Women's Prize Longlist Reading + Reading Retreat

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

What Makes A Reader?

As someone who likes to surround myself in world of books I often hear the terms "reader" and "non-reader" banded around as if there are only two types of people in the world.  Whether it be colleagues, friends, family, people I meet through work there is a perception that there are some people in the world who are not readers.  When I think about this concept I find it very difficult to formulate my thoughts into words because what they mostly mean is that the person they are talking about does not enjoy reading rather than doesn't read anything at all.

A lot of our hobbies and habits are formed as children.  When we are in a social environment such as nursery or early years of school we do as we see other people doing.  We take social cues from those around us who we trust and this includes the hobbies that we pick up.  When I cast my memory back to my experiences of reading as a child I feel nothing but pure joy and escapism. As a self-diagnosed introvert social situations are my worst nightmare and always have been.

Growing up I had acquaintances and people I would speak to at school but only a very small group of real friends.  The agony of speaking to my peers and trying to fit into a social norm was just not something I wanted to be a part of.  Instead of going to my classmates' birthday parties and play dates I would stay at home and read books or pretend to be a reading teacher to all of my teddy bears and dolls. I was always reading books and my family kept me well stocked at every occasion.  The time that stands out most for me was my first discovery of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.  It was the year 2000 and my parents announced they were getting a divorce.  Our family home was to be sold as part of the proceedings and my life got turned completely inside out.

My wedding bouquet - made from pages of Harry Potter books.

Boxes were everywhere and my worldly belongings (as an 8 year old) were scattered among them.  It was late at night and I was anxious about moving school and having to meet new people.  I couldn't sleep and so I reached into the closest box to my bed.  The only book that was in there was Harry Potter.  I didn't know anything about it so I picked it up and fell completely unexpectedly into Harry's world.  Little did I know that 17 years later I would still be totally in love with the series and even have my own Harry Potter themed wedding.

Whenever anyone talks about divorce or asks me about my feelings about my parents' divorce I have to be realistic and say that there was so many more positives to the divorce than negatives.  Obviously the main one is my parents are both much happier now than they were when they were together but a close second is that I am not sure if my love and nostalgia over Harry would have been the same had he not become my friend at a time when I was so scared to face the outside world.

Fast forward these 17 (nearly 18!) years and I think about the people in my life who I am influenced by.  Neither of my parents are big on reading but my both of my grandmothers love to read and now my mother-in-law is a huge reader too.  This is a really nice thing we have in common because we share books and swap books and have gone to the Edinburgh International Book Festival together.

As an adult my husband was diagnosed with dyslexia.  Something he had struggled with his whole life.  Until he met me he had not read a single book in his life other than those that were read to him in high school English class.  This left him with a perception of reading that was far from positive.  He hated it.  When we first met he was intimidated by my job and by my love of books.  Last year I made it my mission to get him to try out audio books and to find a book he would enjoy.  On a long road trip we settled in to listen to Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows and from there things started to change for him.  We read the sequel together on Audible - he enjoyed them both a lot and found himself opening up to a new reading experience. 

At the age of 35 he had finally found his reading identity.  Books that he enjoyed, things he wanted to read and an eagerness to find out more about what he enjoys as a reader.  As someone who teaches 12-18 year olds English I find this so uplifting.  Every day I am met with reluctant readers who have the perception that dyslexia or other additional support needs are a reason that they can't pick up a book.  They are plagued with negative experiences of reading from their childhoods that have left the wrong impression. This can cause a block for their whole lives.  It makes me so sad that anyone can go through a lifetime without knowing what it is to step outside their own reality and into a world skillfully crafted by one of the many talented authors out there.

Ultimately there is no such thing as someone who is "not a reader" there are only those who are yet to find the book that will change their mind about reading.

The Women's Prize Longlist: Read, Reading, Want to Read

A few weeks ago I blogged about finding my reader identity again (most recent check - under the kitchen sink) which got me thinking about how to go about that.  One thing I am chronically aware of is the "comfort zone" blanket of authors I have knitted around myself and my buying habits. This year I WILL unpick those stitches and stretch my foot (just one mind!) onto the cold wooden floor of new reading horizons. One way I plan on doing this is by reading texts that are on longlisted for literary prizes.  The first longlist of the year that I plan to crack is the Women's Prize for Fiction. Quite honestly, I can't wait.

Books I have already read from the list are:
"See What I Have Done" by Sarah Schmidt
"Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman
"Three Things About Elsie" by Joanna Cannon
"The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock" by Imogen Hermes Gowar

All of which I have thoroughly enjoyed on their own merits.

