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Gavin Williams

@gavinslibrary

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Reading my way through life 📚 🏳️‍🌈
CR: Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
2026 Reads: 34

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The Girl on the Cliff – Lucinda Riley

Another brilliant $5 find from the back corner of a shady, dusty bookshelf. I'm beginning to think some of my favourite reads aren't necessarily the ones with the bestseller stickers or the endless Bookstagram hype.

Set across Ireland, New York and London, Lucinda Riley weaves together two timelines, generations of family history and a rather complicated family tree. There's plenty to unravel, and while it takes a little concentration to keep track of who's who, the intrigue kept me invested. And thank God for that family tree diagram halfway through the book. An absolute lifesaver!

I found myself much more drawn to the historical storyline and the older generation. I've always had a soft spot for stories set in Ireland or London, particularly those that take me back to another time. There's something about those settings that I find difficult to explain. They feel strangely familiar, almost like going home. And this story gave me plenty of that.

Riley's writing is engaging, the storytelling has real depth, and there were moments that caught me off guard.

Perhaps it was the Irish setting, perhaps the family history, or simply the characters, but this was a story I was genuinely happy to spend time with.

Another reminder that you don't need a bestseller sticker to find a bloody good book. by @gavinslibrary

The Five People You Meet in Heaven — Mitch Albom

One of those random $5 book finds that turned out to be a little gem.

A short, easy read that leaves you with plenty to think about.

Through the idea of what happens after death, Albom explores how our lives intersect with others, how people shape us in ways we don't always recognise, and whether there's a bigger reason behind the things that happen to us.

Perhaps we have a greater impact on people's lives than we'll ever know. The smallest actions, things we barely give a second thought to, can change someone's life dramatically, for better or worse. We may never realise the impact we've had, or how even the briefest of encounters can shape another person's life in ways we could never imagine. And perhaps there's a reason we're here, even when we question why we've survived and others haven't.

I finished this book appreciating its message, but still questioning it. A thoughtful little reminder not to take our place in this world for granted.

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #readersofìnstagram #thefivepeopleyoumeetinheaven by @gavinslibrary

A Thousand Splendid Suns — Khaled Hosseini

A Thousand Splendid Suns opened my eyes to a world I knew very little about.

Set against roughly thirty years of Afghanistan's history, Hosseini tells the story of Mariam and Laila, two women whose lives are shaped by war, political upheaval and Taliban rule.

The treatment of women was particularly confronting, especially how their suffering was treated as normal.

One thing I hadn't fully appreciated before reading this book was that Afghan women had been doctors, teachers, professors and leaders. They could also dress freely, wear makeup and express themselves through fashion. Not every woman had those opportunities, but I'd never really understood how much women's lives and freedoms had changed over time.

I think I'd come to see their oppression as something that had always been the norm, rather than understanding the history behind it.

Hosseini takes the history of a country, the kind of history that can feel distant when we hear about it in the news, and makes it deeply personal. These aren't just headlines about war and political conflict. They're real people, families and children whose lives are being destroyed.

I went into this book expecting a heavy, difficult read, but I found it surprisingly easy to get through. I thoroughly loved the way Hosseini weaves Afghanistan's history into the story, making something that can feel distant and unfamiliar so personal and real.

There's a line on page 384 that really struck me: “Every Afghan story is marked by death and loss and unimaginable grief.”

I finished this book with a much greater appreciation of Afghanistan's history and a deeper understanding of what its people have endured. I'm humbled by what I've learned. It's made me think about how much we don't know about the lives of ordinary people living through these conflicts, and how easily their suffering can become just another news story.

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #readersofìnstagram #athousandsplendidsuns by @gavinslibrary

Normal People — Sally Rooney

A story about love, intimacy and the lasting impact one person can have on another’s life.

Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small Irish town, developing a complicated relationship that follows them from school into university. They repeatedly find their way back to each other, despite never quite knowing how to make the relationship work.

They understand each other extremely well and yet communicate terribly. That contradiction felt like the heart of their relationship to me. So much of what happens between them comes down to things left unsaid and an inability to ask for what they actually need.

