Why do one book review when you can do four?!

As one of my New Years Resolutions I set myself a goal to ‘always have a book on the go’ and so far, I’ve stuck to it! Granted I may not be reading every single day, but I do always have a book there to pick up when I have the time. I’d forgotten how relaxing reading was, and how much better books are than films!

It’s the beginning of May and I am already four books down, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on them, in case anyone is thinking about what books to read this year, especially if you’re going on holiday (we all love a good read on the beach or by the pool!).

I’m going to keep these reviews fairly short and sweet, A. because there are four books to get through and B. because I don’t want to give away any spoilers.

So, let’s get started…

Start Something That Matters – Blake Mycoskie

This was my first book of 2018, a Christmas present from my mum and dad (recommended by my brother). They brought it out to Thailand with them which meant I got to read it whilst laying on various beaches… tough times I know! If you haven’t read this book already you are seriously missing out and you should go out right now (after you’ve finished reading my whole blog post of course) and get it. I can honestly say there couldn’t have been a better book for me to read as my first book of the year than this one.

Blake Mycoskie is the man behind TOMS shoes and in the book he talks about his journey and story from first creating TOMS to where the company is now. He also talks about his ‘One for One’ business model, which I didn’t know about before reading this book, where for every pair of TOMS shoes that are sold, a pair of shoes are donated to a child in need.

I know I’m only 26 years old, but I wish I would have read this book in school. In fact, I think they should make that a thing. For anyone wanting to be more entrepreneurial or even someone who just wants to make a difference in the world, this is the book for you. It’s so inspiring and really gets you thinking. It even made me decide that another of my New Years Resolutions this year would be to ‘start something that matters’. I’ll keep you updated with that!

Then She Was Gone – Lisa Jewell

Now this is one twisted book… I actually think it would make a great film! It’s basically about a woman whose daughter went missing ten years ago. Still no closer to knowing what happened to her daughter, she comes across a single father with a daughter who looks scarily familiar… and so unfolds one crazy story. It’s hard to properly review this book without spoilers so I’m not going to do that. All I will say is that you need to read this book! I really enjoyed reading this, it brings about emotions you didn’t think you would have… I cried at the end, feeling sorry for someone who I felt I shouldn’t.

The Couple Next Door – Shari Lapena

Strap yourselves in because you’re in for a crazy ride when reading this book! You really won’t want to put it down until it’s done. It’s about a couple who appear to have it all, love, a nice house, and a beautiful baby. That is until they decide to leave the baby at home whilst they go to a dinner party next door and their baby goes missing! They’d been taking it in turns to check on her every half hour and had the baby monitor with them but between their last check and getting home, the baby has gone. The rest of the book follows the suspicion and investigation, as they try to uncover where the baby is and who took her. There are so many twists and turns in this book that you definitely won’t get bored!

For me the ending was a little disappointing, but the book is definitely worth a read because it truly catches your attention from the get go and keeps you on your toes throughout.

Me Before You - JoJo Moyes

I’d heard lots of good things about this book so I couldn’t wait to read it. It’s about a girl - Louisa (Lou) Clark – whose very cheerful and little different but who seems to just be living day-to-day, without much drive or passion, simply working to earn money to help her family out. She’s put to the test when she starts a new job caring for Will Traynor, a once successful banker, who was left paralyzed from an accident a couple of years previous. Louisa tasks herself with changing Will’s outlook on life. They forge a bond no one expects, which changes their lives forever.

I honestly couldn’t put this book down, you get so involved and connected to the characters and I love that this book is part of a trilogy - I can’t wait to read the other two books.

I’d seriously recommend reading this book before watching the film. I did, and I was massively disappointed with the film, which is normally the case because I always find books way better than their movie counterpart. When I watched this film the cast weren’t how I imagined the characters to be and parts of the book were changed/missed out in the film which I didn’t like. Obviously, I still cried at the film as I did the book, but that’s just because I’m an emotional person… I get it from my mama!

I’m currently reading ‘Lean In’ by Sheryl Sandberg, and I’ve got a healthy pile of even more books to get through, so I’ll probably do another book review blog post later in the year once I’ve got through a few more.

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