Monday, 11 February 2019

BOOKS I'VE READ LATELY

I realise I'm pretty late to the party with this one, but this year I finally got introduced to Goodreads, and guys, it's really good?

If you are stuck in the past like me, let me introduce you. It's a social media site just for reading, so you can track the books you've read, make lists of the books you want to read, set yourself reading challenges, and easily discover things you might like. No more panicking that you're about to go on holiday and haven't worked out what books to take! Or being hopeless at remembering exactly what you've read (I am bad for this - if I like a book, rather than love or hate it, it sort of disappears in my brain. I have read Girlfriend in a Coma twice without realising until the end, because I thought it was 'fine' so it disappeared into my brain's netherworld).

So it's great! And as I'm paying a bit more attention to what I want to read next, I think it's making me read more, which is wonderful! Here's a little recap of what I've read lately.


The Sunlight Pilgrims - Jenni Fagan
I was lucky enough to read Sunlight Pilgrims in the very perfect place. I was up north, staying in a tiny yurt with a crackling fire, tending the logs and reading this book while the wind whipped the tent and rain lashed overhead.

Set in a Scottish caravan park during a freak winter, this book tells the tale of a small community living through what people think may be the end of times. It feels like you are going on an adventure, that you're looking for yourself in the stars, that you are standing in deep snow, about to take your next step. It was a delight, and I can not wait to read more of Jenni Fagan's work.

Normal People - Sally Rooney
Let me join the entire world's chorus: I loved this book. Somehow it reached into my head and my heart and articulated every moment of hopefulness and anxiety I have ever had. It described the exact moment that I kissed my first boyfriend, the emptiness of my break ups, the feeling of steadying your heart and mind, ready to take on the world again. How?! It's perfect, oh my god, you need to read it.

The Way of All Flesh - Ambrose Parry
My expectations were always going to be sky-high after Normal People, so I think The Way of All Flesh got a slightly short stick in my world. It's a really fun 19th century Edinburgh medical thriller, where we follow a scrappy-but-well-meaning medical student who is sent to train under the intimidating eye of the famous Dr Simpson. There's scandal and murder and suspense and it's set right where I leave (I can't tell if it's fun or distracting to read your own street-name as the scene of the crime! Maybe both?). I liked it.

Little Women - Louisa May Alcott 
I have owned this both for YEARS, but have never managed to motivate myself to pick it up. I have just finished it, and WAHHH, what took me so long? Sometimes old classics can be a slog to read, but it is sweet and funny and surprisingly progressive! Yes, the religious morals are a bit much and it can be overly saccharine in places, but I was surprised by how much I liked the characters and how quickly the story trotted along. I'm looking forward to Greta Gerwig's hipster remake of the movie now too!

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