It should be noted as well that there are some pretty heavy themes throughout — suicidal thoughts, depression, physical and sexual assault, emotional abuse and unhealthy relationships. I became genuinely concerned for both Marianne and Connell at different points, and found myself expecting the story to head somewhere much darker.

Which brings me to the ending. I expected it to hit me harder emotionally. I cared about these characters and was invested in what happened to them, but after some of the darker moments, I was expecting a much bigger emotional payoff. Ultimately, the story left me thinking more than feeling. I wanted more from the ending, and I didn't get it.

I also never really warmed to Rooney’s decision to write dialogue without quotation marks. I understand the choice, but I often found myself stopping to work out whether something was being said, thought or simply described.

There is a lot to admire here, though, and ultimately, Rooney really does capture the lasting effect another person can have on your life.

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #readersofìnstagram #normalpeople by @gavinslibrary

Enough by Dawn French

This was one of those easy, comfortable reads that quietly kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed the characters, stayed interested in where the story was heading, and found plenty along the way to make me think about life, death and the idea of when enough is actually enough.

At its heart, it’s a story about choice, family and the complicated question of who gets to decide what’s best for us. It made me think about some of life’s bigger questions without ever feeling like it was trying too hard to give me all the answers.

And for a book so preoccupied with death, it has a surprising amount of life in it — including plenty of humour.

I also have to mention the font. Absolutely loved it. My ageing eyes would like to thank Dawn French personally.

Would I read it again? Probably not. Would I recommend it to a friend? Probably. Just don’t expect to finish it feeling hugely enlightened or like you’ve unlocked the meaning of life.

Thoughtful, funny and easy to read, this was a nice change from the heavier books I’ve been picking up lately. Sometimes you don’t need a book to change your life. Sometimes it’s enough to just enjoy the story.

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #readersofìnstagram #enough by @gavinslibrary

The Thirteenth Tale 📖

A gothic mystery packed with secrets, stories within stories, and a family history that kept me guessing right to the end.

Reclusive author Vida Winter finally agrees to tell her life story to Margaret Lea, a young biographer who is determined to uncover the truth behind it.

I really enjoyed the storytelling in this one. Those little stories woven throughout the main story weren’t just fillers — each one slowly added another piece to the bigger picture, which I loved.

The mystery kept me questioning everything, and even when I thought I had it figured out… nope.

But while I enjoyed it, I didn’t quite get the emotional connection I was hoping for. I read to feel connected to a story and its characters, and that’s what I was missing here. For me, that’s usually what takes a book from good to really memorable.

I enjoyed the story, but there was no emotional hangover. And apparently, that's the kind of hangover I actually want. 😂

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #readersofìnstagram #thethirteenthtale by @gavinslibrary

The Song of Achilles — Madeline Miller.

I’ll be honest… Greek mythology has never been something I’ve had much interest in. Gods, legends, heroes and all the mythology surrounding them always felt a little too much like make-believe for me. So, going into The Song of Achilles, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was letting myself in for.

What I didn’t expect was to find such a deeply human story hiding inside all of it.

At its heart, this is a love story. Achilles and Patroclus meet as boys, grow together and fall deeply in love. But it’s also a story of friendship, loyalty, jealousy, honour, sacrifice and the devastating cost of war.

And I think that was the biggest surprise for me. I never suddenly became fascinated by Greek mythology because someone explained the gods and legends to me. Instead, I found a human story within the mythology.

Miller’s writing is also beautifully intimate. There are moments where the language just stops you:

“I lean forward and our lips land clumsily on each other. They are like the fat bodies of bees, soft and round and giddy with pollen.”

And then there’s the way Patroclus sees Achilles:

“I did not mind anymore that I lost when we raced, and I lost when we swam out to the rocks, and I lost when we tossed spears or skipped stones. For who can be ashamed to lose to such beauty?”

There were also moments that made me stop and think. Questions about the value of a life, and whether one person’s life can ever really be worth more than another’s.

I loved the way the mythology gradually became almost secondary to the people themselves. We may know the legends, but Miller gives us another way of looking at them. Suddenly Achilles isn't just Achilles. He’s someone’s son, someone’s friend, someone’s great love.

