Casual Vacancy

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I'm not quite sure what I expected from Rowling's first novel for adults, but this was not it. I am torn in my opinion of it as there were things I liked but overall its not a book I enjoyed reading. It is certainly not a book for everyone. And its not one that I will ever read over again. But, it is one that will probably stay with me forever. They say that art imitates life, and in this case it definitely does. But not the beatiful day at the beach picture, but the ugly side of humanity.

The book begins with the death of Barry Fairbrother, the main character. Even though he is deceased he plays a main part throughout the book. His life touched so many that even after he has passed his legacy lives on. Fairbrother occupied a seat on the council and with his death creates a casual vacancy. There is a scramble where each side tries to fill his seat and in the process all of their dirty laundry is aired. Pagford is filled with characters from all areas of life from the wealthy to the poor and drug addicted. And all the teens seem to be troubled.

The characters all seemed to be so real. Not just one or two of the main characters, but all of them were so well developed that you felt as though you were seeing through their eyes. However, the overall story seemed to have no point. We saw life in a small town where everyone has problems. I can see that in the small town that I live in. If you are looking for a happy ending, look elsewhere. It doesn't really end anywar, the story just seems to stop.

Overall, I liked it, sort of. It was well written, the characters were very real. But its not something that just grabs you and won't let you go. It worms its way in and haunts you when its over. I can't recommend this to anyone looking for an easy fun read. Its difficult to get into this book. I am glad that I read it, but there will be no re-reading this one.



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The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


There is so much more to this book than meets the eye. I won this from Popcorn Reads, so hats off to them for giving away such a great book.

Harold and Maureen are a retired couple in a loveless marriage. One day in the morning post a letter arrives for Harold from an old friend that he had worked with years before. Queenie is dying of cancer and saying her goodbyes. Harold replies to the letter and on his way to post it he just keeps walking. His walk becomes a pilgrimage and is so much more about the journey than the destination.

Through his walk Harold begins to see his life in a new way. He relives moments from his past and thinks about how he could have done things differently. Along the way he meets people that touch his life as well as giving them comfort. As he walks we learn about Harold and Maureen and what they have gone through over the years. How they drifted apart and burdens that they had to bear. The walk is so much more than just getting from point A to point B.

This is a wonderful story about life and love and over coming hardships and so much more. This isn't one to miss.



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The Little Giant of Aberdeen County

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County by Tiffany Baker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This one was a difficult one for me to rate. I would probably actually give this one 3.5 stars but I rounded up because I was so drawn in by the end that I couldn't hardly put it down.