Book Review: The Maid by Nita Prose

 

 

 

I received a copy of this book months before its release date and I hadn't heard much about it, so I wasn't quite sure what expect. Well, I must say that from the first page, I was hooked! To say I loved this book would be an understatement! 

The main character is 25 year-old Molly, who works as a maid at The Regency Grand Hotel, which is a 5 star establishment.
Molly is socially awkward and interprets things differently to those around her. She was raised by her beloved grandmother who always made sense of things for Molly, but since her grandmother's recent passing, Molly now resides alone in a rundown apartment block. She has no friends and enjoys jigsaw puzzles and ice-cream. She also loves having everything spotless and in order.

Molly takes pride in her job as a maid, and thoroughly loves what she does, and whilst many of her co-workers think she is weird, there are thankfully some that like her, including the doorman, Mr Preston.

One day when Molly is on her rounds cleaning various hotel suites, she enters the room of an infamous guest named Mr Black, and makes the gruesome discovery of finding him dead in bed. Before she can make sense of things, Molly is targeted as the prime suspect of the crime!

Molly needs to find a way out of this mess, but isn't sure who can she turn to. Who can she trust to help her? You will have to read it and see.

The Maid is a spectacular debut novel; highly engrossing and entertaining, and I adored Molly so much. Her 'voice' makes the story what it is, and I was cheering for her all the way and wanted to give her a cuddle so many times throughout the story. I highly recommend The Maid (and I was also thrilled to discover that this will be adapted to a movie as I look forward to seeing how the two compare).  

The Maid is available from Harper Collins Australia, RRP $29.99

Book Review: The Islands by Emily Brugman

I was recently given the opportunity to read The Islands with thanks to Allen & Unwin. This was a different style of story to what I have read lately, and it was told very well and with a lot of heart. The author has researched the topic of migration in detail, and has drawn on her family's own personal experience which added another level of depth.

The story begins on the coastline of Western Australia where Finnish migrants Onni and Alva Saari, along with their baby daughter Hilda, set up camp on a tiny island known as Little Rat to begin their lives as a fishing family, in particular, fishing for crays. It is the mid 1950's and the decision to migrate is made once Onni receives some sad news about his brother Nalle. It isn't long before Onni is hooked in by the exquisite landscape. As the story unfolds, it spans over the years, and we learn about each of these three characters more.

Onni is an ambitious young man who aims to provide for his family. He works hard and wants to make a great future for his wife and daughter.

Alva is a quiet yet determined woman who has had to deal with her share of tragedy from a young age. She struggles to fit in and make friends as she has a hard time of communicating with people in English.

As Hilda grows into a young woman, she learns about life near the coast, and dreams of becoming the skipper of her own fishing boat. She can be complicated at times, but it is all part of growing up.

Together, they face many struggles but they do their best to make things work. Like the other families that have migrated there, they slowly adapt to their new life and eventually make friends within the community.

The book is told in two parts, first, when the family is in the West and then when they travel back to the East where Onni gets a labouring job in the Australian Capital Territory.

It reverts back and forth through time and I felt that it may have benefited from a date being included at the start of each timeline change, or some sort of indicator that the story had shifted in time as it confused me (briefly) on more than one occasion. 

Whilst this story is fictional, it captures the real story of the migratory path that Finnish people took (including the author's grandfather). It was interesting to learn about their journey, as I wasn't aware of it prior to reading this book. 

The Islands is available through Allen & Unwin, RRP $29.99

The Happiness Trap (2nd edition) by Dr Russ Harris

 

 

 

 

The first edition of The Happiness Trap sold over 1 million copies and has been translated into more than 30 different languages. In this new updated and expanded edition, there are many tips and lots of useful information for anyone who may be suffering with anxiety and depression, battling an illness, coping with grief or loss, or being in a high-stress situation, including at work.

Dr Russ Harris is a medical practitioner, psychotherapist, and bestselling author, and he uses the scientifically-proven model of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (a practice which is now recommended by the World Health Organisation). 

I, like so many others, have anxiety, and over the years, I have tried many things to help. I am now able to manage it a lot better, but am always on the lookout to educate myself further and to find ways that may help even more. It sometimes isn't easy, especially when you are not used to making time for yourself or putting yourself first, but it is achievable. Books such as this one can be helpful for those people like myself who want to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

In The Happiness Trap Dr Harris explains that when we want to increase our happiness, we often try hard to avoid or eliminate unwanted thoughts, but by putting in the effort to do so, it has an adverse reaction and leads to creating more difficult thoughts and feelings. He explains how to deal with 'emotional storms' by noticing and naming our feeling and thought processes. 

Dr Harris also explains how we tend to get hooked on negative thoughts and emotions, and implements strategies to help with it so that we respond to those negative things differently. He also points out ways that our emotions help us and serve three main purposes - communication, illumination and motivation. 

The topic of mindfulness is also explored and explained, and there are tips on being more present in our day-to-day lives (this is something that I need to work on). 

Books like this one offer hope and encouragement, and if you put in the time to follow the techniques, it can really be beneficial.

The format of this book is easy to follow, and it is set out in 30 chapters. It can be read from cover to cover, or you could even break it down and read it over time and refer back to it as needed. 

The Happiness Trap is available through Exisle Publishing, RRP $34.99