Review … The Timekeeper – Mitch Albom

“The inventor of the world’s first clock is punished for trying to measure God’s greatest gift. He is banished to a cave for centuries and forced to listen to the voices of all who come after him

seeking more days, more years. Eventually, with his soul nearly broken, Father Time is granted his freedom, along with a magical hourglass and a mission: a chance to redeem himself by teaching two earthly people the true meaning of time.

He returns to our world – now dominated by the hour-counting he so innocently began – and commences a journey with two unlikely partners: one a teenage girl who is about to give up on life, the other a wealthy old businessman who wants to live forever. To save himself, he must save them both. And stop the world to do so.”

The Time Keeper is quite unlike any other book I’ve read lately. A wonderful piece of inspirational fiction, which makes you value the time you have rather than wishing it gone.

“With endless time, nothing is special. With no loss or sacrifice, we can’t appreciate what we have”

I found so many quotes and passages within the book heart-warming and thought-provoking. For so long I’ve kept countdowns to special events, being more caught up in counting the days and taking time for granted than enjoying the time I have. This book has now taught me to stop this and to instead live in the moment and appreciate all I have.

“There is a reason God limits our days.’ ‘Why?’ ‘To make each one precious.”

The Time Keeper is a perfectly written, thought-provoking book, which will stay with you for a long time. I hope I continue to remember and apply the lessons learnt from the book, that “it is never too late or too soon, it is when it is supposed to be”.

A book you could read time and time again, and never tire of… it feels only too right to give it 5 stars…

The Midnight Reader xo

Review … For One More Day – Mitch Albom

Charley Benetto is a broken man, his life destroyed by alcohol and regret. He loses his job. He leaves his family. He hits rock bottom after discovering that he won’t be invited to his only daughter’s wedding. And he decides to take his own life.

 Charley takes a midnight ride to his small hometown: his final journey. But as he staggers into his old house, he makes an astonishing discovery. His mother – who died eight years earlier – is there, and welcomes Charley home as if nothing had ever happened.

What follows is the one seemingly ordinary day so many of use yearn for: a chance to make good with a lost parent, to explain the family secrets and to seek forgiveness.

When I was at the book sale last weekend (please see my previous post showing my slightly OTT number of recent purchases), I saw a couple of books by Mitch Albom. Having read and more importantly loved his bestselling book, “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” I couldn’t resist picking up some other titles from this author. The two I managed to find were “For One More Day” and “The Time Keeper”.

For One More Day is a beautiful story based on the question, what if you could have one more day with a deceased loved one. It inspires you to ask those questions often left unasked, say those thoughts often left unsaid and makes you realise that time moves too fast to not make things right with those you love. Having finished reading this in one sitting I felt so emotionally invested and quite heart-broken that I wanted nothing more than spending an evening in with those I love.

I thoroughly enjoyed how the story jumped through time, exploring the character’s childhood relationships as well as more current ones and felt the book was well written.

Five stars for a wonderful, easy read. Definitely looking forward to The Time Keeper!

The Midnight Reader xo

Book Sale Buys…

Whilst I have been TERRIBLE at keeping the blog updated, I have actually been reading lots and have a review of my most recent finish coming very shortly.

In the meantime, I went to a local charity book sale yesterday and got exceptionally carried away, as you can see from the below picture (my arms this morning were aching from carrying all the books around).

Particularly pleased to find a copy of The Rosie Project as this has been on my TBR for a long time. Also as a lover of Mitch Albom’s, The Five People You Meet in Heaven, I’m pleased I managed to pick up a couple other books by him.

Feel I managed to get a great range, with a couple lovely old versions of the classics Jane Eyre and Nineteen Eighty-Four at the top of the pile. Lovely to know that as well as getting some brilliant books at a bargain price, a wonderful local charity has been helped out.

The Midnight Reader xo

My New Books! 

Review… The Girls – Lisa Jewell

You live on a picturesque communal garden square, an oasis in urban London where your children run free, in and out of other people’s houses. 

You’ve known your neighbours for years and you trust them. Implicitly.

You think your children are safe.

 But are they really? 

Midsummer night: a thirteen-year-old girl is found unconscious in a dark corner of the garden square. What really happened to her? And who is responsible?

The Girls (also known as The Girls in the Garden) was an exceptionally enticing read which kept me engaged throughout. Whilst it wasn’t the heart-pounding novel I anticipated from the cover and the blurb, the slower pace allowed the story to be told in far greater detail, allowing the readers to piece together the puzzle for themselves. Whilst this isn’t the pace of novel I’m usually drawn to, it worked well and seemed necessary to allow the reader to understand the intricate plot.

