Some of my recent five star reads

I've read some brilliant books lately! I've been very lucky with some of my second hand finds and library picks. So I thought I'd share a few of the books that I've really enjoyed recently and have rated as five stars on Goodreads, in case you are looking for some reading inspiration.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Set in Shaker Heights, a peaceful and orderly community, Elena Richardson's perfect family life is disrupted by the arrival of single mother Mia and her teenage daughter. The book is beautifully written and is a gripping read as more and more secrets are uncovered and disaster approaches. 

The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin

An incredibly beautiful story about two terminally ill women that meet in hospital. Lenni is 17 and Margot is 83, and they bond during an art therapy class. After realising that between them they have lived for one hundred years, they both complete a painting for each year of their lives representing the joys and tragedies that they have experienced. It's a beautiful story and left me in tears at the end. A wonderful book. 

Meet Me in Another Life by Catriona Silvey

This is a very clever book. Two characters experience different lives and relationships to each other in many different circumstances but with a twist at the end which helps the whole thing make sense. One of those books that you want to start reading again as soon as you finish it, because you want to see what you missed!

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

I was a bit late to the game with this one but I snapped it up when I spotted it in the library. In a peaceful retirement village a group of friends meet up once a week to investigate unsolved killings, and then they find themselves in the middle of their own unsolved case. I don't usually read crime novels but this one wasn't about solving the crime, for me it was about the wonderful characters and the poignancy of growing old. In fact there was one paragraph in particular which just made me sob and sob. 

A Thousand Paper Birds by Tor Udall

This is a book that I read several years ago and had been thinking about ever since, so I was delighted to find a lovely second hand hardback copy on Wob. It's a beautiful book set in Kew Gardens, following a group of characters that all have a connection to both the gardens and to each other. The writing is wonderful and the story unfolds at the perfect pace, one of those books that you don't want to end.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab

About to be forced into an unwelcome marriage, hundreds of years ago Addie LaRue made a pact with the devil and traded her soul for immortality. But the price is that she is forgotten by everyone that she meets as soon as she is out of their sight, and everything that she owns becomes lost or broken. Then one day she meets someone who can remember her. It's a thought provoking story and one that stays with you long after you've finished.

The Lobotomist's Wife by Samantha Greene Woodruff

A historical novel based on real life events and following the wife of the doctor who introduced and popularised the lobotomy procedure in the United States. She slowly becomes uncomfortable with the side effects of the practice but her husband refuses to listen and continues his work despite her protestations. It's a fascinating story about this dark side of medical history.

If you've read something recently that you think I'd like, I'd love to hear some recommendations!

Photo credit Benigno Hoyuela via Unsplash