From chilling thrillers and heartwarming romances to magical realism and
literary fiction, this round-up of book blogger reviews has something for
every kind of reader. You’ll find Freida McFadden’s The Crash described
as a gripping, claustrophobic page-turner; Ali Novak’s My Return to the
Walter Boys praised for its emotional depth; and Emily Henry’s Great Big
Beautiful Life admired for its clever storytelling twist. There’s also buzz
around Jojo Moyes’ new tearjerker, Sven Axelrad’s darkly poetic The
Nicotine Gospel, and the moving memoir I Am Tshiamo. Plus, a spotlight
on the captivating historical debut, The Midnight Carousel.
The Nicotine Gospel
Sven Axelrad
Sven Axelrad is an astonishing new voice. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating.
His latest offering, The Nicotine Gospel, is slightly harder to review than either Buried Treasure or God’s Pocket, for a number of reasons.
Firstly, this book feels deeply personal. In the acknowledgements Axelrad says ‘... Before I go, I would like to say that although none of this happened, all of it is real ...’ which summed it up quite nicely for me. I’m guessing here, but I suspect there is much of his father in this book, and potentially some or much of his brother too. It feels like deep memoir, but I suspect that’s just good writing, and it’s simply (ha!) fiction with heart.
Axelrad’s first two insanely good novels were set in Vivo, an imaginary but real place, and I highly recommend you read them first to really let the author’s unique voice seep under your skin, it will make The Nicotine Gospel even more enjoyable. In Gospel, for the first time, Axelrad takes us into Durban and on a road trip to Knysna, which grounds this book in more reality than his others, grounding that’s useful considering all the electricity contained in its pages.
The Nicotine Gospel is part road trip novel, part coming-of-age tale. This is literary fiction with puffs of magic realism. Reading this book was like smoking one long cigarette.
Literary fiction may not have the twists and turns or chasing plot of genre fiction, but this novel reads simply and easily, and had me in its thrall. I didn’t want to put it down. Like his others, it’s dark and as Beat Generation as you’re going to get in 2025.
The Nicotine Gospel spans the youth and adult lives of Nathan and Danny who grew up in Durban with their famous-author father, in less than ordinary circumstances. Their dad believed that you could tell everything worth knowing about a person by what cigarettes they smoked, and he made it his life’s work to impart the nicotine gospel on his ‘Lucky boys’. It strikes me (pardon the pun) that if you’ve enjoyed early Augusten Burroughs (Running with Scissors), this will appeal. (Full review on GBAS on Facebook)
Where do I even begin? From the very first page, my chest was tight with emotion. I Am Tshiamo is a bold, heartfelt story of becoming – of rising against the odds with grace and vulnerability. This book is a brave declaration of truth, written with such sensitivity and honesty that it leaves you both moved and awakened.
This is a story about claiming your essence – becoming the person you were always meant to be. The version of yourself that the world tried to silence or erase. @iamtshiamo_m , I’m so grateful you wrote this. It will be a light for many navigating similar journeys and a powerful tool for others to gain the understanding and compassion we so deeply need when it comes to the lives and realities of trans women.
On this Mother’s Day, may I also take a moment to celebrate your dear mother and your truly remarkable grandmother. They were such radiant souls, and I have no doubt they’re watching from the heavens with immense pride.
Having known you since the days of UJ and Melville six thousand years ago, I can only say this: I honour your courage, and I am so incredibly proud of you. May you continue to walk boldly, live freely as the woman you have always been, and sow seeds of hope wherever you go. With all my love. #booksunday
We All Live Here
Jojo Moyes
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Genre: Fiction
“There are periods of your life in which all that is really required is to keep putting one foot in front of the other.”
We All Live Here by author Jojo Moyes tells the story of numerous characters, especially Lila, going through the motions of life after the death of a family member. It is a story of grief, hope, and the inevitability of moving on.
While I have watched one of Jojo Moyes' book-turned-movie adaptations, I've never read any of her books; We All Live Here is the first.
“This is life at this age, she muses, a million goodbyes, and you never know which are the final ones. You just absorb them, like little shocks, trusting with each one that you’ll be able to keep moving forward.”
Typically, in any book, readers tend to gravitate towards the plot of a book more than anything else. That was not the case with this book. Jojo Moyes did such a fantastic job with the characters within this book. Their developments, actions, and growth throughout the course of this book made We All Live Here a beautiful one.
