Cecily Wong, adventure journalist with a slightly questionable mountaineering success rate, is taking on a near-impossible challenge in order to secure a once-in-a-lifetime story that could see her writing career skyrocket. Enter, Mount Manaslu. The eighth highest mountain in the world, measuring over 8,000 metres above sea level, it’s an intense challenge for the mind and body of even the most capable climbers, so how will Cecily fair amongst her new team when things start to go wrong before they’ve even made it to base camp?

There’s a theft. Then an accident. Then a mysterious note, pinned to her tent: there’s a murderer on the mountain. The higher they get, the more dangerous the climb becomes, and the more they need to trust one another. And that’s when Cecily finds the first body…

Still catching your breath? Us too. This March Team Zoella dove headfirst into Amy McCulloch’s first adult thriller release, and boy oh boy are we still thinking about it now. Known around these parts as co-author of our very own Zoe Sugg’s Magpie Society Duology, Amy is the queen of evocative, tension building writing, and if you’re seeking a book you won’t be able to put down, let it be Breathless.

Despite its cool, snowy setting, Breathless makes for perfect summer getaway reading when pure escapism is the aim, although we can’t promise you won’t have finished it before the plane even lands. Keep reading to see what Team Zoella thought, and spoiler: we’re obsessed…

Charlotte’s Review

I need to know if there’s a part 2 to Breathless IMMEDIATELY. This book was everything I hoped it would be and more upon reading the blurb, and I’m so glad it lived up to my expectations of Amy as an incredible writer who loves an unsuspecting twist and strong characters you feel deeply invested in. Had we not been reading for book club I probably wouldn’t have been drawn to a book based around mountaineering as it’s not something I felt was especially relatable to me, but not only am I now inspired to get climbing (genuinely went to mountaineering TikTok after finishing the book) but also really enjoyed this unique setting for a thriller that as we find out, does in fact make the perfect place for a murder.

I struggled at the start of the book to remember exactly which character was which as a lot of Cecily’s climbing team were introduced at once, however the further I got into the book the more I was able to differentiate and felt a definitive connection to them, especially Elise and Zak! I sped through Breathless super quickly which is rare for me as a chronically slow reader, but I honestly couldn’t put it down as each chapter revealed another twist in the tale and deeper level to the mystery.

I found myself rooting for (almost) the whole mountaineering team throughout, and Amy did an incredible job of conveying the trust and teamwork integral to climbing with a group, making the threat of a member with ulterior motives even more terrifying! I have to say I don’t love a book that ends on a cliffhanger and wished there had been a tiny teaser about what was to come (if there will be a sequel that is!) but I absolutely raced through the last couple of chapters before bed one night and struggled to sleep because I couldn’t stop thinking about it!

I’ll definitely be running straight to Waterstones next time Amy publishes something new as I find her writing style super digestible and her characters really well built out.

Rating: 5/5
Would you recommend it? Yes!

Lareese’s Review

Admittedly, I’m not an avid reader of the murder mystery/thriller genre but I’ve got to hand it to Amy, Breathless sucked me in and spat me out just like the very mountain it was based upon, serving as a reminder that good things can come from stepping out of your reading comfort zone once in a while. It features a fantastic cast of fully realised characters that get under your skin and cloud your judgement throughout. As the protagonist, Cecily Wong, continually questions who can be trusted and who can’t, the reader makes a similarly precarious summit alongside her.

The setting is the perfect killing ground for a thriller novel, with the mountain playing just as much of a role in this story as the rest of the characters. One minute it’s a stunning Instagram-worthy setting, the next it’s the ideal place for a murderer to hide. Amy’s mountaineering knowledge and personal experience absolutely shines through, giving the story a terrifying dose of realism and authenticity without getting in the way of the story. I knew nothing about mountaineering life before Breathless and really enjoyed learning about how they push their bodies to their limits in the acclimatisation processes and how much they have to prepare themselves for danger.

In true McCulloch style, Breathless ends on a cliff-hanger which I only hope means she is clipping into the safety lines as we speak and making her next adult fiction move… here’s hoping!

Rating: 4/5
Would you recommend it? Yes – ‘Be Bothered’ by Breathless.

Darcey’s Review

Thrillers are right up my street so I was excited to get stuck into Amy’s newest book! Having read The Magpie Society, I was aware of Amy’s writing techniques and a fan of them too, but this being her first novel out of the YA realm, I was intrigued to see what that would be like!

Amy did a great job at describing mountaineering techniques, especially for someone like me who has not a clue about that world, it really benefited the read having some level of understanding of what they were facing. The setting of the book is really quite breathtaking, you can imagine the incredible views whilst climbing, but it sets a scary and ominous scene too which gave me literal goosebumps at times.

