Following a good month in February, I was hoping for another successful reading month in March. I managed to read five books in January 2021, and nine books in February 2021 and this month I’ve completed 11 books. I’m quite happy with that!
Here are the books I read in March 2021.
The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle
Albert Entwistle is approaching his 65th birthday and facing compulsory retirement from the job he loves as a postman. He’s led a lonely life and the prospect of an even lonelier retirement makes Albert assess his choices in life. With no real friends and nothing to look forward to, Albert looks back to the last time he was truly happy. It’s been 50 years since Albert felt true happiness with his long-lost love, George. He realises now is the time to accept who he really is and finally search for George, the man who has always had his heart. I found the novel really moving and laughed and cried as Albert searched for George. I absolutely loved it from start to finish.
Click here to find my full review of The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle by Matt Cain.
Two Women In Rome by Elizabeth Buchan
Newly married Lottie moves to Rome to be with her husband and is hired to work as an archivist, sorting through papers and artefacts people have left behind. After finding a seemingly valuable painting, Lottie is drawn to find out more about the woman who left the painting behind. Lottie discovers that Nina Lawrence, a successful botanist, seemed to have lived a rewarding life, restoring Italian gardens to their former glory following the destruction of WW2. And yet when she tragically died in 1978, nobody attended her funeral. There was clearly more to Nina’s life than it seems.
The plot was intricate and at times felt a little slow. There were interesting developments but no real shocks or twists to the story. I found myself wanting to know what happened to Nina but I felt slightly detached from her story. I didn’t feel emotionally connected to her until a development at the end of the story. I think this perhaps may be due to the detached style of some of Nina’s sections as she jotted down thoughts in her notebook. However, it did have a satisfying ending with all loose ends tied up.
It’s clearly a very well written and researched book but I didn’t love it as much as I would have liked.
Click here to find my full review of Two Women In Rome by Elizabeth Buchan.
The Phonebox At The Edge Of The World
After losing both her mother and her young daughter in the 2011 tsunami in Japan, Yui is consumed with grief. During a conversation on her radio show, she learns about a disconnected phone located in a garden overlooking the sea where the bereaved go to speak to their lost loved ones. Intrigued, Yui decides to visit in the hope of overcoming her own grief, and yet finds she can’t bring herself to pick up the phone. During her regular visits, she sees how important this phone box is for people, and meets Takeshi, a young widow whose daughter has stopped talking since her mother died. The Phone Box At The Edge Of The World is a moving story about grief, compassion, human connection and love.
Click here to find my full review of The Phonebox At The Edge Of The World by Laura Imai Messina.
The House Swap by Jo Lovett
When Cassie needs a place to stay in London to do research for her upcoming book, she decides to do a house swap. James is looking to escape his ex and so they agree to do a temporary switch. Cassie would stay in James’ London penthouse while James would be located in Cassie’s home off the coast of Maine complete with animals and sporadic wi-fi. The two soon end up getting involved in each other’s lives and what starts as irritation soon develops into something more. A light and easy read but nothing special.
Click here to find my full review of The House Swap by Jo Lovett.
Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan
Madame (Imelda) Burova is a tarot reader, palmist and clairvoyant, who has spent her life keeping other people’s secrets. After 50 years of working on the Brighton seafront, Imelda is retiring and decides now is the time to fulfil a promise she made a long time ago.
Billie meanwhile has lost her job, her marriage and it seems now even her identity is in question. Her search for answers leads her to Imelda and the events at a holiday park 50 years ago. Will Imelda ever get closure? And will Billie ever discover the real truth behind her parentage? There was no big drama or tension, the only real intrigue being Billie’s parentage, but that didn’t matter to me. This is a character-driven story and their interactions and stories are what make this novel work. Overall I really enjoyed Madame Burova and I’m looking forward to reading more of Ruth Hogan’s novels.
Click here to find my full review of Madame Burova by Ruth Hogan
Things A Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls
Things A Bright Girl Can Do tells the story of three young women living through the suffrage movement in London. They all believe passionately in the cause but have differing views on almost everything else. The three women have completely different upbringings, from Evelyn’s seemingly privileged life as a rich and clever seventeen year old, to Nell, a girl who has been brought up in poverty and hardship. May, meanwhile, believes enthusiastically in the cause but believes that violence is never the answer. As the first world war looms, the women discover just how much are they willing to sacrifice in the fight for freedom.
The book was so much more than just a story about the suffragettes. Whilst suffrage is the ultimate theme of the story and goal of all three women, there are also other important issues covered. Pacifism, lesbianism and grief are just some of the issues that weren’t openly discovered in the early 1900s. It was a really humbling read that will stay with me and I’d definitely read more by Sally Nicholls.
