Hundra omistliga ting

by Lucy Dillon, Ann Björkhem (translator)

Gina Bellamy går igenom en livskris. Efter sjukdom och skilsmässa ska hon flytta från det vackra viktorianska huset till en betydligt mindre lägenhet. För att hitta sig själv igen bestämmer hon sig för att slänga det mesta hon äger. Endast hundra saker får hon spara, hundra personliga saker ska bli den nystart hon längtar efter.

Att rensa bland ägodelarna väcker minnen till liv som får Gina att omvärdera sådant som hon tidigare har trott på och tagit för givet. Och att börja om blir svårare än hon har tänkt sig.

Med hjälp av ett husrenoveringsprojekt, bästa väninnan och en hemlös greyhound vågar Gina till slut börja blicka framåt och se ljust på livet igen. Och när kärleken åter finns inom räckhåll vet hon hur viktigt det är att leva i nuet och ta vara på varje ögonblick av lycka.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Book Club, Womens Fiction

487 pages, Hardcover

First published February 27, 2014

About the author

Lucy Dillon was born in Cumbria, worked for a while in publishing in London, and now lives in the Wye Valley with her husband and their Border terrier. She has written eight novels set in the fictional Midlands town of Longhampton, which looks a bit like Hereford, although the inhabitants tend to sound rather more Northern than that.

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story had premise from the start, and I truly wanted to like it more than I did. Very slow moving, following Gina's coming of age. So many things had gone wrong for Gina, and she faces the new part of her life, post-divorce. Culling her material items after the ghastly realisation that she just has SO MUCH STUFF, she decides to keep only 100 items, only those with significant meaning. Alternate chapters from past to present that intertwine to tell us the story of all that went wrong, to her 'now' period of life. This is my first reading of this author, I thought her writing was very polished, but this particular one was a little too slow and meandering for me. The family relationships and friendships were all authentic though, and I enjoyed all the characters and their insights I gleaned from them along the way. The amazing narration also made this a pleasure to listen to.

[Chrissie Manby · Rating 5 out of 5]

The publication of any new Lucy Dillon book is something to look forward to, but as soon as I heard the story behind A Hundred Pieces of Me, I knew it would be extra-special. What a question to ask yourself! If you could keep only a hundred items from all the flotsam and jetsam you've gathered over your lifetime, what would they be? More importantly, what would they represent? What happy memories? What triumphs? Which people? In the aftermath of a sudden separation from her husband, coming on the back of her battle with breast cancer, Gina Bellamy decides to find out. From the dozens of boxes that have followed her from the marital home to her new single girl's flat, she will select just one hundred things worth keeping.

I bet you're already thinking of your own list, right? But A Hundred Pieces of Me is much more than a neat concept. Lucy Dillon is always more subtle than that. It's an exploration of what it means to let go of old dreams and find new ones. It's about forgiveness. Specifically, it's about forgiving yourself for not living the John Lewis Christmas Campaign dream. There were so many moments that made me smile, nod and sigh with recognition. I don't want to give any spoilers so all I'll add is that of course there is a dog.

I simply urge you to read this book as soon as you can buy, beg or borrow a copy. It's uplifting and heart-breaking and I defy you to finish it without shedding a tear before you make your own resolution to live every moment. And get a greyhound.

[Bookevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

www.iheart-chicklit.blogspot.com

I've never read any of Lucy Dillon's books, so A Hundred Pieces of Me is the first ever book I've read by such an wonderfully talented author. She's been on the women's fiction scene for some time now and I regret for not reading her previous books because after A Hundred Pieces of Me, I'm in desperate need of her other books!

A Hundred Pieces of Me follows the story of Georgina "Gina" Bellamy who has come to a crossroad in life - she's torn between moving on or holding on to her past, something she finds it extremely difficult to let go. A woman who has been severely scarred by life's unexpected events, it seems like life could have mercy on her. When she finds out a devastating secret, she's forced to start afresh. But is it another one of life's punishments or a blessing in disguise?

I have to get this off my chest. Lucy Dillon is a wondrous storyteller. Her ability to interlace the past and present of Gina's life and create a beautiful tapestry of happy, sad and heartbreaking yet hopeful story about hope, loss and believing. I really liked Gina as a character as well as a person. Scratch that, I admire her. She's strong and brave. Her battles in life are truly inspiring and touching. The other thing I really have to point out is Gina's relationship with her best friend Naomi. I think it's beyond friendship. It's a sisterhood, an unspoken bond between them. Naomi is the perfect example of the supportive best friend everyone needs. End of.

