Book Review: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

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Mad Mabel  by Sally Hepworth  is a domestic thriller about the youngest person convicted of murder in Australia, Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick. Now 81 years old, Elsie is living on Kenny Lane and has been for the past sixty years. When a mother named Roxanne moves into Mabel's neighborhood with her seven year old daughter, an unlikely friendship forms between Elsie and the seven year old child named Persephone. As Elsie's secrets come to light, her world comes crashing down.  Having read quite a few novels by Sally Hepworth, I requested an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Mad Mabel  without reading the synopsis of the story. I was thrilled when NetGalley and St. Martin's Press approved my request. The expected publication date of the book is April 21, 2026. Not knowing anything about the storyline before I started reading Mad Mabel  made the story much more interesting to me as I had no preconceived ideas. The tale was told from Mabel's perspective in alternating timeli...
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Book Review: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

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Book Club Book Review of Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman opens with the people at an apartment viewing being taken hostage after a bank robber fails at trying to rob a bank. 

I was extremely excited to read Anxious People and got the ebook on sale. However, I never got around to reading the book until one of my book clubs decided to discuss it for the month of June. I am saddened to say that I was extremely disappointed in the story as it wasn't what I was expecting.

First and foremost, I found the book to be too long and thought it could have easily been shortened without it affecting the story. Additionally, I struggled with finishing it because it was painfully slow and boring. I found myself wondering if the author was ever going to get to the big reveal. It seriously felt like required reading for school, and if I wasn't reading Anxious People for book club, I wouldn't have finished the book.

There was so much hype about this novel, and I'm not quite sure why. It just wasn't for me, and I don't foresee myself reading any other of the author's books. With that being said, you may absolutely love it, so give it a whirl, and let me know what you think.

I rated Anxious People by Fredrik Backman three out of five stars. The author redeemed himself a bit with the ending because I was originally going to give it two stars. 

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