Fleabag season two is perfect from start to finish

The news that Fleabag is phenomenal is nothing new. In fact, it isn’t even news. It is a fact. While the first season is certainly a masterpiece it is season two that I cannot shut up about – much like the entire world when it first aired.

I originally watched the second season of Fleabag as soon as it aired. When I say as soon as it aired, I am being literal not hyperbolic. I distinctly remember watching the first episode in my university dorm room at dead on 10am before I started my work for the day. This then continued to be routine (if you can even call it a routine) for the next six weeks as each episode came out. Oh to be a uni student again and stick to such a relaxed schedule, starting work at 10:30 after a relaxing breakfast and an episode of Fleabag might literally be the dream.

Even though I was such an avid fan back in 2019, I had not rewatched season two since then. Don’t get my wrong, I had seen clips of the iconic moments and I obviously was unable to ignore the entire world falling in love with Andrew Scott one at a time. However, I had not sat down to basque in the glory of a perfectly crafted tv show. So that’s what I did last month.

I am a firm believer that the first episode of season two is the best episode of TV in existence. This is even something young nineteen year old me believed. It was this episode that confirmed that I love dinner party episodes of TV. I love when a show has a pause and focuses on character interactions in an isolated setting for just one episode – I instantly think of an iconic episode of Grey’s Anatomy (perfect Penny killed my husband). Watching again made me realise why I love it so much. I love characters dynamics and this episode concept is such a neat way of exploring these messy relationships.

Since watching Fleabag for the first time, I have also read one of my favourite books of all time (and perhaps the quintessentially-Jen concept for a book – There but for the by Ali Smith. This novel centres around a dinner party where a guest’s plus one adds a new meaning to guest room by refusing to leave it).

I have also come to realise that I love a classic Agatha Christie-esques murder mystery and I think I owe a lot of this to dinner parties. Closed room mysteries might not always include dinner parties, but they always carry the essence of them. People brought together in a room they can’t politely or easily leave having awkward conversations.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge takes the dinner party and elevates it. She savour every moment and brings out previously unannounced tastes. My favourite moment has to be the Priest’s joke about his brother, but the entire thing is iconic from the first second to the final frame (Waller-Bridge is so phenomenal that it might even be iconic after this to be honest). There’s Olivia Coleman’s Godmother being lovely and unlovable. There’s a swearing priests. There’s Fleabag and Claire’s conversation in the bathroom. And this is only the few things I can think of off the top of my head after watching it a good few weeks ago.

Don’t worry, my theory (or hard evidence) that Fleabag season two is perfect, does not rest entirely on the first episode. Even though I have much more I could say about these simple (but not so simple) thirty minutes of television, I will move on to discussing the season as a whole.

We all know that Fleabag and the Priest’s romance stole our hearts and refused to give it back. From the second Scott first entered the frame, his dog collar had us in a choke hold. We would all kneel if he told us to and we all want to drink M&S G&T’s from a can with him. He is the perfectly imperfect foil to Fleabag and that’s what makes the season heartbreaking.

On this re-watch however, I feel in love with another dynamic even more. And that has got to be the complex sisterhood at the route of the narrative. I somehow overlooked Claire the first time I watched this seasons, but in my rewatch I desperately wanted her to be happy. My heart was pulled in two directions towards both Fleabag and Claire. Yet, you do not have to make a choice between the two sisters. Much like our own sisters (or our eyebrows) we can love them both equally despite their differences. Even though both can’t achieve happiness, you route for them both. When talking to a friend about the season, I came to the conclusion that while Fleabag and the Priest are perfectly ill-fated soulmates, Claire and Klare are the opposite: they are the perfectly fated soulmates.

What’s the lesson from all this aimless rambling? Honestly, it is nothing new and it is very much not needed for anything other than a shameless want to discuss this season over and over again (much like I did with every single person I know who has watched this show before).

Wrapping it Up: Books I Read in August 2020

I have read so much in the past couple of months that it was inevitable that eventually, I would get into a bit of a reading slump. Reading isn’t perhaps my priority at the moment. I will still be reading, but perhaps not as much. I think towards the end of the month I am going to try and read some books I have been really interested in rather than just what I am kind of interested in and can get freely or cheaply. I also might be participating in a readathon with some friends so my reading might increase. Basically, it is just a bit of a weird reading time for me at the moment.

The Little Friend by Donna Tartt

I have a post coming up where I rank all of Donna Tartt’s books so for more on this book then check out that post.

Out of Love by Hazel Hayes

I really enjoyed this book! I really liked the concept, but was a little apprehensive as it is a YouTuber book. However, Hazel Hayes isn’t my most watched YouTuber and I did pick this book up for the conept, not for her. There were some chapters that I really really fell in love with – one in particular talked about children and being an aunt in a way that completely spoke to me. 

