Jenni from the book

I was getting a little worried about my Goodreads 2023 challenge because I was pretty behind target. I don't exactly set myself anything steep (12 books - one a month) but even so I was flagging. Luckily my recent bout of holidays have helped me on that front! Well, 10 flights in 6 weeks will do that to a girl. Regardless of how or why, I now have another 5 books to share my thoughts on and it's a pretty mixed bag so prepare yourself for some serious slating (as well as the usual potential spoilers).

Most of the books I buy and read are intentional. They're carefully scrutinised on Goodreads and then purchased and read in order. But sometimes, I have the occasional spontaneous book purchase in the airport or supermarket and this was one of those. So imagine my surprise when I checked Goodreads and saw it was only rated 3.66. And imagine my further surprise when I read it, and thought it was absolutely incredible, and felt therefore baffled over the distinctly average reviews. 

The book of two ways is about forty-something Dawn, who starts this story surviving a deathly plane crash. After miraculously walking away from the crash and finding a newfound appreciation for life, she's asked a simple question; where do you need to go? And instead of the simple answer ("home") she finds her heart torn between two very different options. There's her home in Boston, where her sweet loving husband Brian and stroppy teenage daughter Meret live, and where she has a rewarding career as a death doula - helping terminal patients to prepare for a dignified death. But surprisingly she finds there's a second option. Egypt. Where she began (and abruptly left) an amazing career in archaeology, and began (and abruptly left) a beautiful love affair with a man named Wyatt nearly 15 years ago. So which option will Dawn choose? 

The book of two ways is a fun exploration of the Egyptian map of the same name. While the ancient artefact refers to the two different routes to the afterlife, this story takes the name and uses it to describe the two different routes to a happy ever after. Dawn's two fates play out in simultaneous storylines, where we see her both go home to Boston to confront the current problems in her marriage, to try and improve her strained relationship with her daughter, and to remind herself not to overstep boundaries with a new client she's become particularly fond of, AND go to Egypt to pursue finishing her doctorate, returning to the passion she really loved, and to figure out what to do about the man she really loved. Playing out in alternative chapters, the book largely focuses on themes of life and death and has Dawn confront questions such as "what does a life well-lived look like?", "when we leave this earth, what do we leave behind?" and "do we make choices...or do our choices make us?". 

So I feel like most of the bad reviews for this book are all chalked down to the same reason; it was like a textbook. There were loaaaads of chunks of information about Ancient Egypt, what they believed, the discoveries that were made, the Pharaohs who ruled. And seemingly that put a lot of people off as they didn't necessarily think it relevant to the story. But that was one of the main reasons I loved it. Not only did it scream of a well researched and well put together book, but I also found it really fascinating. Learning something new while enjoying a fiction novel? What's not to like? It was also a key reason why I headed to Egypt earlier this year, because this book painted their beliefs and customs in such a fascinating way. I guess if you struggle with taking in a lot of information then this could hinder the storyline of the book, but I would argue it's actually integral in understanding the point of it at all, and the themes running through it. 

I will say that the themes of life and death (the primary focus) get a little tedious towards the end. It was like every chapter there was some exploration of what it means to live, what death is about etc. Which is interesting to think about, and you understand Dawn's focus on it because of the two careers she had, but as a reader it got a bit like 'okay we get it'. The other themes of the book were largely like most others I read; love, life, sacrifice, fate. 

I really loved Dawn and Wyatt's relationship and it made me sad that they hadn't been together for the 15 years they lost. In fact, the lost 15 years made me sad for a number of reasons. Dawn left Egypt because of a family tragedy and as a consequence, lost the career and the man she loved. Although I would argue she chose, rather than lost. She allowed her backup plan to become her life, and she could've fought for the life she truly wanted at any point between then and the 15-year-later-mark when the story begins. But I guess there's an important message in that, that people don't always get the life they want, or perhaps deserve. 

I don't want to spoil the ending by revealing which timeline the real one was but I will say it was really cleverly put together and written and I didn't see it coming. My theory was that she had actually died in the plane crash at the beginning and the exploration of her two paths was her journey to the afterlife, as per the Book of two ways in the Egyptian belief system. Which I thought would've been quite poetic! But the actual ending was really good too and while it leaves it slightly open to interpretation, I think we all knew what (and who) her true ending was.

I thought I was going to really love this book. Florence is a ghost writer who, funnily enough, also has the ability to see and speak to actual ghosts. When she's struggling to write her latest romance novel (due to the fact she's had a messy breakup and no longer believes in love), she goes to her new editor to ask for an extension. Handsome and brooding, Benji gives nothing away - including the extension she asked for. Suddenly though, her looming deadline is the least of her worries, as tragedy strikes and she heads home to bury her beloved dad.

So imagine her surprise when she does make it home and Benji shows up on the doorstep of her family's funeral home - but now very much dead! In Florence's experience, ghosts only stick around when they have unfinished business, so as she attempts to help Benji sort through his, the two find themselves building a blossoming connection. Will helping Benji prove a painful goodbye, or will it be him that helps to put her ghosts to bed and teach this romance writer a thing or two about love?