Let me say now, Lisa Jewell is a fantastic storyteller who had me engrossed from the first page. I can’t wait to get my hands on more novels by this author! Having finished the book, her fantastic descriptions have left me anticipating that I will bump into the characters in my real life. Furthermore, the slow pace strongly kept me engaged and wanting to read on.

Despite finding out instantly that something bad happens, this immediately sets the tone for the book. The book then jumps back to a “Before” period, which leads up to the incident. The Girls is told through the multiple points of view of different characters which really helps to understand each character and how their individual motive may be related to the incident.

Here’s the only negative – It was not the ending I would have liked. For me, so much was left unresolved it sadly tainted my opinion of the book as a whole. However, having read reviews of this book, others seem entirely satisfied with the end.

I have to award 4 stars due to the ending… otherwise The Girls was a very enjoyable read which I wouldn’t hesitate recommending to others! Whilst The Girls is the first book I’ve read from Lisa Jewell, it definitely wont be the last.

Have you read The Girls and if so what did you think?

The Midnight Reader xo

Ps. I know you should never judge a book by it’s cover – but it is a REALLY lovely cover!

Review… The Sisters – Claire Douglas

One lied. One died. 

When one sister dies, the other must go to desperate lengths to survive

After a tragic accident, still haunted by her twin sister’s death, Abi is making a fresh start in Bath. But when she meets siblings Bea and Ben, she is quickly drawn into their privileged and unsettling circle. 

When one sister lies, she must protect her secret at all costs

As Abi tries to keep up with the demands of her fickle friends, strange things start to happen – precious letters go missing and threatening messages are left in her room. Is this the work of the beautiful and capricious Bea? Or is Abi willing to go to any lengths to get attention?

When the truth outs, will either sister survive? 

I’m just back from a weekend away and grabbed a copy of The Sisters, which was sat on my bookshelf for a light travel read.

Despite being described as “Perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train” (my pet peeve – all psychological thrillers being linked to The Girl on the Train and with The Sisters I couldn’t really see how the two could be compared), I decided to give The Sisters a chance and how right I was to do so.

This debut novel from Claire Douglas is brilliant. Unlike many novels I’ve read recently, the plot seems entirely plausible yet unbelievable at the same time. You fall in love with characters, hate others and then before you know it, everything changes and you’re left questioning whom to trust.

And OH MY the ending…! Obviously I won’t spoil anything for those of you yet to read The Sisters but it was concluded better than I expected, sent a chill up my spine and I couldn’t put it down.

Five stars (JUST) for a very enjoyable and easy read…

The Midnight Reader xo

Review… Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I and II – J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany

“The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne,Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.”

I should probably start this review stating that I wish to give nothing away – no spoilers and no clues. This book is FAR too overdue to give even the slightest spoiler. So please … read on!

As a massive Harry Potter fan I was both excited and sceptical about the release of the script for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. The script has turned out to be the marmite of the book world. You either LOVE IT or HATE IT. Whilst I am doubtful as to how much J.K. Rowling herself contributed to the book, the characters definitely are portrayed through the script in a similar manner as to the original 7 books and give a similar vibe.

As I’ve mentioned (and I’m sure you’ll be aware), the book is written as a script. Whilst I didn’t know how I would feel about this, I actually enjoyed it as a pleasant change to the normal densely written novels which seem to fall into my lap and found it made for very easy reading.

Whilst I bet the stage show itself is nothing less than fantastic, the script lacked a certain J.K. Rowling quality where she weaves her usual intricate and clever aspects weaved into the storyline.

I’m probably being very generous with this, but 4 stars due to a life long love of Harry Potter…

Would be very interested to hear what you thought of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child if you’ve read it?

The Midnight Reader xo

Review… The Boy in the Dress – David Walliams

Everybody needs friends? especially a boy in a dress!

Dennis? life is boring and lonely. His mother left two years ago, his truck driver father is depressed, his brother is a bully and, worst of all, ?no hugging? is one of their household rules. But one thing Dennis does have is soccer?he?s the leading scorer on his team. Oh, and did we mention his secret passion for fashion?

When Dennis? friend Lisa discovers his stash of Vogue magazines, she convinces him to vamp it up and wear a dress to school. But in class, his hilarious hijinks as ?Denise? are brought to a screeching halt when the headmaster discovers his secret and delivers the worst punishment of all?Dennis is expelled from school and therefore forbidden to play in the soccer Final Cup!

