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Jen breaks up with Andy. The majority of the book is spent with Andy as he tries to deal with the loss. I liked Andy and sympathized with his struggle. Heck, I can be an Andy myself. But I can also be a Jen. I appreciated what she had to say.

I often find that if I‘m not really enjoying a book, it‘s worth it to finish it to see if the ending saves it. Honestly, the ending did just that. It made the reading of the book a rewarding experience.

A drugs-related kidnapping of a young lad: not a book I'd have picked up, were it not for its #bookerprize longlisting.
I enjoyed the characterisation (poor Dev, especially, and hapless Doll, and prematurely adult Nicky). There's something feels not quite complete about it though, and it could do with one more edit: not least to clear up the nonsensical imagery I kept tripping over (eg. the appearance of a distant building compared to an aspirin).

I so enjoyed this one. Dolly Alderton writes from a man‘s perspective after his break-up with Jen and it felt completely believable and funny. I felt for him and felt sorry they didn‘t make it.
Then the perspective changes and we learn Jen‘s take on things. All the pieces fell into place. A light and hopeful read. Recommended! #ToB25Longlist

Ostensibly about a drug-deal related shakedown, this is actually an exploration of the lives of people living at the margins and at risk. It‘s described as “darkly funny” and I don‘t agree at all—I found it to be an encouragement to look more deeply at quiet desperation. #TOBlonglist

This was lovely. The male character is very annoying at times, endearing at times though. His heartbreak feels real. What got this book for me was the end - the narrative from the female character was so relatable and real. Loved her :)

This one was just ok to me. I found the central story of a man struggling to get through a breakup fairly dull. And by the time we got to the former girlfriend‘s breakup aftermath, I just didn‘t care. Where it shines is with some of the supporting characters and stories, like the flatmate Andy ends up with and the houseboat bit. I don‘t think I would have made it through in print. #TOBlonglist

#Two4Tuesday

🎄My family‘s Christmas times on Cape Cod are joyful memories. I love the beach there any time of year!
🎄tagged book -beach

It was almost a relief to end this book, just because hooks packs such an emotional punch into her work. Incisive and critically minded, hooks takes her scalpel to our culturally defined notion of familial and romantic love, cutting and reassembling it into a more expanded and just version of love. I picked up a used copy and was thrilled to find, months later, hooks‘s writing on the first page. Now all I have to do is change my name to Tracey.

#WeeklyForecast 50/24

I am reading both The Butterfly Girl and The History of Sound, cherishing each story. I am glad it made the #ToB25 shortlist. I‘ll also continue to read from the longlist. The tagged book will be my next one.

It is my mission to rescue this powerful debut novel—which sank like a stone in a pond when it came out during Covid—from obscurity.

https://youtu.be/NWfDOTlbXsM?si=3rgQMDVVKi7H4dPE