Reading Review: September 2019

Lots of travel this month meant lots of reading time, which I'm very happy about! See below for what I thought of each book:

Very Nice by Marcy Dermansky (3/5)

A college student sleeps with her professor, who ends up moving into her mother's home during summer break. Essentially, he starts an affair with her mother, and chaos ensues. The plot is extreme and ridiculous, but creates an addictive read. The protagonist is similar to the one in My Year of Rest and Relaxation - privileged, self-aware, which basically meant I struggled to care about her all that much...

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (3/5)

In this, a sister helps cover up the murders her sister commits (out of questionable self-defence). Things becomes difficult when her sister starts a relationship with a man she also has feelings for. Braithwaite creates realistic characters and an accurate portrayal of sibling relationships.

Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth (5/5)

Caitlin Moran called this 'Withnail with girls', which pretty much trumps any praise I could bestow on this book. It perfectly portrays how some friendships can feel like your entire world, until - spoiler alert - suddenly, they don't. These two women look after each other with questionable advice and endless glasses of wine. They are each-others best-worst influences. Unsworth writes wittily and honestly and her narrator is so relatable. I can't rave about this enough.

My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff (5/5)

This follows 23-year-old Rakoff's year working for the literary agency which represented J.D. Salinger (Catcher in The Rye). She replies to fan mail, becomes immersed in the publishing world and navigates the difficult waters of early adulthood. Drifting friendships, graduate jobs, toxic relationships are all topics explored. Heartwarming stuff.

Daddy Issues by Katherine Angel (4/5)

This is an essay exploring the role of fathers in contemporary society - referencing politics, popular culture and a wide range of literature. It's pocket-sized and has a great cover, making it a good option for (early) stocking fillers, I reckon.

Devotion by Madeline Stevens (4/5)

Mixed feelings about this one. It's about a young woman who becomes obsessed with her new employer when she is hired as a nanny. This reminds me of Conversations with Friends in a sense, as the protagonist gets swept into the lifestyles of the older, wealthier members of society. There are a few scenes which seem unfathomable, like when both women decide to leave a toddler unattended in a cabin in the woods late at night... The ending was also a little deflating, but the entire novel was very absorbing.

The Offing by Benjamin Myers (5/5)

Hands-down, one of my favourite reads - perhaps ever. Myers writes similarly to Robert MacFarlane, describing all the tiny details which immerse you in an environment. Sixteen year old Robert heads into the countryside, escaping his life so far. He meets a wise, older woman who feeds him and teaches him the joys of poetry and getting lost. The pacing is perfect, and it's a lovely, memorable tale.

'Travel is a search for the self, trust me. And sometimes just to search is enough.'

'Poetry is a stepladder between centuries, from Ancient Greece to tomorrow afternoon.'

'I began to live (...) And to love too. And that is what you must do. Live and love as many mouths, hands and clammy holes as you can cram yourself into, and then, when you find someone who satisfies your soul too, you give yourself to them entirely.' 

The Forward Book of Poetry 2019 by various poets (2/5)

I was drawn to this as I know Jen Campbell is one of the judges who contributes to these collections (I love her writing and book-tube videos). Unfortunately, although this includes a wide range of voices and styles, I didn't connect with most of them.

Big fan of Ben Wilkinson, though...

Extract from The Door:

'Forgetting ourselves, it seemed a trick

when the city gave way to fields, empty

as all we weren't saying, but thinking.'

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel: Essays by Alexander Chee (5/5)

This is an incredible essay collection, on how we create our identities and feed our experiences into our writing. Chee shares advice on what I definitely felt university failed to teach - how to actually write, and how to find motivation when the climate you're in gives you every reason to stop doing so.

'Writing one (a novel) is like remembering a song you've never heard before'

~

Articles I liked:

On showing up and trying: The most powerful success strategy of all.

On the simplest productivity method: 25 minute bursts.

On the joys of not knowing where you're heading: Humble possibilities.

Reading Review: August 2019

Here are the books I read, or finished, this month:

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.' 

...

Articles I've enjoyed:

-Emma Gannon on The Lost Art of Holidaying.

