The Marmalade Diaries

I don't write too many reviews these days. I might post something in my Instagram/Facebook stories  but I couldn't not review this book. 

I saw it on display at the library I work in about a month ago. I may have got over jubilant while talking to a workmate about it.  I loved this author's last book The Gran Tour and was hopeful this book would be just as good. It's better! 

Ben writes this book in diary format and it covers the period of October 2020 to August 2021. Ben, 35, needs a place to live and Winnie, 85, needs someone to help her around the house, lighting the fire each morning, cooking some meals, running general day to day errands.

There are a few brief observations about the Covid 19 pandemic but that is not the focus of the book. I love the conversations between Ben and Winnie and the observations Ben makes of everyday life. At the start of each month Ben writes about an event in Winnie's past. 

I laughed a lot and I cried.

There's a lovely part in the book where Winnie tells her granddaughter who's holidaying in Italy how important it is that she "take it all in. Anything beautiful. Anything at all''. 

I've been on a roll this year finding some great books to read but this would easily be the best I've read this year. I did not want it to end. Look forward to Ben's next book.

 

One Ordinary Day At A Time

 

The cover of this book first caught my attention while on display at the library I work at. I turned to the synopsis/blurb on the back of the book and saw the name "Gail Honeyman". That was enough for me to pick it up and start reading.

Honeyman is the author of one of my favourite books Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and any other book that mentions this title or the author's name usually makes me want to read said book. I reckon Gail Honeyman should start charging royalties for the number of times a book is compared to hers... but I digress.

To be honest as much I enjoyed One Ordinary Day at a Time by Sarah J. Harris I was in two minds about whether to review it. It does have some strong themes which are difficult to read about but they are not the sole focus of this book.

The two main characters are Simon Sparks aka One Star Simon and Jodie (whose surname is never mentioned). They've both had difficult upbringings which have shaped who they are as adults. Jodie has a young son Zak and is trying to find work. She gets a job at Prince Burger where she meets Simon. The chapters alternate between Simon and Jodie and there are several other characters in the book who have 

had influences on the pair - some good, some not so much.

I couldn't stop reading this book and may have spent several hours in one sitting reading it. There are a few twists and turns in this book and one that took me quite by surprise. I had absolutely no idea it was coming. 

There are a lot of good messages in this book. Here's a few.

• Never judge someone on first appearance/meeting   
• You can move on despite your past
• Friendships are important
• Don't take people for granted

Well written and easy to read, this book has some funny moments and also some heartbreaking moments. It's a story about the development of a beautiful friendship. I loved both of the main characters and I reckon Simon and Jodie will stick with me for some time! 

Annie Stanley All At Sea

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My first book for 2022. Here I go with my Eleanor Oliphant references again but if you loved Eleanor you will love Annie Stanley too. 

It has been a while since I've written a review. Last year I struggled to find any good books. To the surprise of one of my workmates I only read (finished) eight books in 2021. So much for completing my Goodreads 25 books challenge for that year.  I did start many more but just couldn't get into them. In December I found this book while shelving some books in the library I work in and thought I'd give it a try. I loved it!

Annie Stanley's father dies and she decides to take off on a trip with his ashes around shipping areas in Britain. Why? Her father loved listening to the shipping forecast. She meets different people along the way - some from her past, some from her present and some strangers. It explores relationships whether it be friendships, family or those of the romantic kind.

There are some great lines in the book including one from Annie - "Sometimes unfinished business has to stay... unfinished. You can't write "The End" on every chapter of your life''.

 A light and oftentimes funny read. I loved Annie and I reckon you will too.

 

The Four Winds

“Sometimes when I close my eyes I swear I can still taste the dust.”

I couldn’t decide whether to review this book. There is so much I want to say. The Four Winds is only the second book by Kristin Hannah I’ve read. I was drawn to her books after watching the Netflix TV series Firefly Lane based on her book with the same name which I have also since read. What a show but I digress…

The Four Winds is Hannah’s latest book based on the catastrophic events of the Dust Bowl in the 1930s and it had me from the beginning. As soon I took it off the Holds shelf at the library I work in I was transfixed. Like, I was reading it as I went up in the lift to the third floor staffroom for my tea break.

I’m not a fast reader and will normally just read for 30 minutes and then do something else. With this book I would sit for an hour or two and just want to keep reading.

