30 Jun 2025
One Minute Book Reviews: Spring Reads
A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas
In the mood for fantasy and having heard a lot about this series, I thought I’d see what the fuss was about. If you imagine Beauty and the Beast, but the beast is a fairy, you’ve got a pretty good gist of the plot of this book. I know this series has a bit of a cult following so apologises if you’re a fan, but I was so unimpressed. The two main characters had no personality? It was kinda… boring? Why did the love interest keep giving her looks described as ‘predatory’?! (Much of the language felt so outdated that halfway through, I found myself checking when it was published – things have changed a lot in the last ten years!) I can’t adequately describe why, but the whole thing gave me the ick. Each to their own, but not for me. 1/5
Cry When The Baby Cries by Becky Barnicoat
I read an extract of this here and laughed so hard that I immediately pre-ordered a copy of the full book. I read it in almost one sitting when my baby was just five days old and it was the perfect first book to read after becoming a new mum for the second time. This graphic memoir brings the first few years of parenthood to life; it’s spot-on and snort-out-loud funny. 4/5
The Farmer’s Wife by Helen Rebanks
Sprinkled with recipes, this is a gentle memoir about life on a farm, food & cooking and the unappreciated labour that goes into raising a family. It was a nice read, if a little slow at times. 3/5
Swept Away by Beth O’Leary
My favourite Beth O’Leary yet. It’s so exciting to see a writer developing and trying something different. Two strangers have a one-night stand on a houseboat and wake the next morning to find they have been washed out to sea. Part romantic comedy, part survival thriller; this is an excellent amalgamation of genres, and I loved it. 5/5
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
Early on in my maternity leave, I found myself re-watching all the Hunger Games films and it spurred me to look into the prequels. I am a huge fan of the original HG series but have always found myself a bit dubious about prequels, so had not previously paid much attention to this but, wow, was that an error. This is Snow’s origin story, the story of the very first District 12 winner and the story of the tenth hunger games and how they turned into the games we see in Katniss’ story. I have mulled over this book a lot since finishing; I thought it was so clever. Eighteen-year-old Snow was a real three-dimensional character. Even though you know where he eventually ends up, you still find yourself hoping he’ll choose the right side as he grapples with his own morality. I can see why it might not be as popular as the original series as there is very little to root for - it’s pretty bleak – but I thought it was brilliant. 5/5
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
And moving straight on to Haymitch’s story. And christ, if I thought Songbirds was bleak, it was nothing compared to this. I will require therapy for at least three years to come to terms with this book but urgh, excellent, no notes. 5/5
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
Two writers compete to tell the life story of heiress and tabloid princess Margaret Ives who hasn’t been seen in over twenty years. Flashing between Margaret’s mysterious life in the past and the enemies-to-lovers story between Alice and Hayden as they try to win a book deal, it soon becomes clear that not everything is as it seems. I didn’t enjoy this quite as much as Henry’s last book, Funny Story, but it was still a fun read, including the picturesque settings, great dialogue and quirky characters that Henry does so well. 3.5/5
Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley
Ooo this was a good one! Coralie arrives from Australia to London and, following a meet-cute that involves stopping a young girl from drowning in a fountain, starts to build a life with a husband, step-daughter and Hackney townhouse. We follow her life over the next decade, as we do the tumultuous political landscape in the UK; Coralie’s ordinary life taking place against the backdrop of five prime ministers, Brexit and the pandemic. Ten years in though, there is a moment of reckoning about her relationship, her life choices and who she has become. Brilliantly observed and completely absorbing, I would highly recommend. 5/5
Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams
Otherwise known as the Facebook book. A memoir from the former Director of Public Policy who worked amongst Facebook’s leadership team for seven years. This book is juicy from the get-go, exposing so much about what really went on at Facebook in the early 2010s. There are some truly wild and deeply disturbing revelations but if anything, it’s the ambivalence that Facebook have as the wreak total havoc on global politics that is more terrifying. The biggest question that runs throughout the book is – why did it take so long for the author to leave when the corruption and lack of morality was so obvious? There is never really a satisfying answer (and therefore her own complicity is somewhat glossed over), although her husband’s suggestion of Stockholm syndrome does not seem even remotely far-fetched. An extremely interesting, if alarming, read. 4/5
Happy reading folks x
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