-The beautiful, heartbreaking - The Crane Wife.

...

“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

Reading Review: July 2019

Here's what I read during the month of July:

Don't Hold my Head Down by Lucy-Ann Holmes (4/5). I thought this was witty, informative, incredibly well-researched and funny. My teenage self would have appreciated having this in her bag for sure. It's essentially a memoir about Lucy's journey into self-discovery and learning more about sex. If you like self-deprecating humour and find sex fascinating, I can't recommend this highly enough.

The Adulterants by Joe Dunthorne (4/5). This is brilliant. I've since given my copy to my sister and love watching her chuckle through my favourite parts. Joe wrote Submarine and this is very similar in style. The story follows a tech journalist during a catastrophic summer. Hilarious.

The Love of a Bad Man by Laura Elizabeth Woollett (4/5). This is about the women who fantasised about, were married to, or connected to Bad Men throughout history in some way. Charles Manson, Hitler, serial killers, etc. They are great short stories and glimpses into true tales.

Stubborn Archivist by Yara Rodriguez Fowler (4/5). My brother and I heard Yara read an extract of this at an event a few months ago, and I was convinced that this was memoir. When I finished the book, I was quite confused as it turns out the main character isn't actually her! This aside, it's a beautiful story about a woman growing up in a British/Brazilian household, feeling torn between two cultures and losing her sense of self. I adored how it was written in a very unstructured way, with poems and short snippets throughout.

Motherhood by Sheila Heti (3/5). I went into this with such high hopes, as lots of people have been raving on about it, but it didn't meet these expectations. Our narrator is questioning motherhood and expectations in a very philosophical way. I did like this aspect, and I'm definitely aware of the importance of not judging women who don't have children. But it gets a little repetitive after a while, with few new perspectives introduced. She also makes a comparison to gay people 'coming out', and saying she felt jealous that they were able to do so, while she still battles with her decision to reproduce. Controversial, and pretty unnecessary.

Sea of Strangers by Lea Lang (3/5). This collection of prose and poetry is focused on love and loss - cheery summertime reading! There are a few lines in this which I've memorised as they are stunning, but others are quite generic and forgettable.

~

Let me know if you've read any of these! I can be found over on GoodReads and Instagram and I'm always happy to chat books.

Reading Review: June 2019

                           

Here's an overview of the books I read or finished last month:

• Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller (5/5). Claire Fuller is fantastic. Our Endless Numbered Days is one of my all-time favourites of hers. Bitter Orange is also good. So creepy. In this, a woman writes letters to her husband about their relationship, but hides them in their books for him to find when she is gone. The pages flip between those letters and the present day, where her grown up daughters are processing her mysterious disappearance. We witness them learning the truth behind their seemingly flawless father as secrets are unturned. It's gripping. 

• The Passion by Jeanette Winterson (4/5). I'm never drawn to classics, but I love Jeanette Winterson's other books and I found a beautiful copy of this in a charity shop. She paints a memorable image of a soldier in Napoleonic wartime, and of a woman in Venice - called Villanelle (Killing Eve fans, rejoice!) The plot itself is complex but it draws you in quickly. I'd definitely recommend. 

• I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott (2/5). I listened to this throughout the month but found the generic advice quite forgettable. It's a personal essay collection about escaping our obsession with 'life to-do lists'. Sounds right up my street but I honestly didn't enjoy the reading experience at all. 

• What My Mother And I Don't Talk About, edited by Michele Filgate (5/5). This is a  collection focused on the complexity of our relationships with our mothers. Some of the writers are estranged from their mothers, others are best friends, and they all break the silence, opening up about the relationship which has shaped their lives. Funny, heartbreaking , relatable- I think this will comfort everyone in one way or another.  

• The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy (4/5). I picked this up in Dublin. It's a heartbreaking and inspiring memoir which covers LGBTQ+ marriage, addiction, and so much more. My only issue with this was that it's quite fragmented, reading in a jolty way at times as each piece doesn't always flow smoothly to the next. 

