Lotte's Shelves

  THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY BY MATT HAIG 2/4/22 This was such an inspirational read. From the start I thought it was going to be quite sad and thought I may not enjoy it but how wrong I was! I feel truly uplifted after reading this and, not to sound cringey, but it really makes you grateful for life and think about how truly wonderful it is. I really liked the whole philosophical aspect of the story too. As someone who doesn’t know much about that topic (it’s quite vast and I do not have the kind of brain to understand it all!) I really enjoyed learning little theories that were thrown in. The main character studied philosophy and university so she would often relate back to things she’d learnt and I think that’s what made it even more interesting. I hope everyone enjoys this book as much as I did, and I’d love to hear your thoughts about it. Has it changed anyone’s perspective of life? It’s sure changed mine slightly! Happy reading! Lotte :) xxx

THE VIRALS SERIES BY KATHY REICHS 1/4/22 Hello to you all, It’s been 3 months since I posted on here as life has gotten in the way a little. That and the fact that I was reading a 6-book series so that took some time. The Virals series is by Kathy Reichs, notorious for her “Bones” series. These are like the teenage version of those; her character “Temperance Brennan” features in this series as her grandniece “Tory Brennan” is the main character here. The stories are truly wonderful, gripping from start to finish, throwing curveball after curveball at you to always throw you off the scent of who the bad guys are. I’m sad I have no finished the 5 part series (the 6th book being a collection of short stories that slot in between a few of the main 5). However, it has definitely urged me to delve into the world of “Bones” so if you see me reading that 24-part series later in the year, you know why! As per, if you have any book recommendations for me, let me know! Happy reading! Lotte :) xxx...

I’M COMING FOR YOU 2022! 31/12/21 This year I should have read more books than I did. I easily could have, but I always felt there was something more important to be doing. Which there often was, but not always 😂 Anyway, I’m pleased to say that apart from rereading Harry Potter at the start of the year, the other books I read this year were all new; I’d never read them before. And that’s going to be my aim for 2022 too. That and read more than 12 books which is how many I managed in 2021. I also started a BookTube but I wasn’t very consistent in posting on there. I just haven’t had the inspiration that I had when I first started the channel. So I might post on there this year but who knows. My first book of the year is going to be “Virals” by Kathy Reichs. It’s the first in a series of 5 books and a 6th book which has 4 relating short stories in it. I think I may have read “Virals” years ago but only the first book and I can’t remember any of it so I’m excited to read this whole serie...

ONE OF US IS LYING BY KAREN M. MCMANUS 31/12/21 I liked the pace of this book, very fast paced and easy to read. The chapters are broken down with each character talking in first person in sections which is a great way to set up the book. It’s great to learn little bits about a character and then moving on to the next person, makes you want to keep reading. I think that’s why it’s so fast paced. You start off pretty much hating all of these characters but there’s such good character development throughout the story that they all become very lovable by the end. And ones you start off liking, you end up loathing. That’s probably my favourite part of this book. The other thing I loved (without spoiling the ending of course) is something comes up in the murder investigation that’s so simple yet throws the whole story completely off track, and you think to yourself “why didn’t I think of that from the beginning?!” Maybe that’s just me and it was more obvious to other people but I loved it a...

AS GOOD AS DEAD BY HOLLY JACKSON 26/12/21 There’s nothing better than getting a book on Christmas Day that you’ve wanted to read for about 6 months. Especially when it’s the last in Holly Jackson’s “A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder” series! I have loved each one of these books but this last one has to be my favourite. It really captures Pip’s emotional struggles, covering a range of topics to do with mental health and addiction. So much truth to it all. Then the story itself, I was very happy with. Tied up a lot of loose ends and links so nicely with the previous two books. Just when you thought there couldn’t be more to the story, there is. And if I’m understanding the ending correctly, I am THRILLED with it. I would highly recommend this trilogy to anyone who likes binging true crime documentaries or listening to the podcasts. Although it’s all fictional, it’s SO intriguing. Happy reading! Lotte :) xxx

IF I NEVER MET YOU BY MHAIRI MCFARLANE 24/09/21 I read this book so fast, I didn’t even have time to write notes on it as I go like I normally would. Such an emotional rollercoaster right from the get go, this is a rom com that you can definitely sink your teeth into, and will end up reading until 1am (as I did a couple of nights in a row!) The characters are lovable (or love/hate for some) and I enjoyed getting to know them all over the course of the book. I also liked how the romance element of the book wasn’t too heavy and too in detail as sometimes that can be a bit much. There’s a good balance between date scenes and office banter scenes which breaks it up a bit and is maybe why it’s such a quick read. All in all, I would highly recommend this for anyone who wants a light-hearted book to read, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be lending it to everyone I know! Happy reading! Lotte :) xxx

THE SOUND OF VIOLET BY ALLEN WOLF 20/09/21 A very interesting read and accurate portrayal of a person with autism. Fast paced and difficult to put down: I had this read in just two days! You might think it's hard to fall in love with the characters but it's quite the opposite. I quickly became attached to the main characters partly from empathy but largely due to the author's insightful descriptions. I think my favourite thing about this story is how raw and to the point it is with the characters of Violet and Shawn. There’s no secrets with them both, we know exactly how they both feel about things that happen which is great. I was fortunate enough to be contacted by the publicist to read this book in exchange for a review. A nyone who purchases the novel will get a sneak preview of the trailer for the upcoming movie. You only need to email a screenshot of your order or your order number to  info@thesoundofviolet.com .  Happy reading! Lotte :) xxx

NEEDFUL THINGS BY STEPHEN KING 20/06/21 I don’t quite know how to begin my review for this book. What I will say to start with, is you’re almost halfway through the book and you realised all that’s happened is a set up of all the characters in the town of Castle Rock, as there’s so many characters with so many stories but it didn’t feel like a slow start at all. Over the course of the story, things do get pieces together one by one. I love the character of Leland Gaunt as he slowly creates more and more carnage, without any of the characters realising until the very end what is going on. It’s hard to talk about this book without giving it away so I just highly recommend you reading it, I don’t think anyone will not like this book (unless you don’t like gruesome content and then maybe you won’t like it, but I still suggest giving it a go anyway!) Happy reading! Lotte :) xxx