#141 Long Bright River

 Long Bright River by Liz Moore 

Im not going to lie to you, i 100% bought this because it was on Obama's list of favourite books and thats enough for me to buy it and read it! Its not a book i have seen much on bookstagram and its honestly so underrated! 

Long Bright River is a story about two sisters, Mickey and Kacey who grew up in Pittsburgh. The story is told from Mickeys POV and is told in past and present tense. The sisters grew up in a very disfunctional household and didnt have any healthy adult role models which shaped who the sisters themselves became as adults. Mickey as a character who just did her best and wanted to suceed and do the right thing whereas Kacey who is slightly younger than Mickey was more of a rebel wild child who got into trouble a lot. 

At the beginning of the story we leap into present tense of Mickey as a police officer and Kacey is a drug addict. Mickey spends her time on the beat watching out for Kacey on corners or hanging out with her usual bad crowd even though the sisters are no longer close. Both sisters have their issues to deal with, Mickey is a single mother trying to juggle her career and her son whereas Kacey has her obvious struggles with addiction. 

The main plot kicks off when a series of murders take place and all of the victims are drug addicts. Mickey is trying to discover who is behind the murders and the foul play behind them. When Kacey disappears Mickey becomes overly obsessed with finding this killer and finding out what has happened to her sister. 

I really loved the writing, i was completely enthralled by the story and cannot remember a time i was that emmersed in what was happening in a book. The author does a great job of fully sucking you in. The characters are so flawed and well written. I loved the past and present tense and the themes are so relevant to todays modern society and things that are happening in families all over the world. The drug addiction theme was very eye opening, ive read books featuring drugs before but this book did an excellent job of showing you a rounded view of the amount of people it affects, the addict themself, the family, the wider community and also the strain it puts on local law enforcement. The broken family dynamic was so powerfully written. What i will say is that its not a fast paced book, its such a slow burn. There is so much character development throughout, the characters are so real. Such a gripping novel, thanks Obama ;) 

#140 The Cactus

 The Cactus by Sarah Haywood 

I never would have picked this book up if it hadnt been a Reeses Book Club Pick, im not much into romance books so dont tend to buy or read them usually but i thought id give this one a go as im slowly making my way through all of the Reeses books and im so glad i did as it was such a pleasant surprise!

In this book we follow our main character Susan Green, Susan is a no nonsense woman who knows exactly what shes doing and when shes doing it. Susans life is very mundane and planned out, she isnt spontanous and she doesnt take risks. We learn very early on in the book that Susan is pregnant which was very much not a part of her plan. Susan doesnt have a serious boyfriend and is 45 years old so becoming pregnant was a massive shock to her. 13 years prior to the present time line in the story Susan answers an ad for a 'no strings attached' ad for a companion/lover, someone to go to nice dinners, plays and the opera with as well as the physical side of a relationship minus all the feelings and attachments that come with a relationship. Susan didnt want to share a life with anyone and for 13 years her needs were very much met through this companion ad, the man in question Richard felt the same way but when Susan discovers she is pregnant she cuts things off with Richard without explanation and decides to raise the baby by herself. 

Another side plot in this story is that at the beginning Susans mother dies and her estranged brother Edward  calls to give her the news but to also list his mothers wishes on what will be done with her estate which she has left to her son. Edward and Susan are polar opposites, whilst Susan has plans and contingencies in place in order to support herself Edward is very non chalant and takes life as it comes. Their mother recognised this and wanted to provide for Edward after her passing so left the house to him when Susan disagrees with this decision she decides to contest the will and fight against her mothers wishes in order to sell the house and split the money between them. Susan believes that Edward influenced their vulnerable mother into making this will 2 months before her death. Susan has a difficult time believing that their mother would cut her out like this. In Susans mind she was relying on her inheritance to help buy a flat and to further help her raise her unborn child. 

When Susan goes back to her home town and her childhood home for her mothers funeral she runs into her brothers friend, Rob. Shes immediatley suspicious of him as she thinks hes in cahoots with her brother in conspiring against Susan. Rob tries to reassure her that he wants to stay neutral and not get involved in their sibling issues but Susan is so closed off to people that she is very wary of him from the get go. Susan tries to use Rob to gain more information about their late mother and Edwards, anything that will help her in her fight to have the will ammended and her equal share of the estate. Susan also tries to get closer to her mothers sister, her neighbours and her mothers vicar in order to slightly manipulate them into agreeing to join her side. Lots of family secrets come out that rock Susans world and change everything she thought she knew. 

During the story we get some flashbacks to Susan and Edwards childhood to further understand their relationship which was really insightful and really supported the over arching story. I adored this book, i loved the simplicity of the story. It flowed so well and i couldnt put it down. Yes it did remind me of Eleanor Oliphant but it was also a very different story. The only similarities between them is that it follows two single women who are 'set in their ways' and enjoy their own lives and routine. I can understand that but thats where the similarities end for me. Susan is a very flawed yet real character, she is very relatable and even though she is difficult you find yourself rooting for her throughout regardless. I also liked the romance, it was very natural and not over done. The book is a very light and quick read about love, family and the importance of trusting and letting people in.