Book Review: The Book of Tomorrow by Cecilia Ahern

Well, I am not really sure what to say about this book as I am yet to make my mind up. It would be too easy to give the plot away so I shall give you the blurb:

Tamara Goodwin has always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow. Until a travelling library arrives in her tiny village, bringing with it a mysterious, large, leather-bound book locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to the core.
A mesmerising story about how tomorrow can change what happens today.

Firstly, I will say that I have read all of Cecilia Ahern's books and really loved them. As I have said many times on this blog, I really enjoy the fairy-tale element that she brings to her writing. However, something about this book just did not sit right with me. It took me quite a while to get into the story but I honestly think that has more to do with how distracted I have felt lately, rather than the book not catching my attention.
The main character is Tamara Goodwin and she is only sixteen. I think this is perhaps what I struggled with, obviously I was 16 once but I really found it difficult to identify with the character and I didn't really understand why Cecilia Ahern had chosen such a young protagonist.
The fairy-tale element of the book was my favourite part; I can't really go into detail as it will spoil it for those who haven't read it yet. I thought it was a brilliant idea but I feel that she could have done so much more with it.
As with all of Cecilia Ahern's books, I think there will be mixed opinions. I enjoyed it but I like her other books much more! You will have to give it a go and decide for yourselves!

Super Thursday!

So it was Super Thursday yesterday!! Apparently nearly 800 books have been published just in time for Christmas! So what took your fancy then? I didn't go to the shops yesterday but I did have a good look on the Internet to see what might happen to accidentally fall into my shopping basket at the weekend! At the moment I have quite a few books on my wish list, it's my birthday this month though so I am hoping that some of them will be finding their way to my bookcase!
Top of my list is The Book of Tomorrow by Cecilia Ahern, I have loved all of her books so far and this one sounds just as good, she brings a real fairy-tale element to her stories yet they are still entirely believable. I am really looking forward to reading Heaven Can Wait by Cally Taylor, this hasn't been published yet but it sounds like it's going to be a really good read and the cover is gorgeous! I've heard really good things about Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger so that is on the list too, as well as Kate Harrison's The Secret Shopper Unwrapped and of course Marian Keye's new book which is out at the end of the month, The Brightest Star in the Sky!! It's going to be a good winter for reading this year, lots of lovely new books to choose from!!

The Gift by Cecila Ahern

I missed this book when it came out at Christmas but finally got round to finishing it at the weekend. Although The Gift is set in the Christmas period, I still really enjoyed reading it over a sunny June weekend!

Basically the story revolves around the question of:

If you could wish for one gift this Christmas, what would it be?

Cecilia Ahern presents us with the character of Lou Suffern, he is a young, successful man with a wife and two kids who nearly always needs but fails to be in two places at the same time. One morning he meets Gabe who is homeless and begging outside of Lou's office building; he is intrigued by this man who looks remarkably similar to himself and so he finds him a job in the company's mail room. Lou starts to find Gabe's presence a little odd, how does he manage to be in two places at the same time? Christmas gets closer and Gabe seems to be interfering in Lou's life even more, trying to teach him the true value of time. Towards the end of the book Lou has begun to realise what is really important in life but then he has to learn the harshest lesson of all.

Once again Cecilia Ahern presents you with a slightly fairy-tale like story that is completely believable and absorbing. The book held my interest from the very beginning and there were many twists and turns that I would never have predicted. Lou Suffern is a fantastic character, you get a real feel for the scarily fast speed that he is living his life at and the many responsibilities that he is trying to juggle. Gabe is the true fairy-tale character of the story, we do not know who he is or where he has come from, yet his impact on the story is huge.
I would have liked to have read this book at Christmas but it was still lovely to read at this time of year. I felt that Cecilia Ahern really captured that time of year, with the hustle and bustle of Christmas shopping, the cold weather and the many social commitments that we all make. The book had a really lovely message that is relevant all year round, not just during the festive period. We do take people for granted sometimes and need a little nudge to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
If you are a Cecilia Ahern fan like me then I am sure you will really enjoy this book and if you haven't read any of her books then here is a good place to start. I can highly recommend reading a book set in December during this heatwave, all the talk of snow and biting winds cooled me right down!