daphne wasn't the most likeable either, at times. And Hugo didn't have much character development either. Sadly, even though it had a magical element, I didn't really feel any of the magic that I did in her earlier two books.

Publication date: 19th March 2024

Days At The Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

On a quiet corner lies a shop filled with hundreds of second-hand books. Twenty-five-year-old Takako has never liked reading, although the Morisaki bookshop has been in her family for three generations. It is the pride and joy of her uncle Satoru, who has devoted his life to the bookshop since his wife Momoko left him five years earlier. When Takako's boyfriend reveals he's marrying someone else, she reluctantly accepts her eccentric uncle's offer to live rent-free in the tiny room above the shop.

This wasn't as magical as I thought it might be when reading the blurb or some of the reviews. There were some lovely passages and I did like seeing Takako grow as a person. But I wasn't the biggest fan of the second half, after Momoko returns. When it focused on the beauty of second hand books and reading in general, this was where it was at its strongest and resonated most with me, as a book lover. Even though I knew it was a short story, I expected more - more depth, more of a story, just more.

Glossy by Marisa Meltzer

Glossier revolutionised the beauty industry, almost-instantly making it a juggernaut with fans lining up for a chance to buy its coveted products. At the centre of the story lies Emily Weiss. Just how did a girl from suburban Connecticut with no real job experience work her way into the bathrooms and boudoirs of the most influential names in the world and build that access into a 1.9-billion-dollar business? Is she solely responsible for its success? And why, eight years later, at the height of Glossier mania, did she step down?

As a fan of Glossier from the very beginning, I found this record of the highs and lows of Glossier – and Emily Weiss more generally – interesting. However, I'm not sure that I took that much away from this book. The author also seems to sit on the fence when it comes to Emily Weiss, which makes it slightly uncomfortable at times. There are no surprises or new information detailed that would draw in an audience who maybe weren't already familiar with much of the goings on at Glossier. But it was a quick and easy read, with it almost reading like a very long magazine article, if that makes sense.

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

Sasha is well and truly over it all: work (all-consuming), friendships (on the back burner), sex-life (non-existent). She has hit a brick wall (literally). Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga and find solitude, she heads to the Devon resort she loved as a child. But it's off-season, the hotel is falling apart and now she has to share the beach with someone else: a grumpy, stressed-out guy called Finn. But when curious messages start appearing on the beach, Sasha and Finn are forced to begin talking - about everything. They might discover that they have more in common than they think.

I definitely feel burnout creeping in every so often, so I could imagine taking a break from work and everything else and going back to a childhood holiday spot to escape it all. I liked Sasha and Finn and was rooting for them to finally get together. However, I'm never a fan of the miscommunication trope. And even though I liked that Sasha and Finn took time to themselves for six months, I just wished that they would talk to one another. I did love seeing the journey that Sasha went on though. The ending was also really special and definitely made me feel warm and fuzzy.

The Dream Home by T.M. Logan

Adam and Jess move into a new house with their three young children: a rambling Victorian villa in a nice neighbourhood right at the very top of their price range. Before long Adam discovers a door hidden behind a fitted wardrobe, concealing a secret room. Inside Adam discovers a collection of forgotten items: a wallet, an expensive watch and an old mobile phone. Jess thinks they should simply throw them away. But Adam resists. Like the house, Adam has his secrets too. And soon he will find himself setting in motion a series of events that will place his family in terrible danger.

I really enjoyed the entire concept of this story and how the intrigue and action continued to build with every chapter. I appreciated the way that each person linked to the seven items found in the dresser had a short chapter to give you an insight into their final moments. That was really well done. I also didn't expect who was eventually revealed as the killer and I liked the way that everything came to a head in the very room that Adam had discovered at the beginning. The way that the tension builds, with great pacing, had me racing through this to unravel the mystery.

Publication date: 29th February 2024

Every Move You Make by C.L. Taylor

Four people with one thing in common: they are all being stalked. But this group of four used to be five, until the terrible day their friend Nat was followed home by her stalker. Coming together for Nat’s funeral, they are handed a wreath saying RIP. However, this isn’t a wreath in memory of Nat – it’s for them, with a card dated in ten days’ time. It’s a clear message: in ten days, one of them will die. And the only way to stop the killer is to get closer than they ever dared to their stalkers. The very people who want them dead.

