Today we’re diving into the Bellwoods book club and sharing our latest reads with you. We’re so lucky to have our friends at the bound as neighbours, so we’re never short on new things to read and recommendations.
This was Nathalie’s relaxing holiday read and as it makes its way around the team - we’re wondering whether this is actually one for the sun lounger or not..
This dystopian novel introduces us to Calla who is a blue ticket. When the women in this world come of age, they receive either a blue ticket or a white ticket which dictates whether they will have children or not. We follow Calla’s journey navigating life with a blue ticket round her neck and lots of twists and turns along the way.
This one is not for the faint-hearted but draws eerie comparisons to real world societal norms which made us think. It has been marmite amongst the team so we’d love to hear your thoughts too, whether you loved it or hated it.
Yellowface comes highly recommended as one of the top new books to read this summer. The story is about author June Hayward who makes the gut-wrenching decision to publish her late friend Athena’s novel in her own name and as the story unfolds, we learn just how far she’s willing to go to protect her secret.
We found the protagonist unlikable which made for an uncomfortable read at times but the storyline is totally unique. It delves into friendship, jealousy, the competitive world of publishing and cultural appropriation.
The story did leave us feel a little like we were missing something but the twists and turns make it a page turner. This one is absolutely worth a read.
This title grabbed our attention then when we found out it was a tell all memoir from an ex-Disney child star, we had to read it.
McCurdy tells us her story from the beginning to present day taking us through her abuse, eating disorders and what it was like to attempt puberty in the spotlight. Her childhood was taken away by the Hollywood machine and her overbearing mother and she survived to tell the tale with her sense of humour still intact.
It’s a harrowing but deeply encouraging book about resilience and recovery and we’re pleased we got to hear her story.
We’re big fans of Schitt’s Creek and when we found out one of the screenwriters, Monica Heisey, had written a novel we knew we had to read it.
Her character Maggie is a deeply relatable 29-year-old navigating newly single life. We see her make some bad decisions that make us feel better about our own bad decisions and feel true kinship with her as she gets to know her takeaway delivery driver and takes up ‘hobbies’.
Maggie is no David Rose but we love her all the same and she gives us hope for moments after loss. This one is a comforting and funny read perfect for Sunday afternoon escapism.