Disaster Davis

Last month I posted ‘At Last! Beautiful Books and Time to get Involved!’ where I asked which book you’d like me to review next, I created the Twitter poll, received the results approximately a week later and now here we are. Did I love or loathe Nicholas Sparks’ ‘See Me’? Continue reading to find out!

“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover”, tough, because I’m including opinions on the aesthetics here, too! So, what did I think? The cover were attractive and actually looks as though it could be depicting a film adaptation, it shows a clear theme of romance and if you’re familiar with the work of Nicholas Sparks then you’ll know this to be a confirmation of that. The blurb - honestly? It failed to grip me. I adore Nicholas Sparks and always know I’m going to enjoy his books but I feel that I know what to expect, romance, plain and simple. Which is wonderful, but I wanted something a little different and I felt that I could predict the book based on the blurb, thinking that I knew exactly what were being hinted at with the mention of violence. Oh, I really didn’t have a clue, I also most definitely got my something different.

Before diving into the main story a prologue is included, providing a very unique, rather strange and unexpected start. With the direction it takes it’s evident that there’s a vast difference in regard to the expectations based on other work by Nicholas Sparks. This is continued throughout the book, most certainly destroying my assumptions in the most remarkable of ways. See Me takes the reader on an insane and unfathomable journey through a multitude of situations and emotions. Many factors make it easy to become utterly enthralled, each character is extremely different to another yet the dynamics between them work so effortlessly; despite heritage, social structures and past experiences, both main characters have their own dilemmas and face a range of challenges, there’s twists and huge shocks thrown in and whilst there’s an incredibly strong theme of friendship, family loyalty and love throughout there’s also hatred, obsession, threats and violence. Rather than a simple love story Nicholas Sparks has gifted the reader with an intricate and exciting web of constant action. This is absolutely thrilling to read, you’re kept hooked to the very end and it’s definitely taken joint top spot in my Nicholas Sparks favourites, alongside The Longest Ride. All I could do once I’d finished reading were chatter away to my Mom about how unexpected and brilliant it were - I can’t wait for her to read it too, this is a definite recommendation!


Have you read this? If so I’d love to know your thoughts, aside from the book itself nothing gets me more excited than a good discussion on the particular story in question. Lets face it, I live for books!

With Love,
Disaster Davis x

I recently mentioned the topic of today’s post in my ‘May Favourites’ and I’m especially enthusiastic to be writing about it now. I sure do appreciate a good book review and considerably more so when a book has provided me with so much to be enraptured by. Not got a holiday planned any time soon? Then instead come and escape to Zakynthos with me.



First things first, outside appearances. This book has a pretty enough cover of which promises an idyllic location, instantly resulting in making me crave a holiday! The blurb holds intrigue due to the secrets mentioned - I just can’t imagine what could be so perturbing about being required to go on a holiday to Greece! The acknowledgement of both a handsome neighbour and a boyfriend back home insinuates that there may be some confusion or conflict which alongside the aforementioned family secrets, further piques interest and the zeal to uncover all. There’s clearly a theme of self discovery contained within, which I’m sure won’t only resonate with myself and alone could prove to be enough to trigger appeal.



As is often usual, there’s a few brief reviews incorporated, alongside a thought provoking quote at the beginning, both of which aid to further the readers anticipation. The story starts with the prologue, this doesn’t make a lot of sense initially as the story hasn’t started although after progressing further into the book it fits snugly into place. I did find that the prologue offers the perfect opportunity for the reader to concoct their own theories as to who the characters are, where they fit into the story and where the tale is travelling to. This book is the perfect escapism from the very beginning as it engages the reader entirely.



So many factors contributed to finding myself effortlessly enraptured from start to finish, the relatable thoughts and feelings belonging to the main character as she were put on a roller coaster journey throughout a number of scenarios, pertinent descriptions and the adeptly constructed characters themselves as a whole, are to name a few. Unravelling throughout the chapters were small pieces of the puzzle, the perfect amount to eliminate potential tedium whilst holding back a considerable amount, further developing and maintaining intrigue. I were barely able to put the book down unless I absolutely had to and it goes without saying that I were devastated when the story came to an end. Throughout this utterly mesmerising tale Isabelle Broom took me on a whirlwind journey through love, loss, grief, guilt, adventure, friendship, secrets, lies, forgiveness and self discovery. I’d listed this book in my May Favourites before even reaching the midway point, knowing then that this were a truly remarkable work of art. I weren’t wrong! I’d go as far to say that My Map of You is one of my all time favourite reads and I can’t recommend it enough!

I’d easily rate this with the full five stars, from it’s intricate and well developed plot, fantastically created characters, well documented descriptions and the intensity to elicit feeling and emotion from the reader - how could I not?  It’s distinctly evident that Isabelle had explored every aspect of her plot and characters thoroughly when writing this book, far beyond what is shared with the reader, this is also a main reason as to why it’s proven such a rare gem. If you’re looking for a thought provoking, emotional roller coaster ride of pure genius then I suggest you give My Map of You a read. What are you currently reading and have you read this for yourself yet? Do you have anything that you’d like to recommend?

With Love,
Disaster Davis x

It’s been a rather substantial amount of time since I last posted a review of literature, hasn't it? Lets remedy this now!


As is apparent going by the title of this post, today’s book review is on ‘The Single Girl’s To-Do List’ by Lindsey Kelk. When doing what we’re always told not to, judging the book by it’s cover, I found it to be pretty and aesthetically pleasing - it definitely portrays a girlie vibe. The blurb worked wonders for reeling me in with the use of a slight list and promising me both romance and adventure. To myself, it sounded like a very fun, current and modern read which would be easily enjoyed by women of a wide variety of ages and probably some guys too - lets not go all stereotypical now! I were excited indeed to immerse myself in the fun frolics alongside Rachel, Emilie and Matthew, whilst learning just what it is that a single girl is to do!



From the start it were evident that this book would be an incredibly effortless and enjoyable read, particularly perfect for those long summer evenings or holidays, with a cool, fruity beverage to hand. The characters were undoubtedly relatable and I personally loved the fact that the main character, Rachel, had such a substantial obsession for lists, due to this I were provided with instant relatability. The chapters were short enough to avoid potential boredom, keeping the story moving at an appropriate pace and the storyline were especially realistic in that Rachel were in a typically normal everyday situation. Descriptions were kept concise which in my opinion were just right. I did notice that an assumption I made originally turned out to not be the case, I’d expected more, well, lists! I had thought that the chapters would maybe be titled with a new task on the list, which would have also been a great way to break up the different plot points, in fact the chapters were simply numbered.

When all is said and done this book proved to be an entertaining read, following themes of friendship, self discovery, change and of course, romance. I felt a few times as though the story weren't really getting started up until around the fifteenth chapter, although I feel that’s probably got more to do with myself and my current wanderlust rather than the book itself.

Have you perused this yourself yet? What were your thoughts? I’d definitely recommend this to any new singleton or somebody of which is getting a little bored of their single status, it’s just the reminder required for the realisation that you should be putting yourself first, living by nobody else’s rules and to get in the moment! Experience life and all it has to offer, be wild and free!



With Love,
Disaster Davis x