Currently I am reading "When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife" by Meena Kandasamy.  This one I only started reading this morning and am about 20% through already. I am really appreciating the linguistic skills demonstrated by the author so far.

The other 11 I am definitely going to attempt to read aswell.  The ones I am most excited about are:
"The Ministry of Utmost Happiness" by Arundhati Roy
"Elmet" by Fiona Mozley
"Manhattan Beach" by Jennifer Egan
and "Sing, Unburied, Sing" by Jesmyn Ward


These are the ones I have heard good things about from readers who have similar tastes to my own.

The final 7 on the list all sound equally intriguing but I, as yet, have not heard as much about them. I definitely think there is a good variety of fiction to choose from on the list.  The issues covered are numerous.  If the 4 that I have already read are anything to go by then I am in for a real treat with the others.  So far the characters in each of the books have totally enthralled me.  I have such a soft spot for both Eleanor Oliphant and Flo Claybourne ("Three Things About Elsie") and really hope there are a few more big characters to get to know along the way.

This year's judges have a tough job ahead of them.

When getting my nose in a book cured most things short of school...

An apt quotation from Philip Larkin's "A Study of Reading Habits" - it both summarises my week and links nicely on from my previous post.

I often find myself wondering what it might be like to have time to read whenever I fancied or to work in an environment involving more reading.  Most people would argue that working as an English teacher would provide plenty of opportunities to read each day alas, this is not the case.  Most of the reading I do at work is either class texts (that I have read at least once before) or a pupil's work.  When reading pupils' jotters I have my marking brain on and usually have to switch quickly between styles and genres.

This time of year is always super busy and heavy on the marking load.  Between prelim marking, folio deadlines and extra study homework there is very little time left to read for pleasure.  This lead me to thinking of the strategies I use to squeeze in some reading time each day.  They are by no means groundbreaking but I find myself more and more grateful for the timeout from everything each day.

One of the first things I do in the morning is turn on my current audiobook.  It gives me a chance to "read" something while I shower, get dressed and generally potter around the house. While it is probably not conducive to a speedy morning routine it does afford me time to set my brain to function for the day ahead. Some mornings, when I have had a good sleep and feel energised (read: barely ever) I am ready with enough time to sit down with a cup of tea and a book before the time I leave for work.  As this is a rarity I definitely am grateful for audiobooks.

My drive to work continues with my audiobook but when I get to work I usually have a bit of down time to get a chapter or two of whatever physical book I am reading.  I am usually the first one from my department to arrive so the staff base is a quiet place to start the day.  My junior classes start every period of English with 10 minutes of personal reading time and I always read with them.  It models good reading habits and lets them see the value of reading time.  I really enjoy it and it starts the lesson off in a really quiet and calm way.

On my way home from work, depending on how the day has gone, I put my audiobook back on or sometimes listen to a podcast.  When I am home and cooking the dinner or pottering around the house there is always an audiobook playing from my phone.  I try to set aside a quiet time each night to read in my reading room but that depends on how much marking I have left to do.  I never set myself targets of a number of pages to get through or how many chapters to read because this is real life and sometimes reality just gets in the way.

In our current house I am lucky enough to get the use of the spare room as an office and reading space.  It is home to all of my books (or at least the ones that haven't found themselves dotted around elsewhere!) and my comfy reading chair.  It is full of fairy lights, candles and reading paraphernalia.  It always smells amazing because of the candles everywhere and is home to 3 of our guinea pigs who keep me company when I am working, reading or meditating.  It is a little sanctuary for me and it definitely helps me to focus more on my reading.

This week I have had quite a productive reading week.  I have now finished "The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock" by Imogen Hermes Gower and started another of the Women's Prize longlisted books; "When I Hit You: Or, A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife" by Meena Kandasamy.  I also finished "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton on Audible and have started the second book in the "Frey and McGrey" series by Oscar de Muriel, "Fever in the Blood" - all of the hysterical laughter at the narrator's Scottish accent attempt is really making my week better!  I am currently looking into the longlist books for my Kindle so that I have them all in one place for my holibobs next week.

In memory of the wonderful Stephen Hawking, this week I will end on a remark he made:

"Look up at the stars and not down at your feet.  Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious."

Reading habits, choosing what to read and bookshop shenanigans...

The trickiest part of writing a blog, in my opinion, is the salutation right at the beginning.  I mean nobody wants to sound overly chirpy or false but being to cold and distant is not ideal either...hmm.  Must try harder. 