It’s a thriller and ‘whodunnit’ read, I was engrossed throughout, with strange deaths which seemed unexplained, you knew something much darker was happening! The characters really make this book, there are a lot of crew members in this climb so you might find it takes some time to remember all their names, but it really does play such an integral part.

That cliffhanger too!! I felt breathless knowing I couldn’t find out more …

Rating: 4/5
Would you recommend it?: Yes!

Danielle’s Review

SO, I actually really enjoy the extreme sport/climbing space, I adored the documentary Free Solo ( Alex Honnold on his quest to perform a free solo climb of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park) and as soon as 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible came on Netflix I sat down to watch it. The docu follows Nepalese mountaineer Nirmal Purja and his team as they attempt to climb all 14 eight-thousander peaks within a record time of under 7 months. Not 3 days later I was watching Amy’s IG story and realised she had actually ascended one of the mountains with him and had also written a new fiction inspired by mountain climbing so it was definitely one of those “when two of my worlds collide” moments and I couldn’t wait to tuck into breathless.

The novel itself DID not disappoint and is the absolute epitome of the phrase page-turner. Journalist Cecily Wong made such a great character to follow through this thrilling pursuit with climber Charles, and Amy’s descriptions of the icy crevices and situations the climbers find themselves in we’re so emotive, my hands were sweating just reading them! This survival story was so gripping, I kept switching between characters I thought were suspects or guilty and I couldn’t wait to find out more. For anyone who thinks the subject matter might not intrigue them the murder mystery definitely will!

Rating: 5/5
Would you recommend it? I’ve already given it to my sister to read!

YouTuber, Podcast Host and Author, Hannah Witton has been living with ulcerative colitis (UC), a form of inflammatory bowel disease, since she was seven years old. In 2018, after a particularly severe flare up, she had emergency ileostomy surgery to remove her colon and divert the small intestine through an opening in the stomach. She now lives with a stoma she affectionately calls Mona. 

It is estimated that one in 500 people in the UK are living with stomas (Colostomy UK) yet despite how many people are affected by colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy, there’s not a great deal of information available unless you really go digging for it and that lack of education, coupled with the stigma and shame around talking about it, means many of us don’t know the first thing about this hidden disability. 

Known for speaking openly about taboo topics and having honest conversations about sex and relationships on her podcast Doing It, Hannah’s willingness to talk candidly about the condition and using a stoma bag in her day to day life has helped hundreds of ostomates feel seen, understood and empowered. 

Now expecting her first baby, Hannah chats to us about her pregnancy so far, from birth plans to new bags and monitoring Mona… 

P.S To all those with stomas, IBD, scars and stories to tell, your body is beautiful. Long may you celebrate it and talk about it with openness, acceptance and pride. 

First up, so many congratulations Hannah! How are you feeling? 

Thank you so much! I’m currently feeling pretty good which I am very grateful for. I’m just very tired and hungry all the time but I can handle that.  

There is little information around pregnancy with a stoma, how has the experience been for you so far? 

Oh boy has it been an experience. Things are much calmer now (although that could change again…) but for a few weeks my stoma must have gone through some kind of growth spurt and I was trying to navigate that with getting bigger bags and different kinds of bags to fit my new stoma. Luckily the stoma nurse at my hospital has been so helpful but I just wasn’t expecting it to grow so fast and there can be a lot of trial and error with finding the right bag. There was a short period where I was in a lot of pain with my stoma and also just feeling like the bags weren’t very securely attached to my body, which just makes being able to relax and get on with your life really difficult.   

Did you have any reservations or concerns going into the pregnancy? What were your expectations? 

I honestly went into pregnancy with so few expectations. I knew that people’s experiences varied so vastly that there was really no way to predict how my pregnancy would go. I’ve very much been taking each day and everything as it comes. 

Whilst it’s definitely not been the easiest time, at least I haven’t had to deal with feeling disappointed that it wasn’t what I expected on top of that.  

Is there anything you have to be particularly mindful of / do differently to pregnancy with a stoma?

When we first saw the midwife, I was immediately referred to the obstetrics team at my hospital so the doctors could keep an eye on me too. The stoma itself isn’t really an issue for the pregnancy (the pregnancy is more of an issue for the stoma!) but I’d say the main thing is that because I don’t have a large colon the medical team want to make sure I’m absorbing enough nutrients to grow the baby. I’ve had to take a much higher dose of folic acid to make sure I’m absorbing enough, I’m also on iron and I’m having serial scans so they can check the growth of the baby more accurately than a tape measure around the tummy. And I’m not mad about any of those things at all! I feel very looked after and very grateful for more scans! 

What’s your birthing plan and what sort of delivery do you plan on having? Are there any dos and don’ts/limitations for childbirth/pregnancy when you have a stoma? 

At first the doctors were considering recommending I have an elective C-section (scheduled) because of my previous surgeries and the risks of potentially finding scar tissue on my womb if I have to have an emergency C-section – there is much more control of the situation if the C-section is planned.  