Summer by Ali Smith

If you’ve read a lot of my wrap ups you’ll know that I have been rereading Ali Smith’s books for my upcoming dissertation. So I obviously had to pick up this book straight way, although I love her work so much I probably would have read it quickly anyway. Ali Smith is a masterful writer and it can be doubted by this book. The lockdown references in this book hit me more than the contemporary referencing in her other books.

Actress by Anne Enright

Maybe I read too many similar books in a row but this book didn’t wow me. It was fine, but I definelty would not have read it as quickly as I did if I had had internet. It seemed like a lot of things that I would love (a book focussed on a celebrity, a book with complicated dynamics etc) but for whatever reason it didn’t draw me in completely. It just wasn’t a memorable book for me.

Finding My Voice by Nadiya Hussain 

I am a big Bake Off fan and in particular my favourite season is season 6, aka the season Nadiya won. Therefore, I was obviously going to read this book. I loved how this memoir was less of a chronological account of her life, but was structured through the different identities she had. This allowed the book to feel more like a collection of essays and also be more personal. I loved how you could tell that Nadiya loves to write and wasn’t just writing a book because of money etc. As much as I loved this book, I would have liked a little bit more on her experience on the Bake Off, it felt a bit like the book was skirting around it – although I did love the part where Tamal was mentioned. 

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh

I previously read My Year of Rest and Relaxation by this author and wanted to read more of her book – especially as this book was shortlisted for the Man Booker. I didn’t enjoy it as much as her other book. But that could have just been because I read a lot of similar things in a row and I had to read this as it was one of the only things I had downloaded. It was obviously well written and engaging. I just didn’t particularly care or feel like I wanted to read it. I think I need to prioritise the books with interesting concepts rather than books by authors I liked. I am a mood reader and I need to embrace that a bit more.

Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire

The most common complaint I have heard about this book is the length – a lot of people want it to be longer and do more. I am not quite sure if it was the length of the book that particularly made the book an average read. Perhaps it was the fact that I listened to the audiobook. I likes the audiobook but it was over very quickly and perhaps I wasn’t listening as closely as I should have. I think if I continue the series I would read it physically.

In relation to the content of the book, I liked the world and thought the world building was quite good, but I think I wanted something slightly different than the book did. Maybe I would have liked to learn more about the world’s they travelled to. I liked that it explored the aftermath of going to a new world (and in no way wanted that to change), but I would have liked to learn more about the world through the characters memories and thoughts.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo 

From here until the end of the post are the books I read during a little readathon I did. 

This book was great! Initially I was planning on reading Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo as the plot of that one really interests me. However, I recently got Scribd and this book was available so I decided to read this one instead. I didn’t know much about this book other than the fact that it is written in verse. Therefore the plot itself was a bit of a mystery to me. 

I really enjoyed the exploration of family, community, first love and finding yourself. Normally, I have mixed feelings on modern Instagram-style poetry, however, I love when it forms a story. Some of the verse in this book really hit me. 

Dracula by Bram Stoker 

I had never read this book before, which felt a bit wrong. I also realised that I had at some point bought the audiobook for it, so it felt like I should finally get to. I loved the audiobook as it was one where Audible tried to get a lot of big names to do it. The book itself was fine. Sometimes I find it hard reading a book where I already know a lot about it. We have all seen many different variations of this story. 

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay 

This is one of my favourite books I have read recently. I don’t traditionally read a lot of non-fiction but recently I have had a hankering to read some very specific non-fiction – basically a personal essay collection relating to issues. Hence, this book fulfilled this want and more. I loved reading her personal options on certain things. In particular, I loved how one of the main things this book explored was fiction and media. It was these sections that I think I enjoyed the most. The way she acknowledges the complexity of issues and pieces of media was really well done. It felt like the book was not judging anyone and understood that being a ‘good feminist’ is really hard. 

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell 

As soon as I heard of this book I knew that I had to read it – I love books about bands and fame. In particular ones that are set in the past – a niche love I know. I also previously read Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell and while it wasn’t my favourite book ever I did really enjoy it. I really did enjoy this book but for whatever reason I don’t think it is going to become one of my favourites. I really loved all the characters Dean and Elf in particular are stand outs. I will say I would have liked more chapters focused on the other characters, in particular Levin (the band’s manager who was semi-openly gay in this late 1960’s setting). This book did make me cry though. It had some really transformative moments that were emotional and fantastic. I would highly recommend this book, perhaps my expectations were slightly too high. 

