The Museum of You

The Museum of You by Carys Bray tells the story of Clover and her father Darren from the point of view of both of them. Both are stuck in a a no-man's land caused by the death of Clover's mother when she was a baby. One hot summer, after years of waiting for her father to tell her about her mother, Clover takes things into her own hands. Her mother's things have been left in a room following her death, Clover decides to implement the curating skills she learnt on a Museum trip to tell the story of her mother's life.

The book then takes on a third voice as we see the real story behind the different artefacts that Clover unearths in the cupboards and boxes.
The book is about memory,grief, guilt and pain but it also explores the idea of what is a family. Clover has an uncle with issues, a stubborn grandfather, and a surrogate grandmother in her next door neighbour.

Clover is an entertaining character and the childlike innocent view that she brings to her mother's things is an interesting slant on the actual real-life story.
It is a quiet story but there is plenty to discuss in this novel for book groups exploring the issues of family, grief and misunderstandings.

A book apothecary sails into view

The Little Paris Bookshop is a must for all those who love books, reading and France.  a story that is told in 2 parts from the perspective of Jean and the diary of  Manon.

Jean stopped living 20 years ago when his lover, Manon,  walked out without explanation, his grief though has made him attuned to the needs of others and in his bookshop on a barge on the Seine he offers readers a book apothecary .Believing strongly in the power of books and stories to offer healing and respite to those with troubles Jean can heal many but not himself. He exists in his small world but even as he has shut himself away from human contact he has been forming relationships. Catherine a new resident in his apartment block sparks his interest as he recognises someone else who is also dealing with grief and opens the door to the part of his life that he has shut away.

This connection sparks a radical response as he casts his barge off and sets off down the Seine with 2 cats, a troubled author,a vague idea to really find out what happened to Manon and a quest to find the mystery author behind his favourite book set Jean on a course to reconnect with the world and start living again.

As they sail through France heading South the book apothecary continues to offer solace to those who need it along the way. Jean starts to learn that grief and anger has stopped him from living, we also see what happened to Manon as we read the diary and discover the secrets she kept and the things that drove her to make the choices she did.

The description of food is important in the novel - and Nina George has included some of the recipes that are mentioned in the novel. Jean Perdu's emergency library apothecary is also included so if you want to know which titles to read to deal with a sense of humour failure, pessimism and many more ailments - take a look!

An engaging read and you really can feel the heat of France in high summer (even in the depths of an English winter!)

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler

Anne Tyler is one of my favourite author's and no one does family stories like Tyler. A spool of blue thread explores three generations of the the Whitshank family and the house that they have lived in. 

We spool back and forth through the history of the family and the house, picking up the stories and seeing what has made the them the people they are. We see snapshots of their lives over the years - key moments that don't seem to be that at the time but shape their lives. Those lives are directed down particular paths because of a small decision and isn't that true of all our lives? 

The story begins with Abby & Red, who are growing older, and the impact that this starts to have on their own children and grandchildren. They struggle to understand their youngest child, Denny,  who drops in and out of their lives with no warning and the impact that this has on his siblings. Abby worries about her children and especially Denny - whilst Red says it is possible to care too much - isn't this what parents do though?

Junior, or Junie, and Linnie Mae, Red's parents form the middle part of the novel, Junior built the house for another family but it his ideal home - but like all ideals when it becomes his real home, it never quite lives up to his expectations - in fact in typical Tyler fashion, Junior's life never really lives up to his dreams.

Abby & Red's children Amanda, Jeannie, Stem & in particular Denny have to work out what to do as their parents get older. Tyler explores the reality that all children face when they realise that they are going to have to take on responsibility for parents as well as children.

The Whitshanks are believable characters with faults and failings, there are moments of great sadness but also laugh out loud moments in this book. It is sad to think that Anne Tyler has said that this is going to be her final novel - but it is a wonderful one to leave on.

If you have never read any Anne Tyler this would be a great one to begin with - and then go and explore all her other wonderful books.

I really cannot  recommend this book highly enough - it is a gem!

I received a copy of this from Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review

Plenty of tears and laughs

The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin

I have to admit that I'm one of those people who reads the end of the book before I start it - though reading an an e-reader now makes that more difficult. As I read this on my e-reader, technically I didn't know the ending but in this case you do know as soon as you read the opening pages but that doesn't detract from the fact that I really enjoyed this story. Just because we know the ending does not mean that there aren't a few surprises along the way.

 Anna McPartlin makes you laugh and cry - sometimes at the same time as you follow Mia aka Rabbit Hayes through her final days. She is in the final stages of cancer, which makes this sound like a really depressing story but it isn't! As Rabbit relives her memories of her life with her lively Irish family, best friend Marjorie and her first love Johnny we get drawn in to her story, her life and her choices.  We also experience the pain her family and friends feel as they watch her slip away and the ways in which they try to cope with the pain and grief.


I really enjoyed this book and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes a good laugh and cry (sometimes at the same time) in their reading. I thought it was a great story about enjoying life, whatever it throws at us. Recommended to fans of Jojo Moyes!