My goal is to make this whole blogging thing into a weekly habit (I mean how hard could it be?) so this warrants a new style of blogs.  I am not holding myself to wrap-ups, hauls and reviews but a whole manner of book related content.  I thought this week it would be interesting to start off by considering my own reading habits.  I will admit that this is not something I have previously given too much thought to if I am honest.  I've always kind of gone with the flow and not really paid too much attention to the habits I have picked up.  Taking a step back and thinking about my approach to reading comes with thanks to a few different realisations:

1. I realised I do not have a "favourite" genre any more. Which makes finding books pretty tricky sometimes.
2.  I find myself caught up in the hype of a new or upcoming book and don't stop to think about whether or not I am interested in the content, genre or style of writing.
3. A kind of combination of the above has left my shelves laden with books I am not even sure whether I will read or not. 

The kick starter to this actually happened in my local Waterstones yesterday afternoon when I was spending time with a friend and colleague.  She made a comment about liking to read the occasional "crappy crime" novel as well as making a beeline for the sci-fi shelf.  I found myself a bit overwhelmed because I found that there just wasn't a particular direction to look in for a genre or book that might interest me.  

As I kind of aimlessly sauntered around the shelves I was trying to recall the last time I went into a bookshop and "knew" what I was looking for.  When I really think about it I could pinpoint a rough idea of my final year of my undergraduate degree.  It was when I was head over heels with Shirley Jackson, Mary Shelley and Stephen King and, thus, all things Gothic fiction.  What was even trickier was to try to remember why I got away from that comfort zone.  When I look over my Goodreads summary for 2017 there are definitely a good few Gothic numbers amongst the books I read.  The realisation that I came to was that I didn't necessarily seek those out because they were Gothic fiction but rather because I had either heard of them recently or had been recommended them.

When I cast my memory over the books I have read most recently there is definitely a new genre that is creeping through and that is literary fiction.  Until recently I was naive as to the existence of this genre and when I found myself trying to categorise the books I was (mostly) reading I found it difficult.  Another genre I find myself drawn to is historical fiction.  I find when literary and historical fiction are mixed with a little bit of the Gothic I have an ideal book.

So my final questions were: what do I do about this predicament? Do I keep randomly picking up books or do I try to settle and look specifically for ones that fit in with my (let's be honest) ridiculously specific success criteria? Is there anything wrong with being a reader of random books?

At the moment my thoughts are that there is nothing wrong with reading the way I have been recently - random reading has lead me to discover so many great authors (Joanna Cannon, Heather Morris, Gail Honeyman...the list is endless).  In fact, random reading offers so many opportunities for rediscovery of reading identity if it is a conscious choice.  It is ridiculous how many books I bought and did not read last year and now when I look at some of those books I feel like I will probably never pick them up.  They don't really interest me, I am never in the mood for them.  It's most definitely an "it's not you, it's me" situation because there are, I'm sure, some fab books that are among those I probably won't read. 

Traditionally most of us set resolutions in January for the start of a new year (and, let's face it, break them in February) but I don't think that we should limit our target/resolution setting to that time of year.  Part of why I always break my resolutions is because I find myself pulling away from the idea of them being so fixed.  I hate being told what to do and so in the end I break them because I resent them after a while.  So I am not calling this a "resolution" but rather a promise to myself (and my bank!) that I will make a concerted effort in the coming months to rediscover my reading identity, not to buy endless amounts of hyped books that I am not interested in and to get rid of (or at least put to storage) books that I have never and will never pick up. 

An interesting week this week in terms of reading, I am currently listening to "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton and really enjoying it.  The narrator is brilliant! Alongside this I am also reading the beautiful hardback of "The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock" and finding it totally enthralling.  Oozing with indulgent description and some extremely well developed characters.

Ending on a quotation from my current favourite film:
"You don't need everyone to love you, just a few good people."
-The Greatest Showman

Return after a long break!

Hello again!

It's been a fair wee while since I last blogged.  Unfortunately work and home life has taken over and, along with the holiday season I have felt a bit overwhelmed with it all. I am back and hoping to make 2018 the year of the blog.

I have read quite a few books since I last blogged so I am not going to go through all of them as that would make this a verrrrry long blog post!  I will summarise my favourites and how my overall Goodreads reading challenge went last  year.

