Tag: May 2026

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2026

BOOK REVIEW: The Midnight Train by Matt Haig

Published May 21st, 2026 by Canongate
Fantasy Fiction, Magical Realism, Time Travel Fiction, Domestic Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

When your life flashes before your eyes, what will matter most?

For Wilbur it was his time with Maggie, the love of his life. Their honeymoon in Venice. Before he threw it all away.

Years later, on the brink of his own death, a train arrives. It can take Wilbur back in time. To relive his most important moments. Soon he realises just how much he would have changed.

An adventure through time, The Midnight Train is a story of love and second chances, from the world of The Midnight Library.

PRE-ORDER

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MY REVIEW:

A love letter to books, bookshops and the joy of reading, this is the perfect read for any bibliophile. And this highly anticipated follow-up to The Midnight Library is also full of a tsunami of emotions. Atmospheric, poignant, powerful and achingly human, this is a story about love, life, grief and second-chances A true gem of a book, I never wanted it to end. But when it did it left me with my heart full and the biggest smile on my face.

The story follows Wilbur, who after his death finds himself on a train platform. At a minute after midnight a train arrives: the Midnight Train. Wilbur gets on board and finds himself on a journey through his entire life: from his impoverished childhood where he found an escape in books to awkward first dates with the love of his life, Maggie, to their honeymoon in Venice and him throwing it all away. He relives all his most important moments and realises how much of his life he wished he could change. 

Matt Haig is one of my favourite authors. An exceptional storyteller, he has a style all his own and both are showcased in this book. Exquisitely told, skillfully crafted and full of evocative imagery that brings the whole book to life, I was in his thrall from start to finish. Matt is also skilled at writing about a wide range of difficult subjects with honesty, depth, nuance and sensitivity while also never feeling triggering and that combination of real life and magical realism lends the story a dreamlike vibe that I adored. 

I loved Wilbur. He’s likeable but also deeply flawed, and I think we can all relate to wishing we’d done something differently in our lives. I loved his love of books and the big role they play throughout his life. The other characters are as richly drawn, compelling and real and I particularly enjoyed reading Agnes, former bookshop owner and his guide on his journey. And I want to say a big thank you to Matt for all of the Sheffield representation in this book. As a life-long Sheffielder myself, this was so great to see. Thank you.

A truly mesmerising story that will linger long after you close that final page, this is a must-read.

Rating: 🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

Thank you Canongate for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Matt Haig is the internationally bestselling author of the novels The Midnight Library, The Life Impossible,  How to Stop Time, The Humans and The Radleys. His work has been translated into over fifty languages.

The Midnight Library was an instant bestseller and winner of the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction. It has become a worldwide phenomenon and sold over ten million copies worldwide spending 52 weeks in the New York Times bestseller list. The audiobook is read by Carey Mulligan. 

His memoir Reasons to Stay Alive was a number one bestseller, staying in the British top ten for 46 weeks. His award-winning children’s book A Boy Called Christmas was a runaway hit and is translated in over 40 languages. It was made into a film starring Maggie Smith, Sally Hawkins and Jim Broadbent and The Guardian called it an ‘instant classic’. 

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxxx

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book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures

BOOK REVIEW: Patterns of Us by S. J. Gathercole

Published May 21st, 2026
Romance Novel, LGBTQ Fiction

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Russell and Loukas were that couple in university. The one that was joined at the hip and does everything together. Until they weren’t.

After five years of tactically avoiding anything to do with each other, they find themselves thrust back together and facing their biggest challenge yet — co-parenting.

Packed with angst and yearning, Patterns of Us follows Russell and Loukas in their past and present. Can they learn from their mistakes and finally build the life they dreamed of?

BUY HERE

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MY REVIEW:

Russell and Loukas, who were the couple at university who were joined at the hip. But five years ago it all fell apart and they have tactically avoided one another ever since. Now, after the tragic deaths of their best friends Kieran and Millie, they have been thrown back together after being named as co-parents to the couple’s young son, Henry. Not only that, but the will states that they must live and parent under one roof. Moving between timelines, we follow Russell and Loukas in their past and present, watching as they fall in love, fall apart and then try to come back together for Henry. 

I love an emotional read but was still unprepared for the emotional rollercoaster I went through reading this book and it will take my heart some time to recover. S. J. Gathercole has crafted a compelling and unforgettable love story that is intricately interwoven with grief. Steph perfectly conveys the overwhelming pain grief causes, how hard it is to enjoy life again and how it catches you off guard out of nowhere. It’s heartfelt, poignant and filled with yearning. 

I loved Russell and Loukas. They are charismatic characters who were easy to like and root for. Because the story is told from both points of view it felt like I really got to know both of them and moving between  past and present gave us a fuller picture of their whole relationship and an understanding of why they were behaving certain ways in the present. It was apparent early on that these two belonged together. They were yin and yang. Soulmates. And Steph knew what she was doing with the will they/won’t they storyline, keeping me on tenterhooks as I kept screaming at them in my head to just admit they were meant for each other.

As someone with a chronic illness, I loved the representation in Russell’s character through his Psoriatic Arthritis. Because of my own personal experience, Steph asked me to be a sensitivity reader for the book and what she wrote was pitch perfect. She made Russ’s illness honest and real, showing us how it affected every facet of his life but also how determined he was and that he is more than his illness. I appreciated how seamlessly it was woven into the story and felt very seen, especially in terms of how it affected his confidence. Seeing him so worried about Loukas deserving someone better, someone who isn’t ill, felt very relatable. Loukas is a sweetheart and I love that he saw past Russ’s illness and thought of ways to help him rather than resenting the limitations it brought into their lives. Thank you, Steph, for writing a character and a story that will help so many understand what it is like to live and have a relationship with chronic illness. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

Thank you Steph for sending me a copy of this bok in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Steph started reading at a very young age and quickly fell in love with stories and storytelling.

Her debut novel The People We Trust, was a passion project over several years to bring more representation into the murder mystery genre.

Throughout many turbulent times in her own life she turned to poetry to help put a voice to the thoughts that whirled around inside her head. The ‘Teenager’s Guide’ series, which consists of three poetry collections, were hugely cathartic to write, and she hopes they’re just as cathartic to read.

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx