Good books don't give up all their secrets at once

Recently my life has become a repetitive stream of early mornings, train commutes and long days in work as a legal marketing assistant. To combat the inevitable boredom of a 50 minute commute (each way), I have become a bookworm, with Amazon succeeding at keeping me within the depressing confines of my overdraft! I may be skint, but I have come across some absolute keepers along the way...

After my Summer affair with the Hunger Games which I absolutely adored and the 50 Shades trilogy, which I was quite honestly happy to finish, I decided to stick to novels for a while and find some new favourite authors! Here are some of my sleepy commute reads....

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

This was one of the most surprising books I've read in a long time; the style and layout were poles apart from anything I have ever read before and the content was on one hand very close to home and yet, at other times quite alien to read. The novel is written in a series of letters from the main character Charlie to his 'friend', detailing his experiences of his teenage years as a boy who wants to live life to the full but is too socially awkward to 'let go'. I loved this book because it brings you as the reader back to your teenage years and every time you really appreciated or were overwhelmed by a moment in your life.  Amazon link here.

"Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and the Rocky Horror picture show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stand on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor. "

I don't want to give too much away here as the movie is out now in cinemas however I've included the trailer below for a peep!

HEFT by Liz Moore 

This book was bought on an absolute Amazon spree and to be honest when the delivery arrived I had forgotten ordering it, but alas, I can safely say I will never forget the story; out of all three books mentioned this one is by far my most recommended! The story follows 550 pound, overweight Arthur Opp and on a tangent, seventeen year old, high schools' 'Mr Popular' Kel Keller. I was particularly interested in the story of Arthur as he commented on his life, unrequited love, lack of confidence and unfulfilled dreams. Liz Moore does an exceptional job of describing relationships, family history, debates and arguments and slowly but surely explains how these two individuals are linked and the role they play in each others lives. I was hooked from the first page and quite unsurprisingly the book ends with such an emotional cliff-hanger that you remain hooked to the very end, wishing there was 'just one more chapter' as you don't feel quite ready to say good bye to the characters. That in itself, I believe is testament to Moore's success with this novel; she doesn't finish the story with a definite ending (so to speak), but I think this is her way of keeping the characters alive, by leading us to believe there is far more to come. And who knows, maybe one day there will be. Amazon link here.

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

"It is never what you worry over that comes to pass in the end. The real catastrophes are always different - unimagined, unprepared for, unknown..."

Quite honestly I bought this book for purely aesthetic reasons, and in the process discovered quite an interesting read. I wouldn't rant and rave about this novel as it doesn't have much in the way of shocking or nail-biting story lines; what Karen Thompson Walker does successfully however, is intricately detail the life of Californian Julie and her family, and quite an unimaginable thought, the slow disintegration of the world. This happens quite simply through the elongation of the standard 24 hour day, leading to devastating consequences. The author really does catapult you through the journey with Julie, however, if you're after a book to keep you hooked I wouldn't buy this. If you want a read which makes you appreciate what we are so lucky to have, this book is definitely for you and will make you a lot more grateful for the minute things in life, as minute as the successful running of the 24-hour clock. Amazon link here..

 

If any of these tickle your fancy I'd definitely give them a go; if you do, or have any suggestions for ones I should try, let me know! I've made my way through a mountain of books recently so need some ideas!