Review: The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

Details:

Title: The Flatshare

Author: Beth O'Leary

Publisher: Quercus

ISBN 13: 978-1787474406

Synopsis:

Tiffy and Leon share a flat

Tiffy and Leon share a bed

Tiffy and Leon have never met...

Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they're crazy, but it's the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy's at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven't met yet, they're about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window...

Review:

YALC 2019 Planning

At the end of April 2019 YALC finally announced their full line up of authors (link here) which of course meant I could start planning. I have learnt a lot over the years and try not to go too mad as lugging a lot of books all over London including the underground is not a fun time.

April Wrap Up

In April 2019 I managed to read a total of 13 books.

Audiobooks -

Navigating the Stars by Maria V. Snyder
Narrated by Gabra Zackman
Length - 10h 52m
Star rating - 4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I found it lent itself to the audio really well, the narrator was great. Lyra was a strong main character, resilient and flawed meaning she came across as believable. The plot was really smart and I actually didn't guess the plot until it was revealed to our main character. The overarching plot is really interesting and I am very much looking forward to the next one.

Red Sister by Mark Lawrence
Narrated by Helen Duff
Length - 19h 36m
Star rating - 5 stars

This was a dark gritty violent novel but one with a heart. Nona is a brilliant character and I enjoyed getting to know her throughout the book. In fact each of the girls - and indeed some of the teachers too - were all fascinating characters who I very much enjoyed reading about. I like Nona's strength and how she kept true to herself while still learning and opening up a little. Looking forward to the next one.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer
Narrated by Charlie Norfolk
Length - 6h 41m
Star Rating - 4 stars

I listened to this on audio having already seen the film and thought it was a great way to absorb the story. I really liked the narrator, she made the voices very easily distinguishable which was important since this book is made up of letters. I liked the differences to the film and understood why they changed it. A really nice easy read.

Solitaire by Alice Oseman
Narrated by Holly Gibbs
Length - 7h 15m
Star Rating - 3 stars

Now, I don't read many contemporary books but decided to give this a go after finding out the main characters in Heartstopper were background characters in this one. I actually enjoyed this to start with but the main character soon got on my nerves and overall I found the plot to be pretty weak. Charlie and Nick from Heartstopper were definitely the highlights of this novel for me.

 Novels  -
                                   

Once and Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy
Length - pages
Star Rating - 3 stars

I was really anticipating this book, I am a huge fan of the Arthurian legend and couldn't wait to read this 're-telling'. But it sadly fell a little short for me. The representation was great to see and definitely needs to be in more books but I did feel that it got a little too much after a while, like other than their sexual orientation and pronoun preference I didn't feel we got to know the characters that well. Merlin I did enjoy, he was one of the stronger characters and there were some great moments but overall it was lacking for me.

                                                                           

The Binding by Bridget Collins
Length - 437 pages
Star Rating - 2.5 stars

This is the most beautiful hardback I have ever seen, not only is the dustjacket stunning but the naked book is embossed and it had sprayed purple edges. Sadly what is inside is boring, slow and dragged out. There were parts which should have been really interesting but they weren't explored instead it was a very predictable story which took an age to get anywhere. Very disappointing.

                                                                         

Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare
Length - 368 pages
Star Rating - 5 stars

This is a new series set in the Shadowhunter World which focuses on Magnus and Alec. Now I was always going to love this as they are two of my favourite characters from this series and it did not disappoint. I really liked seeing them at the start of their relationship knowing how far they have to go and to see how they interact together without the others around with them. The plot was also pretty strong too and I really had a fun time reading.

                                         

To Best the Boys by Mary Weber

Length - 321 pages

Star Rating - 4 stars

This was in a Fairyloot box and for once I actually joined in the readalong for it (though I did cheat and finish it a day early as I got so into it). I loved the main characters attitude and personality and I found all of the characters actually had distinct and unique things about them. It is perhaps a little simplified with the world not deeply explored but for a fun quick read it was spot on.

           

After Atlas by Emma Newman

Length - 369 pages

Star Rating - 4.5 stars

This had mystery, drama, science fiction and intrigue. It seemlessly merged these genres and created a unique and clever story. Emma Newman really writes interesting characters well and yet it never detracts from the tight and well thought out plot. I am really enjoying the Planetfall books and am looking forward to the next one.

