Landline by Rainbow Rowell

310 Pages

Rating: 4/5

Format: Hardback

Buy it: thebookdepository 

Landline follows Georgie McCool as she struggles through a difficult point in her marriage that just so happens to fall around Christmas. Just as they are supposed to travel to visit Neal parents for Christmas, Georgie has a crisis at work, forcing her to stay home in Los Angeles while her husband and two children head to Omaha. While at her parents house one night, Georgie finds a way to talk to Neal from the past and begins to wonder what impact this could have on their relationship and whether this could potentially save their marriage or wipe it from existence.

This is the third Rainbow Rowell book I've read (after Fangirl and Eleanor & Park) and while it is probably my least favourite of the three that doesn't necessarily mean all that much. I still love her writing style and I stand by the fact that her characters are some of the most believable I've come across. Rainbow Rowell has a real way of making you believe her characters, possibly through the fact that they are flawed, making them realistic, and Landline is no exception to this.

I enjoyed this book but it wasn't quite a 5/5 star one for me. I will still read anything else Rainbow Rowell writes, but this one just wasn't my favourite. I can't quite pinpoint what it was but it is possible that the fact I read a book centred around Christmas in the summer might be a factor! (note to all of you considering reading it: wait until December!) I still loved her characters as always and while it wasn't 5/5 from me on this one, I still enjoyed the book.

Have you read Landline or any of Rainbow Rowell's other books? What do you think of them? Let me know in the comments below!

Lucy x

The Last Summer Of Us by Maggie Harcourt

295 Pages

Rating: 3/5

Format: Paperback

Buy it: thebookdepository

The Last Summer of Us is the story of three Welsh teenagers as they go on a spontaneous road trip to make the most of their time together. While things are changing around them, a few days away from their usual lives allows our narrator to begin to figure out how she feels about these changes.

I had high hopes for this book due to the recommendation from Sarah over at ClumsinessAsACurse on YouTube combined with the fact I am a Welsh teenager about to leave my friends behind as we all head off to university in September but it just didn't quite live up to my expectations. While it was a decent book and I can definitely see why many people will love it, it just didn't quite do it for me.

I found elements of it incredibly frustrating. While I understand that it is fictional and the events in the book do not necessarily have to be realistic, I struggled with the fact the characters were seemingly in a typical Welsh costal town and then ridiculous things were thrown in, such as an elephant at one point, which just confused the boundaries between reality and fantasy for me. While some people may love this aspect of the book, I found it somewhat annoying, especially considering the book did not need these elements to be interesting. It felt as if Maggie Harcourt was trying to keep the reader interested when simply the relationships between the three main characters were absolutely enough to do this.

Like I said, this book is definitely not a bad book by any stretch of the imagination and I did really like all of the characters, each of whom is battling through their own personal issues that are gradually revealed throughout the book. I just found that unrealistic events combined with a few frustratingly obvious and unoriginal metaphors somewhat ruined it for me.

Have you read The Last Summer of Us? What did you think of it? Let me know in the comments below!

Lucy x

Look Who's Back by Timur Vermes (translated by Jamie Bulloch)

375 Pages

Rating: 4.5/5

Format: Paperback

Buy it: thebookdepository

Look Who's Back basically tells the story of a 'what if' : 'what if Hitler woke up alive and well in Berlin in 2011?'

The book follows Hitler as he tries to adapt to life in 2011 with no recollection as to how he arrived at his current point (although his uniform does inexplicably smell of petrol). It follows his frustration when asked for his 'real name' after providing the name 'Adolf Hitler' due to the fact people believe he is just an incredibly talented impressionist who refuses to break character.

This book is absolutely hilarious. As a history enthusiast particularly interested in Nazi Germany I knew I had to pick this up when I saw it in my local book shop and I'm so glad I did. I found myself actually laughing out loud at it and constantly wondering where the plot was going to go next. 

I could not recommend this book more. If you're even slightly interested in German history I am absolutely sure you will love this book.

Have you read this book? Do you want to? Let me know in the comments!

Lucy x