"I wanted what we all want: everything. We want a mate who feels like a family and a lover who is exotic, surprising. We want to be youthful adventurers and middle-aged mothers. We want intimacy and autonomy, safety and stimulation, reassurance and novelty, coziness and thrills. But we can't have it all."

Reading Review: May 2019

Kelet café, Budapest

Here's what I read this month...

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary (5/5)

I was ridiculously emotionally invested in this. My friends can confirm I was gasping out loud every time I picked this up... It's very Jojo Moyes-esque and a real feel-good holiday read. The two main characters essentially start sharing a flat without having met. One works night shifts and so is only in the flat from 9-5, the other has the space in the evening and overnight. They get an insight into each others lives, finding out who eachother are, and how they are feeling based on the traces they leave behind (coffee cups, post it notes, etc). Beth also wrote this on her commute  which is very impressive.

The Gift of Reading by Robert Macfarlane (4/5)

I was given this little book by my mum for my birthday. It's an essay/love letter which celebrates the power of gifting books and documents how the authors life has been directly shaped by books he's received.

An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim (3/5)

This was a Leena Norms recommendation which broke my heart. It's got a similar feel to The Handmaid's Tale, with a dystopian American setting. The main character agrees to travel twelve years into the future and work for a  company who promise to pay for her partner's life-saving flu treatment in exchange. The couple plan to meet, but when she is re-routed another five years into the future, she can't find him. This is a heavy read, and I found the ending a bit deflating. Very powerful though.

Ordinary People by Diana Evans (3/5)

I've heard this has become a bit of a Marmite book, and I do feel a bit underwhelmed considering how much hype surrounded it. The story follows two disintegrating relationships as the couples navigate their identities and the world of parenthood. It's set in South East London, which made me like it much more, as I'd be sat on the same bus reading as Evans described the views and routes. I also loved the integration of music (Winehouse, Legend, Simone, MJ...), but the overall plot itself just didn't do it for me.

The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr (3/5)

I loved how this was both academic and very sweary, and it felt like a practical post-uni read. The book takes us through an in-depth analysis of how our brain responds to reading or listening to stories, and how writers can use this information to essentially manipulate readers. I've been reading a lot about neuroscience lately and this was another great one.


Let me know what you've been reading over on Twitter or Instagram!

Reading Review: April 2019

It's been a pretty busy month, with starting new jobs and celebrating my 22nd birthday (!) I read four books, which were mostly underwhelming. Lots of newbies on my TBR pile to look forward to though...

First up... The Nine-Chambered Heart by Janice Pariat (5/5)

Inspired in part by Anaïs Nin's The Four-Chambered Heart, this novel explores the relationships which make us who we are. We hear from nine (though I'm pretty sure one is repeated) people who knew the protagonist, and loved her. From three-night stands on holiday to year long affairs, we see her from a teenager right through to middle age through the lens of these lovers. I wish it didn't stop so abruptly but I can see how this represents her tendency to abandon situations unexpectedly.  The subtle shifts in narrative throughout was also done well so it was hardly noticeable. I adored this.

Notes to Self by Emilie Pine (4/5)

Emilie's memoir explores her memories of having an alcoholic parent, dealing with infertility and everyday sexism. She documents some of her sexual experiences where consent is blurred, bravely confronting feelings of shame and confusion. She is openly aware of the vulnerability of her younger self, and still remains able to consider how others might look back at the same events differently.

The Course of Love by Alain de Botton (2/5)

This is essentially a philosophical commentary on a fictional relationship, dissecting their love at different stages. I found his take on parenting and attachment styles interesting, but I didn't connect with the characters at all. The novel would probably have worked better if it were an essay collection.

Laughable Loves by Milan Kundera. (2/5)

I loved Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and this story collection deals with similar themes of sexual attraction, games of desire and love. My only issue with these were that a majority of the main characters seem identical - in their longings and attitudes. It gets a bit repetitive, but I still liked the stories themselves.

Reading Review: March 2019

How To Come Alive Again by Beth McColl (5/5) 

This is filled with realistic approaches to self care and advice on helping others when they're having panic or anxiety attacks, depressive episodes, etc. It's slightly repetitive in some sections, but other than that, it ticks all the boxes. Beth's writing always manages to be both funny and wise. This comes out in April.

