CBR 10 BINGO Square: SO SHINY! (It’s technically not even being released in the UK until August 23rd, but I picked it up last week, so…) Best for: Those who enjoy Liane Moriarty’s work; those who like stories told from multiple perspectives and that jump back and forth in time. In a nutshell: Maggie is 14 weeks pregnant and getting married in four days. She is hit by a car and falls into a coma. When she wakes up, she thinks she’s been out for […]
Seventeen Brushes With Death Is … A Lot
Best for: Those who enjoy literary non-fiction and are not deterred by fairly grim subject matters. In a nutshell: Author Maggie O’Farrell examines, with lovely prose, moments in her life that could have led to her imminent death. Worth quoting: “Crossing time zones in this way can bring upon you an unsettling, distorted clarity. Is it the altitude, the unaccustomed inactivity, the physical confinement, the lack of sleep, or a collision of all four?” “To be so unheard, so disregarded, so disbelieved: I was unprepared […]
Honestly, Anything with Ice in the Title Is Appealing Right Now
Best for: Those traveling to Iceland who want some more history beyond a couple pages in the back of the book. In a nutshell: Author Andrew Evans provides a (more than usual) in-depth history of Iceland before sharing standard guide-book fare. Worth quoting: “Iceland is the most literate country in the world and one out of every ten Icelanders will write a book in their lifetime.” “Also, don’t bring a pair of shorts just in case it gets warm. It won’t.” Why I chose it: […]
Checks All the Boxes and Does It Well
Best for: Anyone who likes fairly humorous personal memoirs, especially of the healthcare variety. Probably not best for those currently pregnant, unless they want to read a bunch of vignettes about the various things that might go wrong during labor and delivery (though to be fair, only one such vignette ends poorly, and that’s near the end of the book). In a nutshell: Former junior doctor Adam Kay unearthed his diaries from the few years he was a doctor working in the NHS. Worth quoting: […]