Surge by Jay Bernard (2/5). These poems focus on the New Cross Fire of 1981 and Grenfell in 2017. They observe how we remember those lost to tragedies of injustice. I imagine they are incredible spoken aloud, but I struggled to get into the rhythm of them when reading.
Disturbing the Beast, an anthology by Boudicca Press (3/5). This collection features the incredible Kirsty Logan, and if you like Jen Campbell's The Beginning of The World in The Middle of The Night, you might like these. I just wish they had the gritty darkness of Angela Carter.
In at the Deep End by Kate Davies (5/5). Kate's debut is astounding and raw, dealing with various issues including emotional abuse whilst remaining light-hearted and funny. Word of warning - this definitely isn't for the faint-hearted as it's very sexually graphic. Fans of Fleabag, read this!
The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk (5/5). This took me a long time to get through as it's very intense and academic. I'm curious about PTSD, mutism and our reliance on prescription drugs for mental health, and this filled in a lot of the blanks I previously had. Bessel manages to explain philosophical terms and heaps of neuroscience in understandable terms, sharing case studies and techniques he's witnessed transforming those suffering from trauma.
A Guide to Being Born: Stories by Ramona Ausubel (5/5). This is now one of my favourite short story collections. Ramona's writing is seriously powerful. There is also some Andrew Kaufman-esque magical realism. Definitely one to check out.
Our Stop by Laura Jane Williams (4/5). I love all of Laura's previous books and this is wonderful. The audiobook is read by Carrie Hope Fletcher and Felix Scott. It follows the story of two people who discover each other in the 'missed connections' section of the newspaper. It turns out they catch the same tube each morning on their commutes but keep missing each other. It's comfort-reading, even for the cynical hearted.
I Never Said I Loved You by Rhik Samadder (5/5). One of the best books I've ever read - hands down. Rhik's memoir deals with sexual abuse, complex parent-child relationships and inherited mental health struggles. His writing style is witty and heart-wrenching. I can't praise this enough.
A Girl Called Eel by Ali Zamir (1/5). I really wanted to like this. It's written in a stream of consciousness, making the entire book one long sentence. Once I got into the rhythm, it became easy to follow along, but I didn't connect with the narrator and found the ending deflating.
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (5/5). A stunning debut novel. This is a letter from a son to his mother, in which he discusses her journey escaping the Vietnam war to America, and their shared lives since. He writes about race, class, masculinity and sexuality (including some of the most authentic sex scenes I've ever read). Each page is filled with such emotive language, I've wanted to write down quotes from every single one.
'I'm not telling you a story so much as a shipwreck - the pieces floating, finally legible.'
'They say nothing lasts forever but they're just scared it will last longer than they can love it.'
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Articles I've enjoyed:-Emma Gannon on The Lost Art of Holidaying.
-The beautiful, heartbreaking - The Crane Wife.
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“If something inside you is real, we will probably find it interesting, and it will probably be universal. So you must risk placing real emotion at the center of your work. Write straight into the emotional center of things. Write toward vulnerability…Risk being unliked. Tell the truth as you understand it. If you’re a writer, you have a moral obligation to do this. And it is a revolutionary act — truth is always subversive.”
— Anne Lamott
“Many people die with their music still in them… Too often it is because they are always getting ready to live. Before they know it, time runs out.”
-Oliver Wendell Holmes
