March in Books
I've been a fan of the Vera TV series for a long time, so I decided to finally try the books, starting with The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves.
Vera is a fascinating character, vividly brought to life, and even after only one book I feel like I have a better, rounder understanding of her character than can be gained from watching the TV series alone. But although Vera steals the show, she isn't the only aspect of the book worth reading it for; I was particularly impressed by how well-crafted the plot is. I would definitely be happy to read more of the series.
You can read my full review here.
I recently discovered a love for the poetry of Eavan Boland, so was excited to get my hands on her final collection, The Historians.
Eavan Boland made an immediate impression on me, and to read The Historians is to remember why. This is a fitting final collection, musing on memory and history, lost and silenced voices, and the craft of poetry. This is a book to sit and savour, to read and reread. I feel a genuine sense of loss at Boland's passing.
In the wake of the Shamima Begum case, I chose Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni as my next read.
Through the stories of individual women, coupled with relevant snippets of historical context, Azadeh Moaveni explains how so many women came to leave their lives behind and join the Islamic State. I was impressed by how clearly Moaveni has organised what must have been an enormous amount of research, in order to tell a compelling and coherent story. This was definitely the right book for me to read, to challenge my beliefs and broaden my understanding. I encourage you to do the same.
The newly-released edition of Bridget Jones's Diary (And Other Writing): 25th Anniversary Edition by Helen Fielding gave me the perfect excuse to finally tick Bridget Jones's Diary off my to-read list.
Much as I'd expected to, I found this one a highly engaging and entertaining read, if a little outdated. I wasn't convinced by the additional writing; although I liked finding out a bit more about how Bridget Jones came about, I found the updated entries about Brexit and Coronavirus a little forced (as such things often are). While I don't personally think the extra writing in this edition adds much to the original book, I definitely think Bridget Jones's Diary is worth your time.
Brown Baby: A Memoir of Race, Family and Home by Nikesh Shukla was one of my most anticipated books of 2021.
Nikesh Shukla is a wonderful, and very funny, writer, and Brown Baby is a delightful, engaging, and important book. Brown Baby doesn't shy away from the realities of the world we live in, but offers hope and encouragement - if only from knowing that you are not alone. This is one of those books you can't help but tell others about, filled as it is with funny and insightful anecdotes, and the voice it is written in confirmed for me that Shukla is a writer I want to hear more from.
You can read my full review here.
Everyone suddenly seemed to be talking about Ruthless Women by Melanie Blake, so I decided to give it a go.
Ruthless Women is set behind the scenes of a soap opera, and reads rather like a soap opera itself. The story's twists and turns forced me to constantly change allegiances between characters - a testament both to the ingenuity of the plot and the brilliance of its female characters. I loved how female-centred this book was; living up to its title's promise. Any other fans of so-called unlikable female characters will not be disappointed. Ruthless Women is a highly entertaining book, and I could barely tear myself away from the denouement.
After No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood made the Women's Prize longlist for this year, I decided it was the perfect time to read this much-hyped book.
I really like what Patricia Lockwood is doing here, the way she writes about online culture, and there are plenty of great moments in No One Is Talking About This. It's not always the clearest or most coherent of books, but, especially in this particular moment, I think it's worth reading.
I came across Hanif Kureishi in Nikesh Shukla's Brown Baby, and decided to read his Collected Stories.
Every time I read a collection of short stories, I'm reminded of how much I like them and left wondering why I don't read more. Reading Kureishi's Collected Stories felt like being able to temporarily inhabit the lives of all these different people. I feel almost as if I know them. This is definitely a book I recommend, and I am grateful to Nikesh Shukla for introducing me to its author.
One of my reading goals for 2021 was to read the rest of William Shakespeare's plays, so I chose Henry VIII as my next read.
I can see why this isn't one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, but I did enjoy it more than other people seemed to have (judging by the reviews). I particularly liked the way the play focuses on the successive falls of historical characters, and in so doing alludes to the future falls of others. While I didn't particularly like the ending in the BBC adaptation I watched, which seemed to suggest that all is resolved by the birth of Elizabeth I, I found the ending of the play itself much more interesting and thought-provoking.
Next up was Girl Gurl Grrrl: On Womanhood and Belonging in the Age of Black Girl Magic by Kenya Hunt.
I really enjoyed this one. I appreciated how up-to-date it was, as well as the fact that its author is British (both make for more relatable references, for this reader), but what really made it work was the way the writing flowed. Despite the personal content, Kenya Hunt has a talent for organising her thoughts on the page, and the result is a collection of genuinely interesting, relatable, and easy-to-follow essays. There is so much of value in this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
When it made this year's Republic of Consciousness longlist, A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa also made my to-read list.
A Ghost in the Throat sits in the grey area between fiction and non-fiction, which might partly explain why the story feels so real, but this is evidently also a credit to the writing. It was the protagonist's academic work that resounded with me the most, but I have no doubt that others will recognise themselves in other aspects of this story. I love the way our protagonist imagines the life of the Irish Gaelic poet Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, weaving a story out of small details, and I imagine that Doireann Ní Ghríofa does something similar with her own story.
