5 Books I've Read So Far This Year
Reading is one of my favourite things to do but making the time for it is something I struggle with quite a lot, especially when I’ve got a seriously wound up and anxious mind. I’ve tried to go for the slow and steady approach this year and not get into the silly habit of comparing myself to those people on Instagram who seem to get through a book every other day as there is absolutely no way I can keep up with that. So here are all the details on all the books that I have completed this year as well as a look at what I’m currently reading.
everything I know about love - dolly alderton
I started this book last year but couldn’t quite get into it for whatever reason but I started it again at the beginning of this year and once I got a few chapters in became absolutely immersed in Dolly’s stories. Just in case you’ve not heard about this well-loved book it’s a memoir unlike anything else I’ve read before, covering everything from getting a job, trying to find a nice flat in London and of course, love. Real and relatable conversations about love I find are few and far between in books and there are parts of this that we can all probably relate to. It’s something that I so wish I’d read when I was entering my twenties as it really debunks the idea that everyone graduates university and instantly gets their life together which I think is something we all need to hear at that time in our lives. I particularly loved the way that this book is written, I’m such a sucker for a list in-between chapters.
will you love me? - barby keel
A book I picked up purely based on the fact it had a sighthound on the cover even though I knew it was going to a heartbreaking tale. Although it does irk me that they chose to photograph an Italian Greyhound instead of a Greyhound. This is a true story about a greyhound called Bailey, abused and then dumped on Barby’s doorstep in the middle of the night and it’s a miracle he even makes it till morning. Barby runs a rescue centre and recalls all the wretched things humans have done to animals but there is something different about Bailey and the effect he has on Barby and her team. I cried my way through most of this book, even though I know the abuse of sighthounds is absolutely rife in this country (and many others) seeing everything written down was heartbreaking but it has such a beautiful ending which made it so worth it.
eleanor oliphant is completely fine - gail honeyman
When I asked on Instagram about how people felt about this book it got mixed reviews, a real love or hate type of read. And I am definitely in the love category, going in with low expectations is something that I always try to do with really hyped up books otherwise you’re bound to be disappointed. Naturally, the story is all about Eleanor and her life which seems relatively pretty boring until you realise that not everything is quite right with Eleanor. It’s an easy but enticing read as you desperately want to find out what is going with her and even though you do found out the key details I was desperate to learn more about Eleanor’s story and I do wish the author had done more into detail about it all as I think it would have added so much to the book. I don’t think this was quite as amazing as the online world made it out to be, it’s a good book but not life-changing.
feminists wear pink and other lies - scarlett curtis (gifted)
I absolutely devoured this book and it’s one that I highly recommend anyone giving in a read if they want an honest and relatable approach to feminism. It's a collaborative effort of I believe twenty or so brilliant woman and they all write about what feminism means to them and reading it made me feel so inspired and empowered. When I was growing up the F word to me wasn’t a positive one, it was all about hating men and not wanting to wear a bra which makes me feel so angry now as that’s far from what it is and I hate that it used to be such a dirty word and it's only until now we're really learning what it is to be a feminist. It’s a quick read for me, I got through it in just over a day but I think that it’s one that I’ll come back to time and time again.
the tattooist of auschwitz - heather morris
This is what I’m reading at the moment as it came highly recommended by my best friend when she passed it onto me. I’m only about 100 pages in but I seriously can’t get enough of it and I have to keep reminding myself that it’s based on true accounts. As I’ve not finished it yet I can’t say too much but here’s a quick rundown of how the story is shaping up; it follows a man called Lale Sokolow who arrives at Auschwitz in 1942 as a prisoner. After a little bit of time in there, he’s given the job of tattooing the prisoners who are marked for survival and this is how he meets a young girl called Gita. I'm so looking forward to seeing where this book goes as I'm totally fascinated so far.
