“I know you’re fine, but are you all right?” 💬

books based on war I often find hit or miss - sometimes they’re drenched so much in detail that it gets boring, other times the characters merge into one.

In Memoriam - whilst it took me a while to feel fully immersed in - had REAL characters. the kind that feel like friends. with dialogue that is natural and jumps off the page.

I don’t think this book is perfect in its execution - sometimes I wanted to feel MORE and like the writing was holding back - but part of me feels like that was the point?? that men at war do hold back their emotions and say things as they are.

ellwood and gaunt are very developed characters and their journey of embracing their sexuality in a time where it was forbidden is dealt with such vulnerability and care. they really see each other deeply as people - beneath the persona they share with the rest of the world.

there were lots of little nuggets in the book that I loved - especially the way ellwood would quote lines of poetry to gaunt and how that was his way of showing love 🥹 and the representation of war not just as a physical destruction but the destruction of personality and the mind, and how this affects family and friends beyond the individual.

I wanted a happy ending for them and in many ways it was and it also wasn’t 🥲

a great debut novel and one I’d recommend to anyone interested in war fiction or a different kind of love story 🤎

an empowering, lyrical retelling 💚 this book is written simply yet with depth.

when we think of the myth of medusa, she remains powerless, gone. this retelling embodies the lives of so many women walking the earth right now and presents them as more than how they are perceived.

it reflects on the different ways women feel trapped under the male gaze, coerced into situations or lives they haven’t chosen for themselves, and how much bravery it takes to stand up, believe in your worth and fight for your destiny.

reading this book made me feel proud for all those women who do that everyday.

it’s the kind of book that all women should read - particularly young girls that are growing up and are at risk of losing their confidence to the power beauty holds.

we all have moments where we feel like medusa, where we may not like parts of ourselves, but it’s how we accept and show up as ourselves that we learn to truly experience love in all its forms.

an easy 4⭐️ - all it was missing was more character development

brilliantly, beautifully written 💚 such a touching yet fierce portrayal of art and talent and secrets and connection in the rural villages of france in the 1920’s.

I really didn’t know what to expect from this book except that I knew it won waterstone’s debut fiction prize and so it just had to be good - and it was!

I found the topic of art, the backdrop to war and the complexity of family such a fascinating undercurrent to the book. it had so many layers - much like a painting - that unravelled the more I read.

to be honest, I did guess the plot twist 🤭 which was maybe disappointing in the sense that I missed out on the fun of being in total surprise, but I also felt kinda happy that my theory was correct just because I thought it made absolute sense to the story - and it was executed so well.

the only thing stopping this from being a 5⭐️ is I didn’t get that overwhelming feeling of emotion at the end - so perhaps the characters, whilst they felt very real, didn’t quite pull at my heart strings enough

a beautifully brave book ❤️

in this heart-breaking memoir, amy shares the very personal story of uncovering trauma from her childhood.

it’s fascinating what the brain can keep from you - how memories can be stored in your unconscious only to resurface tens of years later.

amy’s journey of rediscovering her memory, telling her story and finding herself in the world again is told with the utmost detail and I was instantly immersed from the first page.

I’m so glad she found her voice and her confidence amongst it all ❤️

a truly important book for both men and women alike