A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

I bought A Man Called Ove on holiday in Lake District, and the fact that I've already finished it is something in itself. 

It took me completely by surprise, and I found I had a lot of thoughts on it. 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy the review. 

Title: A Man Called Ove

Author: Fredrik Backman 

Genre: Fiction 

Release date: 27/08/2012

Status: Standalone 

Pages: 294

Blurb: "Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will 

ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots

-joggers, neighbours who can't reverse a trailer

properly and shop assisstants who talk in code. 

But isn't it rare, these days, to find such 

old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed?

Such unswerving conviction about what 

the world should be, and lifelong dedication 

to making it just so?

In the end, you will see, there is something 

about Ove that is quite irresistable..." 

My Thoughts

Now, I don't mean this in a bad way, far from it. I'll explain. But the first few chapters, and then less so, thoroughout the book (but still getting that same impression), but Ove very much reminds me of Jordan, my boyfriend. There are certain quotes I have in my notes that just make me think of him. I just couldn't help but chuckle to myself when I was able to find such resembelence between this fifty-eight-year-old widow and him. 

It says it in the blurb- Ove is probably the grumpiest man you will ever meet- and I'm not saying Jordan is- but it's just the way he has a routine, he has things that need to be finished and stuck to, and Jordan is exactly the same. Which I must say, I love that quality in both of them. 

Okay, enough about Jordan. 

On to the book. 

Ove's temperament never really changes throughout the book. He always has that sour look on his face, as begrudgingly helps out his neighbours. And you always get the impression that if he wanted to be screaming bloody murder at some irresponsible twat, then he would be doing so. 

In fact, he sometimes does! At the asshole driver blaring music, or the girl with the pissy dog. Or the clown. It might have been the fact that I don't read many books where the protagonist is a fifty-eight-year-old man, but some of the funniest parts for me was reading about Ove giving some deserving sod what for. 

And in this is where the magic lies. Fredrik Backman has the ability to have you clutching your side, laughing one minute, and have you crying the next. I've never read a book that's ever changed my mood so quickly as this. 

But what I love about this book is that, even though he always has that grim and grouchy look on his face, you see him start to care about his pushy neighbours and cat- who at the start- barely prefers to the flea-ridded dog and it's owner. 

The thing is, A Man Called Ove isn't about anything that happens in a person's life that isn't completely ordinary. But it's so much more than that. You see loss, new beginnings, mental illness, family, love, heartbreak, happiness, pain. 

And I am extremely happy that I had the pleasure of reading it. 

Okay! That is my review of A Man Called Ove! I won't lie, I absolutely loved it, and it is the front runner for my favourite book of the year. 

I hope you have a wonderful afternoon and I'll see you all soon with my Wrap Up (2023)! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

Lake District Book Haul

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And from the 1st-8th July I was off venturing in Cumbria- trekking and exploring the Lake District! 

Over the many places we visited, I accumilated quite a variety of books- which I'm about to share with you! 

I bought 8 in total, and a couple you might expect- but a lot you won't! 

I hope you enjoy it. 

~DARLINGTON~

1. A Day of Fallen Night (The Roots of Chaos #0), by Samantha Shannon 

It was an Anticipated Release at the start of the year (click here for that post) and every, time I've walked into my local Waterstones, there's always been some other book that's been more of a priority. But finally, the book is in my possession and I can devour it! 

I probably should prioritise The Poppy War trilogy first because you know, that trilogy has been on my TBR for forever, but something tells me that I'll be picking this up soon enough. 

(If anyone doesn't know, this is a prequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree, a multiple POV, epic fantasy standalone that was released in 2019.) 

~CARLISLE~

2. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman 

I have already read and loved this book- finished it just yesterday. A Man Called Ove is just shy of 300 pages, but it had the ability to make me laugh out loud- and then be fighting tears five minutes later. Stinkingly good writing, the pacing changes with a single sentence. I will be bold enough to say that this is my favourite book of the year and that there will definitely be a review to come. 

I will withhold all detail until then. 

3. Birdsong, by Sebastian Faulks 

I attempted this book about a decade a go because it was on the GCSE summer reading list- yes I was the kid that tried to read as much of the suggested reading as I could- which I still wouldn't change today by the way- but I think it was either too large or too outside my usual comfort zone- so I DNF'ed it about 100 pages in. 