I really liked the sound of the quirky setup of this book and I really wanted to like it. But it all just fell a bit flat for me. To the point that even as I'm writing this, I can barely remember any notable details about the story, the characters or anything else. The whole thing about Florence no longer believing in love because of a break up and therefore being unable to write was stupid to me. Writers aren't dictated by the goings on in their lives in such a direct way. You don't have to be an actual axe murderer to write a crime thriller novel, for example. So the painting that her break up (which wasn't even that traumatic) would completely have her turn her back on the concept of love was a bit dramatic.

I did like the bond between Florence and Benji and found them to be quite sweet together, if a little dull. Their relationship had all the usual tropes of human-ghost connections; helping to cheat at cards, listening in on other people's conversations etc. It was a bit like the movie Just like heaven actually, especially with the twist towards the end when it reveals why Benji's ghost has actually been sticking around all this time.

Apart from that though, Florence was very whiny and annoying, her back story was very weak and there was way too much exploration of death and grief but not in a particularly profound, emotive or intriguing way (like the previous death-centric book I read had). It was just kind of like 'I'm sad that my Dad has died' without going much deeper than that, and I actually found myself craving it to go into more details about the previous ghost encounters she'd had, rather than relentlessly focussing on Benji the whole time. From the synopsis, this book had potential. But it fell flat as both a romance, and as an exploration of what it means to live and to love.

My old faithful Taylor Jenkins-Reid, oh how you never let me down. I've been meaning to read this book for ages and I'm so glad I finally got around to it, as it was as amazing as expected. The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo is, as the title suggests, the story of Evelyn Hugo; the starlet famous for her dazzling Hollywood movie career and the 7 husbands she married along the way. Now nearly 80 years old, Evelyn has finally agreed to give an interview (her first one in decades) about her dazzling and scandalous life. But there's a catch; she'll only give it to Monique Grant. An unknown writer working for a major magazine, Monique is shocked to be chosen and unaware of any connection between herself and Evelyn. Naturally she jumps at the chance to be the one to write Evelyn's life story and hopefully find her way to a promotion in the process. 

But as their interview sessions start and Monique finds herself drawn into Evelyn's spell, will the aspiration be worth the heartache that comes with it? As Monique follows Evelyn through a lifetime of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love, she learns that Evelyn Hugo could change her life and everything she thought she knew about herself. In more ways than one.

Okay, I absolutely LOVED this book. I loved how transportive it was, I loved the dark secrets, I loved how it showed that not everything is always as it seems. But mostly, I loved Evelyn as the anti-hero. The way she owned who she was and made it clear she'd always been out for herself, while still loving with her whole heart and doing what she could to treat people well.

Obviously the first question that comes to you when you learn she had 7 husbands is; which was the real one? Who was the Richard Burton to her Elizabeth Taylor? After Monique does her initial research, she tells the reader that there were seven husbands; The early marriage that ended in divorce when she was eighteen. Then the studio-setup courtship and tumultuous marriage to Hollywood royalty Don Adler. The rumors that she left him because he beat her. Her comeback in a French New Wave film. The quickie Vegas elopement with Mick Riva. Her glamorous marriage to the dapper Rex North, which ended in both of them having affairs. The beautiful love story of her life with Harry Cameron and the birth of their daughter, Connor. Their heartbreaking divorce and her very quick marriage to her old director Max Girard. Her supposed affair with much younger Congressman Jack Easton, which ended her relationship with Girard. And finally, her marriage to financier Robert Jamison, rumoured to have at least been inspired by Evelyn's desire to spite former costar - and Robert's sister - Celia St James.

I liked that it introduced each husband in this way first so that as a reader, your first impression of Evelyn's life is exactly what the media had portrayed and believed for years. It made it even more enchanting when you learned the true story behind the tabloids.

As for Evelyn's one true love? They were mentioned right there among the list of husbands, hiding in plain sight. Celia St James, the real love of Evelyn's life. See this book isn't just a tale of searching for love and clawing your way to the top. It also speaks on sexuality, race, gender dynamics, the changing of the times, the price of being an icon, the cost of the choices we make, and the bravery that comes with truly being yourself. It was a beautiful and often heart breaking story of a highly intelligent and calculated woman who was unapologetically herself, who owned her decisions whether they were "good" or "bad", and who was more wise than any other book character I've had the pleasure of meeting.

Once again, Taylor Jenkins Reid wove together some truly mesmerizing ideas about love and about life. It was lovely to see how Evelyn impacted Monique's life as she shared her story, and how Monique really came into herself based on Evelyn's wisdom, and came to some realisations about her own happily ever after. I have to say, Monique's wasn't the only perspective Evelyn impacted. Her words (well, Taylor Jenkins Reid's words) felt pretty world-shaking to me too. And for that reason alone, I couldn't given this book anything less than 5/5 stars.

Another sadly disappointing read! Which is weirdly highly rated? So I can no longer even trust Goodreads reviews and am now going to have to start choosing books via the power of psychic abilities. Wish me luck. Anyway, this book is an opposites attract romcom between two talented authors. January writes romance and women's fiction, with her books usually ending in happily ever after. Augustus writes acclaimed literary fiction, with his books usually ending ending in bleak landscapes and even bleaker deaths. When the two find themselves living next door to each other for the summer, they strike up a deal to help them get out of their respective writing ruts. January will write the next Great American Novel and Augustus will write a swoonworthy romcom. And as the blurb states; everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love.