You can read my full review here.
After hearing so much praise for Real Life by Brandon Taylor, shortlisted for the Booker Prize last year, I was excited when it became available at my library.
Real Life is the perfect title for this book about the intermediary position you feel in as a postgraduate student, no longer a child but not quite ready to join the adult world. The way Brandon Taylor writes about postgraduate study and academic life really resounded with me, and it may well be that I received this book more favourably than others because it speaks so well to my current situation. But Taylor has a talent for expression of thought; time and again, I found myself thinking about how he summed up a particular feeling perfectly. I particularly loved the way he wrote about racism, and the the experience of being Black in a predominantly white environment. I wouldn't be surprised if most people who read this book see themselves in some part of it, and, in turn, feel seen.
For some much-needed comfort reading, I returned to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
This was the perfect choice, not only because the story is practically the definition of comfort-reading, but also because it turns out (I realised when I logged this reread on Goodreads) that I first read Pride and Prejudice exactly a year ago to the day. I loved this book even more on a reread - the only problem is that now I want to rewatch the BBC adaptation too.
You can read my original review here.
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters is another one from this year's Women's Prize longlist.
I've never read anything like Detransition, Baby before. I love the frankness with which Torrey Peters portrays her transgender characters; she makes so simple, even obvious, the realities of their lives, and I love that. There's so much depth to this story; so much to learn from, and to feel a part of. I'm thrilled that this one has made the Women's Prize longlist.
I continued with my goal of reading all of William Shakespeare's plays, by ending the month with Pericles.
I found this play much more coherent and engaging than the BBC adaptation I watched, since the various sections of the play are more neatly demarcated, and since there is none of the necessary padding-out of a production. While Pericles is undoubtedly a play of parts, the story doesn't drag on in the same way when read rather than watched.
I finished the month with Luster by Raven Leilani, a book which has made both the Women's Prize longlist and the Dylan Thomas Prize shortlist.
I didn't actually know what the story was about, so the plot itself came as something of a surprise, especially considering how unusual the situation is that Edie (our protagonist) finds herself in. For me, however, Luster was less about plot and more about characters. The world that Raven Leilani creates feels utterly real, and I love that her characters remain slightly inscrutable - like real people. That is not to say, however, that there is no plot. It was the progression of the story, driven by its characters, that kept me reading this one. I finished it in a day.
Vera is a fascinating character, vividly brought to life, and even after only one book I feel like I have a better, rounder understanding of her character than can be gained from watching the TV series alone. But although Vera steals the show, she isn't the only aspect of the book worth reading it for; I was particularly impressed by how well-crafted the plot is. I would definitely be happy to read more of the series.
You can read my full review here.
I recently discovered a love for the poetry of Eavan Boland, so was excited to get my hands on her final collection, The Historians.
Eavan Boland made an immediate impression on me, and to read The Historians is to remember why. This is a fitting final collection, musing on memory and history, lost and silenced voices, and the craft of poetry. This is a book to sit and savour, to read and reread. I feel a genuine sense of loss at Boland's passing.
In the wake of the Shamima Begum case, I chose Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni as my next read.
Through the stories of individual women, coupled with relevant snippets of historical context, Azadeh Moaveni explains how so many women came to leave their lives behind and join the Islamic State. I was impressed by how clearly Moaveni has organised what must have been an enormous amount of research, in order to tell a compelling and coherent story. This was definitely the right book for me to read, to challenge my beliefs and broaden my understanding. I encourage you to do the same.
The newly-released edition of Bridget Jones's Diary (And Other Writing): 25th Anniversary Edition by Helen Fielding gave me the perfect excuse to finally tick Bridget Jones's Diary off my to-read list.
Much as I'd expected to, I found this one a highly engaging and entertaining read, if a little outdated. I wasn't convinced by the additional writing; although I liked finding out a bit more about how Bridget Jones came about, I found the updated entries about Brexit and Coronavirus a little forced (as such things often are). While I don't personally think the extra writing in this edition adds much to the original book, I definitely think Bridget Jones's Diary is worth your time.
Brown Baby: A Memoir of Race, Family and Home by Nikesh Shukla was one of my most anticipated books of 2021.
Nikesh Shukla is a wonderful, and very funny, writer, and Brown Baby is a delightful, engaging, and important book. Brown Baby doesn't shy away from the realities of the world we live in, but offers hope and encouragement - if only from knowing that you are not alone. This is one of those books you can't help but tell others about, filled as it is with funny and insightful anecdotes, and the voice it is written in confirmed for me that Shukla is a writer I want to hear more from.
You can read my full review here.
Everyone suddenly seemed to be talking about Ruthless Women by Melanie Blake, so I decided to give it a go.
