Chloe's Bookish Corner

  In 18 th century France, Adeline LaRue wants more for her future than what’s in store for her. On the night of her wedding, she makes a deal with the devil to live forever so that she can do all the things that she has dreamed of, but the devil is always in the details. The condition of Addie’s deal is that no one will remember her. She can walk through the world like a ghost with unlimited freedom unprohibited by people’s memories of her not even remembering her name. On each year of the anniversary of their deal, the devil visits Addie to try and convince her to surrender her soul. But Addie has learned to fall in love anew every day, finding new things to explore. And then one day, she walks into a local New York bookshop and a man named Henry Strauss remembers her. 300 years alone with only the devil as company, Addie has found someone to confide in, but Addie must confront her fate.   This heartbreaking tale of a woman who is destined to be forgotten by anyone who ...

  The Couple follows the story of ambitious Milly in her journey to become the CCO of the company she works at called Slide, which is an app where people have casual, meaningless sex. This is considered the norm but being in a couple is perceived as abnormal and odd. Why would anyone want to be in a couple when people function better on their own? Besides, being in a couple takes time away from your friends, family, and career. Who would want that? So, when Millie is trusted with the campaign to develop a drug, called Oxytocin, which prevents people from falling in love she’s very excited to organise the campaign. But then she meets Ben. Funny, charming, and spontaneous; her exact opposite. And yet, Millie can’t help but feel drawn to Ben. Will Millie risk everything for Ben?   The concept of this book is amazing, clever, and witty. It is also a stark reminder of how a lot of people perceive being single. That it won’t last forever, that eventually everyone finds someone t...

     In Natsuko Imamura’s debut novel in English The Woman in the Purple Skirt follows the story of a woman who is notoriously noted for always wearing the same purple skirt, eating the same cream bun, and sitting in the same seat in the park. Children in the park play a game to try and get her attention and is subject to local intrigue about who she is. What the Woman in the Purple Skirt is unaware of is that there is someone watching her every move, not a stalker, but a friendly stranger. The Woman in the Yellow Cardigan, when not at work, is always watching the Woman in the Purple Skirt. After noticing that the Woman in the Purple Skirt is constantly in and out of work the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan manages to secure The Woman in the Purple Skirt a job at the same hotel that she works at much to the disgust of the other employees.      What begins as a friendly gesture from the Woman in the Yellow Cardigan slowly develops into an all-consuming obs...

  After a near-death experience, Nora wakes up to find herself in a library. A familiar face informs her that each book contained within the library is a different life that she could have led. When Nora reads the books of her other lives she is transported to exist within them to see how if she had made different decisions what the outcome of her life would be. Lives such as being in a famous band, being a world-class swimmer, or a glaciologist. Aiming to find her ideal life, Nora is finally able to explore all the “what if?” scenarios she often thinks about, but there is little time before the library collapses. Nora must decide on her perfect life.   I don’t know what I could possibly say about this book that hasn’t been said before. Matt Haig is a master of words, and his skill of storytelling is unbelievably captivating it will leave you yearning for more. The Midnight Library was my favourite book of 2020. Nora’s life has been miserable and when she decides to take her ...

  Earthlings tells the story of Natsuki and her cousin Yuu who meet each summer in the Nagano mountains and are convinced that one day a spaceship will arrive for them to take them to their home planet. When an event occurs that changes their lives forever they promise each other to survive no matter what. Now grown Natsuki is in an asexual marriage she finds that her past is creeping up on her and is threatening to take away the life she carefully built for herself. She and her husband flee back to the mountains and Natsuki must prepare herself for a reunion with Yuu after not seeing him for 23 years. Following on from Convenience Store Woman, Earthlings is a very different tale and is very out there in terms of themes. The theme of society as brainwashing people into work and reproduction is evident in both of Murata’s books, but Earthlings elevates the level that the characters are determined not to conform. After a series of horrendously traumatising events, Natsuki believes th...

  Keiko is a very unconventional 30-year-old woman. She has been working in the same convenience store for 18 years and shows no signs of changing. Her family wishes for her to get another job, and her friends are constantly asking her when she plans on getting married and settling down. But for Keiko these things are not important; her job at the convenience store is all that she needs to be happy.   Sayaka Murata crafts a book that is completely unique, and Keiko appears to be based on Murata’s own experiences as the author's profile reveals that she spent 18 years working in convenience stores before leaving to become a full-time writer. Keiko is a fun, quirky character who is unashamedly her own person. She cannot understand why people want to quit her job for something she wouldn’t enjoy or get married when she has no attraction to anyone as all she needs to be complete is her job at the convenience store. It just makes sense to Keiko, the way everything in the shop is ar...