A Hundred Pieces of Me is also about Gina starting a new life, without her pasts haunting her. Starting by moving into a plain, white flat, Gina must choose her hundred most precious items to fill her flat with the warmest memories to remind herself of the good things that's ever happened to her. I don't want to spoil it for you, but I'll just let you know, it's incredibly nostalgic and poignant. I guess it's all down to Lucy Dillon for writing with so much heart and warmth.

All in all, Lucy Dillon's latest masterpiece is just brilliant. I wanted to get the ending because the plot carries you through the book like you're on a cloud, but I also wanted to cherish every single page of it. I had to slowly read it. Guess you know what's been going on in my head, huh? I even dreamt of the book! A Hundred Pieces of Me is truly remarkable, an exceptionally moving and inspiring book which will have you reading until the crack of dawn. Highly recommended!

Rating: 10/10

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am afraid that last chapter totally soured my feelings about this book, like BOOM, instant bad feeling.

It started off well enough. Gina is going through a divorce. She left a house she loved. She is going through all her things and making a list of 100 things to keep.

We learn that she knows nothing about her dad. She had cancer. She lost her one true love. She has issues with her mother. She is a bit lost.

So a book about her finding herself, moving on, letting go.

And boom, I am not gonna spoil things just....the ending is not a happy one. There is no HEA, or is there? There is no HFN...or is there. The ending is a tragic one...or is it?
DAMN IT, I wanted closure, instead we were left with this crap ending that made me wish I had not read this 450 page book. I can deal with happy, I can deal with sad, I can not deal with NOT KNOWING.

Crap ending. You get an only ok for that.

[Nina Draganova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Толкова уютно се чувствам в компанията на Люси Дилън, че изобщо не ми се иска книгите й да свършват. Такъв приказен разказвач е. Можеш да си представиш всяко описано нещо , детайлно и да попиеш всички чувства , които са събрани в историите й.
Въпреки че е малко хаотична на места, тази история е много истинска и трогателна. Всяка отделна случка е изпълнена със страст. И такова неподправено великодушие, каквото рядко срещам.
И независимо , че книгата завърши по начин , който не ме удовлетворява напълно, все пак надеждата е тази , която остава като послевкус.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gina Bellamy has had some rough times, being diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age and having a cheating husband that ends in divorce. She moves into a flat on her own and decides to keep just a hundred special things. The rest she will get rid of in one way or another. As Gina goes through the items the reader learns more of her life.
I liked the premise of this book but somewhere along the way it took a detour and didn’t end up being about the hundred special things at all. Instead it ends up telling about her past life and I lost interest in some of these past episodes and the younger Gina and her romance with Kit, which happened before she met and married Stuart. I found the relationship between Gina and her mother difficult too. I’d love to see a book about mothers and daughters that get along and enjoy each other instead of ones of crossed wires and annoyance. Also I got thrown off early by a mistake that has Glinda the good witch from the Wizard of Oz with a green face. Not in the movie I saw. The wicked witch had the green face. A small point but it took me out of the story.
I did enjoy Naomi, Gina’s friend who is a good balance to Gina. This is a novel about starting over but also of friendship, relationships and learning to deal with the past and live in the present. I did not like the ending for reasons I can’t go into without giving too much away.
An okay read but not what I was expecting and not as good as one of this author’s other books that I have read. But that may depend on taste. That’s not to say there wasn’t a tear or two in a couple of places. Although this book didn’t appeal overly to me, others may well love it.

[Tânia · Rating 1 out of 5]

More like a hundred pieces of boring me.