Intimations by Zadie Smith 

Another, little essay collection I read this month. I saw that Zadie Smith had an essay collection coming out about her thoughts during lockdown and decided I wanted to read it. I had never read any of Zadie Smith’s non-fiction but have read a couple of her novels. There are some essays that I really enjoyed – the first couple I really enjoyed. As it went on I wasn’t enjoying it as much, this might have been because I was loosing focus – so more of a me problem than a book problem. Also, I knew going into it that the book was short, but I might have liked a bit more if it was longer. It was a good 

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig 

Yes I picked up even more non-fiction. I have read more non-fiction this month than probably the rest of the year. This one is slightly less essay based, I would perhaps call it observation based – I don’t know, but it is structured slightly differently than a traditional essay collection. I listened to the audiobook and really liked how it was an audiobook that knew it was an audiobook – the audiobook had a lot of effort put into it. There were quite a lot of this that made me think and challenge the way I view things. I really liked the observations on social media, the internet and self images. A couple of thoughts really stuck with me: he talked about how we used to work to serve us and now we work to serve businesses; he also made a proposition that the quick changes in the world have led to a general higher state of anxiety for everyone. 

The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace 

I didn’t particularly like this book. I perhaps would have put it down if it wasn’t so short and I definitely wouldn’t have picked it up if it wasn’t on Scribd. I found some of what was being said interesting but most of it was obvious. I think this is just the type of poetry it is – it is statement and revelation based. Instagram poetry is not necessarily for me. I like poetry that makes me think a bit more and is more subtle. I don’t think there is anything wrong with this style of poetry, it is just not what I like. 

Sweet Sorrow by David Nicholls

I don’t have an insane amount to say about this book. It was okay. I enjoyed it while I was reading it but it didn’t really do anything for me. I quite liked the setting of a summer after school and I loved all the Shakespeare. I will probably eventually pick up another David Nicholls book in the future but overall it is just an okay book.

Wrapping It Up: Books I Read in July 2020

While lockdown is easing up a bit I still have a lot more time to read. Hopefully, I will continue to read a lot this month. I may even attempt to do a readathon!

Beach Read by Emily Henry

This book had a premise that felt perfectly made for me – I love romantic fiction and I love literary fiction. It delivered everything that I expected from it. When I started this book I wasn’t completely sure what I wanted to read and I didn’t expect to read much of anything, but this book drew me in completely. It was so funny – I don’t think I have ever read a book that had a main character who was as naturally witty. The characters are what you want to be amazing in a romance and this is definitely my favourite romance books for the characters. The book also includes a lot of more serious aspects and explores them so well. It is a great mix of the joy of romance and the character analysis of literary fiction.

The Red Scrolls of Magic by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu

I also read this book this month. Most of my thoughts will be in another blog post centred around Cassandra Clare books so watch out for that. What I will say is that this book made me remember how much I enjoy the characters of Alec and Magnus.

Sparkling Cyanide by Agatha Christie

Unfortunatly this is not my favourite Agatha Christie book I have read. The plot was not very engaging, the structure was weird (the most exciting thing happens like 2/3’s in), and I probably would have put it down if it wasn’t a short book. I am still going to continue to read Agatha Christie books but perhaps go for famous ones rather than less popular ones.

How to Be Both by Ali Smith

This is another book I am re-reading for university. I don’t think I enjoyed it as much the second time but it is still a phenomenal book.

Winter by Ali Smith

I think I appreciated this book more a second time around. I remembered the plot of this one less than some of her other books so it was nice to notice different things. I am also starting to notice the connections between the season’s quartet which I really enjoy – they are not things you would perhaps notice without either rereading or reading them one after the other and as I am doing both they are quite obvious to me.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

I’m still not 100% sure on how I feel on this book. I went through various stages of enjoyment. This book takes a while to get into, I actually started to read this book a year or two ago and only read about 50 pages before stopping. This time I tried the audiobook as I have got into the habit of listening to an audiobook while I exercise. I will say I never really listened to at other times and it did take me a while to listen to, so perhaps this says something about my level of enjoyment of the book. The ending was unexpected. The last couple of hours of the audiobook I was unable to put down as so much was happening. One of the first reveals I realised beforehand but all the others completely surprised me. I think the mystery was solved very well. But I’m not sure if the concept itself stands up – the timelines is a bit confusing and brushed over.

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Most of my thoughts on this book will be in a special blog post about reading Cassandra Clare books, so I won’t say too much here. What I will say, however, is that I really enjoyed this book. While it is not my favourite of her books it was nice to read a book in the Shadowhunters world again.

The next books I read this month we’re all part of the reading rush. They will be featured in more detail in a separate wrap up. But I will list them here:

• The Girl in the Train by Agatha Christie
• My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oylinkan Braithwait
• No One Is Too Small To Make A Difference by Greta Thunberg
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• All That She Can See by Carrie Hope Fletcher
• Matilda by Roald Dahl
• Love, Creekwood by Becky Albertali

The Accidental by Ali Smith

I read this book for university.

Spring by Ali Smith

Yet another book I read for university.

 

Wrapping It Up June 2020: Books I Read

I am really enjoying reading at the moment so hopefully, this should be reflected in how many books I will read this month.

