Big Little Lies

Hello Everyone and Welcome Back to The Boss Book Club!

Today we will be looking at the bestseller Big Little Lies by Australian author Liane Moriarty. This book has recently been released by HBO as a series starring Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley. So, should you read the book, dive into the series, or avoid the whole thing altogether?

The book centers around the events of a school trivia night-where somebody in the seaside town of Monterey, California, is murdered. After this is set up in chapter one, the reader is taken through the events of the preceding six months leading to the incident, and it is up to the reader to work out who has died, why, and who killed them.

Each chapter alternates its viewpoint between three different women: socialite and extrovert Madeline; new resident and single mother Jane; and wealthy ex-lawyer Celeste. All three have children beginning their first year in the local kindergarten, and the story revolves around the first six months of the school year.

This novel focuses on themes of motherhood, family and female friendship, as well as some much darker themes that will go unmentioned here, as this review is spoiler free. I would say its demographic is firmly set in the women of childbearing age category. Particularly, if you have children at school age, you will perhaps relate to the setting of politics in the schoolyard. This book delves into the trials and tribulations of social etiquette, challenges and lighter moments that occur amongst parents of small children.

Liane Moriarty is very talented at hooking her audience. Certainly at the end of the first two chapters I was drawn into the intrigue of the “whodunnit” and was eager to turn the page for more. However Moriarty’s real talent is writing without clichés. Her characters are relatable, human and their life experiences seem drawn from reality, not written for dramatic impact. She is subtle in her writing, able to alternate between dark themes, but then surprise you with relatable humour with ease. I found I was really going for each of the women in this novel, and wanting them to overcome their respective challenges.

In terms of negatives, I was able to pick ahead of time the major plot twist. This is very unusual, I’ve never been able to pre-empt the twist before! However, the ending, including who it was that was killed, was a surprise to me, and Moriarty did a fantastic job at wrapping up her story. The final countdown towards the last few chapters went quickly and the prose was rapid, articulate and exciting. The ending felt complete and satisfying.

Overall, I would recommend this book as an engaging read from start to finish, particularly if you are a stay-at- home mum or dad that can relate to the school yard scene. It is intriguing, pulls you into the mystery, and will keep you guessing. The book explores some important themes around family and friendship. It is suitable for an adult audience only and would translate well to television.

Have you read the book or seen the TV series? What did you think? Please share your thoughts below!

Happy Reading and thanks for joining us at TBBC!

How To Be a Bawse

Hello Everyone and Welcome Back to The Boss Book Club!

Today we will be looking at a book that is deceptively empowering, inspiring and motivating: How To Be a Bawse by Lilly Singh.

Now I shall be honest- I received this book for my birthday. My husband got it for me as a joke because of the hilariously ridiculous misspelling of the word Bawse, and he thought I would giggle. He didn’t even think I would read it. But I did.

And I loved it.

I had never heard of the author Lilly Singh before, but chances are, many of you have. She is the creator and star behind the Youtube channel Superwoman. She has successfully garnered over a billion views, travelled around the world, and made over a million dollars. This book is an advice/ self help book of 50 chapters, divided into 4 parts, with the aim of encouraging you to be the best you can be.

When I first opened the book I was ready to laugh at it.  I snickered and rolled my eyes at the use of hashtags and abbreviations; her definition of what the difference is between a Bawse and a Boss; and her advice to seek motivation by watching a Justin Bieber documentary. However, by the time I’d reached the end of page 315 I was asking my husband to be quiet so as not to disturb my concentration as I devoured it to its very last page, my attitude completely checked, and was indeed grateful for the motivating ‘kick up the butt’ this book gives you.

Each chapter, written with frank and honest humour, gives straightforward life advice on how to identify your goals and pursue what you want in life. As well as motivating you towards financial and career success, Lilly addresses ways to improve yourself as a person, including how to develop a more positive mindset, be grateful for what you have, and to make your own world a more pleasant place to live. The format of the book is easy to read, each chapter being only a few pages long, with lots of colour, photographs, and large text, which is perfect for making it easily engageable and interesting. The shortness of the chapters lend themselves well to rereading, or using it as a motivational tool- a chapter before you get up each morning.

This book will not be for everyone. Her advice is certainly applicable to anyone of any age, however certainly her style and language is suited towards a younger audience. It wouldn’t be unfair to say that her main demographic would be young women- perhaps from 13yo upwards- and if they have ambitions in the entertainment industry (actors, Youtube broadcasters etc) so much the better. Certainly, a lot of her examples draw on her experiences in this field. However, if you keep an open mind, the principles apply universally, wherever your ambitions lie.

This book would make a fantastic gift as a graduation present, or to congratulate someone on the completion of an exam or other important milestone. It’s also perfect if you feel you have lost your focus in life and need some motivating!

Thank you for joining us today at TBBC. We will see you again next week. Happy Reading!