In November last year I was struggling to decide what to spend my monthly Audible credit on.  It was one of those days that I needed to start a new audiobook but also didn't really have anything on my radar.  At work someone was talking about non-fiction books they had enjoyed and mentioned the book "My Sister Milly" by Gemma Dowler.   It documented the family experience of Milly's murder investigation and the trial of Levi Bellfield.  The book was brutally honest and a very emotional experience.  I gave 5 stars.  The quality of the story came from the raw emotion of the writing.  I would recommend this to anyone but I would also trigger warn of some mental health issues, murder, missing people and violence (including sexual).  It is a heartbreaking read and there were several moments within the narration where I felt that I was intruding on a family's suffering.

Another audiobook I delved into was The Dry by Jane Harper.  A lot of what I read is inspired by fellow book bloggers or Booktubers and the recommendations they put out.  Along with the mass rave reviews of this book I had also passed by this book in the windows and on the tables of several book stores.  I am so glad that I picked it up.   It followed the journey of Aaron, a Federal Agent who is called back to his home town in Australia following the death of his best friend, Luke, and his family.  I love a crime story every so often.  It's not a genre I read a lot of but whenever I get a chance to pick up a good crime story I remember why I love them.  This was one of those stories that was so well written that I just could not guess what was going on at any given time.  When I realised this was the start of a series I was so, so happy! I can't wait to read the next book!


Finally, and I have to say I have saved the best until last, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi.  I struggle to think about this book without feeling emotional.  This was another non-fiction read which was a memoir of a brain surgeon who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.  I found this read so inspirational.  The way Paul looked at life and death and the bravery he demonstrated in his honest take on all of the emotions he felt was something everyone should learn from.  If I could have given this 10 stars I would have.  I broke my heart reading this.  Properly ugly crying in parts.  Trigger warning for those affected by cancer, death or terminal illnesses.

I did complete my Goodreads challenge of 50 books which I am pleased with considering I only properly started it in May last year.  This year I have tentatively set my goal at 52 books to read but I definitely need to aim higher than that.  I think that it will be no problem to read that many books this year but it depends on how the year plays out.

Coming up:  January Wrap Up.

Dracula - October Spooky Reads

A lot of what we know about the mythical vampire/vampyre comes from classics such as Dracula (Stoker) and The Vampyre (Polidori).  For all the love that I have for Gothic fiction I must admit most of the books that I have read fall in to the female Gothic genre.  I am part of an online book club where we vote for a few books each month and discuss them.  One such book for this month was Dracula and I have to say I was reluctant to start with.  I wasn't sure how I would get along with the style of writing - this is something I need to address because I usually end up really enjoying this

writing style more.

With a train trip to London and a week off work this book club choice could not have come at a better time.  The first thing that really stood out to me was the characterisation - I feel like the circle of characters welcomed the reader in to their adventures and allowed us to become invested in them.  In my opinion this is largely due to the narrative style Stoker uses.  The novel comprises of journal entries and letters between the characters.  This gives a real personal feel to the relationships we build with each character.  I can't think of many novels I have read where I have felt more welcome amongst the characters.

Having said all of this I did resent the portrayal of women.  I know that this was very much a standard, stereotypical and widely accepted portrayal of women from the era but it still doesn't sit well with me.  Mina has the potential to be a kick ass female (and definitely has moments where she is) but is let down by how emotionally sensitive she is in comparison to the male characters of the group.

This was a 4 star read for me because I did think there were a lot of plot points that needed a little bit more attention than what they got. Particularly towards the end of the story everything just felt too rushed and glossed over.

It was really clear to me that the tropes that we see in modern Gothic literature were all present but I think isolation was the one that really stood out for me.  The characters were all at their most vulnerable whenever they were left by themselves.  The isolation caused by perceived madness at the start had a really profound effect on my interpretation of the novel and the character of Jonathan.  As a reader I felt as though I was being taken on the journey of discovery along with each of the characters despite having more knowledge owing to the omniscient role played by the reader.

To me this was a masterpiece in writing for the maximum impact when it comes to this genre - the characters, plot and themes were so intricately built through a clever narrative with a subtle lacing of Gothic tropes all the way throughout.

Having read Rebecca at the beginning of the month I was really worried about whether there would be any book that could follow on from it.  The dread for me was that I would have a huge book hangover.  Luckily for me Dracula did not disappoint and gave me a fantastic avenue to continue with my Gothic reading list for the Halloween build up.

Next: Individual review of Rebecca and a reading wrap up for October.

Meg x

Super Late September Book Haul (Sorry!)

