A Look Back at 5 Books We Loved in 2023
A wander through the Bee Local library and some of the books we loved in 2023
A Year of Marvellous Ways
by Sarah Winman
A story about Marvellous Ways, an eighty-nine-year-old woman who lives alone in a remote Cornish creek, spending her days sitting by the river, peering through a telescope. And it’s about Francis Drake, a young soldier who washes up in her creek.
We loved this story because of its hints of magic, of coping with loss and of love and waiting.
Sarah Winman is author of Tin Man, Still Life and If God Was a Rabbit – all beautifully written, Sarah paints pictures with words.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
by V E Schwab
At it’s heart the story is about whether we accept the path laid out for us or fight for something different and whether we can escape the consequences of our choices to achieve this. It’s a supernatural tale of immortality, a love story and a desire to be seen.
We didn’t really know what to expect with this but it’s intriguing premise kept us gripped and asking questions about what our own choices would be.
Good Material
by Dolly Alderton
For anyone who has ever gone through the madness of a break-up that wasn’t their choice, this book is highly relatable and often laugh out loud funny. Written from the man’s perspective, it captures the moments of insanity on a journey coming to terms with loss.
Also the author of the best selling (and TV series hit) Everything I Know About Love, – Dolly is able to capture and reflect back our feelings on life, love, family and friendships in a unique and insightful way.
The Bee Sting
by Paul Murray
It’s the story of a (very) dysfunctional family. A family where secrets abound, saving face is everything and tragedies of the past haunts the future. As with real life, humour is found in awful moments and while the wife and children go through their own trials their Dad opts to bow out of it all to build a bunker.
The One In A Million Boy
by Monica Wood
This is a beautiful story of an unlikely friendship between a boy and a woman aged 104 years. The story is frequently funny and the boy’s quirky characteristics draw you into his world. A world that also brings something to the adults who inhabit it at a time when nothing else could help them.
Would you like to share your top 5 books with Bee Local readers? Simply send an email to buzz@beelocalmagazine.co.uk