The flow of the book is easy. The characters are well developed and I liked the protagonist Elsinore (affectionately known as Elsa) Martinelli. It's 1930s America and after dealing with the rejection of her family, Elsa finds a man, a new family and home. But then their land and home is hit by the Dust Bowl and Elsa has to decide whether to leave and head for California to find a better life for her and her two children – a move made by more than three million Americans.

I don’t want to give too much more of the book away but what I like about these kinds of books is 1) the history lesson and 2) the insight you get into what life would have been like for many trying to escape the conditions of those times.

This is a sad book but there were times when I did smile - the small moments of happiness for this woman and her two children which are sprinkled throughout the story. One that comes to mind is when Elsa gives her daughter Loreda a library card for Christmas or when a hairdresser offers to cut Loreda's hair for free. Such small acts of kindness which meant so much to this family and something we can all keep in mind when thinking of others less fortunate.  

A gripping read from start to finish.

Dear Reader

I'm feeling a bit blogged out at the moment but I couldn't let this book pass me by without giving it a heap of praise.

Books about books, reading, bookshops and libraries are among my favourites and Dear Reader by Cathy Rentzenbrink is a detailed read about how books have helped her.

In it she talks about her love for books which started from a young age. She talks about the books she read as a child, some of which I have fond memories of too. I remember reading one of her favourites The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13 and 3/4 by Sue Townsend and being excited that there were more books to follow.

She talks about the books she read as a child which may not have been suitable for children's eyes. I  remember having Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews taken from me I think when I was 11 or 12. I'm grateful for that now because I can't believe how depressing that book is.

Cathy gives a short synopsis of each of the books she writes about and a few of the chapters cover topics like fictional diaries, orphans in books, books set in pubs, series books and books about books and booksellers. Part of the book I loved the most was reading about her experiences as a bookseller working for a few bookstores including the flagship Waterstones store in London's Piccadilly.

Cathy talks about family life and the death of her brother Matt several years after he was hit by a car. She writes about her relationship with her brother in her memoir The Last Act of Love but in this book she talks about how reading helped her cope with her brother's accident, the several years that followed when he lay in a coma before his death and then after.

This is a must read for all bookworms or any reader who loves books about books!

Nala's World

 

Since getting our dog Dollar nine years ago I've developed an interest in animal books and this one would be among my favourites. I really didn't want this book to end, it was so good. 

In September 2018 Scottish man Dean Nicholson headed out to cycle around the world.  On December 10 that same year he came across an abandoned and unwell kitten on the side of the road in Bosnia. He named her Nala, nursed her back to health and a beautiful friendship began. 

Nala was Dean's travelling companion. Everywhere that Dean went, Nala went too, either tucked around Dean's neck or in a special carry case in the front of his bike. Over the next year and a bit they journeyed together through various places including Montenegro, Albania, Santorini, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary.

Dean posts a video on Instagram of his first meeting with Nala which was seen and picked up by the animal stories website The Dodo.  One day Dean's Instagram account had 3000 followers, the next day 150,000 followers. He now has more than 850,000 followers on Instagram and his YouTube channel has had more than 8 million views.

Dean posts his travels on social media and has used his presence on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube to raise tens of thousands of dollars which he's donated to various charities including animal shelters. People who follow him on social media make special trips to wherever Dean and Nala are just to see the feline star.

I can't express how much I loved this book and while Covid-19 may have halted some of their travel plans, I hope that when they are able to travel more extensively Dean will write another book.

Five out of five stars for this fantastic read.

Footnote: For anyone wanting to follow Dean and Nala's adventures, their Instagram account is @1bike1world and Facebook page is 1bike1world.

   

 

 

Tiny Pieces of Us

 

Have you ever thought about being an organ donor? If there is any book promoting organ donation, then Tiny Pieces of Us is it 

Nicky Pellegrino's latest book Tiny Pieces of Us is, from what I can tell, quite different to her other books. I admit I haven't read any of the others but from what I know about Pellegrino, who lives in New Zealand but was born in Britain, she generally writes about Italy and food. Italy only plays a small part in this book.

The main character is Vivi Palmer, a journalist working in London for a tabloid called The Daily Post. She had a heart transplant and seven years later discovers her new heart came from a teenage cyclist Jamie who was hit by a car and died.

Jamie's mother Grace also chose to donate her son's liver, lungs, pancreas, corneas and undamaged kidney. After Grace and Vivi meet, Vivi uses her journalistic skills to search for the other organ recipients. Grace wants to know what the recipients have made of their lives thanks to her son. The story also takes a few unexpected turns.