[Tali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Lucy Dillon's books. Like, LOVE love them. And so I was all prepared to love A Hundred Pieces of Me. I loved the concept of it before the book came out. Gina Bellamy has had a tough few years, dealing with illness, a cheating husband and divorce, and finds herself moving into a small flat on her own. While there, she realises that she has too many possessions - something I can relate to as a closet hoarder - and so resolves to sort through her belongings and keep only 100 items, that are of significant or sentimental value. I love this idea, so much so that I want to try it myself (even though I know it's never going to happen). So on this premise, I thought I would adore this book.
It was a massive disappointment to find that I really didn't.
I liked the beginning of the novel where Gina begins her new life and starts to rearrange all her possessions to suit the new person that she wants to become. I thought the relationships that Dillon created between Gina, her best friend Naomi and her mother were wonderfully done. You really got a sense of them trying to all be there for each other, even if their wires sometimes got crossed or they didn't know how to relate entirely to each other. These interactions were probably the best part of the story for me. I also liked the initial approach to Gina only keeping 100 items and thought the description of the objects she kept and the reasoning behind them to be utterly compelling.
However, I really wasn't a fan of the constant flashbacks to Gina's relationship with the men in her life. Each relationship seemed whinier and more fraught than the other, and while I think as a reader I was supposed to recognise that Gina understood that her flaws had helped contribute to these bad relationships, none of them ever seemed to have any good points. We're told from the start that her relationships with Kit and Stuart had ended badly and so it was very difficult when reading them to see any good in them. It made them both seem tedious and unromantic. I never got a sense that Gina really loved these people, even when I was told that she did.
I also thought that given how badly Gina had taken her ex-husband cheating on her and how sympathetic we were made to feel for her, that to then have her new relationship be with Nick, an already married man, was a bad move. It just made the character look like a hypocrite, especially since Nick's wife is the one who essentially gets the blame all by herself for the end of her marriage. It just didn't make sense and it didn't ring true. It actually kind of made me not like Gina by the end of the novel.
I was a little disappointed as well that the 'hundred pieces of me' part of the story - which I was actually enjoying - fizzled out halfway through the novel to be replaced with Gina just taking pictures of stuff she liked, which didn't really seem the point.
I really loved the concept of this novel and I enjoyed how Dillon wrote the relationships between the female characters in this novel, but by the end of the story, I really wasn't a fan of Gina and so struggled to root for her and the new challenges she faced. A bit of a disappointment, especially given my high hopes for this story. 3.5 stars.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Every once in a while I need a break from my typical reading of serial killers. So I decided to check out this book. While it was not bad it was just not as light hearted as I thought or hoped it would be. It was kind of sad in a depressing way. So unless you are in the right mood to read this type of book you might want to hold off until than. While I liked Gina. I liked the Gina of the present and not the past. It was the past that I found that I really disliked. It was the sad parts. Thus part of the reason that I liked the present. The other reason was that I found the "new" Gina to be more independent and I formed a better connection with her. However as much as I liked Gina and did skip parts midway of the past, this story still did not draw me in fully and I felt the story to be dry and slow moving. I just did not feel the magic happen.

[Anja Karenjina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Čini mi se da imam sreće u odabiru knjiga, jer ne znam kad sam poslednji put pročitala lošu knjigu.
Ova knjiga menja život, verujte mi. Toliko sam se isplakala kada sam saznala da je ovo priča same spisateljice (mislim meni nije teško da plačem nad knjigama da budem iskrena).
Njena priča nas uči zašto je važno živeti u trenutku, ne osvrtati se celog života na greške i ne kriviti sebe za sve što pođe po zlu. Svaki život je neizvesan, nikada nećemo moći da znamo šta sledeći dan donosi, sreća i tuga su delovi svačijeg života, a naše negodovanje nikako ne pomaže da se ta dva izjednače, već sami sebi stvarano disbalans u kome tuga preovlađuje.
PROČITAJTE AKO:
~ste prošli kroz bolan raskid
~treba vam dokaz da ste voljeni
~ste izgubili voljenu osobu
~ne znate kako da se nosite sa bolnim trenucima
~krivite sebe i za sitnice
~ne znate kako da imate bolji odnos sa članom porodice
~živite život samo u zoni komfora
~ne znate kako da se nosite sa promenama
Sve u svemu, ako vam je teško i treba vam uteha (znate ono nismo sami u svetu, postoji neko drugi ko se oseća ovako ili mu je i gore, meni to pomaže).

Uživaćete.

[Moony (Captain Mischief) MeowPoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me happy, had me angry and also sad. This book made me think of things i treasure, not like food or soap or things like that. But things that i have brought with me in life and that have great meaning to me. Things like the Teddybear that i've owned for as long as i've lived or a necklace i treasure because it was given to me by a loved one. They all, all of those things; They have a story to tell and a meaning that is dear to my heart. It is that with some books that i own as well; some moved me so much and placed itself in my heart.

