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.
Words and Dragons 