                     

Sherwood by Meagan Spooner

Length - 470 pages

Star Rating - 3 stars

I had such high hopes for this book. I loved Hunted  which was Meagan Spooner's Beauty and the Beast retelling and as a Robin Hood fan I was excited for this. But it really let me down. I found Marion really boring and crap at what she was trying to do - how nobody discovered her is a miracle. Guy was confusing and it seemed like after killing off Robin (literally how the book starts) it seems she decided there had to be a romance so this would do. There was no chemistry in their scenes together and they are actually both rather horrid to each other. It really took enemies to lovers to a whole new level. Very disappointed and very sad.

 Graphic Novels/Manga  -
                                       

 

                       
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra vol 1 by Kieron Gillen

Length - 144 pages

Star Rating - 3.5 stars

This was fun and a little silly but I've come to expect that from the Star Wars comics now. I knew nothing about Aphra before I began this comic but I don't think that was too much of a hindrance, you go the gist of it all from the exposition. I'll continue on with the series I think, I like Aphra and the droids are hilarious.

                                     

                       
Lumberjanes vol 1 by Noelle Stevenson

Length - 128 pages

Star Rating - 3 stars

I found that not a lot happened in this volume, we didn't get to know the girls very well and none of them really stood out. I will give volume 2 a go but on the initial reading it hasn't grabbed me.

                                                                                       

                     
Hortense and the Shadow by Natalia and Lauren O'Hara

Length - 32 pages

Star Rating - 3.75 stars

This was a cute children's book with a nice little moral story and some incredibly beautiful drawings. Worth a look especially if you have young children.

                                                   

May the Reading Force Be With You

So during May I am going to be running a readathon based around Star Wars!

This readathon will run for the entirety of May. There are 11 challenges but it is up to you how many you want to complete. The challenges are as follows:

Owlcrate Unboxing April 2019

In this post I am going to be unboxing the April 2019 Owlcrate. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

Owlcrate is a monthly book subscription box from the USA. Each month you receive a brand new young adult novel and 3-5 bookish items along with exclusive goodies from the author.

The theme this month was The Dark Side (Spoiler filled post under the cut)

Fairyloot Unboxing March 2019

This is the unboxing of the March 2019 FairyLoot box. (What follows will contain spoilers so please do not read if you don't want to know what is in the box)

FairyLoot is a monthly book subscription box mainly focusing on fantasy YA and YA crossovers. Each month you receive a new release book, mostly hardback and 4-6 bookish items which fit in with the theme.

The theme this month was Favourites

 (Spoiler filled post under the cut)

March Wrap Up

In March 2019 I managed to read a total of 14 books.

Audiobooks -

  A Touch of Gold by Annie Sullivan
Narrated by Alana Kerr Collins
Length - 8h 52m
Star rating - 5 stars

I adored this book so much and highly recommend it. Read my full review here.

Mary Poppins by PL Travers
Narrated by Olivia Colman
Length - 3h 51m
Star Rating - 3 stars

I am sad to say this disappointed me quite a lot. After growing up with the Mary Poppins film (and the recent sequel too) I was looking forward to hearing the original tale but sadly the character of Mary was awful and the children rather dull. Overall it just didn't have to appeal to me that the movie did.

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke
Narrated by Saskia Maarlevand
Length - 8h 10m
Star Rating - 4.5 stars

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. It took me a while to get into it but once it became a quest like story it had me hooked. I really liked Trigve and Frey, though I was hoping for something a little more there perhaps but overall it was a strong story with interesting characters. The ending felt a little anticlimactic perhaps but then perhaps that suited the slower style of the story. I liked it enough to recommend it to others though.

Circe by Madeline Miller
Narrated by Perdita Weeks
Length - 12h 8m
Star Rating - 4.5 stars

After reading and loving Song of Achilles and booking a ticket to meet Madeline Miller in April I decided to listen to Circe and I am so glad I did. The narrator, Perdita Weeks, was brilliant and the story had me gripped. I didn't know much about Circe or her story and seeing how much she actually had to do with other myths I had heard of was great. Definitely another solid read from Madeline Miller who is now on my autobuy author list.

