I have been really enjoying having the chance to catch up on some books during lockdown, and update you all about my latest reads. I try to read a variety of both fiction and non-fiction as much as possible, but today I will be sharing four modern novels I read in June. They have all been wonderful reads that I think you will love too.
Half A World Away – Mike Gayle
Warning: this one is an emotional read! I think they could have done with writing that in the blurb, because I really thought this was going to be a nice, easy novel that I wouldn’t end up crying at – I was wrong!
Half A World Away follows the perspective of two long-lost siblings, Kerry and Noah, who both live in London, yet belong to different worlds. Noah’s fate found him adopted into a caring family, and now living in Primrose Hill supported by a well-paid job, whereas Kerry struggled through the care system and now tries to protect her son from the rough estate they live in.
I really enjoyed how the book was written from the two perspectives. Mike Gayle doesn’t reveal everything about the characters at first, but feeds snippets of information so the reader ends up just as misled as the characters. This clever touch provided some great plot twists. The characters are wonderful and the novel oozes love and compassion – just make sure to have tissues handy!
The Switch – Beth O’Leary
Beth O’Leary’s first novel, The Flatshare, is one of my favourite novels, so I was excited to see if The Switch would be just as good. While her writing style is just as enjoyable the second time round, I didn’t love it quite as much – maybe almost as much?!
The premise of The Switch is fun and unique; Leena and her grandmother Eileen switch lives, with Leena finding herself stuck in the middle of rural Yorkshire, and Eileen trying to achieve a second chance in London. Who knew all you needed was a change of scenery to learn what you really want from life? While on the surface, this is a story of two women navigating romance, at its heart the novel is about family. It was a really uplifting read with very likeable characters – not just the two main characters, but Leena’s London friends and the whole bunch up in the Yorkshire village – Beth O’Leary always does an amazing job at creating a whole cast you will love!
The One Plus One – Jojo Moyes
After reading The Giver of Stars a couple of months ago, I was eager to read another of Jojo Moyes’ novels, and came across The One Plus One. While The Giver of Stars is set almost a century ago in a small Kentucky town, this one has a much familiar, modern setting; I’m really impressed that Moyes has such a versatile writing style!
The One Plus One follows a third person narrative, but the chapters focus on the perspective of different characters; including Jess, an optimist worrying about money but simply wanting the best for her children, Tanzie, her incredibly intelligent young daughter, or Ed, who accidentally ends up entangled in their lives while trying to solve another problem. The novel takes you on a crazy journey with its characters (both emotionally and literally), who are all incredibly likeable and make the story a very fun read. This being the second Jojo Moyes novel I have loved, I now embark on a mission to read her entire back-catalogue, because her novels are seriously in a league of their own.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – Gail Honeyman
Eleanor Oliphant follows the same routine every week; go to work, have a meal deal, come home, repeat. She’s fine. But is she?
I absolutely loved the character of Eleanor Oliphant, she’s the sort of character you aren’t too sure about as you begin to read her narrative, but her quirks become more and more charming as the novel unfolds. Eleanor tells herself she is fine with her loneliness, but through the novel her outsider status is slowly broken down. Through some new acquaintances, she finds there can be more to live than her monotonous routine, and that being supported by others might actually be enjoyable. I find myself rooting for Eleanor throughout, and enjoyed that the twists in the novel were not at all predictable.
Make sure to catch up on the novels I read in April and May here. What have you read in the past month? I would love to hear!
