FOLIO | BOOK REVIEW: THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY BY MATT HAIG

Review by Letitia Fitzpatrick

How many of us have wondered what would have happened if we had made different choices in our lives?  From the author of How to Stop Time, Reasons to Stay Alive and The Humans comes this unique, poignant novel about regret, hope and forgiveness, and a library which keeps second chances on its shelves. Matt Haig blurs the lines between genres, blending fantasy and myth with science fiction to create inventive and popular contemporary fiction.

Shortlisted for the British Book Awards Fiction Book of the Year 2021, The Midnight Library weaves magic from the first page. When Nora Seed finds herself in the library of the title, she has a chance to make things right by following different careers, undoing old break-ups, pursuing her passions, or travelling the globe.

Up until now, her life has been full of misery and regret.  She feels she has let down everyone, including herself, but things are about to change.  The books in the Midnight Library allow Nora to live as if she had done things differently.  With the help of an old teacher, she can now undo every one of her regrets, as she tries to work out her perfect life. But would any of these other lives truly have been better?   

Nora finds that things aren’t always what she imagined they would be if she had chosen a different road.  Before time runs out, she must search within herself for fulfilment, and find the best way she can to live her one precious life as well as discover what makes it worth living in the first place.

Matt Haig was born in Sheffield in 1975.  He writes books for adults and children, often blending the worlds of domestic reality and outright fantasy, with a quirky twist.  His bestselling novels are translated into 28 languages.

The Midnight Library is a warm, funny and uplifting read which is full of enchantment and food for thought.

LOCKDOWN LITERATURE - BEST COMFORT READING BOOK ROUNDUP by Rose Winter

With the extended, year-long lockdown hopefully almost over, most of us have been drawn to on-screen entertainment as a way to escape the everyday reality of being stuck at home. But if you’ve exhausted Netflix, or maxed out Amazon Prime through these last weeks of our imposed quarantine, we suggest turning to some good old fashioned books to spark your imagination and titillate the grey matter without the blue light of a screen. I have rounded up five of the best books from recent releases for a good dose of escapism and a chance to kindle a spark of hope or lift your mood.

Writers and Lovers, Lily King 

(Literary Fiction). 

This new novel from American author Lily King explores grief, love and passion through the life of a young author who finds herself at a crossroads in life. After the death of her mother, she is stuck between the pressure society puts on women her age and working on her novel. King’s sensitive dialogue is a delight, and this hopeful novel should be on the TBR list of everyone who wants to enjoy some uplifting emotional escapism. 

Conversations with Friends, Sally Rooney 

No doubt you have heard of Normal People by now, whether you’ve seen the series or just heard about *the* chain. The BBC adaptation of Rooney’s first novel, Conversations With Friends, is due to drop in 2022, so there is no better time to get all caught up with the work of this up-and-coming Irish icon. Conversations with Friends centres on two best friends who become entangled with the fate of a married couple in Dublin, and the fallout for their own relationship. This novel is a whirlwind tour of poetry, love, heartbreak, art, and everything in between. Personally, I found this novel even more compelling than Normal People, and I can’t recommend it enough for its sharp perceptions of what makes people love and leave each other. 

Such a Fun Age, Kiley Reid  

Fair warning - Reid’s debut novel is heavy going at times, for good reason. This striking new novel is an honest and sensitive portrait of race and youth in contemporary America. You will find yourself attached to the protagonist, Emira, from the very first page, and although the themes the novel raises are upsetting at times, Reid never fails to deal empathetically with these moments in gorgeous prose and dialogue. The reason I loved this novel so much was the way it makes you look within and question yourself, and the hope it offers up for people to be better versions of themselves. 

The Fire Starters, Jan Carson

Belfast author Jan Carson’s debut novel is not to be missed. Set in East Belfast, this tale of magic realism and darkness is the perfect choice for anyone who loves a novel that rests just between fantasy and reality. It is hard to look away from Carson’s fluent writing as it explores language, inheritance and chaos. She takes a city that you know and turns it sideways, making it unrecognisable and perfectly familiar at the same time. Get stuck into The Fire Starters if this appeals to you, and you won’t be disappointed. Look out for recent new work from this author too, she’s a must-read for literary types interested in Belfast. 

Sweet Bitter, Stephanie Danler  

You might be forgiven for thinking this novel will turn into a cliché at the very beginning: Tess jumps into her car with a few boxes and moves to New York City to make it big. Within a few pages, however, you will quickly become invested in this beautiful story about love, food and belonging. Emphasis on the food! Danler treats us to a wine soaked tour of New York through the perspective of this young woman who suddenly becomes involved in the high pressure world of fine dining. The best part is you will genuinely learn something about fine food, wine and culture in these pages, alongside the beautiful storyline. With a new series adaptation of this gorgeous novel recently released, this novel is the perfect read for some feel good escapism. 

Whether you are a keen reader or prefer to dip in and out of a book, try one of these titles with a hot drink and a moment away from the news, giving yourself a minute of downtime! What better way than to keep your spirits up while we wait for restrictions to be lifted? 

If, like me, you also want to continue supporting local and independent businesses while keeping up your book habit, you’re spoilt for choice. If you’re Belfast based, BooksPaperScissors and No Alibis are both still delivering orders over the lockdown, and have a great choice on their websites or can order titles in specifically. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, bookshop.org is a great alternative to Amazon at similar prices and delivery times.

FOLIO | BOOK REVIEW 'GROWN UPS' BY MARIAN KEYES

Grown Ups is a lively, fast-paced and moving story about a highly dysfunctional (although hilarious at times) Irish family, The Caseys, and all of their complex, entangled stories.

The three Casey brothers, their wives and assorted children all spend a lot of time together, but tensions are simmering under the surface from old resentments, second marriages, truculent teenagers, step-siblings and fears of insufficiency.  

Throughout the book the Casey clan delivers an endless amount of drama peppered by author Marian Keyes’s signature humour, while simultaneously addressing serious, real-life issues such as bulimia, anxiety, depression and alcoholism.

With the countless characters and their many complex relationships, the book can seem a little confusing at the beginning for some; but stick the pace because it all falls into place and, once finished, most are sad to see the complicated clan go. It’s a bit like arriving into a dinner party and immediately forgetting everyone’s names once you’ve been introduced, but as the stories unfold and the night passes, you put it all together.  Personally I didn’t need it, but the family tree at the beginning of the book ought to have helped some!

Keyes brilliantly captures the impossible paradox of being a 21st-century grown-up, furiously trying to keep up, pretending you know what you’re doing, never feeling like you’re enough, parenting children who seem more savvy than you, and sometimes just wishing someone else would sort it all out for you. Told from multiple points of view, Keyes knows best how to bring out her character insecurities and flaws, making them incredibly relatable – and perhaps this is why the book is such a hit.

Overall I found the book witty and engaging in a light-hearted and typically Marian Keyes way - it’s difficult not to become so immersed in the lives of these people that the pages just fly by – but it’s also a page turner for the more serious and powerful themes around the dynamics of family, marriage and body image. There really isn’t a dull moment, and this is tragicomedy at its heartbreaking and witty best…