First up is a book I read some time ago, but I haven't forgotten how much I loved it. "It's Not Me, It's You", written by Mhairi McFarlane, it's about an extremely likeable girl named Delia. Basically, after a dodgy marriage proposal and an even more questionable job, she has to decide whether her new life is actually better than the one she's left behind. Of course there's many twists and turns along the way and a much unexpected ending, which is makes it such a great story. I find the way Mhairi writes to be so easy to follow, and that's exactly what you want in a book. If you like witty books with a bit of romance thrown in, this is for you.
Next up is another of Mhairi's novels, "Here's Looking At You". Where do I start? After having a hard time at school and being spectacularly humiliated in front of her peers, Anna is glad that horrible chapter of her life is well and truly closed. Well, so she thought. Now 30 years old and in a job she loves, she ends up running into the ring leader of all the school bullying episodes. This book really had me not wanting to put it down as it's something everyone can relate to, running into someone you went to school with who you'd hoped you'd never see again (haha!). There are so many great, unexpected parts to this story and just when you think it's all over, it's most definitely not. Mhairi is up there in my list of favourite authors at the minute, for her believable and relateable plots.
Lastly, this is the book I am currently reading. "American Girl" by Rachael (great name!) English, is a book my mum bought me for my birthday last month. It begins in 1968 Boston, with the story of a young girl who finds hereself pregnant much to her parents dismay. Of course in those times, a pregnant, unmarried teenager was seen as bringing shame upon the family, so her parents send her of to Ireland to give birth and give up her baby. I'm sure the events of this story will resonate with some people, and that's what makes it so sad. Fast forward to Dublin 2013, Martha is faced with the end of her marriage and the niggling feeling that she should track down the woman who gave her up more than forty years ago. At first I thought this might be a long winded story, but there's so much going on alongside the main plot that it keeps you turning the pages. There's also a few unexpected revelations and dark family secrets unearthed along the way. I've only a few chapters left, and I already know how much I'll miss reading this when I've finished. Such a fantastic, well written story, and Rachael makes it so easy to conjure up your own image of what the characters look like.
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