Welcome to Capsule’s book club! We’re SO excited to bring you a new book each month to devour and savour. Whether you indulge in a few hours of luxurious alone time each Sunday, or finish your day with a chapter or two, we invite you to relax and enjoy, and if you’re so inclined, connect with fellow Capsule readers and your own family and friends to have a yarn about the book you’ve just read. We’ll be mixing up the titles we feature every month, so you’re in for an eclectic monthly journey.
This month, we’re winding down for a summer holiday with Apples Never Fall by the legendary Liane Moriarty…
Yeeeeeeeeessssssssss. It’s that glorious time of year when us lucky ones get to put our out-of-offices on, turn our early morning alarms off and begin that sweet slide into forgetting what day it is, as one day of summer blurs into the next.
It’s the perfect time to have a go at reducing how much you’re using devices – so once you put your phone down, try replacing it with a new book. Combine it with a cosy spot in the sunshine (fingers crossed!) and a cool drink, and you have, quite possibly the best way to unwind.
(If you’re working through, we ARE SORRY. We have also all been there for many, many Christmasses, so we feel your pain. Hopefully you can take some time in February/March? Tbh the weather is often better then anyway? Regardless, please use your lunch breaks and evening daylight saving hours to wind down with a book!).
Which brings us to our pick for the first month of summer…
When I’m going on a sunny holiday, I like to hand over all responsibilities to Liane Moriarty. The woman writes one heck of a book – and half the world certainly thinks so too, as she has now sold more than 20 MILLION of her books in 40 languages.
Plus, she’s also got the attention of Hollywood in recent years, with many of her books now hugely successful TV shows and (soon-to-be) movies. Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman brought us Big Little Lies and are also working on an adaptation of Truly, Madly, Deeply – plus, Nicole recently starred in Nine Perfect Strangers.
Meanwhile, on the big screen, Jennifer Aniston has signed on for the lead role of a movie adaptation of What Alice Forgot, while Blake Lively will star in The Husband’s Secret.
If you haven’t read any of those books, GET THEM THIS SUMMER and read them all.
But for folks who are already fans, or want to cut to the chase, Liane has done us a solid and come out with a new book for our summer reading needs.
Apples Never Fall is quintessential Liane Moriarty – crafting a story that examines marriage and complex sibling relationships, while weaving in a solid dose of mystery an intrigue.
It centres on one large, complex family: the Delaneys. See, Joy Delaney and husband Stan have done well. They have four wonderful grown-up children. A family business to envy. The golden years of retirement ahead of them.
So when Joy Delaney vanishes – no note, no calls, her bike missing – it’s natural that tongues will wag.
How did Stan scratch his face? And who was the stranger who entered and suddenly left their lives? What are they all hiding?!?
But for the Delaney children there is a much more terrifying question: did they ever know their parents at all?
As always, Liane Moriarty writes believable, well-rounded characters, who you will find yourself rooting for (or wanting to shake by the shoulders). You’ll recognise people you know in her characters (maybe even yourself) and while it makes for fairly light reading for the most part, you’ll find yourself thinking about the characters and themes long after.
Personally, I haven’t loved the last few Liane Moriarty books as much as I loved the likes of Big Little Lies and What Alice Forgot, but this one is right back up there with her best works. Plus, it’s a fairly chunky book (most people say it takes around 18 hours to get through), so it should see you through a decent number of hours at the beach.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty is out now.
