Following on from my post last week I have now read a few more of the texts on the longlist. Taking my total to 6 out of the 16. One thing that I feel really good about the fact that it has totally diversified the books I have on my read shelf.
Before the longlist was announced I had already read 4 of the books and can now add another 2 to that list. The first of these was "When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife" by Meena Kandasamy. This was the one book on the list that I was quite worried about because of the obvious trigger warnings of domestic abuse. As a survivor who walked away from 4 years of domestic violence I knew this could potentially have triggered a few emotional issues that it has taken me several years to move past. Instead it has made me feel empowered, strong and able to talk about what I experienced. This book should be something that everyone has the opportunity to read. Perpetrators, survivors, people who have no experience of domestic abuse, people who have family or friends who are in or have been in abusive relationships, everyone. It is eye opening and demands that society look at the way these situations are perceived.
For me this was a complete 5 star read. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that this deserves recognition.
Any novel that I read after Kandasamy would have a huge challenge on it's hands to compete with the quality of writing and the message it left with me. The next text on the list I chose to read was "Home Fire" by Kamila Shamsie and unfortunately I feel it didn't live up to the legacy of "When I Hit You" leaving a lacklustre 3 star impression. The story was a modern take on Antigone (which is one of my favourites) whereby the main characters were British Muslims who were all linked in different ways. It looked at Muslim identity and the experiences they have in society. The premise was excellent but I have to admit the romantic relationships made me cringe. The characters were extremely two dimensional and seemed flimsy throughout. I felt no connection with any of the characters and ultimately ended up just feeling annoyed by them throughout.
On a more exciting note I have arrived today on a very special holiday with my husband. We are visiting the Isle of Arran off the West Coast of Scotland on a bit of a reading retreat (for me anyway). This week I am preparing to take in some beautiful sights but also to read lots in our cosy little cottage in front of the log fire. I am writing this from our very kitsch, cosy living room with the fire going and ready to pick the next book on the list to read.
Some exciting news this week as promised on my Instagram is that I have decided to start a podcast based on my reading adventures. It will feature updates on what I am reading, guest speakers who also love reading and some funny reading experiences I have had recently.
Keep track on Instagram of my reading adventure this week for some spectacular photo updates!
Meg x
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