Sam's Fireside - Cosy Book Reviews & Recommendations

“It's accepting the value of things – an old pot, an old person – and understanding that those things have wisdom, that they have seen things. They have value in being.” The Little Teashop in Tokyo has been on my shelf for a couple of years after I found it in a charity shop one day. It was February’s choice for #thatbonkersbookclub, so I finally had the opportunity to dust it off (literally) and dive into cherry blossom season in Japan. It was a quick, cute read, and I loved hanging out with Fiona as she enjoyed her prize-winning trip to Japan. The family she stays with are instantly loveable characters, and I found it fascinating to discover their way of life — the simplicity of their home and the warm welcome Fiona receives the moment she steps over the threshold. I was intrigued by the many tourist spots that Fiona and her mentor, Gabe, visited. I’m not sure whether I’ll ever visit Japan, but if I do, I’d definitely want to go during cherry blossom season! About the Book Grab y...

“I swear this airline reminds me of The Flintstones. I'm surprised the floor doesn't open up and we land the plane using our feet.” 😂✈️ Told over the space of twenty-four hours, There’s Always Next Year was a fun listen, alternating between Dominique and his cousin Andy, who, although from the same small town in Indiana, have been living very different lives for the past two years. The story was engaging, with multiple plot threads culminating in a finale in the town square on New Year’s Day, when everything comes together. 🎆 I enjoyed the focus on the attempted redevelopment of the town, alongside Dominique and Andy’s relationship mishaps, as they navigated a chaotic New Year’s Day with some wonderfully crazy characters thrown into the mix. 🤪🏙️ Eric Lockley and Khaya Fraites, as Dominique and Andy respectively, were excellent narrators, drawing me into the manic, rushing-around-town madness that provides the backdrop for most of the story. 🎧✨ Although a Young Adult novel...

“You only need one ray of light to chase all the shadows away” A Man Called Ove 📖 was my February read for @hook.me.a.book challenge – the #NeglectedFaithfulsReadingChallenge. 📚✨ It's been sitting on my shelf for at least two years, and I'm so pleased I've finally got around to reading it. 🙌 What I didn't realise was that it has already been made into a movie 🎬 – one which I've watched, albeit with a slightly different title, A Man Called Otto. However, I didn't remember a thing about it. 🤦‍♀️😅 I really enjoyed this story. ❤️ Ove is your typical "grumpy old man" 😠 with the patience of a gnat 🦟 and a man who appreciates that rules are in place for a reason 📏 – and woe betide anyone who tries to veer away from said rules! 🚫 There is a sadness to Ove which will tear at your heartstrings, 💔 and as you understand what has happened in his past, you'll maybe appreciate just why he's as grumpy as he is. 🥺 I appreciated that slowly and surel...

“Do you know how to live three hundred years?” she says. And when he asks how, she smiles. “The same way you live one. A second at a time.” I’d heard so many amazing things about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, yet I’d never read it. So when I spotted a special edition on the Zon, it jumped into my basket as if by magic ✨ The physical edition is gorgeous — sprayed edges, glossy illustrations inside — and the story is completely my kind of thing. I loved it ❤️ I could have happily carried on reading about all the years we missed in Addie’s past. I chose to read this now because my cousin was reading it for her real-life book club, and I thought it would be lovely if we could chat about it too 📖 I’m not sure she liked it as much as I did, though! The writing is beautiful, and the story is full of emotion and tragedy 💔 I found myself wondering how I would cope if no one remembered me and I were living forever — the places I could go, the things I could see, and of course, having the ...

“Some of the nicest people I know are decomposing as we speak. I’ve always liked graveyards. I like reading the headstones.” Billy Connolly is a legend and one of my favourite comedians of all time, so when I saw this audiobook, I grabbed it and devoured it with both ears. Billy’s stories never age. However many times you’ve heard them, his observational wit remains second to none. As he narrates — as eloquently as anyone can in a Glasgow accent — his ramblings in that unmistakable, inimitable style, I felt as though I was travelling alongside him. Every road, every adventure, every wonderfully odd character he encounters — you’re right there with him. He had me in stitches in every chapter. This is the sort of book that makes you laugh regardless of the mood you’re in. On days when life felt heavy, Billy could always lighten it. He is a gentleman and a scholar, and he will remain a Scottish icon long after he’s gone. Realistically, that time may not be too far away — and that makes th...

“All it takes to get along in this here man's town is a little shit, grit, and mother-wit.” Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison_ was February's read for #classiclitbookclub 📚, and I decided to listen to this one — which turned out to be a very good decision 🎧. I really enjoyed Joe Morton’s narration; he did a fantastic job capturing the many different accents as our unnamed protagonist moves from the Deep South 🌾 to the hustle and bustle of New York City 🗽. We never learn the protagonist’s name, even when he is given a new identity. I believe this reflects the invisibility he feels — as a Black man coming of age in a world with deeply blinkered views about how he should behave in the presence of “white folk.” Few books stay rent-free in my head 💭, but this may just be one of them. If this sounds like something you’d enjoy but you’re worried about struggling with the colloquial language, I highly recommend the audiobook 🎙️. This is definitely a book I’ll return to, and one I su...

"Sometimes life calls for a pillow fort. And sometimes you just have to build that fort yourself." 🏰✨ Libby! Why am I only now just discovering you?! 📚💛 It's only February, and I think I've already found the book that is going to be in my Top Ten for 2026. This book is incredible — it made me cry proper tears 😭 (and books rarely do that to me). It's so sad, but so heartfelt, and most of all it's full of hope and promise. Hope that there will be happiness following grief, and the promise that you just need to give yourself time and allow other people to care for you. 🤍 I adored reading about Tilly and how she fell in love with reading again 📖, something she hadn't been able to do since before her beloved husband Joe passed away. It was such a gorgeous memory to have — a book from Joe for every month of a whole year 🗓️💌. Oh, and some of those books took her out of her comfort zone and pushed her to do things she would never have dreamed of doing befo...