Click here to find my full review of Things A Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
Nuri and his wife Afra live a simple life in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo. Nuri is a beekeeper and has created a life and job he loves, surrounded by family and friends. When their lives are destroyed by war, Nuri and Afra are left with no choice but to leave their home. We follow their journey as they head to the UK for a safer life. The journey is not just a geographical one. It is a journey to find each other again, and the people they once were, before unspeakable tragedy destroyed their family.
I struggled to form any kind of emotional attachment to Nuri and as the story is told from his viewpoint, I felt slightly detached from his experiences. The telling sign that something was missing for me, is the fact I didn’t cry. I cry at everything! But I just didn’t connect to the characters as much as I wanted to. I empathised with the characters but still felt an emotional disconnect. I felt I needed to read the book out of a sense of moral obligation to understand the plight of the refugees, rather than actually enjoying the story. An important read but not a favourite of mine.
Click here to read my full review of The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri.
Hostage by Clare Mackintosh
Mina finds herself working aboard the world’s first nonstop flight from London to Sydney. As an experienced flight attendant, she leaves a strained marriage and her beloved daughter back at home as she faces a gruelling 20-hour flight. However, not long after takeoff, she receives an anonymous note from a passenger. Somebody on this flight is determined that they won’t make it to their final destination and they need Mina to comply. If you had the chance to save hundreds of lives, or the one life that matters the most to you, which would choose?
I flew through this book in 24 hours. I literally could not put it down. You so often read reviews claiming a story was a nail-biting, heart-pounding read. An addictive page-turner. Such cliches are often overused and at times describe a book I have found to be merely okay. However, with Hostage, every one of those descriptions is true. A brilliant read.
Click here to read my full review of Hostage by Clare Mackintosh
The Berlin Zookeeper by Anna Stuart
Back in 1943, Katharina Heinroth and her husband Oskar are working at Berlin Zoo, trying to protect the workers and animals from the effects of the war. With bombs destroying so much of what they hold dear, they struggle to keep their zoofamilie safe. In the present day, Bethan gets the opportunity to work at the famous Berlin Zoo. This is both a professional dream and a personal one. Bethan previously discovered that her mother, Jana, was “gifted” to her grandmother just after the war. Bethan’s grandmother Erika confesses on her deathbed that she is not Jana’s biological mother. Bethan has only a list of names that all bring her to Berlin Zoo. Intent on solving her family mystery, Bethan sets about uncovering the secrets of what really happened in Berlin over 75 years ago.
I am glad I read the book. Katharina Heinroth was an amazing woman and it has inspired me to want to visit Berlin Zoo myself. However, I found the transition between the timelines a little jarring. I would have preferred more Katharina and less Bethan!
Click here to read my full review of The Berlin Zookeeper by Anna Stuart.
The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner
The story starts in Poland in 1941 where Roza and her five-year-old daughter Shira are seeking shelter inside a local farmer’s barn. After all the Jews were rounded up in their hometown, Roza and her daughter Shira had no choice but to flee. Hiding within the barn means they need to be quiet and still, and Roza and Shira spend most of their days and nights in silence. Shira is a musical prodigy with melodies flowing throughout her body which makes being silent particularly difficult for her. When their safe place can no longer be used, Roza is faced with a heartbreaking decision. Should she keep her daughter with her and take their chances on disappearing into the woods, with the huge risk they could be detected and killed? Or should she allow her daughter to go alone to the local convent where Shira’s chances of survival would surely be higher?
It’s a story of loss and sadness but ultimately one of love and humanity. The mother’s love that kept Roza going through the darkest of times and provided strength and determination when all seemed lost. The compassion shown by strangers in a time where decency and kindness towards jews could cost you your life. The Yellow Bird Sings is a powerful story that left me with the need to hug each one of my children that little bit tighter.
Click here to read my review of The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner.
The Island Home by Libby Page
Lorna fled her home, the Isle of Kip, almost 20 years ago and has never looked back. She lives a quiet life in London, just her and her daughter Ella. However, events unfold that lead Lorna and Ella to leave London to return to the remote Scottish island where Lorna grew up. Alice meanwhile lives a full and happy life on the island but has always had questions about her husband’s family. Can Lorna’s return finally help mend the damage to their family? With two decades, hundreds of miles and a lifetime’s worth of secrets between Lorna and the island, can coming home mean starting again? Libby Page has a real talent for creating characters that are relatable and authentic. Her characters have flaws and find themselves in realistic situations which give the novel a real sense of authenticity. The Island Home is a story of family, friendship and community, and the power of forgiveness. I really enjoyed it.
Click here to read my review of The Island Home by Libby Page.
You may also be interested in reading The Books I Read in February and my other previous monthly reads.
Some of these books were sent from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.