Reading is wonderfully, gloriously messy.
Honest reviews, cosy reading lists and all the bookish feelings, from one bibliophile to another.
The latest reviews
All reviews-
Chopsy: Resistance Tales of a Working-Class Woman · Maya Jordan
A book for all of us Chopsy women
This book is one that I didn’t know I needed in my life, but I’m so pleased to have stumbled upon it. Maya’s memoir is evocative and powerful. Being a proud, educated, and slightly chaotic,…
Alison
Rated 5 out of 5 23 Jul 2026 Spoiler free
-
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow · Gabrielle Zevin
There are books you read, and then there are books that quietly rewire something in you.
There are books you read, and then there are books that quietly rewire something in you. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow was exactly that for me. Gabrielle Zevin has written something…Alison
Rated 5 out of 5 22 Mar 2026 Spoiler free
-
Not Everyone Stays in the Light · A N Butler
Highly recommended to spooky-season readers
I jumped at the chance to read an ARC of Not Everyone Stays in the Light, thanks to @whimsywordspr and @annbutler2023. Released on 31st January, this is a perfect pick for anyone who loves…Alison
Rated 4 out of 5 30 Jan 2026 Spoiler free
A solid four-star read for me
“I was overjoyed to have been accepted on the Booktour for The French House Share, having received an ARC to read and review. It was the perfect antidote to the more emotionally exhausting books I've read recently ...…”
Alison
The French House Share by Gillian Harvey
Rated 4 out of 5 Reviewed January 2026 Recently shelved
The whole shelf
Shelf spotlight: Health
My highest-rated health reads. A different corner of the shelf gets the spotlight each week.
Pick my next read?
There are 2 books waiting patiently on my TBR pile. Spin the shelf and see what fate suggests.
Spectacular Things
by Beck Dorey-Stein
See this book
Wants and Needs
by Roxy Dunn
See this book
Last month in books
From the journal
All postsAlisonLiverpool Appreciation Post
Long before the almighty Reds took hold of my heart (as painful as that is right now), I loved so much about the culture of Liverpool. From being brought up listening to The Beatles to discovering Willy Russell, one of…
Read the post
Hi, I'm Alison. The messy reader.
A bookworm in Cumbria with an ever-growing TBR pile and a habit of starting new books before finishing the last one. I read across all genres, with a soft spot for contemporary fiction, gripping thrillers and anything that makes me cry on public transport. Honest reviews, real reactions, no pretension.