The first half is all the books I read & recommend.
The second half are books I started reading / read but do not think highly enough of to recommend (although some I had to finish simply because I got too invested in what was happening and needed to know the ending).
No book links because I thoroughly encourage you to use a library or a local, independent bookseller and absolutely by all means possible, avoid Indigo/Chapters, and Amazon in your everyday life.
BOYCOTT THEM FOREVER.
If you need one that delivers in Canada, I very much like McNally Robinson. They can order any book you like.
WHAT I RECOMMEND
Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k up: Alexandra Potter + Sequel
These two books are fabulous. Not too sugary sweet, good, solid endings, smart writing. Very Bridget Jones meets forty-something fk-up. I enjoyed every word, and I liked the plot as well. The only thing that felt awkward or forced, was this Annabel character who plays the frenemy… Other than that, the whole duo was great.
Never Grow Up: Jackie Chan
I am torn between recommending and not recommending it. So, his story and his whole upbringing, and how he became famous, then later, got a dose of much needed humbleness was really great, but the book was written quite childishly in terms of word choice.. the ghostwriter wasn’t great, if there was one.
As for his life itself, he is a reformed (?) narcissistic fkboy. That is basically it. I like some of the behind the scenes parts of how he did his stunts and acts, but the rest of it, his whole life basically, made me gag.
So while I didn’t necessarily come off at the end liking him more, in fact, I am on the verge of disliking him as a person after reading this, it was an interesting book in terms of learning how he became who he is today.
Empress Dowager Cixi: Jung Chang
FABULOUS BOOK. A wonderful look into the history of the true birth of modern China, never properly attributed to the one who started the ball rolling – Empress Dowager Cixi – maligned by those around her because she was a woman, usurped by mediocre men (sounds so familiar and triggering at the same time for many of us), but she persevered.
I wish she would have been more prominent.. imagine the change she would have brought on in China and how they would have just simply accelerated to surpass the world (not that they aren’t doing that now, to be honest).
Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong about everything?: Timothy Caulfield
A FANTASTIC book. I mean, I devoured it.
His writing is witty, funny, self-deprecating and easy to read and understand. If you have ever wondered about weight loss, skincare and so on, this is the perfect book to read to get the real facts.
It is everything we knew already.. wear SPF, eat mostly fruits and vegetables and unprocessed foods, etc.
Empire of the Elite: Michael M. Grynbaum
A good, dense look into the Condé Nast empire and how it built up under a rather insipid character – Si Newhouse – but he had a knack for searching out talent and that is how that happened.
They are now increasingly becoming irrelevant with the rise of social media networks, so there is also that…
On Looking: Alexandra Horowitz
11 walks through the city with various experts. I really liked meandering along through their eyes, and I learned fun tidbits, but mostly to appreciate things with a curious and observing nature rather than just trying to get through the day. The days are long but the years are short.
The Retirement Plan: Sue Hincenbergs
I didn’t know what to expect so this book surprised me with women plotting to kill their husbands, and finding out it is all not what it seems to be. Rather interesting insight into single working mothers and while the author tried to redeem the husbands, in my eyes she didn’t succeed because they’re losers.
I suspect that was the plan all along anyway.
He’s cancelled: Sophie Ranald
This was a decent book. I am not raving about it, because the plot was kind of strange, but I liked it nonetheless.
Girl gets engaged to her love of her life, and then questions everything as the wedding planning drags on. I like the tale of redemption and change at the end, and I like how it ended as well. It gave the characters true grit and integrity.
The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries: Emily Brightwell
Book One of the series… Mrs. Jeffries is his housekeeper and she is the one who is solving the cases for him, and dropping hints. I found it quite good as a cosy murder mystery, and I am not alone as there are over 20 books in the series.
A murderous season: Beverly Watts
Another good cosy murder mystery, this time with Admiral Shackleford, his wife and their friend couple (assistant?) that goes along and solves the mystery. There is a whole series, so I will simply read them all.
The Nanny: Gilly Macmillan
A good mental thriller. It was so creepy (psychologically) until the end. I really enjoyed reading it, particularly as it was from the perspective of the daughter Jo and her aristocratic mother whom she has to move back in with, along with her daughter Ruby. So all 3 generations under one roof, and so much unsaid, and miscommunicated.. It was a nice reminder about family ties as well, to be honest.
DON’T READ
Bonfire of the vanities: Tom Wolfe
I can’t read this style of writing where it is a never-ending streaming consciousness with zero pause, context or structure. I like being led into a story not thrown in and forced to gasp for air.
The Fraud: Zadie Smith
Again. A book that won a lot of awards, bla bla bla…. I couldn’t get through chapter one.
That Extra Half and Inch: Victoria Beckham
An insipid, banal fashion book from someone I thought would do a better job than write this drivel. Maybe what she needed was her husband’s injection of humour and charm because this was really terrible. Boring, useless “fashion” advice.
The Happy Couple: Samantha Hayes
I liked the book SO MUCH until the end. The ending was stupid, the writing took a turn for a really screwed up ending, and it is was so disappointing. The mystery of her husband disappearing was far better off at the start of the book than what transpired in the end of what Hayes is trying to pass off as a plot twist. It felt forced and rushed at the end, true twin markers of both terrible writing and editing.
Legendborn Trilogy: Tracey Dean
I read all 3 books because I wanted to know what happened, but it was definitely a slog near the end. I STRUGGLED to get through it. The plot and world that Deonn built was so incredibly complicated and dare I say, stupid (?)… with so many twists and turns without proper explanations and build up that by chapter 3 you are completely lost as to WTF IS GOING ON. King Arthur? Dead root craft? JFC … and there was no explanation or cool drawn out battle scenes the way legendary fantasy authors do it, to really give you a taste of their power etc. It was just so bland, it was oatmeal reading.
Had she edited it down to just focus on one type of magic rather than trying to weave complicated histories into each other, it would have been a much better book. I did love her protagonist being black and a badass, but that was about it. A horrible trilogy. Don’t start it. Young adults deserve better literature.
McMafia: Misha Glenny
Couldn’t read it. Sorry. I tried, but it was so dry I wanted to weep.
Food, Cookery, and Dining in Ancient Times: Alexis Soyer
Speaking about dry. I couldn’t read it. And I LOVE food history.
I Hope This Finds You Well: Natalie Sue
I loved and hated this book. I mean, I am on the fence. I really disliked the protagonist.. she rubbed me the wrong way, likely because I didn’t feel like I related to her. Midway through the book, she sort of changed for me as she changed, but the whole plot was kind of dumb too – an IT glitch made that all happen?.. I loved it for its highlighting of Persian culture (I learned more!), but it just made me feel meh at the end, even if I was page-turning and I couldn’t stop reading it.
The New Adventures of Solar Pons: Tales of the Sherlock Holmes of Praed Street: David Marcum
What the hell is this? No.
Want more book recommendations?
All of my previous book recommendations are here.