Nyxia Unleashed by Scott Reintgen
Narrated by Sullivan Jones, Carol Monda, Alex Romashov
Length - 10h 43m
Star Rating - 4.75 stars

Well that is yet another cliffhanger ending! I should know by now. I forgot how much I like these characters and with this second book I got even more invested in their story. I really liked the twists and turns this book took. I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of the story and I cannot wait for the next book. The narration was spot on and I liked the addition of alternative voices for different characters/POV.

Our Little Secret by Darren O'Sullivan
Narrated by Darren O'Sullivan
Length - 8h 22m
Star Rating - 2 stars

I have to admit I am not an avid thriller reader. I have limited experience of the genre, but this one I found fairly predictable. I got the big 'twist' of the end from a few chapters in and nothing really came as a surprise. It wasn't badly written and most of the characters were pretty interesting (the main girl, Sarah, was irritating but the best friend Steve was really intriguing). The audio of this was performed by the author and while he did a decent job at times it suffered due to the lack of differentiation between inner monologue and speech as well as characters sounding alike.

 Novels  -
                                         

Matilda by Roald Dahl
Length - 3h 51m
Star Rating - 5 stars

I love this book, it has been a favourite since childhood and the re-read was just as enjoyable. Matilda is a lovely child and Miss Honey is the most amazing teacher in the whole world. The story is engaging and imaginitive, as most Dahl books are in my opinion, and the years have not diminished anything. A great little easy read.

                                                                             

State of Sorrow by Melinda Salisbury
Length - 464 pages
Star Rating - 5 stars

This was a re-read led by Melinda herself in the run up to the release of the second book in the duology 'Song of Sorrow'. This was a favourite of mine in 2018 and I really enjoyed getting to read it again. We read a chapter a day which was a nice pace even if I did want to read ahead a few times in anticipation of what was going to happen next. I cannot wait to start Song of Sorrow and hopefully finish it in the next week.

                                                                           

The Storm Runner by JC Cervantes
Length - 448 pages
Star Rating - 3.5 stars

Overall I enjoyed this book, it was well written and I think kids who liked Percy Jackson would enjoy this. I liked the Mayan gods aspect as I knew nothing about that, so that was fun to learn - god of chocolate? Yes please! The pacing did feel a little off with a lot of information thrown at you in the beginning but the action picked up towards the end. I will probably read the next book but I won't be in a rush.

                                         

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson

Length - 386 pages

Star Rating - 4 stars

This was a very different take on superheroes but it definitely felt more true to life perhaps than other stories about people with power. I liked the set up and the world, and while I did like the characters I didn't feel overly connected to any of them in particular. I did guess the way the plot was going but this didn't stop me enjoying it, if anything it made me want to read on and see if I was right. I will definitely continue on with this series.

           

The Clockwork Crow by Catherine Fisher

Length - 192 pages

Star Rating - 4 stars

This was a super cute and intriguing middle grade story. Our main character along with the crow are great characters who I liked a lot - especially the grumpy sarcastic crow. It was well paced and and gave just enough information to keep the reader going. I really hope this is not the last we've seen of them.

                     

Mitosis by Brandon Sanderson

Length - 96 pages

Star Rating - 3.5stars

This was a short story set in the Steelheart world between books 1 and 2. I liked getting to see how the events of Steelheart have changed the situation in Newcago. I don't think it was overly important or necessary to read but it gave a little more insight into how David and the team are working together now. Looking forward to the second book hopefully by the end of the year. 

        

Song of Sorrow by Melinda Salisbury

Length - 384 pages

Star Rating - 5 stars

State of Sorrow was one of my favourite reads in 2018 and this sequel did not disappoint. Melinda Salisbury smashed it. I love Sorrow so much and really felt for her throughout this book - you can't read this book and not be moved I think. The romance was adorable (and I am not a big romance fan) and the political intrigue was exactly what I wanted. Also big shout out to Irris who I also adored. Once again this is definitely in my top 10 of 2019.

Warrior of the Wild by Tricia Levenseller

Length - 326 pages

Star Rating - 5 stars

This was such a fun quest book! I loved the characters, the plot, the setting, everything. I adored the Pirate King duology but this surpassed even that. Rasmira was such a brilliant lead and I really liked her wanting to find that balance between being a warrior and still being emotional. I also really loved the focus on friendships and the exploration of those too. Overall a fantastic read.