And Patroclus isn’t simply the character standing beside the hero.

Perhaps that’s what surprised me most about this book.

I went into The Song of Achilles expecting Greek mythology.

I came away with a love story I won’t forget.

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #thesongofachilles by @gavinslibrary

The Correspondent — Virginia Evans

With letters. Somewhere along the way, they became relationships.

Sybil is an elderly woman writing letters to people from different parts of her life. As the letters unfold, pieces of her past — and the lives of the people she's writing to — slowly come together.

I think that's what I liked most about The Correspondent. What starts as Sybil simply telling her story slowly becomes something else. The correspondence creates new relationships and deepens existing ones.

And Sybil herself is quite something. Extraordinarily polite while being capable of being absolutely brutal. She doesn't dramatise herself or ask us to feel sorry for her. She simply tells us what happened, how she felt and what she did next.

I particularly liked what happened with Basam. Sybil initially makes some pretty big assumptions about him, but as their correspondence continues, you see those assumptions fall away. She starts asking about his life, remembers the little details and genuinely seems to care about what happens to him and his family. This is where I really felt the letters becoming a relationship.

There’s also that breadcrumbing quality to the story. Little pieces are revealed along the way, gradually changing how you see Sybil and the people around her.

Even though I did enjoy this one, I never felt particularly emotional while reading it. I just never felt connected to any of the characters.

After reading Land by Maggie O’Farrell, this was also a welcome change of pace. Quieter, more contained and much less immersive.

The ending wrapped things up nicely. And after all was said and done, it was Sybil's bluntness and somewhat harsh honesty that stayed with me more than the story itself.

Postscript: It took me a while to get my hands on the cover I wanted. But look at those two birds. Worth the wait.

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #readersofìnstagram #thecorrespondent by @gavinslibrary

The land is not the setting. It’s the main character.

Maggie O’Farrell’s Land is set in 19th-century Ireland and follows generations of people whose lives are shaped by the land they live on.

For starters, there is something wonderfully tactile about this book.The cover feels like the land it describes — textured, earthy and almost impossible not to touch. I was recently in a café and called out to someone I know, “Do you want to touch my book?” 😂 It sounds ridiculous, but I genuinely loved the feel of it. Even the font and spacing throughout the book gave me a sense of calm, it felt relaxing to read, which is something I don’t think I’ve ever noticed quite so much before.

I was also surprised by how much I loved O’Farrell’s descriptive writing, especially as I usually prefer books with more dialogue. Her writing is so beautiful and evocative that I found myself completely absorbed in the landscape and the lives unfolding within it.

There was something about being immersed in this particular time and place that I really loved. O’Farrell made 19th-century Ireland feel vivid and tangible, and I found myself completely transported into the world she created.

And the land really does become another character. It shapes these people, their relationships and the choices they make. I followed them through the highs and the lows, the struggles, the relationships and the losses. Some of their journeys genuinely stayed with me, and their losses genuinely hurt. Their journeys were sometimes literal ones, taking them far beyond this small piece of land, but somehow that land remained at the heart of everything. No matter how far they travelled, it was always part of their story.

By the end, I was completely invested in their lives. I cared about what happened to them and wasn’t quite ready to leave them behind.

Possibly my favourite book I’ve ever read. I’m not quite ready to say that definitively… but I think it might be.

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #readersofìnstagram #land by @gavinslibrary

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT — THIS REVIEW DISCUSSES THE ENDING.

Set in South Wales in the 1980s, A Room Above a Shop is a story about B and M, two men trying to build a life together at a time when simply being yourself could be dangerous.

But for me, this is a book that is far less about what happens and much more about how it feels.

Anthony Shapland's writing is poetic. There is a quietness and rhythm to it that makes even the smallest, inconsequential moments feel beautiful. He has this extraordinary ability to make the ordinary feel important, because ultimately, those small moments are what make up life.

And B and M aren't looking for anything extraordinary. They simply want to live. They want to love each other, to have a home, to exist together without constantly looking over their shoulders.