Soaked up every last page of Malibu Rising by @tjenkinsreid and wow! This book swept me away to sun-drenched Malibu with its captivating story of family, fame, and secrets. the characters are richly drawn, and the drama kept me completely hooked until the very last page. This was the perfect holiday read!
What an absolutely wonderful read! I found it captivating from beginning to end.
In 1900, a grieving Gilbert Cloutier crafts a magnificent carousel for the Exposition, but then he disappeared. In 1914, Paris, Detective Laurent Bisset investigates a series of abductions with apparent links to a carnival carousel, and this subsequently led to the execution of a family member of Gilbert's. Concurrently, on Canvey Island, Maisie Marlowe, facing early life hardships, experiences a transformative change under the care of her Aunt Mabel and Sir Malcolm Randolph. Following several misfortunes, Maisie and Sir Malcolm relocate to Chicago's Fairweather House, where he impulsively purchases a carousel, laying the foundation for The Silver Kingdom amusement park. Unfortunately, history appears to be repeating itself.
The novel's evocative settings and well-developed characters create a cohesive and immersive narrative. Maisie's emotional arc, marked by danger, loss, grief, and love, showcases her unwavering determination and resilience. At its core it’s a compelling love story, enhanced by a captivating atmosphere.
A wonderful debut that I can highly recommend!
READ | Fiza Saeed McLynn on Crafting the Dark Allure of ‘The Midnight Carousel’
The Crash
Freida McFadden
Tegan thought her life couldn’t get any worse – eight months pregnant, broke, and completely alone. Hoping for a fresh start, she sets off to stay with her brother for a while, but fate has other plans.
A blizzard. A devastating accident. A broken ankle.
And a strange couple who seem eager to help ... but trust is a dangerous thing when you have nowhere else to turn.
In true Freida McFadden style, The Crash is an addictive, heart-pounding thriller that you won’t be able to put down.
This one gave me definite Misery (Stephen King) vibes – tense, claustrophobic, and deeply unsettling, yet thankfully not as horrific.
We know from early on who the “bad guy” is, but seeing the story unfold through Tegan’s desperate, cautious perspective is utterly gripping. And just when you think you’ve figured it all out – think again.
There’s more than one monster in this story.
Book: My Return to the Walter Boys
Series: My Life with the Walter Boys #2
Author: Ali Novak
Genre: Young Adult/Romance
Rating: 3.5
I am obsessed with everything Walter Boys, from the moment I watched the show I knew I had to jump right into the pages of this story! Aside from the representation of such heavy grief, I love the setting of this story; Mr and Mrs Walter and their 12 children, a house always full and loud and busy, the Colorado countryside and smalltown feel, it's just absolutely amazing. I also find that I really love the core of this story, especially when compared to the TV show. I think that Jackie and Alex are so mature in the first book and I was so happy with the ending!
I found that I really, really missed Danny in this story, he was such a comfort in the first book, I loved his personality and I really loved the bond that he and Jackie developed. This book definitely brought some mystery to the table! We had stuff going on with Isaac and with Nathan that we weren't privy to, it created some really hectic scenes where tensions were raised and all I could think was "what is happening!?!?!!!" lol.
I think Cole was really hot and cold in this book though, I understand that he was trying to be there to support Jackie even though he didn't understand that she needed something different, but the on and off really gave me whiplash. I did really love him when he was on his best behaviour, though! He can be so sweet and thoughtful and absolutely amazing – I just think he needs some growing up. I really wished this book was longer, I think we could have done with a little more plot and relationship development throughout, and maybe an ending that wasn't left so up in the air.
Great Big Beautiful Life
Emily Henry
Emily Henry is one of my favourite authors and I love that she tried something different with this novel. I went in sceptical because I personally didn’t like [Taylor Jenkins Reid’s book] The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and this book had a very similar premise. But I enjoyed this book so much and loved it just as much her other novels!
If you love a story within a story then this is definitely a book for you. Even though Emily Henry writes epic romance, this is the first time romance kind of takes the back seat in her book. This book focused more on the competition between two writers competing to write about the life of the main character.
I loved the twist at the end and I wasn’t expecting a romance book to have a plot twist.
I already wish I could experience this book again.
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