Wise Children by Angela Carter

I thought I would enjoy this book more than I did. It was not a bad book, I think I just had high expectations for it. Angela Carter is a great writer but there is something about her work that is unable to fully engage me, for whatever reason her books don’t make me excited to continue reading them.

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

I loved the tropes that were included in this book, but for whatever reason, I did not enjoy the execution of them as much as I thought I would. The book includes enemies having to pretend to date which is something that I enjoy, but it felt like the plot included too many obstacles – it was just a bit too much. I quite liked the sister’s complicated relationship with her husband, but it felt a bit out of place in this narrative – I might have preferred it if the sister was included more in the novel. I also thought it was weird that it did not include both main characters perspectives, from what I can remember Christina Lauren’s others do.

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafron

This book was hailed as an epic journey centred around a love of reading, and that’s exactly what this book was. It was a beautiful story that I would recommend to anyone. I think after reading The Starless Sea and The Archived I have to admit that books about libraries are something I look for in books.

Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia

I had been wanting to read this book for years, however, I think I would have enjoyed this book more if I had read it years ago. I think now reading books about fan culture and high school is not something that I relate to as much or something that I particularly seek out. That doesn’t mean that this book wasn’t good, it was. It was a great book about coming of age, accepting yourself and letting other people in.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

I read this book in one day and I was very much not intending for that to happen. I really wanted to read a mystery novel and was not really sure where to start, so I decided I would start with the master – I had been saying I would read an Agatha Christie novel for a while now. There is a reason that this book in the best selling crime novel of all time, it is excellent. At first, I was having to really focus on who all these characters are (introducing 10 characters very quickly is hard), however suddenly without really thinking about it I was drawn deeply into the story. It was at this point that I just couldn’t stop. I highly enjoyed and would recommend this book. I am definitely planning on reading more of her books in the future, and let’s be honest I will probably read another one of her books this month.

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

As soon as I heard about this book I knew I would read it, I love a book about fame in decades past. This book does remind me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, but that isn’t a bad thing. Not only are both about fame (City of Girls is about theatre rather than Hollywood), they also both include an old woman explaining her past to somehow who she doesn’t know very well and they also include complex characters who don’t always make the right choice. City of Girls is not just for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo it is an absolutely fantastic book.

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

For whatever reason, I just did not connect with this book as much as I wanted to. It was not a bad book or anything, it just did not live up to my expectations. Firstly, I knew that it wasn’t actually inspired by Lord of the Flies but I had heard that it was similar to it so often that I actually expected it to be at least somewhat similar. I really wanted there to be some battles for leadership or fights over who is in charge or debates on morality, and while there was some of the latter it wasn’t what I wanted it to be. I also felt like I never fully understood The Tox or found it ground in any reality, even when the novel explained what it was. In general, I think it did not nearly include enough horror elements to be considered horror – every so often a description would make me feel a bit uncomfortable but nothing else. The characters and relationships in the novel also confused me, I don’t feel like I ever fully understood them. I had more to say about this book then I thought I had.

Burn by Patrick Ness

I have been listening to this audiobook for a while. It wasn’t a long audiobook I just never wanted to listen to it, I kind of had to force myslef to finish it. Burn has a weird concept, but this wasn’t fully my problem with the book. However, there was something that happened in the middle of the book which is something that I specifically do not like in books. I used to love Patrick Ness a lot but the last couple of books he has released have not been by favourites. To be honest, I was not planning on reading this book but I heard some good things about it and the audiobook was on my library so I gave it a go. I’ve listen to the last couple of Patrick Ness’s books in this way too and it worked for Release but for Burn I just failed to connect. This is totally my own fault though as I was not planning on reading it at all.

Murder on The Orient Express by Agatha Christie

After enjoying And Then There Were None I decided to pick up another one of Agatha Christie’s books. Like And Then There Were None I read it very quickly even though I initially thought that I would not be able to keep up with all the characters. I didn’t enjoy this one as much, but that was because I knew how one of Agatha Christie’s books ended and as I was reading I realised it was this one. This meant that I picked up on various clues to who the killer was and was unsurprised by the ending. In some ways, I enjoyed this as you could tell how well planned it was, however, I definitely would have enjoyed it more if I did not know how it would end.

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

I decided to reread this book as I was wanting to read a really fun summer romance book and I was kinda craving reading this one again. I don’t think I enjoyed it as much the second time around – it is quite a long book considering nothing much happens. That doesn’t mean I did not enjoy it, I just think I perhaps shouldn’t have reread it.