And that is what the room represents.

The room above the shop is so much more than a room. It is their sanctuary, their hiding place, their imperfect little world. It is where their life happens. Where they can be themselves. Most of all, it becomes their mooring — the thing that anchors B and M to each other and gives them the ordinary life they so desperately want.

But there is something quietly claustrophobic about it too.

Because this isn't freedom. It is the small piece of freedom they've managed to carve out for themselves. Upstairs, behind a shop, hidden from the world. Their entire universe contained within those walls.

And I think that's what makes the room so powerful. It is both their refuge and a reminder of everything they cannot have.

And then, suddenly, M is gone.

What follows is grief, raw and painful. B is left alone, wandering through the shop, as though his body is still searching for something that is always just beyond his reach.

And that image stayed with me.

Because the room that once held their entire world is now filled with absence.

By the end, the shop is empty. Their life has been dismantled and sold off, and B is left with only fragments of their past.

Beautiful. Tender. Heartbreaking.

And when that world is gone, it fucking hurts. 😥

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #readersofìnstagram #aroomaboveashop by @gavinslibrary

Okay… I think my biggest takeaway from Yellowface is that I never hated June.

And after reading so many reviews where people absolutely despised her, I actually found that quite interesting.

June is a struggling writer whose friend and fellow author Athena dies suddenly, leaving behind a completed manuscript. June takes it, reworks it and publishes it as her own — and what follows is a pretty uncomfortable mess of plagiarism.

Did she do something wrong? Absolutely. She took Athena’s work, reworked it and passed it off as her own. There’s really no getting around that.

But I never found myself completely against her. I kept going back and forth — feeling sorry for June one minute, frustrated with her the next, then questioning whether I was actually seeing the whole picture.

Because Athena wasn't exactly the innocent victim either.

The more we learn about her, the more complicated everything becomes. Just when I thought I knew who I was supposed to be angry with, something else would come along and make me question it.

I also found myself thinking a lot about publishing, authenticity and who gets to tell certain stories.

I had a brief and interesting chat with a published author while reading this (who has asked to remain anonymous), and her thoughts made me look at the book differently. She actually acknowledged that a lot of what Kuang portrays about the publishing industry is, in some ways, very true to life. That really stuck with me. It made me wonder how much of this book is exaggerated fiction… and how much might actually feel very familiar to people working within the industry.

And then there’s June herself. She makes some truly terrible choices, but she also gives to charities, mentors another writer and tries, in her own way, to help others.

So can someone do something really shitty and still do good things?

Does one person's bad behaviour cancel out everything else about them?

Maybe that's why I never hated June.

I don't think Yellowface gave me a character I could simply love or hate. It gave me someone I kept trying to figure out.

I'd love to know… did you hate June? Because apparently I'm in the minority here.

#yellowface by @gavinslibrary

A beautiful novel that reminds us every family is built on the stories we remember—and the ones we don't.

I was worried Whistler wasn't going to be for me. Whistler is a deliberately patient novel. It took me close to ninety pages to become completely invested, but once I settled into its rhythm, the story quietly started to gather emotional weight.

At its heart, Whistler is about memory. When Daphne unexpectedly reconnects with Eddie, the man who was briefly her stepfather more than forty years earlier, old stories begin to come back, changing the way they both understand the past. It's not about uncovering hidden secrets, but about rediscovering the stories that were simply never told.

We're all archaeologists of memory—carefully brushing away the dust, piecing together the fragments that remain, trying to understand where we've come from and the people who've shaped us.

One line captured the novel perfectly: "The past will take it out of you." Memory isn't always comforting. Revisiting the past can be exhausting, and sometimes even painful, but it's also how we understand ourselves and the people we love.

Whistler asks you to slow down, listen, and reflect. It won't be for everyone, but for me, it became something much more meaningful than I expected—a quiet, deeply human story about memory, family, and the stories that shape who we become.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½

And a little appreciation for the beautiful cover. A stunning design that deserves to be admired just as much as the story inside.

#bookstagram #booklover #bookreview #readersofìnstagram #whistler by @gavinslibrary