“Books train your mind to imagination to think big" - Taylor Swift

 

Bad Men - Julie Mae Cohen

Utterly bloody brilliant! From the second I opened the book I was all in. Murder is bad, but sometimes people are too. We are increasingly obsessed with true crime and the motivations behind the actions of murderers. So when a serial killer herself becomes quite infatuated with a famous true crime journalist and podcaster, and alas she is not the only one, can love blossom? After all, they do have an intense interest in murder in common.

 

The Rachel Incident - Caroline O'Donoghue

I love these books that challenge perceptions of our recollections of events in our life. Breaking into adulthood and navigating who we are, what is expected and acceptable in friendships, family, work and our priorities. How many of us were a part of or central to ‘an incident’ back in our (potentially naïve) youth, which was never honestly depicted for whatever reason we had to deal with at that time, be it confidence, misguided loyalties or manipulation?

The Rachel incident is such a heart-warmingly funny novel about love and how messy life is, but we learn from our mistakes (hopefully) and can move on from past shame with forgiveness and appreciation of how we navigate and learn from the life we lead.

 

The Mess We’re In - by Annie Macmanus

Orla Quinn is on a mission to make it in the music industry after completing her university degree in Cheltenham, moving to London with her best friend into said friends’ brother’s band’s house in Kilburn. ‘Shiva’, the band, are on the cusp of making it, giving Orla the contacts, the chaos and ‘lifestyle’ that she tends to gravitate toward. Especially helpful when trying to ignore the additional family chaos back at home in Ireland.

Set in the early 2000’s and encapsulating what I love about London, full of opportunity, random people, messy lives and those trying to find something to fill a void and fulfil a dream. Written with so much wit and endearing youthful disregard for any real responsibility and culpability – oh the good ol’s days!

 

Or maybe you fancy a little bit of 'try before you buy'. Have a listen to one of my recent Get Booked shows at Women's Radio Station, where I have compiled a variety of author read extracts (especially done for Get booked!) of their recently released books.

Who’s a good dog? And How to Be a Better Owner – Jessica Pierce

I have spent over 3000 days so far with my dog and an insurmountable amount of time fawning over every other dog I come across. Its fair to say I’m a dog person. I would say that my respect for dogs exceeds that which I have for humans. So when reading this book I was surprised at some of the issues flagged by Jessica Pierce that do not make me as good an owner as I thought I was. Not in a shaming way, but in a thoughtful explanation of idiosyncrasies that as a society of dog lovers we have organically overlooked. For example, we scold our dogs for natural canine behaviour, animalistic behaviour, so that they fit in with out human world that we have imposed on them.

We want them as company, to support us and our emotional needs and yet what are they getting in return that meets their emotional needs? I think of how my kids and I lock the dog in a separate room when the Tesco delivery comes, the reasoning twofold. Firstly, she doesn’t like men being on our property randomly and when she realises its food based, she gets excited and runs about the delivery van, ergo, in the road. I do this to protect the stranger and protect my dog’s safety. To her, this is locking her away from protecting us and getting giddy.  Being a dog parent is hard. Yes we feed them, keep them safe, give them access to medical treatment, cuddle and walk them. But maybe there is so much more we can consider.

Enlightening, subjective and a great reminder for those who have forgotten what it really is to be a good dog owner with mutual appreciation for each other.

 

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