There are a number of characters in the book but not so many that it becomes confusing. Part of the book I liked the most was the development of each character. I too was intrigued to know about each organ recipient and what they had made of their lives. 

A great read. Definitely four out of five stars.  

  

Things I Learned From Falling

If you read only a few books this year make Things I Learned From Falling by Claire Nelson one of them. What an outstanding book.

In 2018 New Zealander Claire Nelson went on a hike on her own in California's Joshua Tree National Park. It was only meant to be a short hike - a matter of hours. She ended up spending four days and three nights in the desert after she fell down rocks and was left flat on her back with a shattered pelvis and not being able to move. I remember seeing the story on the news at the time and being amazed by it.

As well as describing what she went through during those four days in the desert and the prospect of dying alone, she also reflects on her life leading up to the hike - the loneliness she felt while based in London where she worked as a travel and food writer and the need to make changes.

Her account is raw, gripping, and is told with a lot of vulnerability. Imagine being that thirsty that you have to resort to drinking your own urine. Imagine lying in the scorching heat during the day and trying to find a way to cover yourself even if it is with a map and then freezing at night.

While most of the book is about how she coped in the desert after the fall and reflections on her life, a few chapters are devoted to her rescue and recovery and the gratitude she now has for life, friendships and family.

This may sound strange but I didn't want this book to end, such is the quality of the writing.

Six out of five stars for this amazing true story!

Gilmore Girls Thanks For Keeping Me Sane During Lockdown

Tonight my binge watching days come to an end. It's only taken three years, a pandemic and subsequent lockdown to watch seven seasons (153 episodes) of the very popular American comedy/drama Gilmore Girls.

I never watched the show when it screened on New Zealand television. I remember it being either on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and I may have caught parts of one or two episodes. I just couldn't quite get it and couldn't handle all the chit chat between the main characters Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter Rory. 

And then I got talking to someone I met through my previous job, who has subsequently become a good mate, and she could not stop talking about Gilmore Girls. She lent me a book - a memoir written by Lauren Graham, who plays Lorelai, and urged me to watch the show. 

So three or so years ago I promptly went out and bought all seven seasons on DVD. I watched the first three seasons and then stopped. I didn't lose interest as such but just wasn't up to watching the rest of the seasons then.

Cue late March 2020 when it was announced New Zealand would be going into lockdown due to Covid 19 and out came the rest of the seasons. Since then I've watched an episode a day, sometimes more. I nearly joined up to Netflix the other week to finish watching all the seasons when I thought our DVD player was about to breathe its last. Tonight I will watch the final episode and I feel kind of sad. However, I still have the reboot season to look forward to.

Here are the reasons why I love Gilmore Girls.

• All of the many characters and their quirks
• The relationship between Lorelai and her parents
• The love interests of both Lorelai and Rory and I am firmly Team Luke.
• The lovable and weirdness that is Kirk
• The community that is Stars Hollow
• The friendship between Lorelai, Sookie and Michel
• The friendship between Rory and Lane
• The friendship between Rory and Paris
• The many funny lines and moments 
• And last, but definitely not least, the chit chat and close bond between Lorelai and Rory

And just a footnote - thanks Monique Vincent for introducing me to the people of and community that is Stars Hollow.

    

Away With the Penguins

Why are my eyes watering? Maybe it's dust or maybe it's this beautiful book!

This is the first book in physical format I have read since our country of New Zealand came out of strict lockdown and what a delight it was.

The main character in Hazel Prior's Away with the Penguins is Veronica McCreedy affectionately known as Granny McCreedy. She is in her 80s and lives alone. She loves wildlife documentaries and wants to do one more big thing before she dies. After reading a blog about penguins she sets in motion plans to visit Antarctica.

But this story is about so much more than a trip to Antarctica. Throw in a bunch of a scientists, an adult grandson she's only just met called Patrick, a penguin she befriends, who she also names Patrick, and Veronica's diaries of her earlier life.

The chapters alternate between Veronica and her grandson Patrick and how pieces of their respective pasts have influenced their later lives.

I don't want to give away too much more about this book but it would have to be my favourite so far for 2020. Definitely five out of five stars for this beautiful tale.

My Pear-Shaped Life

So what do you do when there's a lockdown and the library and the bookshops are closed and you've run out of physical books to read? You download Wheelers ePlatform and BorrowBox and read an eBook on your cellphone. 

Being used to only reading books in physical format, I knew if I was venturing into the eBook world I had to find somthing that would grab me and My Pear-Shaped Life by Irish author Carmel Harrington did just that. This being her ninth book, I now want to read some of her other titles.

