Hello
and Happy Tuesday!
If there
is such a thing as a happy Tuesday, that is. I like to think there could be,
and I’m trying my best to do my bit in making this particular Tuesday as happy
as possible with the launch of my new segment: Book Club!
I know
that online Book Clubs are becoming increasingly popular, but I remain the most
avid reader I know, so no blog of mine would be complete without taking the
time every now and then to pay homage to works of literary genius (and the odd
chic-lit!). I’m going to try my best to publish a Book Club post once every
month and, I promise, I’ll try and keep them as spoiler-free as possible!
It
simply wouldn’t be right to launch my Book Club with anything other than the
trilogy that has filled almost all of my free moments this summer: the
ever-popular “Me Before You” trilogy
by Jojo Moyes. Each time I’ve hopped on a train, taken a lunch break or even
just sat down for a five-minute cuppa, these are the books that have been
keeping me company.
Or,
perhaps, it would be more accurate to say that the book’s heroine – Louisa Clark
– has been the one keeping me company. I see a lot of myself and my friends in
Louisa: her naïve optimism, ambition and occasional klutziness, which is
perhaps why I found her to be so easily relatable. She is not – like in many books
of similar genres – a city-dwelling marketing professional with a
hot-but-cheating boyfriend who dreams of nothing more than breaking into the
fashion industry, aided by a mysterious stranger who she, inevitably, later
falls in love with. No, Lou is a much more accessible, realistic character who has
big dreams and an even bigger heart, but no real clue what to do with them, and
as a recent graduate, this struck an all-too-familiar chord!
As many
of you probably know, the first book of the trilogy, Me Before You, was made into a major motion picture starring none
other than Game of Throne’s Emilia Clarke, and – for this reason – more people
than have read the book are familiar with its storyline, so I won’t go into too
much detail here. While the film manages to capture the book’s small-town charm
and quirky main character, there are certain elements of the plot that were
left out for ease of creation, but these add a whole new dimension to the book’s
characters which I believe should not be missed. Therefore, I would highly
recommend taking the time to read the first instalment, rather than skipping
straight to book two based on your knowledge of the film. You’d be missing out
if you did!
In an
effort to avoid spoilers, I’ll simply go on by saying that book two, the aptly
titled After You, takes place after a
pretty monumental event in Louisa’s life, which can be felt and empathised with
all the more having read its predecessor. As readers, we see where the events of
the previous book led Lou, and catch up with the changes in her life that have
come about since we last saw her. We witness her trying hard to move away from
the events of her past, but – despite her intentions – she has wound up in another
dead-end job with no clue what to do next. This monotonous routine of hers
makes it all the more flabbergasting when a huge reminder of her past manifests
itself, in a way that not even the reader would have thought possible. This
presents its own challenges, and quite dramatically imposes on Lou’s life,
which does not pass without consequence. Alongside this, after an accident of
her own, Lou becomes acquainted with “Ambulance Sam”, a paramedic who bears
demons of his own, but whose mutual dysfunction provides Lou with a sense of
much needed comfort.
These two
new chapters of Lou’s life occur not only simultaneously but at a time when she
least expects them (but, perhaps, most needs them), and the repercussions of
each new responsibility are both trying and rewarding. Much like the first
book, After You concludes with an
ending that is every bit as triumphant as it is compelling, leaving us wanting
more.
Thankfully,
since the third and final instalment is already published, we don’t have to
wait for long to satisfy our need to know how Lou is doing. Book three takes
off almost exactly where book two finished, making for a smooth reading
experience. In my humble opinion, book three – formally known as Still Me – is the most captivating of
the lot. Perhaps this was because I knew that it would be my last hurrah with
Lou, at least for now (hopefully not forever? Jojo?!), but I simply couldn’t put
it down.
Without
giving too much away, Louisa – once a waitress at a tiny café in her even
tinier town – finds herself living and working halfway around the world as an
assistant to the wife of a rich businessman. The new acquaintances from book
two, including Ambulance Sam, are still very much parts of her life, and the final
story sees her grappling with responsibilities old and new, as each vie to take
centre stage in her ever-chaotic life. As always for Lou, nothing is ever easy,
and we cringe/laugh/cry along with her as she makes sacrifices big and small to
make things work. Come the final few chapters, I couldn’t put the book down,
and devoured the remaining pages in a single sitting.
If you couldn’t
tell by now, I highly recommend this trilogy, especially as summer reads. They
are very easy-reading, and the plot manages to intertwine story-lines both
relatable and unimaginable, which is no mean feat. Jojo has long been a
favourite of mine, so I could be slightly biased, but I feel that this is justified.
She has a way of writing that makes you feel so “at one” with the character, as
if they were truly your friend. Even now, I find myself wondering how Lou is,
what she might be getting up to, and whether she is still where we left her at
the end of Still Me. While the books
may not be intellectually stimulating or lexically challenging, they provide
you with great company and heart-warming conclusions, which can be every bit as
rewarding.
I do
hope you take up my recommendation and give these books a go. Even if you don’t
read the trilogy successively, like me, each revisit to Lou’s world is as
enjoyable as the last, providing the reader with a comforting companion
wherever the delve back in.
If you
do decide to give Lou a go, or if you already have, please share your opinions
in the comments below! I’d love to know what you think of her stories. Until
next time!
Happy Reading!
E x
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