This book also made me think of the people that i treasure, that i love. Those people that have been there for me in good and bad, and i them. Those i know won't turn their backs on me, those i trust with my life and soul, those who i know will support and help me when i need it. Some people pretend that they do just that until they are bored of you... and sometimes it take alot to see it.

This book gave me so much feels and i connected with the main character so much, not with that have happend to her because that is not similiar to my childhood or how i grew up.. but how she felt, how she thought, how she longed so much..


And she's right, we should live: We shouldn't look back, we should'nt be scared for what is to come. We should focus on this moment and live.

[Jess The Bookworm · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story follows Gina, who has just discovered that her husband is cheating on her and wants a divorce. She packs everything up and moves into a new flat to start over. She decides to throw away anything that will not serve a purpose or make her happy, aiming to hold on to only 100 things.

As Gina starts sorting through her belongings, we see flashbacks into her life. How she met her husband, her history with breast cancer, details of her first love, and glimpses into her relationship with her mother and her best friend.

One thing is for sure: Gina has had a lot of tragedy in the short time that she's been alive. So this is not really a happy book, although there is quite a bit of uplifting parts.

I quite liked the concept of a fresh start and going through material items, and sorting through the emotions that can be attached to inanimate objects. But, this was nothing ground breaking, and it didn't quite get me as emotional as I think it was aiming for. I also really didn't like the ending, mainly from a love interest point of view. It just didn't work for me.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this book, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. I found partway through that it was slow moving and I lost interest. But don’t let my thoughts put you off from reading it as I see from other reviews many people have loved it. Although this one wasn’t for me it won’t stop me from reading more by this author. Recommended.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

~ Luisterboek

Ik keek er heel erg naar uit om aan dit boek te beginnen. Helaas viel ie me behoorlijk tegen en kwam ik er met moeite doorheen. Zonde, want het plot is erg veelbelovend.

[Amina Hujdur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesantna priča o ponovnom pronalasku životne sreće nakon razvoda i bolesti. Mala zamjerka su suvišni detalji i predvidivost radnje.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel quite ashamed to admit that I have a few of Lucy's books on my bookshelves still waiting to be read. However after this lovely read I shall hunt them out and give them the attention they deserve.

Gina Bellamy has been through an awful lot in her life, including the death of her father when she was only a child, surviving a life threatening illness and now a marriage breakdown. Newly single and having to move into a much smaller flat, she is horrified at the huge amount of boxes of possessions she has and decides to drastically downsize by keeping only 100 items which are precious to her. Throughout the story we are given insight into Gina's memories by way of flashback, including those of her childhood and first love - right up to her marriage. This is a very clever way of including Gina's back story whilst keeping the narrative flowing. There is no particular order to these chapters but it doesn't matter at all as I soon became immersed in Gina's life and her memories.

Gina was wonderfully well drawn with depth and warmth and I took to her immediately. She was surrounded by a supporting cast of very strong and extremely likeable characters, including Nick the co-owner of the house that she was helping to restore, Rachel who ran the charity shop opposite her flat and, in particular, Naomi who was everything that a best friend should be. One of the aspects of this story that I found particularly moving was the affirmation of the value and importance of friendship.

Lucy Dillon has written a story that is both heartwarming and thought provoking. With each box of possessions that Gina clears, she has to face the regret and heartbreak of past events - all are memories which she must deal with in order to be able to move forward with her life. Buzz, the abandoned greyhound was a wonderful addition to the story and I fell in love with him straight away! There was just the lightest touch of romance which helped to make this a moving but uplifting read and one that I highly recommend.

As a bit of a hoarder myself, I envied Gina's willpower to dispose of unnecessary possessions - I think I should take a leaf out of her book and get myself some boxes!

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had an interesting premise: a young woman chooses 100 items to bring with her to her new home after her divorce. However in time, the character (or author) seems to give up that plan, and there was nothing to with which to replace it, except for an artificially convenient love-interest. The flip-flopping through time got tedious after a while, and these little out-of-sequence snap-shots did not add enough to the story.

It was a nice attempt at a fun Brit-Chick-Lit book, but it didn't quite work.