But when I came across this in a new/old shared space bookshop in Carlisle (seriously it was like a maze in there) I knew I had to give it another shot. 

Birdsong pans over three generations, Birdsong takes place between the years 1910-1918, telling the tale of Stephen Wraysford as he passes through an affair with Isabelle Azaire and takes the first treachorous steps into the trenches. I don't know any more than that, but I really hope I manage to finish it this time around. 

~CARTMEL~

So, we went to Cartmel for one reason only: to consume the Sticky Toffee Pudding that had put this village on the map (Cartmel was where it originated). But walking in and seeing that there really wasn't much else to do, I saw a sign on the door of a building that was quite obviously a bookshop. The sign said that they were only open on saturdays, but if you wanted entry, just ring the number below. 

Having rang the number, the owner's son was willing to make a 20 minute drive to Cartmel, so I could see the books. Of course I had to buy some. 

4. Nicholas Nickleby, by Charles Dickins 

To be honest, I was hesitant about getting this. I knew absolutely nothing about this, it had been a while since I'd read a classic, much less a Charles Dickins novel, and I don't think I've ever read anything this large. But from what I now know of the story, I'm extremely happy I decided to purchase this. 

The premise reminds me of Oliver Twist and Great Expectations to be honest, so I'm wondering how similar they'll be to this (I'm hoping very much, because I haven't read any)! Maybe they'll be the next books I pick up if I enjoy this one. 

5. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne 

I had a strong urge to buy this book as soon as I layed eyes on it. Even among the Classic genre dummies like myself, this book is famous. Even I know about the infamous red A painted on Hester Prynne after committing adultery- that she's shamed by the town, forced into isolation- and honestly, that's all I need to know.   

~GRASMERE~

I got these last few books in the Wordsworth Museum, where I learned about William Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy, his wife Mary and their many children, while they wrote their, arguably, most well known works in the years between 1799-1808. 

I was most interested in Dorothy's journals of the land, their many walks and experiences- particularly as she was never published, which I really hope is reflected in the fact that I bought three books from that museum. 

6. Lyrical Ballads, by Wordsworth and Coleridge

Okay, there was no way I was going to visit the Wordsworth Museum and not pick up some poetry. I know it's not my forte, I tend to gravitate (pretty much all the time) towards novels, but I'm hoping I'll be able to feel more connection to these, because I've wandered round some of the places that they'll be describing. 

Having read some of his poetry inside the cottage is enough to have me pumped and ready to see the world as the Wordsworth siblings did. 

7. The Grasmere and Alfoxden Journals, by Dorothy Wordsworth

This might just be the book I'm looking forward to reading the most. It isn't William's eyes that I'm reading from- it's his sister's. I'm not quite sure what fascinates me the most, but it definitely won't be long til my eyes are racing down the page. 

According to the Museum, it wasn't so much as William writing the stories himself from scratch, more Dorothy writing his thoughts and words down, and then offering ideas to make it better. I loved the idea that it was more of a collaberative experience than people knew. 

(Can you tell that I really really enjoyed visiting the museum.) 

8. The Ballad of Dorothy Wordsworth, by Frances Wilson 

This biography by Frances Wilson starts on the day of William and Mary's wedding, the day Dorothy took a fall that put an end to her day long walks. Her journals take you to the year 1803- and this biography takes place for the rest of her time at Dove Cottage, I do believe. 

They tell of the last three decades of her life inside the Cottage, mostly diary entries and the occasional poetry verses- but they're from the POV of a woman who has chosen to leave society to live in a world of William's words, and on her terms. 

Okay! Those are all the books I bought in my week within the Lake District! No doubt it'll take me months to get through them all, as my reading pace is like a snail at the moment, but maybe that means I'll enjoy them all the more? Who knows? 

Anyway, as always, anyone is free to comment what books you might have bought/ received recently! (Or maybe you could say what you thought about these books if you've read them?) 

Anyway, I hope you have a lovely evening and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

July TBR (2023)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my July TBR for 2023! 

Since I didn't get to a lot of books last month that I wanted to, a fair few are being brought over to July. So if you don't want to read about that, then turn off here. 

For the rest of you, thankyou for continuing. There are some new books on here, just not a great many. 

I hope you enjoy. 