Autumn by Ali Smith

I am rereading some Ali Smith books for university, so expect to see some more of her books throughout these upcoming posts – I won’t say much about them as I am reading them for a very focussed reason. I really enjoyed reading it again, I definitely noticed more of her clever witticisms than I previously remembered.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Recently, I had been thinking about reading this book. For years and years I have heard about this book and never really payed attention, but recently it became something that I wanted to read and I am so glad that I picked it up. It has been so long since I had started a young adult series that I truly found myself emersed in – I am definitely planning on reading the other books in the series at some point. At the moment I am loving a 20th Century historical setting and even though this book is supernatural it really felt like it was set in the 1920s. I have also been really into mysteries at the moment, and while it isn’t fully a mystery it still had the characters trying to find out what was happening. The supernatural elements of the book were also so well done, it was a perfect mix. I think I read this book at the perfect time.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

I was unsure if I was going to read this book but I am kind of glad I did. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it, Santino Fontana narrates it and he is great, although knowing that he can sing made it frustrating when he didn’t sing the songs that are in the book. I quite liked how it showed how Snow became a villain – at first I was a bit wary it was going to make him too sympathetic but I think it did a good job. However, it is quite long. The character of Lucy Gray was by far the most interesting part of the book, I wish it focused on her a bit more. I quite liked how it showed the hunger games being made as it shows the pyscology behind them, however, at times the references to the original trilogy were a bit forced.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

This book was like a mixture of And Then There Were None and Big Little Lies and I’m still not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. The Guest List follows a variety of people involved in a celebrity wedding on a remote island. Lots of secrets surround the characters. Someone dies and you don’t know who did it or who even dies. I don’t want to stay too much about this book as it’s almost impossible to talk about without spoilers. I will say I became very attached to some of the characters and completely hated others. Some of the secrets were hard to read about, but at the same time the novel kept pushing me to read on.

What I Like In Books

When reading a book if there are parts of a book which I love then I will love the book. This might sound weird as for some people they have to love everything about a book for it to be their favourite. But for me, if I love even just a part of it then I can love the book – although this does depend.

Examples include There, But For The by Ali Smith a book which includes multiple sections of different perspectives – one of the sections I struggled with but the other three I absolutely loved. This was a book that I couldn’t stop thinking about, and hence, it made it to my favourites of 2018 list. Another one is The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern which had storytelling elements that didn’t always feel explained but I expect that this book will be one of my favourites of this year.

So what is it about these books that makes up for things I don’t like? In these two cases, it is the fact that they were both thought-provoking. I generally rate books based on the impact it has on me, rather than the content of the book. This does not mean that there aren’t tropes and genres that I like, but books that are my favourite tend to be books which I can’t stop thinking about. 

Focusing on characters and relationships is another thing I really like in books. A lot of the things on this list are things that I like in TV and film, but this is one which is often better executed in books. Books offer a unique chance to show the reader a piece of someone’s mind. Delving deep into characters and different types of relationships is something that I in general enjoy, and just love even more in books. This is another thing that both There, But For The and The Starless Sea do.

I also love books which purposefully leave open questions. There is a certain masterful skill of concluding a story in a meaningful way while also allowing the reader to make up their own interpretations of the events. The Starless Sea allows the reader to make further connections and There, But For The leaves the motivation of the central character up to debate. Both authors carefully leave things open-ended to enhance the reader’s experience. 

There are also some tropes, genres and elements that I love in books: 

• Celebrity and fame – eg. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo 
• Dark academia
• Magic – eg. both Erin Morgenstern’s books 
• Dramatic relationships/ forbidden love – eg. The Night Circus 
• Elements of magic in the writing style of contemporary novels – eg. Ali Smith’s books  
• Complex relationships/ friendships – eg. both Sally Rooney books

 

Adaptions: Thoughts on The Goldfinch

Recently I started to watch the film adaptation of The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and came to a very clear conclusion: not all films should be adapted!

The Goldfinch follows a narrative which is hard to capture in film. The story itself doesn’t have a lot going on but it is still somehow completely enthralling. Being in the head of the main character really makes a difference as his thoughts are what drive the story, while the painting The Goldfinch is technically the continuing narrative of the book it doesn’t drive the story.

The book takes place in two different times in the main characters life and the complete split the book undertakes doesn’t directly correlate to film – instead of following this the book tries to present it as flashbacks and intersperse the two more than the book does. This felt a little confusing and seemed to be an attempt to get the bigger name, or more recognisable face, of Ansel Elgort in the film more than he would have been otherwise.

Many choices in the film seemed to take away from the purpose of the book. I think the decision to not include the beginning of the book properly, the mother doesn’t appear in the film and we don’t see them enter the art gallery at all. This is quite important for the narrative to make sense. 900 odd pages are perhaps too many to be put in a film, but this wasn’t the only problem. If Tartt’s style drives the book, then a directors style should drive the film.

An author I would never want to be adapted is Ali Smith, even though she is one of my favourite authors. Her stories are too internal and her writing style is too ambitious. There is something about the way contemporary literary fiction is written that means it is almost incompatible to the format of film and/or TV.

