Hi everyone, this week’s post is a booklist of titles that I read after I watched the Netflix version. Yes, I know, not the best first impression from a librarian, but at times, binge-watching a funny series or escaping into a movie keeps the heart warm. So, if you’re interested to see which titles ended up on this list, press below…
This first title is one I watched with my older niece, and found myself drawn to the quirky and funny Harriet Manners. Geek Girl by Holly Smale (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2013) takes readers into the school life of book-smart, often funny but charming in a quirky way, Harriet Manners. She knows so many facts about nearly everything but she doesn’t know why nobody at school seems to like her. So when she’s offered the chance to reinvent herself as a model, Harriet grabs it. Told in Harriet’s quirky and original voice, this gorgeous read had me snorting with laughter or tearing up, sometimes at the same time. This first book takes our Geek Girl on her unexpected adventure into fashion starting from Birmingham and onto London and even Moscow!! Following the series, readers get to travel along with Harreit as she navigates teen dramas, first blooms of romance along with professional calamities at the hands of jealous supermodels. Although there is only one Netflix series based on the first book, readers of the rest of the series of books will find themselves falling in love with this lovable Geek!!
Dash and Lily by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan (Allen & Unwin, 2020) is a similar series that caught my attention while I was looking for a good Christmas drama to watch with mum. This teen literary rom-com is one that will keep you gripped at every page. Told in the dual voices of two sixteen-year-olds in Dash and Lily, we as readers are taken to New York City. This first book of the series begins just before Christmas inside Lily’s favourite bookshop, The Strand. She hides her red notebook in the hopes of finding love. She hoped the right guy would rise to the literary clues and weird challenges she has set inside. When Dash finds her notebook on the shelves, he accepts her challenge. As they begin to send each other on a scavenger hunt all across Manhattan, Dash and Lily are falling in love with each other on the page. Discovering if they have the same chemistry in person could be their biggest dare yet. The writing in this amazing collaborative piece had me spellbound from the beginning. Truth be told, I only read the book after watching the Netflix series. Dash and Lily are two memorable characters that will have you racing for this book and the rest of the series every Christmas, just like how we watch the Home Alone series!!
The Last Letter from your Lover by Jojo Moyes (Hodder & Stoughton, 2010) was a title I found myself drawn to after watching the movie on Netflix. I had to wait a bit to read my library copy as many others had the same idea. This was one of those books that had alternating timelines, the historical one set in the 1960’s where readers get to witness the life of luxury Jennifer Stirling lives and the alternating contemporary one in 2003 where journalist Ellie Haworth stumbles on a set of passionate love letters from the past. As Ellie pieces together the fragments of the past romance, what she unearths dramatically transforms her life, and Jennifer’s in the process. This was one of those few that were better on screen because of the change in cinematography that gave a clear distinction between the two time periods. The lives of young Ellie and Jennifer seem to be mirrored in some way. The romances of the two are exquisitely written. I loved every single chapter of this read. Told in Moyes’ signature style, we’re hopeful, teary and uplifted to a hopeful ending.
This last read is a book I didn’t expect. Penguin Bloom: the little bird who saved a family by Cameron Bloom & Bradley Trevor Grieve (HarperCollins Publishers, 2016) is a gorgeous pictorial memoir of sorts. This is a true story of hope and courage. It begins with a shocking accident, in which Cameron’s wife, Sam, suffers a near fatal fall that leaves her paralyzed and deeply depressed. Into their lives comes Penguin, an injured magpie chick abandoned after she fell from her nest. Penguin’s rescue and the incredible joy and strength she gives Sam and all those who helped her survive demonstrates that, however bleak things seem, compassion, friendship and support can come from unexpected quarters, ensuring there are always better days ahead. This plucky little magpie reminds us all that, no matter how lost, fragile or damaged we feel, accepting the love of others and loving them in return will help to make us whole. I truly loved every single page of this book. The way the family’s journey from heart-rending tragedy towards healing is beautifully captured in Cameron Bloom’s amazing photography. The movie adaptation is really amazing to watch, you may need to keep well stocked with tissues on hand though!!
Well, there you have a short booklist of titles you can watch at your leisure and maybe read at the same time. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did!!
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 