It is pretty clear that I have a book buying problem.  One that I have to admit I am not ashamed of - I could spend money on much worse things.  September was no different to any other month.  I ended up buying a grand total of 11 new books.  As a result I am going to keep each summary super short because I will be discussing each book in a lot more depth after I read them.

The first book that I purchased this month was "I See You" by Clare Mackintosh which is a thriller about women who all take the same route to work every day without knowing that they are being stalked.  One such woman notices her picture appears in the newspaper one day under an advert called findtheone.com.  Several women's pictures appear under the advert and Zoe discovers that terrible crimes are happening to the women.   She then works with a cop to help her uncover who the stalker is.







Amazon had a 3 for £10 deal on so it would have been rude to not get a few..."One of Us is Lying" by Karen M. McManus is a book that I have heard a lot about through Instagram and Booktube.  5 students enter detention but only 4 walk out alive.  The person killed is the school's notorious gossip blogger.  Each of the other 4 students have the perfect motive to kill Simon.  This looks at the investigation which aims to find out who the killer really is.

"American Gods" by Neil Gaiman is a book that was made into a TV series I have heard a lot about recently.  All of my knowledge on this book basically comes from Goodreads.  The main character, Shadow, is faced with tragedy when his wife and best friend are killed in an accident just days before he is released from jail.  He takes a job as a bodyguard for a mysterious man, Mr. Wednesday, where he learns that life can be more intriguing and dangerous than he could have imagined.

The final book in my "3 for £10" was "The Girl of Ink and Stars" by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is about a cartographer's daughter named Isabella.  She lives in a society forbidden to leave the island they inhabit.  When her friend disappears Isabella offers to lead the search using all the maps that she has to help.  When she starts on her journey she does not realise that she will uncover the many myths surrounding the island and end up faced with the challenge of saving the whole island.

The next book was a must buy after reading the first book in the series.  "Crooked Kingdom" by Leigh Bardugo was the final part of the series and it definitely did not disappoint.  This is another book which has received lots of (well deserved) hype. The story picks up directly from "Six of Crows" so I don't want to give away too much.  It concludes the story well.  I have already included a series review on this one so I won't go into too much more detail.

"Gravity" by A.B. Bloom is one that came up as a book recommendation on Bookbub for me.  It is about a time that everyone believes is the end of the world.  Bronte is the main character who has problems of her own.  She is experiencing severe physical weakness following her last birthday.  Her bones are breaking and her hair is falling out and nobody knows why.  One day a strange boy appears and turns her life upside down.  He explains that everything is not as it seems and that she is not actually who she believed she was.



I absolutely love books about magic and witchcraft so when I heard about "The Graces" by Laure Eve I knew I absolutely had to give it a go.  The Graces are a group of people who are believed to be magic weavers by those who live in their town.  This is a thriller that explores the glamorous Graces and looks to discover whether they are more dangerous than what they seem.



"Anna Karenina" by Tolstoy is a book that I have never read and must admit find pretty intimidating.  Anna is isolated as a result of her passionate affair with Count Vronsky.  Her failing marriage pushes her into a tragically doomed affair which gives society cause to scorn and judge her.  Meanwhile, everyone around her is experiencing love and happiness which highlights the contrast between Anna and everyone else.

Every since signing up to Bookbub I have to admit I have bought lots more books for my Kindle.  I had heard of Affinity Konar's "Mischling" before but didn't know much about it.  When my Bookbub daily recommendation came through I saw this was on offer.  I haven't read it and don't want to know too much about it.  It is about twins who end up in Aushwitz during WWII and their quest to survive. 


This next book I had a real difficulty finding.  I heard about it on an American Booktube channel and did not realise it was primarily available in the States. "The Child Finder" is by Rene Denfeld and follows the story of a missing girl.  Three years after her disappearance the family turn to an investigator called Naomi who is known as The Child Finder. Naomi has her own secrets to uncover and does so as she goes on a journey to find the truth about what happened to the missing girl.



Finally in September I bought the e-book of "Genuine Fraud" by E. Lockheart.  I know nothing about this one and don't want to find out.  I read "We Were Liars" last year by the same author and had a real mixture of feelings about it.  I also think her books are best read blind because they are so mysterious. 

Is there such a thing as Book Addicts Anonymous? If so where should I sign up?

Meg x

September 2017 Wrap Up

September was a super busy month for me so I definitely did not get as much reading done as I would have liked but 7 (and a half) books is not too bad!

The first two books that I finished reading were Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom which I have already posted a full series review of.  I won't go back over my thoughts on this series but I will say that it is a 5 star series.

