• 5 Star Reads
  • Audiobooks
  • Books on Screen
  • Children’s Books
  • Christian
  • Fiction
  • Giveaways

5 Minutes For Books

  • Home
  • About
    • Who Are We? Reviewer Bios
    • 5 Star Reads
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
  • Join In
    • 5 Minutes for Books Bookclub
    • Children’s Classics
    • Kids’ Picks
    • What’s on Your Nightstand
  • Link To Us
  • Contact
    • Advertise

A Hundred Pieces of Me {Review and #Giveaway}

September 23, 2014 by Jennifer

5M4B disclosure

a hundred pieces of me

This is my first novel by Lucy Dillon, but in browsing her titles I see that she writes stories about heartbreak and loss and redemption, that seem to feature warm-blooded canines as well. Sounds like a pretty good formula to me!

Those were the themes which drew me to A Hundred Pieces of Me. Gina Bellamy’s marriage is over in a flash. Instead of planning the next trip they’ll take or the next adventure they’ll have, she’s moved out of her house into a spare white apartment. She sees it as a chance to start over, to reevaluate each of her things. As the boxes from her old life literally fill her flat, she decides to work through them methodically, getting rid of things that have no place in her new life.

She’s drawn to the idea of keeping 100 things, so she begins a list as she decides to keep things. Some of the items have sentimental value, some are functional, and some she simply likes. As she unpacks and decides to keep or get rid of the items, the story takes us back to the time when that item meant something to her. It was a great way to handle flashbacks and fleshing out the character of Gina.

She’s working on a huge remodel project of an historic home, but she sees strife between driven Amanda (who is never around) and Nick, her creative, laid-back husband. Then timid greyhound Buzz comes into her life, pulling her even more out of her comfort zone.

This novel was long (almost 500 pages), and maybe it was a little too long, but I can’t think what I would have cut. The characters were well-developed and are memorable. The issues range from divorce, to cancer, to strained parental relationships, to the loss of a parent, childlessness, first love, and they are all themes which resonate.

I’ve seen a couple of Lucy Dillon’s novels around, and I’d be inclined to pick up another one after this one.

Enter to Win

One of you (U.S. only) can win a copy. Just follow the instructions in the widget, beginning by leaving a comment.

Entry-Form

Filed Under: Fiction, Jennifer

« What’s on Your Nightstand, September 23
To Dwell in Darkness »

Comments

  1. Angel Wells says

    September 23, 2014 at 6:02 pm

    sounds like a good read.cute cover too!!

  2. Jeanna says

    September 24, 2014 at 9:12 am

    This sounds like a wonderful read! I’m always looking for new authors!

  3. riTa says

    September 24, 2014 at 9:53 am

    Several aspects draw me to this novel:
    –the process of simplifying
    –recording the memories associated with items or pieces of my life’
    –dealing with different the pain and hurts of life.

  4. Katie says

    September 24, 2014 at 11:30 am

    Books about dogs always tug at my heartstrings! Looking forward to reading how all the characters’ lives intertwine.

  5. Carrie, Reading to Know says

    September 24, 2014 at 11:41 am

    Interesting idea for a book…..makes me wonder what I’d list as my top 100 things to save. Although 100 is a big number when it comes down to packing. Anyway, that’s a really interesting idea! 🙂

  6. anne says

    September 24, 2014 at 11:44 am

    A captivating and memorable story which I would enjoy greatly. thanks.

  7. Dominica H. says

    September 24, 2014 at 5:23 pm

    I need a new book to read!

  8. Elena says

    September 24, 2014 at 6:09 pm

    Sounds like a good book. Thank you for the giveaway!

  9. Liza Vladyka says

    September 24, 2014 at 8:05 pm

    i would like to win for my BFF she likes and has a hotdog

  10. Linda Kish says

    September 24, 2014 at 10:31 pm

    I would love to win a copy of this book.

  11. Hilary says

    September 25, 2014 at 9:10 pm

    I am always looking for new authors to follow. This would be great!

  12. Samantha Wagner says

    September 27, 2014 at 1:35 am

    I like the idea of only keeping 100 items.

  13. Denise Taylor-Dennis says

    September 29, 2014 at 8:25 am

    Sounds like an interesting read.

  14. Kerrie Mayans says

    September 29, 2014 at 1:36 pm

    I am intrigued by the idea of only keeping 100 things. It sounds like a great book to curl up on the couch with on a rainy Saturday afternoon.

  15. Kimberly says

    September 30, 2014 at 6:50 am

    Would love to read this!

  16. Angela Saver says

    October 4, 2014 at 7:36 pm

    Thanks for the great giveaway!

  17. Vickie Couturier says

    October 5, 2014 at 1:26 pm

    sounds like a good book to read

  18. Haley S. says

    October 5, 2014 at 8:26 pm

    This sounds like a great book. Thanks for the giveaway!

  19. Anita Yancey says

    October 6, 2014 at 9:28 am

    It sounds like a very interesting book, and I love the cute cover. Thanks for having this giveaway.

  20. Christine L. says

    October 6, 2014 at 1:18 pm

    The themes you cite are of interest to me as well. The idea of paring down one’s belongings is intriguing, though a bit frightening to someone who is a collector (in my case, books, of which I have far more than 100). I can see how revisiting memories associated with each, as well as the act of passing along unneeded items, could be cleansing.

  21. Rhonda says

    October 6, 2014 at 1:24 pm

    Love the cover book sounds perfect for me.

  22. Patricia says

    October 6, 2014 at 9:54 pm

    This sounds like a very moving story.

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Welcome to 5 Minutes for Books. We are a team blog dedicated to sharing reviews and information about children's lit, fiction, memoir, and more. Read More…

Reviews

5 Minutes for Books

Jennifer Donovan
Managing Editor

MEET OUR TEAM



Connect With Us


Pinterest

Community

Cybils Logo Draft 3

Disclosure:

Find out about our relationships with publishers and affiliate networks in our full disclosure statement.

Recent Posts

  • Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
  • The House of Eve
  • Bright and Deadly Things
  • Long Story Short
  • Stone Cold Fox

Categories

Privacy Policy    |     Disclosure Policy
Terms & Conditions
© 5 Minutes for Mom

Let’s Socialize

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Pinterest is Our FAVORITE!

Find and Follow Us at
pinterest.com/5min4books

Copyright © 2023 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316