To adapt an ambitious and beautifully written then the people adapting it need to be equally ambitious and beautiful in their own mediums. For a film adaptation to work it needs to bend the rules of film, a simple film will not suffice for a complex book.

I believe there is a way for a good adaptation of The Goldfinch or any of Donna Tartt’s, or even Ali Smith’s books, to be adapted, I just don’t believe it will come from a major studio who want to benefit from the audience of the book rather than make a good film. I didn’t finish watching The Goldfinch, it should either have not been made into a film or it should have been made into a more ambitious film.

My Favourite Books of 2019

This year I feel like I have read more favourite books than I ever have before! Selecting books a bit more carefully, and not impulse buying as many cheap books, means that I have been able to read books that I feel more passionately about. This is, therefore, a much larger list than last year 

After making a post like this for 2018, I decided to do another one this year. However, this year I have managed to do it on time! Below, commences my favourite books I have read this year. 

To find out more about my reading check out my Goodreads page in the side bar! 

Honourable Mentions

Trumpet by Jackie Kay 

Trumpet was my favourite book I read for university during the last year. I knew I was going to love this book as soon as I saw that the introduction was by Ali Smith, one of my favourite authors (2 of Ali Smith’s books appeared on last years list of favourites). Kay masterfully explores sexuality and race in this wonderful book. 

I’ll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

Even though this book was a reread this year, I feel like I can’t ignore how much I enjoyed rereading this book. I reread it at just the right time and it really stood the test of time. To read my full thoughts on this book, check out my review here.

Misery by Stephen King

This book just missed out on my top ten, but that doesn’t stop how fantastic the book is. Unsurprisingly Stephen King is a good writer. The second half of the book was un-put-downable and I finished it in one sitting. More of my thoughts can be seen in my Winter Recommendations.

 

Top 10 of 2019

10 – Becoming by Michelle Obama 

Becoming inspired an array of thoughts for me, an array of thoughts which can be read about here.  Michelle Obama’s autobiography was obviously going to be interesting and thought-provoking, but it was more than that it was also reassuring. A must-read for anyone who wants to know more about the woman, or even anyone who wants to read a fantastic book. 

9 – Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston 

This is the closest thing I have to a young adult novel in my top ten, and to be honest young adult is a bit of a stretch for this book. Red, White and Royal Blue is about two university-aged boys, one of which is the prince of England and another who is the first son. The narrative follows the relationship of the two of them from enemies, to friends, to lovers – following sexuality, fame, race and politics as it goes. It is an incredibly fun book, which I’m desperate to reread so I can jump back into the fun world the McQuiston creates. I also talked about this book in my recommendations for university books, check that out here.

8 – My Purple Scented Novel by Ian McEwan 

The shortest book I read this year is also one of my favourites. While it is only a short story published to celebrate the authors birthday, it still manages to be incredibly engaging. My Purple Scented Novel contains two old best friends, a stolen story and an exploration of fame. The story lives on in my mind and is the perfect example of the perfect short story. 

7 – If We Were Villains by M.L Rio 

Shakespeare students and dark academia, sign me up! If We Were Villians explores the world of a university for the arts with a degree scheme just for Shakespearean actors. These actors become entrained in each others’ lives in complicated and intricate ways, leading to death, danger and, of course, drama. I included this book on both my summer recommendations and my university recommendations, so check them out! This book is definitely a book that lives on in the mind: the characters are intriguing, the plot pulls you in and it is all tied up with a ribbon of Shakespeare plays. 

6 – Perfect Sound Whatever by James Acaster

Two non-fiction books have made my top books of the year, who’d have thought? If any non-fiction author would make it so far on the list, it could only by James Acaster. A book about the music of 2016 from my favourite comedian, I had to pick it up. For anyone who has never seen any James Acaster comedy, do yourself a favour and watch all of his specials on Netflix they are truly hilarious. This book transfers his hilarity to a more serious topic. His passion for music and his indisputable comedy are in abundance in Perfect Sound Whatever. I must at some point get to reading his first book. 

5 – Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 

Last year, Taylor Jenkins Reid topped my best books list with her novel The Seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and this year Daisy Jones and the Six just misses out of the top spot. A book about a 70s band, that has a passing resemblance to Fleetwood Mac, told by one of my favourite authors was an obvious must-read. Wrote in an interview format the book follows the band from before they formed until their infamous and unexplained breakup. Reid has a way of writing about famous people that both draws you in and makes you forget that they are figments of your imagination. Throughout the book, you will want to listen to their songs and watch their performances, this along with the fantastically written characters makes for a fantastic book. 

4 – The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood 

This is another book which inspired a whole post, you can check that out here. Margaret Atwood deserves her reputation and this book proves it wholeheartedly. A fantastic book about sisters and secrets set throughout the life of the main character. The Blind Assassin takes place in the present, the past and in the narrative of a fictional book – this allows the novel to explore grand themes such as the role of women, sexuality and honesty. Margaret Atwood is one of my favourite authors and while The Testmanents didn’t live up to her hype (as I explore in my review of the book), this book certainly did.