So it's obvious from the get go that these two were going to be the centre of a summer romance. My problem with this book wasn't the predictability, but the incredibly lacklustre execution. The two of them fall together almost immediately, with no tension, build-up or significant hurdles. My latest pet hate with romcoms is where the two parts of the couple are unexplainably in every scene and page together and this book did an amazing job at shoving these two together for every waking minute of every day. It was just totally unnecessary and really hindered my ability to root for them in any real way.

I did find that they both had quite interesting back stories, and I enjoyed the journey of self discovery they both went on with each other and through the writing of the books. But it seemed like they over simplified a lot of things and therefore it felt very unbelievable in a lot of places. For example, January has recently got out of a 6 year relationship and seems totally unmoved by it because she realised she was in love with the idea of him rather than him as a person. Fair enough, but you'd think her life would've still been upended by a relationship that long falling apart but it barely gets a footnote mention. On the other hand, finding out her dad had an affair has destroyed her belief in love, made her not want to speak to her mum and ruined her ability to write in any kind of happy way. Which feels a tad dramatic. I think a more balanced backstory would've helped me root for January a bit more but it just missed the mark for me and I found myself wanting to be able to tell her to grow up.

Having said all that, I didn't completely hate it. I liked the expeditions January and Augustus went on as part of their joint book research, and I did quite enjoy the connection between them. If the author had showed some self restraint and waited a couple more chapters before allowing these two to get together, she may have found herself with a half recent romcom on her hands.

This book had been on my to-read list for absolutely ages (I'm talking like since 2018) and I was excited to get round to it because it sounded a bit different. Sweetbitter tells the story of 22-year-old Tess, who has just arrived in New York City with a single goal: to live in New York City. Without a particular dream, Tess decides to get a job at a celebrated Manhattan restaurant as a backwaiter, and what ensues is a delicious education. In champagne and oysters. In the correct way to open a bottle of wine. In how to do cocaine on a school night. In the beauty of truffle season. In how many coworkers it's acceptable to sleep with. In how to carry 3 plates at the same time. In how to get yourself drawn into a twisted love triangle.

Covering a year of Tess' life as a waiter living in New York City, this book is a dark and lustrous tale of what it means to be young and chaotic. And how bittersweet it can be to feel as though the world is at your fingertips.

Okay so this book was a little weird. Mainly because there wasn't actually much of a story to it. Right so we're following Tess on her education in fine dining and after-work dive bars. But she doesn't actually do anything. Nothing really happens to her or anyone around her. If you asked me what the plot points of this book were I'd say something like 'burns hand' and 'goes to New Years Day party'. Like literally nothing happens. Which, to say she's living in New York for a whole year, seems kind of dull.

The other reason it was kind of weird is all the drawn out passages about palate and taste and desire. There's some really long passages about food and a lot of them are very pretentious. I kind of enjoyed them at first; the poetry of it. But after a while it just felt like they were preventing the story (well, the non-existent story, as it turns out) from moving forwards. A lot of these ideas were also spoken by other characters and it just struck me how literally no one speaks the way the characters in this book do. All very ambiguous and mysterious and leaving thoughts half finished. Fine in a book, I guess. But if you ever spoke to one them in real life you'd literally be like 'what on earth are you talking about'.

However, I didn't hate this book. I actually kind of liked it at times. It was a really immersive experience and I liked the way it really threw you into Tess' life and the world of restauranting. There was a lot of nostalgia attached to it for me as well, as it took me back to my McDonalds days. Okay we were hardly serving champagne and oysters, but the after-work nights out, the messy everyone-getting-with-everyone, the companionable hungover struggles. The food may have been different but the recipe sounds the same.

I also liked that it did the opposite of Beach Read; Tess' main love interest, Jake, is someone who her encounters with were chaste. Measured. Slow. He only appeared every so often and a lot of the time when he did, nothing happened. It made for a fascinating cat-and-mouse dynamic that I actually really enjoyed.

The love triangle that the book promised didn't exactly go how I thought though. Simone, the sophisticated older woman who has known Jake since he was younger. Because of all the erotic-coded descriptions of her, I thought the triangle was going to be that there'd be a romance between her and Tess. But it was actually that Tess had got herself involved in a strange existing entanglement between Simone and Jake. It was all a bit odd to be honest and a bit up in the air. When reading this book it's easy to become frustrated that nothing is ever actually explained. It's never spelled out. But I came to appreciate that for how it contributed to the immersive style of the book. You learned things exactly as Tess did; through snippets of conversations, gossip, hearsay, the grapevine. Even her backstory is gone into very little and I like that the author was able to convey the true snapshot you get when you're living through things, rather than having them dished out to you on a silver platter like you normally do when reading a novel.

Overall, this is a slightly odd book with a very different writing style, but I found myself unable to put it down. Like a dish you aren't sure you enjoy the taste of, but keep going back for more.