1. Theatrical, by Maggie Harcourt

Having realisted how behind I was on my reading last month, I completely abandoned an idea of a re-read last month, and realising I needed to choose one, I went with the light-hearted theatre romance that I read and loved a few years back. It's always nice to read a book that takes place in a theatre (that isn't a dramatic murder mystery), especially when the protagonist is stationed behind the scenes. Looking forward to reading this again (cos I can't remember most of it, so it'll be like I'm reading it fresh, for the first time again). 

2. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins-Reid 

The book that I never seem to get to! This is the month! I will read this after my CR, you see if I don't! This is basically about a (more-or-less) unknown journalist, writing the entire life-story of Evelyn Hugo, the shenanigans, the rise and fall of her tremendous career, and of course, her husbands! Most of the world that have picked this book up (and there's a great many that have) have absolutely loved it, and I'm curious as for why. Can't wait to start. 

3. Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1), by B.B. Alston 

4. Amari and the Great Game (Supernatural Investigations #2), B.B. Alston

Last month, I was meant to have read Amari and the Night Brothers in preparation for book two, but this month I'll be reading both. I thoroughly enjoyed book one a few years past upon release, it was a light-hearted yet gripping, entertaining read and I can't wait to re-emmerge myself into this amazing world and see what happens next in the second book!

5. A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman 

I decided to skip everything onto this because it's short and snappy, and I could probably get a lot read on a train journey (I've been on a train for just under three hours today). Right now, on day 1, I've read just over 100 pages. I can't remember the last time I did that. 

I've already got some notes because I KNOW it's going to be a favourite of the year (and a review- haven't decided on whether to make it a non-spoiler review or not). But I'm extremely happy to have picked this book up and I can't wait to share my thoughts on it. 

Okay! Those are all the books I plan to read- I would have added another one if it wasn't already a week into the month- but who knows, maybe I'll finish them all in record time?

Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful evening, be sure to comment your TBRs down below, and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

June Wrap Up (2023)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my June Wrap Up for 2023! 

Admittedly, I didn't get to a lot last month, so this will be a very short post. But hopefully that means I'll make short work of it. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

1. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton 

I read this for the first time a few years ago, and a few months ago, it came into the back of my head and stayed there. So, unable to ignore it any longer, I picked it up again, knowing I was going to really enjoy it, but hoping I could finish it a little quicker this time around (re-reads usually take me less time- it took me ten days on attempt one). 

That's not what happened. 18 days in, I finally finished, and that's only because I managed nearly 140 pages with an extra special effort. The funny thing is, I still managed to enjoy it. But I think it'll be at least another couple of years before I attempt this again. 

2. Clementine, Book One, by Tillie Walden 

This wasn't on my original TBR for the month, but I bought this in early June, and I needed something quick and easy after the long slog that was The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Also, I couldn't resist starting another videogame turned graphic novel series, especially since I finished the Life is Strange graphic novel series at the start of the year. In Book One, we follow Clementime once more, alone, trying to navigate north with a prosthetic leg. It's a solid start, and I'm excited to continue with the second volume upon it's release in October, but it wasn't especially ground-breaking, if I'm being honest. Solid start to the series though. 

3. Scrappy Little Nobody, by Anna Kendrick 

I've had three audiobooks just sat, waiting to be read on my audible app, ranging from a few weeks to a couple of years, and I decided I'd start listening to them every couple of months. Scrappy Little Nobody was up first. 

I've always loved how well-rounded Anna Kendrick is- with her background in Musical Theatre, her comedic timing, the way she just stands out in every film I've ever seen her in, I knew this was a book I wanted to pick up soon. Extremely honest and witty, I thoroughly enjoyed the way Anna Kendrick talked tales from her childhood, getting into the acting world through theatre, breaking into the industry and stay afloat financially, and everything that came afterwards. 

It was amazing to get to listen to her narrate her story, if anything I think it's made me an even bigger fan than I was before (if that's possible). 

Now, I think I'm going to go and watch the Pitch Perfects, Into the Woods, What to Expect, A Simple Plan and Up in the Air. Again. I hope you all have a good night. 

Okay! Those are all the books I've read this month! I'm hoping that July will be a lot better but who knows? I guess we'll see! 

I hope you have a wonderful night and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxx