Lotte's Shelves

LEAP OF FAITH- DANIELLE STEEL 15/03/21 This story was very fast paced which I guess I should have expected since the book is only 256 pages long. The kids in it grow up very fast and even as adults, a lot happens in just one chapter. It’s kind of realistic to real life as life often is fast paced (although 2020 was definitely a slow year for most people). Because it’s so short and so much happens very quickly, it’s a pretty gripping read and I flew through the majority of it in one sitting. The only thing I would at isn’t good about the pace, is that you don’t really have enough time to connect with the characters and then it’s all over. But if you have read or will read this book, you’ll know that the story doesn’t truly start until the end. Happy reading! Lotte :) xxx

337 BY M. JONATHAN LEE 04/11/20 This book makes you think. From start to finish, your mind is constantly buzzing with questions.  Compelling and hard to put down: you want to find out what happens next and as you find that out, something else will have you wondering again. On the first read, you are not sure if the author is lucky or genius - perhaps both. After the second read, you know. It is tempting to read this is one sitting, but more of a treat if you eek it out. A sad, moving tale, which highlights the truth about grief and last moments with people and illustrates mental illness in a way I have not before come across. With the early discovery that Sam’s Gramma is in a care home a mile from his house, he wants to find out as much as he can from her before he can no longer ask those questions. A difficult book to review without giving anything away. Reading this book is like a treasure hunt; I don’t want to give away any of the clues because where is the fun in that? You need...

 THE SHINING- STEPHEN KING 05/03/20 Just a disclaimer: On the day of posting this, I have not seen the movie of "The Shining", I knew limited information about it so I have nothing to really compare it to, unlike a lot of books I have previously read where I've seen the films first. That being said, I was slightly disappointed, only because the only thing I knew about it, was that there are twins in a hallway at a hotel and it's really creepy in the film, or something of that extent. But in the book the only mention of the twins is that  used to live there and they got killed. Maybe in the film this is where the creepy bit is? Not sure but anyway, I thought the scary parts were going to involve the girls. I had a surprise with that though. The scary parts were truly terrifying and I can only imagine what they'd be like on a screen. The book has quite a slow start but it's good because it gives you a really insight to the characters (past and present) and a goo...

 ME- ELTON JOHN 03/02/20 I've never really been a fan of Elton John. That's not to say I don't like him; there's a couple of his songs I love, I've always found his dress sense very eccentric and I knew he was an advocate for the LGBT and for AIDS. But I didn't know quite the extent of his charity work or how his life began as a session musician and all of that. I have seen "Rocketman" but there's nothing quite like reading it straight from the person telling the story. If you enjoyed that film, you definitely have to read this autobiography. When he was Reg Dwight, he would collect records but he also would write out charts of the current singles that were out and put them in order and stuff and that sounds like something I would do if I am obsessed with something. So it's a comforting feeling to know that you can have obsessions with things and it's totally normal. That being said, don't get obsessed with drugs kids, that doesn't ...

 CARRIE - STEPHEN KING 21/01/20 I like that the book is based round an event that happens at the prom, but you don't know what happens until the very end, however over time you get more and more details added for you to kind of piece together the story for yourself. So it makes you want to continue reading to find out what happens. The way the book is set out is like a series of police reports and interviews and people telling different stories that all build up to the prom night. And it has an ending that definitely will make you think... It's a very cleverly written book, but do we expect anything less from Stephen King? I found it a fairly easy read. I would pick it up and in half an hour I will have read 30 odd pages. But it was a fun read to. The way King sets a scene will always fascinate me, you always feel like you're actually there in the heat of the action. Carrie is such an iconic story too, so I'm very glad I've read it this early on in the year. It'...

 IN THE TIME WE LOST - CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER 14/01/20 Time lost reading, is time well spent... First book review of the year, I've got to make this good, otherwise you won't continue reading for the rest of the year... Carrie's books are interesting. Even if the subject matter isn't specifically about magic, she always incorporates it in there somehow. Sometimes just the way she describes a scene is magical.  It's very funny how the main character Luna is like the author in so many ways, yet so different at the same time. For example, Carrie would never talk about musicals in such a way as: "People randomly burst into song and dance! Isn't that a tad...unrealistic?" As a big fan of Carrie's, it's interesting to see the little similarities and "Easter eggs" that she puts in there. Without giving much of a spoiler, this book is kind of "Groundhog Day" themed. But it's written in such a clever way, that you don't realise...

 2020- THE YEAR OF BOOKS 12/01/20 Dear reader, Welcome to my blog! I should probably introduce myself, let's do a quickfire of random information shall we? Name: Lotte Bowbrick Age 19 Job: Front of House at the Sondheim Theatre, London Biggest loves: Musical theatre, Books, Crafts, Writing, Films, Green Tea I feel like that's enough of an introduction for now. So 2020, new year, new decade, new books to read. Last year I only read 5 books which, for me, is not very many compared to previous years. (Although, one of those books was It by Stephen King and at 1116 pages, took me 3 months to read). My "to read" pile in my room is now actually a whole bookshelf and several piles on the floor. Exhibit A: I know, it's embarrassing. Now I work in London, I have a 90 minute commute every day which means more time to read so my aim for 2020 is to get through a chunk of these books. There are some here that I've had for years and there are probably a lot here that I won...