Ruthless Women is set behind the scenes of a soap opera, and reads rather like a soap opera itself. The story's twists and turns forced me to constantly change allegiances between characters - a testament both to the ingenuity of the plot and the brilliance of its female characters. I loved how female-centred this book was; living up to its title's promise. Any other fans of so-called unlikable female characters will not be disappointed. Ruthless Women is a highly entertaining book, and I could barely tear myself away from the denouement.
After No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood made the Women's Prize longlist for this year, I decided it was the perfect time to read this much-hyped book.
I really like what Patricia Lockwood is doing here, the way she writes about online culture, and there are plenty of great moments in No One Is Talking About This. It's not always the clearest or most coherent of books, but, especially in this particular moment, I think it's worth reading.
I came across Hanif Kureishi in Nikesh Shukla's Brown Baby, and decided to read his Collected Stories.
Every time I read a collection of short stories, I'm reminded of how much I like them and left wondering why I don't read more. Reading Kureishi's Collected Stories felt like being able to temporarily inhabit the lives of all these different people. I feel almost as if I know them. This is definitely a book I recommend, and I am grateful to Nikesh Shukla for introducing me to its author.
One of my reading goals for 2021 was to read the rest of William Shakespeare's plays, so I chose Henry VIII as my next read.
I can see why this isn't one of Shakespeare's most popular plays, but I did enjoy it more than other people seemed to have (judging by the reviews). I particularly liked the way the play focuses on the successive falls of historical characters, and in so doing alludes to the future falls of others. While I didn't particularly like the ending in the BBC adaptation I watched, which seemed to suggest that all is resolved by the birth of Elizabeth I, I found the ending of the play itself much more interesting and thought-provoking.
Next up was Girl Gurl Grrrl: On Womanhood and Belonging in the Age of Black Girl Magic by Kenya Hunt.
I really enjoyed this one. I appreciated how up-to-date it was, as well as the fact that its author is British (both make for more relatable references, for this reader), but what really made it work was the way the writing flowed. Despite the personal content, Kenya Hunt has a talent for organising her thoughts on the page, and the result is a collection of genuinely interesting, relatable, and easy-to-follow essays. There is so much of value in this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
When it made this year's Republic of Consciousness longlist, A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa also made my to-read list.
A Ghost in the Throat sits in the grey area between fiction and non-fiction, which might partly explain why the story feels so real, but this is evidently also a credit to the writing. It was the protagonist's academic work that resounded with me the most, but I have no doubt that others will recognise themselves in other aspects of this story. I love the way our protagonist imagines the life of the Irish Gaelic poet Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, weaving a story out of small details, and I imagine that Doireann Ní Ghríofa does something similar with her own story.
You can read my full review here.
After hearing so much praise for Real Life by Brandon Taylor, shortlisted for the Booker Prize last year, I was excited when it became available at my library.
Real Life is the perfect title for this book about the intermediary position you feel in as a postgraduate student, no longer a child but not quite ready to join the adult world. The way Brandon Taylor writes about postgraduate study and academic life really resounded with me, and it may well be that I received this book more favourably than others because it speaks so well to my current situation. But Taylor has a talent for expression of thought; time and again, I found myself thinking about how he summed up a particular feeling perfectly. I particularly loved the way he wrote about racism, and the the experience of being Black in a predominantly white environment. I wouldn't be surprised if most people who read this book see themselves in some part of it, and, in turn, feel seen.
For some much-needed comfort reading, I returned to Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
This was the perfect choice, not only because the story is practically the definition of comfort-reading, but also because it turns out (I realised when I logged this reread on Goodreads) that I first read Pride and Prejudice exactly a year ago to the day. I loved this book even more on a reread - the only problem is that now I want to rewatch the BBC adaptation too.
You can read my original review here.
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters is another one from this year's Women's Prize longlist.
I've never read anything like Detransition, Baby before. I love the frankness with which Torrey Peters portrays her transgender characters; she makes so simple, even obvious, the realities of their lives, and I love that. There's so much depth to this story; so much to learn from, and to feel a part of. I'm thrilled that this one has made the Women's Prize longlist.
I continued with my goal of reading all of William Shakespeare's plays, by ending the month with Pericles.
I found this play much more coherent and engaging than the BBC adaptation I watched, since the various sections of the play are more neatly demarcated, and since there is none of the necessary padding-out of a production. While Pericles is undoubtedly a play of parts, the story doesn't drag on in the same way when read rather than watched.
I finished the month with Luster by Raven Leilani, a book which has made both the Women's Prize longlist and the Dylan Thomas Prize shortlist.
I didn't actually know what the story was about, so the plot itself came as something of a surprise, especially considering how unusual the situation is that Edie (our protagonist) finds herself in. For me, however, Luster was less about plot and more about characters. The world that Raven Leilani creates feels utterly real, and I love that her characters remain slightly inscrutable - like real people. That is not to say, however, that there is no plot. It was the progression of the story, driven by its characters, that kept me reading this one. I finished it in a day.
No comments have been added yet.