However, since then, they’ve seen me more and also spoken to my gastro consultant (who was very chilled about the whole thing and didn’t see any reason why I couldn’t have a vaginal birth) the obstetricians have said they’re happy to recommend a vaginal birth. 

But it is still completely up to me. The current plan is to give birth at the birth centre, which is the midwife led unit at my hospital.  However my birth plan may change with more information we receive from the serial scans that I am having. And I am open to all options. 

The only thing that could add an extra layer to the birth when you have a stoma is if I have an epidural. I would then need someone else, whether the midwives or my partner Dan, to empty my stoma bag for me when it gets full, as I will be unable to do this.

All births and bodies are different but in terms of postpartum recovery, does having a stoma affect the recovery period at all? 

That’s all a bit of an unknown for me and the best thing to do is play it by ear really. What I imagine will happen is that after birth before I’m discharged the stoma nurse at the hospital will come to see me and take a look at my belly and stoma and see if they need to give me any different bags to go home with. And then it’s just a case monitoring my stoma for changes again (if it does) making adjustments as we go. 

How do you deal with people asking you about pregnancy with a stoma if you’re not comfortable talking about it?

To be honest the only questions I get about it are from close friends and family who know I have a stoma and so I’m not bothered by them asking at all. Of course, I get comments from people online about it which is fine too as I talk openly about my stoma and my pregnancy and I just tell them I’m planning on doing a whole video about it. 

When strangers notice I’m pregnant and maybe ask questions about that, they’ve no idea I have a stoma and so obviously don’t ask! 

What’s something reassuring you’d like anyone going through pregnancy with a stoma to know?

Whilst obviously every pregnancy is different I found it reassuring when my gastro doctors said to me that having a stoma doesn’t automatically mean I can’t have a “normal” pregnancy and birth. What even is “normal” anyway?

And for any mums who might need a temporary/permanent colostomy after childbirth, what’s something you’d like them to know?

It can be a lot to adjust to, especially if it was an emergency surgery like mine was, but ultimately having a stoma doesn’t stop you from living your life. There’s loads of support out there (online and in hospitals – all the stoma nurses I’ve met have been incredible) and you’d be surprised how resilient you are. 

From sad girl lit with razor-sharp observations on love and loss to the ultimate feel-good fiction from the serotonin queen, Beth O’Leary (she basically invented book joy) and a lovesong to black art and thought from a powerful new voice, here’s what books we’re excited to read for Zoella book club in April, May and June.

April – What A Shame by Abigail Bergstrom 

Perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton and Fleabag, What A Shame is the impeccable debut from an exciting new voice in contemporary women’s fiction. In this dark, poignant but ultimately hopeful novel, we follow 20-something protagonist Mathilda Mannings as she navigates sudden heartbreak, parental loss, trauma and above all, self-acceptance. Tipped to be the book of 2022, What A Shame marks Abigail’s switch from agent to author, and a certified powerhouse we’re only too glad to see on our bookshelves. 

The Blurb: 

She doesn’t want to admit it, but there’s something wrong with Mathilda Manning. It’s not just that she’s been wearing the same pair of black dungarees for three months straight, or that she can’t seem to stop running, or that she’s once again sleeping with the deeply inappropriate Freddie. 

Cast into the grief of a brutal break up and the death of her father, she’s not moving on. Her friends are adamant she needs a helping hand, flinging her towards various spiritual practices in a quest for healing. But buried memories won’t stay that way forever, and it’s time Mathilda faces up to her past. 

Through darkly glittering satire, the novel rattles a hornets’ nest of inherited trauma and the prickly heat of female pain in our modern world. 

Purchase the book from bookshop.org here!

May – The No Show by Beth O’Leary 

Category is: pure escapism. 

From the best-selling author of The Switch and The Flatshare comes a new uplifting page turner, perfect for  those balmy spring-summer days. Fresh, brilliantly funny, heart-breaking and joyful in equal measure, The No Show is about dating (and waiting) and the ways love can find us…

A superbly plotted tearjerker with that trademark O’Leary warmth we stan in a major fan girl way – we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, Beth O’Leary’s novels *need* to be prescribed. 

The Blurb: 

Three women. Three dates. One missing man…

8.52 a.m. Siobhan’s been looking forward to her breakfast date with Joseph. She was surprised when he suggested it – she normally sees him late at night in her hotel room. Breakfast with Joseph on Valentine’s Day surely means something… so where is he?

2.43 p.m. Miranda’s hoping that a Valentine’s Day lunch with Carter will be the perfect way to celebrate her new job. It’s a fresh start and a sign that her grown-up life is finally falling into place: she’s been dating Carter for five months now and things are getting serious. But why hasn’t he shown up?