[Literarischunterwegs · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "Das große kleine Glück" erzählt Lucy Dillon die Geschichte von Gina Bellamy, die noch einmal ganz von vorne anfängt. Sie ist zwar erst 30 Jahre, stellt aber dennoch fest, als sie vor den Trümmern ihres Lebens steht, dass sich im Laufe ihres Lebens jede Menge Dinge angesammelt haben, die nicht mehr zu ihr passen. Daher fasst sie den Entschluss, sich auf 100 Dinge zu beschränken. Nur 100 Dinge möchte sie behalten. Es sollen die Dinge sein, die ihr am wichtigsten sind und am meisten bedeuten.
Der Leser begleitet Gina Bellamy durch ihre Vergangenheit, ihre Gegenwart bis hin zu ihrer Zukunft.
Das Buch erzählt eine schöne warmherzige, aber auch etwas kitschige Geschichte, die es allerdings durchaus schafft, dass man darüber nachdenkt, was man im Leben so angehäuft und was wirklich wichtig ist. Von Zeit zu Zeit schadet es nicht, sich genau darüber mal Gedanken zu machen, ob man all das braucht, was man so um sich scharrt.

[Juliana Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 3.5 star book. I loved the writing style of Lucy Dillon and found that I could really relate to the main character. Following her divorce from her husband, Gina is forced to drastically downsize and think about what she really needs to keep in her tiny flat. As we examine each of the objects that Gina keeps, we are told a snippet of the story from the past that explains how Gina has become the person she is now, the mystery of Kit, her first love and the breakdown of her relationship with her husband. We also find out about Gina's recovery from breast cancer. This all sounds a bit depressing, but in fact the book is quite optimistic in tone and encourages the reader to appreciate everyday life. I was particularly amused by the purchase of the top of the range mountain bike for Gina by her husband to be and Gina's efforts to become the sort of woman who enjoyed that sort of thing. Gina's relationship with her best friend was also warm and funny and ultimately convincing. The ambiguous end was thought provoking and again had the potential to be depressing but somehow wasn't. My only criticism is the new relationship that develops in the story. Without giving too much away this all felt a bit too convenient and simple. I don't think life ever goes that smoothly and I'm sure that the ends would not have been tied up so quickly in real life. Despite this, I would recommend this book.

[Steffi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

The book is kind of difficult to rate as I enjoyed the overall story but didn't like every way it was told.

In the beginning many things were described in way too much detail for my taste. I see that every item had a meaning for Gina but I don't need to know about every bowl or how many different mugs she is having in her cupboards, including a detailed description. Fortunately this got less throughout the book. I think the book could have been way shorter.

I did like the reviews of Gina's past as they gave an interesting insight to Gina's personality, how she got the person she is now. Gina is going through a different phase in her life and isn't always making the right decision. I had my problems with her character and never got 100% warm with her.

The book got better after about one third of the book. I enjoyed the cosy atmosphere of it and seeing the change of life Gina is going through. The book is carrying a great message: treasure the small things to make the best of your life.

The ending disappointed me as I not a big fan of open endings, especially at that point of the story.

[Sarah Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

After experiencing a terrible few years, Gina has to start over again. Moving to a new flat, she realises that her old life no longer has any part of her new life. She realises that her treasured belongings no longer suit the person she is now. She decides to keep only a hundred special items and to sell, donate or throw away the rest. What would you keep? Letters from the only man she's ever truly loved. A keepsake of the father she never really knew. A blue glass vase that catches the light on a grey day.

I really enjoyed A Hundred Pieces of Me by Lucy Dillon. It was recommended by a friend and I wasn't disappointed at all. The character of Gina is very likable and you can really experience and sympathise with all that she has been through. I liked the style and structure of the book. Each chapter would start with an event from Gina's past and then move to the present day and you could see how different experiences in her past had shaped the person she was today. A really good read and one I would recommend.

[Jane Linfoot · Rating 5 out of 5]

A slow burn beginning, where, several times, when the main character was first decluttering, I had the fleeting thought "I can't actually believe I'm ploughing through this level of mundane detail". But the sheer quality of writing, and the outstanding depth of character development pulled me through, and this turned out to be one of my most enjoyable recent reads. A fabulous book, with a lovely, yet poignant story, where the interweaving of the different story threads from the past and present are very cleverly handled. This is the first book I've read by Lucy Dillon, and I've just bought three more.

