Some More Books I Read Whilst on Sick Leave

Okay, so I’m not technically on sick leave any more but I did read these whilst off work, albeit quite a while ago now (I blame Christmas for getting in the way).

 

The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

I really liked this book, the plot was intriguing and took some thinking about, trying to piece together how all the timelines and lives worked. It tells the tale of Harry August, a type of human called a kalachakra, someone who dies and then is reborn to live all over again with all his memories still intact. Harry's on a mission to try and stop the world from ending with messages passed from kalachakra to kalachakra through the centuries. In theory it sounds a bit complicated but I found it quite fascinating to read, there's science in there too but not so much that it's too science-y a book (if that makes any sort of sense, I know it's not really a word). Anyway, worth reading even if you're not a fan of science-type books
 

 

The Art of Leaving by Anna Stothard 

 

What first attracted me to this one was the cover and then I found out the storyline was all about a girl who likes the thrill of a goodbye. I thought the story was okay but nothing that special, it seems a bit slow to start and not a huge amount happens, instead just bobs along steadily to a mildly interesting conclusion. So yeah, in summary not too bad but nothing amazing.  

 



Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf

 

 

I'd read the 'The Weight of Silence' by the same author and quite enjoyed it so I thought this would be good as well. It follows the story of a social worker, Ellen, who one day makes one small mistake with her youngest child which ends up having huge repercussions for the rest of her life. There's a few side storylines which all end up interweaving and it's quite a well written book; the pain and despair the main character feels when she has her daughter taken away from her is awful to read and imagine. It was quite a quick and easy read as well so a good one to while away a few hours.

 

 



G.I. Brides by Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi 

 

The G.I's arriving in Britain in 1942 and all the brides who followed them across the world is a bit of history I'm quite interested in. My grandmother lived in the Wirral and was 16 when the G.I's landed in Liverpool so I have this fantasy in my head that she would've danced the night away with them in numerous Red Cross Clubs (she didn't marry one though, she ended up with a Liverpool boy). This was a really interesting read, following four young girls and the lives they ended up with after meeting the American lads. It's a little bit strange though, despite being non-fiction and written by two people telling the girls' stories, the whole book is written a bit like a novel in the present day rather than looking back at history. Still an enjoyable read though and worth a look if you're into that kind of thing.

 

 

Have you read any of these books? What did you think?