This is a reasonably light read about a young Irish woman named Greta Gale who has always struggled with weight issues but also a reliance on sleeping pills. After featuring in an advertisement as a child, Greta's greatest ambition is to become an actor but her issues are starting to catch up with her. Cue a stint in rehab and then her much loved uncle surprises her with a road trip across parts of the United States of America and he's going along for the ride too. He has his own issues to resolve.

I don't want to give too much more away except to say the classic The Wizard of Oz and another woman by the name of Greta Gale feature a lot in this book.

For my first eBook I'm glad I chose this one! 

What to do when you can't go to the library or the bookshop

The other day my older sister (also a bookworm) said I could use the lockdown to go through my book shelves and read the books I hadn't read yet.

"Surely there are books that you haven't read?" she asked

"No I've read them all," I replied.

I thought about what she said and went through my book shelves today and hey presto she was right (I won't tell her that though). I do have a number of books I either haven't read yet or I've started them and decided I wasn't in the mood to read said book at that particular time.

As of 11.59pm last night (25/03/2020) New Zealand went into lockdown for at least four weeks. Pretty much everything is closed and police are now wandering the streets ensuring people obey the lockdown rules. We are only allowed to go to the supermarket or pharmacy and vet, if you have an animal, or seek medical services if needed. You are allowed to take a short walk but that's it! Stay home! If we do we will save lives!

It got me thinking about what I can do when I can't go to my local library or bookshops and I thought I'd share a few tips here.

1. Look up your local library website. Even just reading all the content on the website could fill in a few hours but then there's all the Ebooks and Eaudiobooks available to download once you've downloaded the appropriate apps. Once you've downloaded the app and found a book you want to read or listen to, you can do so by entering the details generally on the back of your library card. If you don't know what to do, look up the contact emails for your local library on the website, and send an email asking for help. There will be someone there to answer your email!

2. Join the world's largest community of book lovers - Goodreads. Now I can spend hours on that website if only I had the time. Oh that's right I do. You can look for all the new releases coming up, you can join communities of people that like the same sorts of books as you or communities with your Facebook friends who may have different reading interests that could inspire you. You can create virtual bookshelves of your "Want to Read" books, "Read" books and "Currently Reading" books. You can take part in reading challenges and follow authors of your favourite books. I could go on and on.

3. If you're on Instagram follow some of the gazillions of virtual bookclubs. Reese's Book Club and Oprah's Book Club are two that I follow and love. 

4. Type in #bookstagram in the search area of Instagram and you will find over 40 million posts by Bookish people.

5. Join some reading groups on Facebook like "I Love Reading" or "I'm Not Obsessed, I Just To Love the Read" or "We Love Reading Books".

6. Find a book club on Facebook. I belong to one called Paper + Ink - An Unofficial Book Club which I just love.

7. Write a list of all the books you want to read after doing the above.

8. Write a review of your favourite book, take a photo of it and share it on Facebook and Instagram. Your recommendation may encourage others to read the book. 

9. And lastly tidy your own book shelves - you never know you may find some books that you haven't actually read yet!  

Happy reading folks!

How To Be A Family

When I read the synopsis of this book it got me straight away. So what did an American journalist really think of my country and also the country which was the birthplace of my parents?

In 2016 Dan Kois, his wife and two daughters took a year out to find out what life is like in other parts of the world and if there was anything he could glean from the way people parent in other countries. They spent the first quarter of the year in New Zealand (my home), three months in the Netherlands (my parents' birthplace), and then the same amount of time in Costa Rica and Kansas - a a much quieter America to what he's used to.

The family lived mostly in long term Air BnB and the two girls went to school - well at least in NZ, the Netherlands and Kansas. I really enjoyed reading Kois' take on the New Zealand way of life. They lived in our capital city Wellington and appeared to make friends very easily and learnt some of the Maori culture before moving on to Delft in the Netherlands where things were not as easy in the friendship or the English speaking stakes but lots of biking made up for it. Costa Rica was where their girls took their holidays enjoying the sun, sand and sea and many mosquitos before arriving in Hays, Kansas where they soon felt part of its small community.

  

While I enjoyed this book I came away with the impression that just maybe the grass is not always greener on the other side, that parenting is hard but rewarding work and that our preconceived ideas of what a place is like may just be turned on their head.