[Aseel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks Mr Maher

[Nadhirah Raduan · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first, I have a doubt on whether I can finish to read this book ( 516 pages is a huge number for me. lol). I'm afraid if I get bored in the middle of reading and just don't want to proceed . But guess what, I did it ! cheers! the story line is very interesting. I can't deny the story is quite slow but I just love on how the author manage to reveal all the questions and thought through the chapters. This story is about Gina who undergo divorce in her relationship with Stuart. Divorce is the most scariest part for every married couple. In this book, she has decided to keep a hundred piece of items as part of the memory and to let go the rest in order for her to start over again. It's true indeed, you just have to learn to let go what you've treasured but no longer fit to be in your life anymore. All the characters portrayed in this story have their own role and connection with Gina but I just don't agree on how thing works between Gina and Nick for them to get along in the first place. (I don't want to be spoiler). The thing I learned from this novel through Gina and Kit's relation is life has no guarantee, you can be most happiest person on earth, but due to one occasion, everything's changed. I started to feel the quote " what's meant to be will never pass you by" is something so much related not only in this novel but also in life. I just love on how the author can describe the feeling to make it soooo real, from the fragile Gina to be stronger through the challenges of her life. The story line is very organised. It gives you the feeling to read more for you to discover the past, how it interconnected to the present. It's a good novel to read though. ( Thanks neboo for you suggestion).

[Ренета Кирова · Rating 5 out of 5]

Тъжна и емоционално докосваща книга е „Сто парченца от мен“ на Люси Дилън. Не знаех какво да очаквам от нея и се оставих да бъда изненадана, емоциите от книгата да проникнат в мен. Животът е сложно нещо и се питаме защо понякога оставя в нас опустошение и наранено сърце. Защо хората се нараняват и защо изцеляването отнема време? Колко по-лесно ще е да почувстваш и другата гледна точка, да простиш, да се опиташ да разбереш човека срещу себе си. А в повечето случаи ние с лека ръка раняваме нечие сърце, казваме непростими думи, искаме другите да четат мислите ни, да ни спасят от нас самите. Доста често това е и като защитна реакция, затова и трябва внимателно да обмисляме думите си и реакциите си, преди да раним хората срещу себе си.
Джина е получила не една такава рана. Разводът й със Стюарт я кара да преосмисли целия си живот. Трупала е вещи, от които сега трябва да се освободи и да остави най-добрите предмети, които ще й носят радост. Освобождавайки се постепенно от тях, тя започва да преосмисля миналото си, да нарежда пъзела на своя живот и се опитва да разбере защо се е стигнало дотам. Същевременно тя трябва да прости и на себе си, за грешките, които е направила, за хората, които е наранила. Научава се и да споделя чувствата си, успява да прости на близките си и да възвърне равновесието си. Въпроси от типа „Можело ли е нещата да бъдат различни, ако беше взела друго решение тогава?“ в един момент за нея стават безсмислени. Животът се движи бързо, никога не знаеш какво те чака утре, затова Джина взема решение да бъде щастлива тук и сега и да вижда всеки ден красотата около себе си.

[Demi Stein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gina en haar man gaan uit elkaar. Haar hele leven staat op haar kop. Ze verhuisd naar een klein appartement met veel dozen van 'haar vorige leven'.

Ze besluit om het heel anders aan te gaan pakken nu. Ze wilt maar honderd dingen bezitten waar ze écht waarde aan hecht. De rest gaat de deur uit! De vraag is alleen welke honderd dingen. Die ene brief, of toch die ene souvenier van een vakantie samen met haar ex-man?

In de tussentijd neemt ze een erg gave klus aan en komt er onverwachts een hond op haar pad. Ze is toch helemaal geen hondenmens?

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Voor mij was dit boek een leuk tussendoortje, die niet lang zal blijven hangen.

Het verhaal zelf was wel leuk om te lezen, maar leverde bij mij geen wauw effect op. Daarnaast voelde ik ook niks voor het hoofdpersonage, terwijl ik dit in een boek altijd erg belangrijk vind. De bijpersonages spraken mij gelukkig wel aan, waardoor het wel de moeite waard was om door te lezen.

De schrijfstijl van Lucy is prettig! Het leest gemakkelijk weg en de opbouw van het verhaal is op een interessante manier gedaan.