6.30 p.m. Joseph Carter agreed to be Jane’s fake boyfriend at a colleague’s engagement party. They’ve not known each other long but their friendship is fast becoming the brightest part of her new life in Winchester. Joseph promised to save Jane tonight. But he’s not here…

Meet Joseph Carter. That is, if you can find him.

Purchase the book from bookshop.org here!

June – Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson 

“It’s one thing to be looked at and another to be seen.”

An ode to black expression, Open Water is a short debut novel of rare artistic and emotional scope. 

A modern love story set in South East London about two young black British artists who meet perchance in a bar and have an instant and immediate connection. Both are trying to make their mark in a city that both celebrates and rejects them – a world where they’re so often afraid to live let alone dare to fall in love. 

Expect elegant refrains, poetic prose interspersed with Kendrick Lamar lyrics and a powerful meditation on art, love and blackness. Caleb Azumah Nelson is a new voice but sure to be an enduring one. 

The blurb: 

Two young people meet at a pub in South East London. Both are Black British, both won scholarships to private schools where they struggled to belong, both are now artists – he a photographer, she a dancer – trying to make their mark in a city that by turns celebrates and rejects them. Tentatively, tenderly, they fall in love. But two people who seem destined to be together can still be torn apart by fear and violence.

At once an achingly beautiful love story and a potent insight into race and masculinity, Open Water asks what it means to be a person in a world that sees you only as a Black body, to be vulnerable when you are only respected for strength, to find safety in love, only to lose it. With gorgeous, soulful intensity, Caleb Azumah Nelson has written the most essential British debut of recent years.

Purchase the book from bookshop.org here!

Gone are the days of uncomfortable and unsightly shapewear that you’d be forgiven for hiding at the back of your underwear drawer, since the likes of Kim Kardashian entered the space with her groundbreaking brand Skims, shapewear and sculpting underwear has had a serious makeover.

Whether it be bodysuits that sculpt your figure under a skintight dress or high rise briefs that provide extra support on the occasions when feeling your best is top of the agenda, there are endless high-street to high-end offerings that appear virtually undetectable under your favourite ‘fits. The best outcomes come from strong foundations, and here we consider our trusty shapewear to be the ultimate underpinning. More where that came from please! And FYI: shapewear shouldn’t be painful or contort our bodies in a way that encourages us to believe there’s something about us that needs to change. We’re here for style, comfort, confidence and support only!

Bodysuits

Shapewear Briefs and Thongs 

Shorts 

Backless and Adhesive Bras

*This post contains ad-affiliate links

Spring is waiting in the wings, people. The birds are a’chirping, the daffs are blooming and the skies have finally got a bit more colour in their cheeks. What a difference two long years makes.  

Go forth and claim those posi vibes! Here’s 20 things to do in the month of pisstakes, pranks and soaring temps (manifesting it) and not one of them requires watching Episode 4 of Brand New Cherry Flavour. It’s a hard pass on Tadpole Smoothie thanks. 

1. Spend 3-5 working days recovering from April Fool’s Day. 

2. Find yourself talking like Anna Delvey. I do not have time for this. I do not have time for YOU. 

3. Fall down a rabbit hole of asking yourself why Maltesers out the box are superior in taste and experience vs the bag. 

4. Eat a hot cross bun out of principal. The marmite ones = God-tier. We won’t hear otherwise.

5. Realise that you can only ever be expected to be a nice person if it’s sunny.

6. Read What A Shame by Abigail Bergstrom. The debut of all time and our Zoella book club pick for April dontchaknow. 

7. Feel violently ill when you don’t get time to do Wordle before work. 

8. Thank past you for booking a week off before the BH weekend. You will be the envy of all your colleagues. Big whoop. 

9. Begrudge past you for forgetting to book that week off. Countdown to the jubilee weekend is on. 

10. Form a love/hate relationship with Heardle. The lyrical version of Wordle. You’ll see. 

11. Marvel at the hold Cadbury’s have on you at this time of year. They have you in a Creme Egg chokehold. 

12. Declare yourself your own Uncuh Jaahmz muse. 

13. Eat your lunch outside because it’s just about warm enough to do that now. Bare arms season has arrived. What a novelty. 

14. Get your first pedicure of the season…

15. See how long you can last before apologising for the state of your feet. 

16. Wonder when your mum and dad decided you’d hit an age when buying you Easter eggs was no longer part of their parental requirements. Family drama ensues. 

17. Realise you spent the last 5 years cultivating an Instagram following before TikTok destroyed that dream and now you have to learn how to make videos. Social media is so fun. 

18. Try not to get overwhelmed at the sheer cost of breathing in 2022. 

19. Fail (obviously) because the very act of existing is exorbitant. 

20. Expect a visit from: The Fear. We need a hard factory reset after that Bank Holiday hangover.