Can the team win the most important game of the year without their star player? And, more importantly, will Dennis gain the love and respect of his friends and family, even in a dress?

Quite a surprise read for my blog I feel – a massive departure from the normal psychological thriller. But when The Boy in the Dress was advertised at merely £1 by Amazon, I couldn’t resist getting a taster of David Walliams’ writing style and trying to understand why his books were taking the world by storm.

In all honesty, as a massive childhood Roald Dahl fan and similarly an adult fan of David Walliams, this was just my cup of tea. The illustrations by Quentin Blake gave me a very nostalgic feeling and the writing style is very similar to that of Roald Dahl.

The Boy in the Dress is a very easy read which I’m sure children (and adults) of all ages would love. It has a wonderful underlying message of inclusion and teaches us the importance of kindness and to ignore gender stereotypes because why can’t a boy who is good at football wear a dress! Only criticism was that a lot of British specifics are mentioned, including TV show “Little Britain”, which may confuse and deter non-UK readers, but these are few and hopefully can be overlooked.

Would love to read many more by David Walliams and having heard that The Boy in the Dress has been made into a film, would similarly be on the look out for that on TV.

5 stars for an easy read!

The Midnight Reader xo

Review… The Litigators – John Grisham

“The partners at Finley & Figg often refer to themselves as a “boutique law firm.” Boutique, as in chic, selective, and prosperous. Oscar Finley and Wally Figg are none of these things. They are a two-bit operation of ambulance chasers who bicker like an old married couple. Until change comes their way—or, more accurately, stumbles in. After leaving a fast-track career and going on a serious bender, David Zinc is sober, unemployed, and desperate enough to take a job at Finley & Figg.

Now the firm is ready to tackle a case that could make the partners rich—without requiring them to actually practice much law. A class action suit has been brought against Varrick Labs, a pharmaceutical giant with annual sales of $25 billion, alleging that Krayoxx, its most popular drug, causes heart attacks. Wally smells money. All Finley & Figg has to do is find a handful of Krayoxx users to join the suit. It almost seems too good to be true . . . and it is.”

Well… where to start!! Numerous reviewers talked about how this differs from the usual writing style of John Grisham, some believing that he simply could not have written this. As this is my first John Grisham novel I couldn’t comment but sadly was extremely disappointed.

I found the book a slow read, which had I not been on holiday with nothing else to do, I probably wouldn’t have bothered finishing. I felt the plot was fairly predictable and drawn-out. The humour also felt very misplaced and many aspects of the storyline felt unbelievable. The plot may have had some potential but I feel the execution was poor.

To put it bluntly, this simply does not compare to the majority of the books I’ve read this year.

Whether or not this will put me off reader further John Grisham novels I will have to wait and see. I have a lot of exciting books in the TBR list so I definitely don’t think it will be for some time anyway…

2 stars for a fairly average read.

The Midnight Reader xo

Back to the Books

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me” – C. S. Lewis

After a reading numerous books on a recent holiday with my family I realised just how much I’ve missed getting lost in a good book! Due to the pressures of working life I don’t read as much as I would like to and I’m definitely one to over-estimate the time it will take to read a book. Being away with nothing but the sun and sand to keep me busy made me realise how I need to get back to the books, especially with the number of fantastic titles currently on my bookshelves.

As a child I was an incredibly keen reader, always sneaking my current read and a torch under my pillow at bedtime so I could continue reading into the night. It was my childhood love of reading, and the fact I regularly read into the early hours of the morning to finish a good book, that inspired the title to my blog – The Midnight Reader.

I’ve decided to start a blog as a way of encouraging me to read more and as a means of being able to recommend the books I’ve read and enjoyed to others who share my love of reading.

I’ll be back soon with reviews of the following of my holiday reads:

• The Other Child – Lucy Atkins
• The Ice Twins – S.K. Tremayne
• How I Lost You – Jenny Blackhurst
• Behind Closed Doors – B.A. Paris
• While My Eyes Were Closed – Linda Green
• The Missing – C.L. Taylor
• Beneath the Surface – Heidi Perks
• The Cry – Helen Fitzgerald
• Elizabeth is Missing – Emma Healey
• The Girl with No Past – Kathryn Croft
• The Girl in the Ice – Robert Bryndza
• The Litigators – John Grisham
• Look Behind You – Sibel Hodge
• No Longer Safe – A.J. Waines
• The Marble Collector – Cecelia Ahern
• Between You and Me – Lisa Hall

To anyone who reads this, please let me know any recent reads you would recommend. As you may see from the above I’m a sucker for a good psychological thriller!

The Midnight Reader xo