I recommend this book for any family wanting to travel together, to anyone wanting to learn about the four places mentioned and any parent who may want to see how their job is done in other countries.

Footnote - the ornament pictured with the book was a gift from my husband's uncle and aunt who recently visited New Zealand from the Netherlands.

Dear Edward

I couldn't decide whether to buy this book. I thought it would be depressing. It is not. It's obviously sad but certainly makes you think - the sign of a good book.

Dear Edward by American author Ann Napolitano is a well-written, well thought out, and in the words of Irish author Marian Keyes, an"astonishing" book.

Twelve-year-old Edward Adler is on a flight from New York to Los Angeles with his parents and older brother when tragedy strikes. The plane crashes and all of the 191 passengers except for Edward are killed.

Imagine being the sole survivor of such a tragedy. The book tells the story of Edward and how he deals with life after the crash. He goes to live with his aunt and uncle and builds a friendship with the girl next door Shay.

The story flicks between the story told through Edward's eyes, his grief and how he deals with it in the years following the crash and then through the eyes of  some of the passengers aboard the plane in the last hours of their lives - what are they thinking about, what has led them to be on that flight and their own dreams and goals.

A part of the book I found the most fascinating was Edward's discovery, some years later, of bags full of letters written to him by family members of those who died in the crash.

In interviews Napolitano has spoken about the inspiration for this book - the crash of a commercial airliner from South Africa to London in Libya in 2010 when all on board died except for a 9-year-old boy who lost his parents and brother. So interested in this story that Napolitano spent several years writing the fictionalised tale of Dear Edward.

I found myself putting down the book a few times and staring at the wall pondering what I'd just read - a sign of a good book as any bookish person will tell you. 

Definitely five out of five stars.

Bookish Resolutions 2020

So I'm supposed to be doing housework but got a bit sidetracked. Happy New Year  to all my bookish friends.

What are your bookish resolutions for 2020? Here are a few of mine.

1. Read, read and read some more. It's the best thing out.

2. Set a reading goal on the Goodreads app but hey don't bust a gut to achieve it. Last year I set a very small goal and didn't achieve it but what does it matter.

3. Read books by authors you enjoy... Cue Sophie Kinsella... I read the ninth book in her Shopaholic series and loved it so much I have been trawling secondhand bookshops and Book Depository buying the rest of the series as I've never read any of the other books. These books make me laugh out loud which leads me on to my next resolution.

4. Don't read depressing books. Life's too short.

5. Don't try to finish a book that you're not enjoying. Life's too short.

6. When loved ones gift you book vouchers don't rush out and spend the vouchers on books you don't end up reading. Wait patiently to purchase a book you know you're likely to enjoy.  I mean you have a year or two to spend said vouchers. I didn't achieve this resolution in 2019 so here's to 2020.

7. Use the new release section of my library more. $3 is a lot cheaper than spending $30 or $40 on a book that you may not end up enjoying.

Here's to 2020 being a year of great reading! 

The Book of Summer

Often on long road trips particularly at night I've driven past houses and wondered what stories are contained within each of their respective four walls. Sounds a bit weird but every house has its stories to tell.

In this gripping story The Book of Summer by American author Michelle Gable there are certainly a lot of tales to tell.

This book centres around the almost 100-year-old homestead Cliff House perched on a cliff on the island of Nantucket and its guest book aka The Book of Summer. The cliff is eroding and soon Cliff House will be no longer but its owner Cissy Codman is not letting her home and its history go without a fight. Her daughter Bess returns home to try to convince her mother that she must leave before she ends up going with the house.

The book flicks between the 1940s pre and post World War II and the present day and also contains many entries in The Book of Summer.  Features of this book include a myriad of characters, many stories, and brilliant storytelling. If you enjoyed the Australian television series A Place To Call Home chances are you will enjoy this book.

Now I'm off to read a book which doesn't contain the word Summer in its title, given that the last three books I've read have.    

Sixty Summers

Three friends, who are all turning 60, relive their 20s by going on a road trip across parts of Europe. What could possibly go wrong? 

In the past a book like this wouldn't have grabbed my attention but this one did. Apart from the odd frustrating storyline Sixty Summers by New Zealand-born writer Amanda Hampson was a thoroughly good read. 

Reading it made me think of a friend who recently travelled various parts of the world with another friend to celebrate a big birthday. They had a T-shirt made listing the countries on the back to be ticked off as they visited them. They also had a cap emblazoned with" Kiwi Chicks on Tiki-Tour 2019". Such a creative idea and I loved seeing all the photographs she posted along the way. 