Voor mijn gevoel heb ik lang over dit boek gedaan en het voelde voor mij ook erg langdradig. Ik moet ook eerlijk bekennen dat ik al veel details van dit verhaal kwijt ben.

Een leuk boek voor tussendoor dus, maar helaas niet erg pakkend.

[Chiara Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an unexpectedly great read! I almost gave it away unread but because my girlfriend had read it a few weeks before and really liked it, I gave it a chance and I'm so glad I did! Loved Gina, loved the way the book was structured, loved the interior design, even loved the dog. Also really loved how this book managed to hit the perfect balance between selfdiscovery and romance (for me). Some of it was a bit too clichéd and heteronormative but overall a really enjoyable book.

[Lilly B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely phenomenal- i did think the premise would be too cheesy but it wasn’t at all it was absolutely beautiful- i have been crying non stop for the past half an hour reading this omg

[Rikke Birkeland · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boken har 430 sider, og den fanget først interessen min etter 311. Du får gjøre hva du vil med den informasjonen

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy Dillon is one of my favourite authors, she’s one of those authors that is a proper storyteller, meaning you can quite easily get lost in one of her books, with her wonderful characters, and all the beautiful dogs you want to keep as your own. It’s been a few years since Lucy’s last release, and A Hundred Pieces of Me has been delayed a couple of times, but it pleased my greatly when a release date was finally set for the novel. February 2014. It even acquired a cover – a sure sign a book is definitely on its way into th world! A rather stunning cover, too, which rather matches my tattoo, what with the dandelion flowers blowing in the wind. I couldn’t wait to dive into it, and dive I had to as it is a mammoth 500+ page novel, but after a rocky, slow start, I began to get into the novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A Hundred Pieces of Me probably isn’t my favourite of Lucy Dillon’s novels; the slow start rather lets it down a bit and it took me ages and ages to fully immerse myself in the novel, but it did eventually get to the stage where I was fully invested. Where I cared what happened to the characters, where I enjoyed reading about Gina’s job and her life. After recovering from cancer, and the breakdown of her marriage, Gina is streamlining her life. Her new flat has no room for all the stuff she’s brought from her old house, so Gina is going to pick her top 100 things, and these will be the basis for her new life. An exciting project managing the refubishment of an old house is just what Gina needs to keep herself distracted, especially when she meets the handsome Nick, but the only trouble is, he’s kinda married…

A Hundred Pieces of Me begins each chapter with two things; the first is an item from Gina’s collection, something precious to her, even if it’s something most of us wouldn’t glance twice at. The second is a flashback to a certain point in Gina’s life, slowly filling us in on everything that’s happened in her life. From meeting Kit, as a teenager, to falling in love with Kit, to the tragedy that forced them both apart, to her marriage and relationship to Stuart, to her cancer diagnosis and everything in between. I found these flashbacks quite fascinating, it helped build up a picture of Gina. I’m still not 100% sure of the books strapline which is about living for the now, but I never really saw Gina living for the now, she never did anything particularly out there, but I do like the philosophy of the strapline. I really liked getting to know the characters, I loved Gina’s best friend Naomi, who was there for her friend in thick and thin. I loved Nick, I never knew where the whole Nick story was going; he and Gina got on so well, but he was married so I thought that was like a no-go area, which disappointed me because they got on so well and I loved how Nick used Gina as his hand model.

Lucy Dillon is a fantastic storyteller. Yup, I felt the novel started slowly, but I eventually got into it and it was a fantastic story. Gina’s hiding quite a big secret, which I attempted, and failed, to guess, and the story leading up to the reveal was amazing. I fell in love with the characters, I loved the story, and more than anyone, I loved Buzz, the rescue dog Gina acquires. I also LOVED that previous Lucy Dillon characters appeared, I LOVED when authors do that. It’s always super fun to catch up. I spotted Rachel, and Lorcan, from two separate Lucy Dillon novels and I cheered when I remembered them. It’s always nice to check in and make sure their lives are going according to plan (ie. HAPPY). A Hundred of Pieces of Me will definitely get everyone talking, it’s sweet, it’s special and once you do get into it, you really get into it and I sat reading it during a horrible thunder storm, and it was a nice distraction. I’m super pleased I got the chance to read the novel, as it was quite an amazing read. I can see why it’s being touted as Lucy’s best novel yet, though I still prefer Walking Back To Happiness, but this is a fantastic novel.