Penneys To Prada – A Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle Blog: What I’ve Been Reading Recently #2

Reading has always been the best form of escapism for me and I know we could definitely all do with a bit of that at the moment, so here’s what I’ve been reading recently if you’re on the hunt for something new to read!

Usually, I read books on my phone but about a month ago I got an urge to read a real book, because nothing quite compares to the feel of the pages between your fingers does it? Or the smell of a new book for that matter! I ordered a couple of books on Amazon, and I have to say, I’ve enjoyed reading them far more than I usually would enjoy reading a book on my phone.

Before we get into the books that I’ve read recently, I thought I’d mention a few places that you can get books, since I know a lot of us are on lockdown and aren’t popping out to the shops very often.

– Your Local Library / Borrow Box

Now obviously I know libraries are currently closed, but lucky for us this genius thing called the internet exists and it offers us endless possibilities! Irish libraries have teamed up with an app called Borrow Box, which lets you log in using your library card details, and “borrow” books and read them right there in the app. If you aren’t already a member of your local library, don’t worry because I haven’t been a member for a few years, and I was able to rejoin super quickly online and I had downloaded Borrow Box and “borrowed” my first book in a matter of minutes. You can find your local libraries info here and sign up using this form and they have changed the requirements so you no longer need to finalise your membership in your local library. After you’ve signed up, they give you a library barcode, then you set your own PIN and this is how you log into Borrow Box. I do have to give full credit for this information to my Mum though as she has been onto me for months to try it out and share it with people so thanks Mum!

– Online

Now all of that is out of the way, let’s get onto the books I read (and enjoyed) recently shall we?!

 1. My Lovely Wife by Samantha Dowling – 10/10

I promise I don’t give books a 10/10 very easily, but this was one of those books that I could NOT put down and wanted everyone I knew to read it asap so I could talk to them about how crazy it was and how good the plot twists were! I don’t want to get too into it as I’m afraid I’ll ruin it, so to keep it brief, it’s about a husband and wife who have an unusual hobby to keep their marriage interesting!

2. The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen – 8/10

Sarah Dessen is an author I have been reading for years, so this was a bit of a nostalgic read for me and I really enjoyed the break from the usual thrillers I read. The book is about Emma Saylor, who returns to the lake where her late mother grew up and learns about the side of the family she never knew. Like in most of Sarah’s books, there’s some first love thrown in there, a bit of family drama, and it’s just one of those easy reads that can hit you right in the feels. 

3. The Last Time I Saw You by Liv Constantine – 7/10

Another great page-turner, and although I was able to guess the plot twist fairly early on, I still very much enjoyed it. The book is centered around Dr. Kate English who “has it all” until her mother is found dead and who killed her is a big mystery. Again, I don’t want to say too much for fear of ruining it, but if you like a “whodunnit” type of story with a few good twists, this is a great read.

4. The Guest List by Lucy Foley – TBC

I’m actually only half way through this book, but wanted to include it as I know lots of people read Lucy’s first book ‘The Hunting Party’ and enjoyed it (myself included). From what I’ve read so far, The Guest List is very like Lucy’s first book and uses the multicharacter format, which sometimes I find hard to keep up with, but then again it does make for a multifaceted story. This book is about a wedding on a remote island off the coast of Ireland where something goes terribly wrong, and a body is found. I’ll be sure to update you on my Instagram story once I’ve finished reading it!

5. The Chain by Adrian McKinty – 10/10

I picked this book up randomly in the supermarket a few weeks ago and I’m so glad I did! It was absolutely thrilling the entire way through and had me completely on edge at parts, so much so that I had to take a few breaks. I borrowed it to my Mum as well who loved it too! The book is about a kidnapping chain, where if your child is kidnapped, you must then kidnap another child to get them back, and it really explores people’s morals and just how far they’ll go to protect their family.

6. The Dilemma by B A Paris – 10/10

B A Paris is one of my absolute favourite authors and I urge you all to read her other books too. Most of her other books are quite thrilling and very suspenseful and while The Dilemma definitely is a page turner, I found it surprisingly emotional, so much so that I had a little cry when I had finished it, which I can tell you doesn’t happen very often when I read! The Dilemma is another multicharacter book, told from different viewpoints and it also flips back and forward in time too, which keeps it nice and interesting. The book centers around Livia’s 40th birthday party and a secret she has been keeping from her husband, and that’s pretty much all I can tell you without spoiling it!