Back to the book Maggie, Fran and Rose met when they were young. Maggie and Rose live in Australia and Fran lives in the UK. They catch up with each other regularly with Fran connecting via technology. In their 20s they backpacked through Europe. Life has taken interesting turns for the trio since then with family, business and bookshop commitments. 

Forty years have passed and realising they need a break away the trio meet up in Europe to retrace the journey they took in 1978. Rose has planned the trip. They stay in more upmarket accommodation than their earlier journey and eat out but the trip is not really working. That is until Maggie spontaneously buys a clapped out van and they continue on their way.

It wasn't until I was two thirds of the way through the book that I researched the author and found out that Hampson was born in Wellington, New Zealand and now lives in Australia. 

A great story that kept my attention to the end. Four out of five stars.  

  

Summer of '69

I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction but I do enjoy books that are set around the time I was born or just a few years before like this book.

The author of Summer of '69 Elin Hilderbrand has written 23 books in her 50 years of life and this book is her latest. I was struggling to find a book to read and this book on our new release stand at the library where I work caught my eye.

Hilderbrand writes in an author's note at the end of the book that she wrote this book after her twin brother Eric suggested she should. She dedicates the book to him. Elin and Eric were born in 1969 the day after the first man landed on the moon.

This book centres around the Levin family Kate and David and children - Blair whose married and pregnant with twins, younger sisters Kirby and Jessie and their brother Tiger who is serving in the Vietnam War. There's also their grandmother Exalta who has her own way of doing things.

Kirby is single and trying to make her own way in life while Jessie has just reached her teenage years and all that comes with being a 13-year-old in that era.

The book is mainly set on two islands in the United States - Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. There are references to the Kennedy family, the first moon landing, President Nixon, the Vietnam War, racial inequalities and the Woodstock music festival.

This is the first book by Hilderbrand that I've read and it won't be the last. I loved her writing style.

Four out of five stars for this great piece of fiction.

The Flatshare

Tiffy and Leon share a bed. Tiffy and Leon have never met. 

I was in two minds about whether to review this book The Flatshare but I thought I would because I enjoyed the writing style of British author Beth O'Leary.

Struggling to find something to read, I saw this book and it had some appeal. I don't know why because I could sense it was chick-lit (a genre I'm not a huge fan of) and it is but there's a lot more to this book.

Leon advertises for a flatmate - to help make some extra money to pay the costs of the appeal for his wrongfully imprisoned brother. 

Tiffy needs somewhere to live after finally making a break from her ex-boyfriend. She moves into Leon's home except she doesn't meet Leon. He works nights and is away from home at the weekend. Tiffy works days and is home at the weekend. They share the same bed but obviously not at the same time. They start leaving notes for each other and soon the flat is full of post-it notes. Books on crochet, modelling crochet pieces, Hospice care and promoting books are among some of the other subject matter within the book.

I gobbled up about two thirds of this book and then it started to get too much into the realms of chick-lit and a bit too much romance for my liking. 

But I kept on. It is a light, quirky and funny read and to think O'Leary managed to write the first draft of the book during her daily train commute to and from work. 

Three stars from me.

55, Underemployed, and Faking Normal

American author Elizabeth White had it all - advanced degrees from Harvard and Johns Hopkins University, an outstanding employment history and she'd started a business.

But the business failed and in her mid 50s White struggled to re-enter the workforce. She decided to write about her experience in an essay entitled "You Know Her''. The essay was posted on a Facebook page and within three days attracted 11,000 likes and over 1000 comments by many sharing similar experiences.

People wrote to her about their experiences too, many of which feature in this book 55, Underemployed and Faking Normal.

The book talks about the retirement schemes in the United States but it also shares a lot of tips about how to downsize, how to make the most of what you have and to make sacrifices so you can have the things that matter most. It talks a lot about the importance of not harking back to what you had or trying to impress others but to be content with how life is now.

White emphasizes the importance of forming friendships with others in the same boat and meeting regularly to look at ways to help each other in the latter years of working life when it can be tough to find work. The book lists a number of websites baby boomers can use to help them find work.

She talks about a woman she met called Zoe who was 62 and had $31 to her name. Zoe had never been so happy or grounded. She paid money to keep her possessions in a storage unit and after a year she couldn't remember what was in the unit and sold or gave all her possessions away. There are many powerful stories in this book about people like Zoe who have learnt to be happy with much less.

Couldn't put this book down. A great read!