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December 24, 2018

CHRISTMAS CAKES AND MISTLETOE NIGHTS by Carole Matthews

December 24, 2018

Book cover & 3.5-star rating - CHRISTMAS CAKES AND MISTLETOE NIGHTS by Carole MatthewsTechnically, Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights is a sequel to Cake Shop in the Garden but it stands quite well on its own. I actually only realised that it’s a sequel due to the summarised info dump during the first couple of chapters — think throwback highlight reel at the start of new seasons of TV shows. Once that’s done and dusted, it’s back to regular writing and storytelling.

1 Comment · Categories: Fiction Keywords: baking, british authors, cafes, cheating, christmas, food and drink, friendship, half-siblings, hardship, holidays, illnesses, inheritance, poverty, pregnancy, survival, weddings, winter, work life

October 30, 2018

FAMILY AND OTHER CATASTROPHES by Alexandra Borowitz

October 30, 2018

Book cover & rating - Family and Other Catastrophes by Alexandra BorowitzGood satire makes you laugh while simultaneously reflecting on the subject matters. Rooted in reality, it makes you wonder how serious these characters are (very) but then on second thought you realise that they’re world views are so black and white, they couldn’t be for real. With that in mind, Borowitz used satire very effectively in Family and Other Catastrophes. Emily was so neurotic but with the kind of mother she had, it kind of made sense. Her sister Lauren, was fully committed to feminist social activism, in stark contrast to their brother, Jason, who was a desperate divorcé and quite the sexist.

Leave a Comment · Categories: Fiction Keywords: dating, diverse books, divorce, dysfunctional families, family problems, feminism, gender, politics, pregnancy, secrets, sexism, sexual assault, social justice, weddings, work life

August 9, 2018

SUICIDE CLUB by Rachel Heng

August 9, 2018

Book cover & rating - SUICIDE CLUB by Rachel HengIf you could live for hundreds of years, if not, forever, would you want to? In Suicide Club, those who deserve it are given immortality. In exchange, they have to take good care of their health — eat well, exercise and all that jazz. What I liked about this premise was that it plays on our contemporary obsession with health and wellness. Food diet movements abound from “clean eating” to keto to paleo, claiming to detox, strengthen the immune system, etc. Rachel Heng pushed these ideal to the extreme in her futuristic science fiction novel set in New York City.

1 Comment · Categories: Fiction Keywords: death, diverse authors, diverse books, euthanasia, fathers and daughters, health, inequality, life, memories, mental institution, on-the-run, secrets, singaporean authors, suicide, utopia, violence, work life

July 25, 2018

PONTI by Sharlene Teo

July 25, 2018

Book cover & rating - Ponti by Sharlene TeoSharlene Teo writes well and chooses her words very precisely. Her prose is at once cutting, yet atmospheric, which fit Ponti well. Teo’s very talented and the years of hard work she put into honing her craft are evident in her debut novel.

Leave a Comment · Categories: Fiction Keywords: acting and actors, ambition, clairvoyants, death, diverse authors, diverse books, family myth, family problems, friendship, high school, history, loneliness, memories, mental health, mothers and daughters, poc characters, singaporean authors, work life

November 23, 2017

THE HONEY FARM ON THE HILL by Jo Thomas

November 23, 2017

Book cover & rating - The Honey Farm on the Hill by Jo ThomasAs much as I enjoy summer reads, predictability tends to be one strike against them. The Honey Farm on the Hill was no exception. I saw nearly every twist coming chapters ahead of them — from Nell’s discoveries about her long lost love to the mystery of disappearing bees to the resolution. Not much about the plot surprised me. Yet, I quite liked this book for the setting, the characters and the relationships.

2 Comments · Categories: Fiction Keywords: accidents, cheating, death, deceit, disability, diverse books, divorce, family, farm life, forgiveness, friendship, guilt, hardship, hospitality-and-tourism, mothers and daughters, romance, secrets, single parenthood, summer, tourism, travel, weddings, work life

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About

Joséphine. Word reveller. Loves books. Reads books. Talks about books. Photographs books. Also curates books for the Singapore-based subscription box, Lit Treat.

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Recent Posts

Book cover & 5-star rating - VENGEFUL by V.E. Schwab

VENGEFUL by V.E. Schwab

December 26, 2018 By Joséphine 1 Comment

Book cover & 3.5-star rating - CHRISTMAS CAKES AND MISTLETOE NIGHTS by Carole Matthews

CHRISTMAS CAKES AND MISTLETOE NIGHTS by Carole Matthews

December 24, 2018 By Joséphine 1 Comment

Book cover & rating - I WANT TO GO HOME by Wesley Leon Aroozoo

I WANT TO GO HOME by Wesley Leon Aroozoo

November 27, 2018 By Joséphine Leave a Comment

Book cover & rating - ARCHENEMIES by Marissa Meyer

ARCHENEMIES by Marissa Meyer

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Book cover & rating - SOFIA AND THE UTOPIA MACHINE by Judith Huang

SOFIA AND THE UTOPIA MACHINE by Judith Huang

November 20, 2018 By Joséphine Leave a Comment

Book cover & rating - ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART by Katherine Webber

ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART by Katherine Webber

November 8, 2018 By Joséphine Leave a Comment

Book cover & rating - Family and Other Catastrophes by Alexandra Borowitz

FAMILY AND OTHER CATASTROPHES by Alexandra Borowitz

October 30, 2018 By Joséphine Leave a Comment

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