3 – The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Starting a love of a new genre of fiction is a lot for just one book to do, but The Secret History does it! Without this book, If We Were Villians couldn’t have been on the list, simply because I wouldn’t have even heard of it. A more thorough exploration of this can be read here. This book is simply fantastic: intrigue, death and interesting characters. It’s rare that a book can tell you the answer to the mystery on the first page and keep you entranced in the novel. Tartt is the master of keeping you drawn in, while the only other book of hers I’ve read The Goldfinch failed to make this list, her writing is so captivating it can make any narrative interesting. I will definitely be reading more from this author as well as more from this genre. 

2 – The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 

The circus may ‘come at night’, but the magic never leaves. However, magic is not just clear in the magical setting of the circus, the magic is also clear in the truly phenomenal book. The Night Circus is a transcendent story full of love, competition and family. The book is completely visual, to the clear aesthetic of black, red and white that the book cover (and the novel) creates to the illuminating characters to the visceral descriptions of the circus.  More about The Night Circus can be found in my winter recommendations. I can’t wait to pick up Morgenstern’s second book The Starless Sea, which I have been putting of buying cause I know that as soon as I buy it I will devour the whole thing – be on the lookout for a review of it, cause it will surely be coming! 

1 – Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney 

Anyone who knows me will not be surprised that this book is my favourite book of the year. I talked about this book so much that I had to make a whole post about how great it is, you can read that here. This book introduced me to one of my new favourite authors, I honestly will read anything she publishes! Conversations with Friends subtly explores friendships and relationships and the complexities between the two. Subtle is the operative word for the book as Rooney never gives you answers, but makes you think – something which I love in a book. To everyone who hasn’t, read this book – you won’t regret it!

Winter Book Recommendations

Previously on my blog, I made a post about my summer recommendations so it seemed natural to do one for winter as well. Below I have my recommendations for books which are perfect reads for a winter day.

Winter – Ali Smith – A Literary Winter Book

I couldn’t do a list on seasonal books and not include the appropriate book from Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet – unfortunately, Summer still hasn’t come out yet so it couldn’t be included in my summer recommendations. Ali Smith has a masterful time-defying style which is fantastically executed in these time focused

The Secret History – Donna Tartt – A Dark Winter Book

The Secret History is a perfectly dark book to read in the winter! It is full of tense conversations, mystery and murder. This is a perfect book for anyone who wants to read a book with dark themes that is both unique and intense.

Misery – Stephen King – A Suspenseful Winter Book

Thinking of dark themes, Misery is a fantastic suspense/horror novel from the master of the genre. This book manages to be completely captivating, which is insane when you consider there are basically only two characters! These two characters are fantastically well written and drive this scary story.

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams – Stephen King – A Horror Winter Book

It felt wrong to not include Stephen King on this list, so much so that I had to include two of his books. This is however very different from Misery, mainly because it is a book of short stories. I absolutely loved this book with stand out stories being Mile 81, Bad Little Kid and Ur.

A Darker Shade of Magic – V.E. Schwab – A Fantastical Winter Book

A Darker Shade of Magic is the start of an epic fantasy series which spans the colour wheel of different Londons – from red to grey to white to black. The magic system in this book is fantastic and the characters are every bit as memorable as their unique looks.

The Night Circus – Erin Morganstern – A Magical Winter Book

The dark atmosphere of the circus transforms itself into this book. Like A Darker Shade of Magic, The Night Circus has a theme of black, white and red – the perfect combination for a wintery fantasy book. The novel has everything from magicians to romance to friendship to magic connections.

Train reads

Over the summer I was lucky enough to have a ten-week internship with a publishing house. This was a fantastic opportunity for me to be able to learn about the literary world as not only was I learning about publishing, I was also able to read on my train journies. Every day I was travelling between 2 and 3 hours and this meant that I had loads of time to read – even when I, unfortunately, had to stand I was able to listen to audiobooks!

Here I have an overview of my reading over this ten-week period, I have included a list of all the books I read, the length of the books and the rating I gave them. Overall I was able to get through 20 books, many of which I had owned for over 3 years, and read 7,710 pages. You can find out more about my reading my heading on over to my Goodreads page here.

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood – 637 pages – 5 stars

The first book I read during this period was also my highest rated! Magaret Atwood certainly doesn’t disappoint with this masterful look at the lives of two sisters. You can read my long review of The Blind Assassin here.

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab – 400 pages – 4 stars

I loved the start of this series, so much so that I am currently continuing on with series.

The Shining by Stephen King – 659 pages – 3 stars

This is, unfortunately, my least favourite Stephen King book I have read, I am however glad that I finally read it after being gifted the book over 3 years ago.

