In this installment of the Mirror Book Club , our reviewers encounter social awkwardness, a chance to WIN the next thriller from the author behind the smash hit Emily Blunt film Girl on the Train, and candid thoughts on outspoken songstress Lily Allen's memoirs.
Take your pick from our best new reads and see what our Mirror Book Club readers think of our latest picks...
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor is an isolated, socially awkward woman with a devastating past.
While trying to make the frontman of a local band fall for her, she forms an unexpected bond with an unlikely colleague. But is it too late for Eleanor to find contentment?
“Loved this book,” said Marie Lee. “I thought the characters were great.” Steve Burghard agreed: “It was a brilliant read. So well written with characters for whom you had so much empathy. Cannot recommend this book highly enough.”
“Not many books make you laugh and cry on the same page,” said Helen Ferguson.
But Ally Fletcher wasn’t impressed. “I really didn’t enjoy it. Got very frustrated with her,” she said.
And Jackie Moore found it “a little boring”.
What did you think?
Join the Mirror Book Club Facebook group and let us know.
Three Women
by Lisa Taddeo
Journalist Lisa Taddeo spent eight years researching the lives of three women and their desires in a slice of non-fiction that reads like fiction. Maggie was seduced by her teacher; Lina is having an affair as her husband refuses to kiss her, and Sloane’s bloke gets his kicks watching her have sex with other men. This fascinating book shows the women’s attempts to find sexual pleasure often leave them feeling powerless.
Bloomsbury, £16.99
Review by Eithne Farry
My Thoughts Exactly
by Lily Allen
In her memoir, singer Lily Allen describes an unhappy childhood (dad Keith was more interested in womanising than parenting), her rise to fame via MySpace, a fraught relationship with fame, doomed romances and her painful path to parenthood.
She writes with extraordinary and admirable honesty, but a tendency to blame others for every misfortune may rankle.
Blink, £8.99
Review by Charlotte Heathcote
Blink, £8.99
Our next Mirror Book Club read is...
Into The Water
Paula Hawkins (Black Swan £7.99)
Into The Water is Paula Hawkins’ follow-up to The Girl On The Train which sold 18 million copies and was made into a hit film starring Emily Blunt.
Jules Abbott begrudgingly returns to her Northumbrian home town of Beckford after her estranged sister Nel is found dead in the local drowning pool.
But Jules knows Nel would never have jumped in.
She determines to find out what really happened but, as the story unfolds, it seems that everyone, from the detective investigating Nel’s death to staff at the local school, has something to hide.
How does Paula Hawkins’ new novel compare with runaway bestseller The Girl On The Train?
If you give it a read, please let the Mirror Book Club know what you think. We’ll share your feedback here on August 23.
You can also share your thoughts in the Mirror Book Club at facebook.com/groups/mirrorbookclub , on Twitter using
@MirrorBookClub.
- We have 25 copies of Into The Water to give away. For a chance to win, join our Facebook group here