'We know that bravery is in the little resistances, the dishwasher filled and turned on. the late bill paid. The floor hoovered, the call to the doctor made, the window open. The light coming in.'

'Figure out what trips you up and then make knee pads. Metaphorical knee pads.'

'Reality doesn't change with longing. It changes with gradual and deliberate action.'

Sal by Mick Kitson  (4/5)

Two sisters on the run in rural Scotland, told from the perspective of thirteen-year-old Sal. The story deals with abuse, alcoholism and sisterly love. Armed with an air gun, Always ultra pads and a brain filled with YouTube tutorials, Sal and her sister learn to survive in the wilderness. This feels similar to Room, heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure.


Lanny by Max Porter (5/5)

Max is known for playing with language, his debut Grief is The Thing With Feathers is a blend of poetry and novella and Lanny is equally playful. Words and sentences swirl across pages as we are able to eavesdrop on the locals in the story. Set in a village just outside of London where a young boy goes missing, this is convincing, gripping and unlike anything I've read in a long time. I saw Max perform an edited version at the Southbank Centre with Stephen Mangan, Lydia Wilson and Kenneth Cranham, which definitely transformed the reading experience. I've heard that he will be organising similar events in the future, so look into that if you fancy.

The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman by Denis Thériault (5/5)

I'm so glad I found this hiding in a charity shop last month. It's only short, but packed with emotion and curiosity. A postman intercepts handwritten letters and reads them before sending them on to their destination. His life changes entirely when he reads a letter which has only a single haiku on the page. It becomes quite eerie and I was hooked.


How The Light Gets In by Clare Fisher (3/5)

This is a collection of short stories on contemporary life, which are funny and observational. Similarly to her debut All The Good Things, these stories are powerful and realistic. I like the variation of form; some are more like lists (things smartphones make you less likely to do when alone, in a public space) and others micro fiction. Please mind the gap is one of my favourites.

'Dragging its feet through the gap is the you who rang your grandma even though the thought of ringing your grandma makes you want to sneeze (...) by the time you hung up, the heat from your listening ear was spilling right down to your heart'. 

Adèle by Leïla Slimani (1/5)

This was a disappointment. I'd heard people rave about Lullaby and The Perfect Nanny, but this 'thriller' just felt flat. Adèle lives in Paris with her husband and son and works as a journalist. The story is essentially about her sex addiction and how it consumes her life. I'm not sure if listening to this altered how I felt about it, but the protagonist's constant boredom and cynicism was frustrating.


Roar by Cecilia Ahern (1/5)

The ideas in this short story collection are great, but they fell short for me. The magical realism elements often weren't believable, and the dialogue felt forced and unnatural throughout. Rather than being able to interpret the meaning in each story, we are spoon-fed. Each metaphor is literally spelt out and the consequences are frustratingly predictable.


Yours Always: Letters of Longing by Eleanor Bass (3/5)

This collection gives us an insight into lovers throughout history and the letters they crafted for each other. Featuring some well known poets, actors, writers and politicians, this was great to dip into. Also gets a thumbs up for the LGBT+ representation.


Something Like Breathing by Angela Readman (5/5)

Beautifully written, Something Like Breathing tells the story of an island in the 1950s. Focused on two girls, Lorrie and Sylvie who become neighbours and almost-friends, this captures the messiness of teenage friendships perfectly. Next to their houses sits Lorrie's grandfather's whisky distillery, so each new character that is introduced is given a profile, described by their palate, scent and finish. It's a tiny detail which works so well, giving everyone just enough depth. There's also a small element of magical realism as Sylvie hides a strange secret.

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo (5/5)

Lisa shares the stories of three American women, one whose childhood sweetheart becomes the answer to a marriage crisis, one whose husband suggests they start bringing third parties into their sex life, and another who had a relationship with her teacher in high school. The desires, obsessions and affairs these women experience all have consequences. This book explores them and remind us how often we dismiss and judge people who have suffered without having heard them out. It’s fascinating and I won’t be forgetting these women anytime soon. This is out in July.