If We Were Villians by M. L. Rio – 368 pages – 4 stars

I really enjoyed this story about Shakespeare students and death. You can read my thoughts on the genre of Dark Academia, including this book here.

Machines Like Me by Ian McEwan – 306 pages – 3 stars

I listened to this book as an audiobook and sadly it didn’t live up to my expectations. The book promises a look at robotic rights set in an alternative 1980s where Alan Turing lived.

I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou – 120 pages – 3 stars

This is another book I listened to as an audiobook and the effects in the audiobook were amazing.

The Accidental by Ali Smith – 306 pages – 4 stars

I also read another book by one of my favourite authors. Even though this isn’t my favourite book of hers, the fight for the top spot is a pretty open fight with most of her books being fantastic, I still loved it.

And The Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness – 160 pages – 3 stars

Again I read this book as an audiobook, apparently, I was having a little audiobook moment here. This was certainly an interesting premise for a book, however, as it is aimed at a younger audience I struggled to enjoy it as much as other Patrick Ness books.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James – 121 pages – 2 stars

A classic American ghost story that I couldn’t quite love.

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt – 771 pages – 4 stars

This was the longest book I read during the period, and unsurprisingly it also took the longest for me to read, around 2 weeks. I didn’t enjoy this as much as I did The Secret History, however, it was still a fully encapsulating book that draws you with fantastic writing and intriguing characters.

Ink by Alice Broadway – 366 pages – 3 stars

I finally read this book after picking it up cheap years ago. I think if I had read it when I bought it I would have absolutely loved this series, even at an older age I still loved it.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero – 322 pages – 2 stars

Unfortunately, this book was not as good as I expected it to be based on the fact that it is inspired by Scooby-Doo. I had trouble with the poorly written characters, the meant to be clever writing and the overall plot.

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis – 399 pages – 4 stars

Thank God I finally read this book, it is unsurprisingly masterful. Although reading it on a busy train wasn’t the best idea.

In Nearby Bushes by Kei Miller – 64 pages – 4 stars

This was a beautiful and impactful book of poetry from the publishers I was working for.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo – 465 pages – 3 stars

This book couldn’t quite live up for the hype for me. I just couldn’t connect to the characters.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell – 509 pages – 3 stars

Here is another book I have owned for many years and never read, although I did manage to get about 150 pages in once. This book had moments that completely drew me in and others that failed too. Due to the nature of the book I at times found it dense to read.

On the Come Up by Angie Thomas – 447 pages – 3 stars

This is a great follow up to The Hate You Give. Again this is another book which I would have enjoyed more when I was younger.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott – 449 pages – 3 stars

I was inspired to read this book after watching the trailer for the upcoming film. Hopefully, I enjoy the film more than I enjoyed the book.

Nightfall by Jake Halpern and Peter Kujawinski – 346 pages – 2 stars

Another book I have owned for years. The beginning of this book I really enjoyed but, unfortunately, the mystery elements of the book failed to live up to the earlier promise.

The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King – 495 pages – 4 stars

I loved this book of short stories, with many of them being insanely good pieces of literature.

My Favourite Books of Last Year, Only Half a Year Late.

In 2018 I read more books that I ever had in a year and here are the standouts. It may seem rather weird to post this in May, but after recently looking back over the books I read last year I just had to express my thoughts of some of the books which captured my mind last year. So here we go – my favourite books I read in 2018.

5 – An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

While I no longer tend to read a lot of fantasy series anymore, this book (which I essentially picked up on a whim) inspired me to read all three of the novels in the series. This book truly grabbed my attention, engaging me fully in the novel’s political landscape.

4 – There But for The by Ali Smith

This book I struggled to know where to place on this list, as despite being one of the last books I read in the year, is one of the novels I have spent the most time thinking about. The impact of this book is insane, the novel manages to be intriguing without being unfulfilling which is a tremendous fleet.

3 – The Children Act by Ian McEwan

Not going to lie I was inspired to pick up this book after watching the trailer for the film and thinking that the plot seemed right up my alley, and boy was I right. This is another one of those novels that will occupy all of your thoughts, with both its issue-based plot and overwhelmingly human characters.

2 – The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

The character of Evelyn Hugo feels like a real famous actress and that is what makes this novel so special. When reading this novel you yearn to watch her films, you yearn to see her iconic outfits and you yearn to know even more about her life.

1 – Autumn by Ali Smith

I think the first place has to be reserved for the first book which I read in 2018. It was a little hard to put this book at number one as it has been so long since I read it with other novels being more at the forefront of my mind, however when I read it this book became my favourite novel and made it quite clear to me that Ali Smith is my favourite author, as is probably unsurprising considering this list. This novel is fantastically funny, moving, intriguing and when combined with Smith’s magical writing style is a must read.