I liked the insight that this gave into what it is like to be stalked and the opening was particularly strong. There were also plenty of red herrings and a satisfying twist ending. But for some reason this didn't connect with me the way that I hoped it would. At points it felt like too much was going on at once. And having all of the 'stalkers' being so brazen and active at the same time felt a little bit unrealistic. I couldn't really connect with the four main characters either. It was, however, fast paced and had me wanting to keep reading to see what happened next.

Publication date: 28th March 2024

The Appeal by Janice Hallett

There is a mystery to solve in the sleepy town of Lower Lockwood. It starts with the arrival of two secretive newcomers, and ends with a tragic death. Roderick Tanner QC has assigned law students Charlotte and Femi to the case. Someone has already been sent to prison for murder, but he suspects that they are innocent. And that far darker secrets have yet to be revealed. Throughout the amateur dramatics society's disastrous staging of All My Sons and the shady charity appeal for a little girl's medical treatment, the murderer hid in plain sight. The evidence is all there, waiting to be found. But will Charlotte and Femi solve the case? Will you?

I really enjoyed the format of this, for the most part. I found it to be such a unique take on the traditional murder mystery. It was so easy to read and as there were quite a few suspicious things going on, it instantly had my full attention. I liked finding out what was happening/had happened through snippets here and there. There are, however, a lot of peripheral characters to keep track of. And the theories section towards the end didn't really work for me either. It was far too wordy and detracted from the build up towards the ending. I'm looking forward to reading The Christmas Appeal next though.

That One Night by Emily Rath

My name is Rachel, and the sky is officially falling. Imagine being at your brother's wedding brunch when you get an email that crushes all your dreams. I didn't win the Barkley Fellowship. My rising career in sports medicine has just come crashing down. So here I sit, alone in this swanky hotel bar, ready to drown my feelings in bitters and bourbon. Then suddenly, in walks...him.

This really didn't live up to the hype for me. Even though I expected this to be a quick one night stand story, quite a few things were off-putting. There were far too many cringe inducing words and sentences. Then there's the fact that they both grow so emotionally attached, despite the fact that they won't tell one another their names and she leaves without saying goodbye. You can't have it both ways. I wasn't expecting much plot but this is basically just one non-stop sex scene. And reading about them having unprotected sex on a one night stand also just didn't sit right with me.

He's Not My Type by Meghan Quinn

Word to the wise, never become roommates with a girl you’ve been pining over for the better part of a year. I'm so flustered, so overwhelmed, so madly in love with this woman, that I lose control of the situation and make one huge mistake: I offer to be her fake date for a wedding so she can make her ex jealous. But when the night comes to an end, I’m faced with two options: bring her back to my bedroom and show her how I really feel, or let her walk away, succumbing to the fact that I very well might not be her type.

So many things didn't work for me in this. From everyone conspiring to stop Blakely from taking what seemed like her dream job, to the word greedy being used during the many, many sex scenes, to the way that Halsey acts as soon as they start sleeping together and how many times she says, 'well Perry never did this or Perry stopped me from doing this.' I also feel like Halsey 100% should have been in therapy. And it always throws me when there has been some attempt at building a plot until they start having sex and then it's essentially just one big long sex scene with a few changes of scenery. This was easily my least favourite instalment in the series.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Every day I clean the Winchesters' house, collect their daughter from school and cook a delicious meal for the whole family. I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew's brown eyes it's hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina's life. But she soon finds out and by the time I realise my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it's far too late. But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don't know who I really am. They don't know what I'm capable of.

I really enjoyed this and was immediately hooked. It had great pacing and had me intrigued to learn more about the Winchester family. It also gave me Verity vibes, in a good way, with me wondering what could happen next. I was not expecting the twist that starts with Part II or how everything that I thought I knew was flipped on its head. The final 10% and how it concluded maybe didn't work as well as it could have for me. Everything was wrapped up a bit too neatly. But I can't wait to read the next two books in the series in 2024.

The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett

The Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime to raise money for the church roof appeal. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking amongst the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is fending off threats to her new position as Chair, the fibreglass beanstalk might be full of asbestos, and a someone is intent on ruining the panto even before the curtain goes up. Of course there's also the matter of the dead body. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list?

While I still enjoyed seeing Sarah-Jane and a few of the characters from the first book, it didn't quite have the same magic or intrigue as The Appeal. The mystery itself was okay and even though this is billed as The Christmas Appeal, it didn't feel particularly festive. I did get through this in one sitting, so it was a quick and easy read but it fell a little bit short of my expectations. I'm still a big fan of the way that these books are laid out though, through emails, texts, etc, though.