I started off reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman as a hardback but swiftly transferred to audiobook and I must say I am very glad that I did.  The narrator fitted the character of Eleanor absolutely perfectly.  In the novel we follow the socially inept Eleanor who fails to fit into the social norms of society.  She has a dark past which has left her scarred physically, mentally and emotionally.  Her life is a series of routines that must not be broken.  She is unintentionally hilarious throughout - this is particularly clear through the audiobook verion. When an old man falls in the street Eleanor is forced to work together with a colleague to help the man.  Raymond, her colleague, is a big hearted, kind and genuine guy who has a huge impact on Eleanor and the way she lives her life.  I laughed and cried at this book.  The characterisation was phenomenal throughout.  Eleanor never slips out of character and the mysterious plot kept me wanting to read on. This was a 5 star read for me.  I am amazed that this was a debut novel for the author and will be keeping an eye out for future reads by Gail Honeyman.

The Tempest by William Shakespeare was my next read in September. I must admit that this is defintely not my favourite play by Shakespeare.  I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads but, on reflection, I feel like I may have been too generous with that.  There are some real interesting characters in this play including the magician, Prospero, his daughter, Miranda, and her prince, Ferdinand.  Prospero uses his magic to set the world to rights.  He was previously the Duke of Milan but was usurped by his brother and ended up living his life alone on an island except for his daughter and the monster Caliban.  Prospero traps his brother and the King of Naples on his island and manipulates a situation where the King's son, Ferdinand, ends up marrying Prospero's daughter, Miranda.  This is very much a character driven play as the plot is very sporadic.  This is definitely not one of my favourite Skakespearean plays but the characters were well developed throughout.

Stay With Me by Adebayo Ayobami was the easiest 5 star rating I gave all month.  I had heard a lot of rave reviews about this novel on Booktube and could not wait to get started with it.  This tells the story of Yejide and Akin - a Nigerian couple who have fertility issues.  Whilst they had agreed to a monogamous relationship Akin's family had other ideas and introduce a second wife to him.  The development of the relationship between Akin and Yejide is complex and revealed slowly throughout the plot.  The concept of arranged marriage is explored along with the political turmoil of the 1980s in Nigeria.  The narrative flows freely and, at times, appears to merge the voice of Yejide and Akin through the strength of love they have for each other.  This is an important read and one that definitely deserves all of the praise and 5 star reviews it is receiving currently.


The next novel I read was The Sellout by Paul Beatty which I listened to on Audible.  This was mega weird. I had heard a lot about it since it won the Man Booker 2016 but I really wasn't clear on the actual story until I started to read it. It definitely is not for the faint hearted! This is a satirical take on the issues of racism and equality which poses absurdist "solutions" to the disadvantages faced by black Americans.  The narrator is facing the Supreme Court on several charges which include reinstating slavery and introducing segregation to the local secondary school.  One view that particularly stood out for me was the "pro-slavery" perspective of Hominy (previously a child tv star) who wanted nothing more than to become a slave.  The heartbreaking perspective he has on slavery is based on the fact that this at least gives him a sense of certainty of what to expect from life - it takes away the guess work of how he, as a representative of his race, will be treated by society.  Another character attempts to re-write history by including views of racial equality and pretending that racism and slavery was never a thing.  Whichever perspective you look at it is heartbreaking to consider and be made to face the truth that actually racial inequality is very much alive and kicking in modern society.  The book poses the question - what makes modern treatment of black Americans any different to the slavers of times gone by?

A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin was my final full read this month.  I gave this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads and can't believe how good this was for a debut novel.  I already am totally in love with Ira Levin's writing style having read Rosemary's Baby a few years ago and I was a little bit worried that this would not be of the same standard.  I need not have worried though - this was absolutely super.  I can't say too much without spoiling the plot.  It follows a young, ambitious man who believes he is destined for greatness.  He is smart, handsome and charming and has big plans for his life.  The mysterious build up of his character starts when he goes unnamed for the whole first section of the novel.  We are intrigued to know more about him.  A sticking point arises in his plans when the young woman he is dating falls pregnant and is determined to marry him regardless of the fact she will be disinherited from a small fortune if she does so.  His only solution: kill her.  Everything from the characterisation to the pace of the plot in this novel was super.  I was desperately turning the pages to get to the end and find out what would happen to each of the characters.  It has made me really keen to read the rest of Levin's works.

There was one book that I regret spending so much time on this month - I feel like if it was not for this book I would have made it to by 8 book target.  Confessions of a Sociopath by M.E. Thomas was a non-fiction novel based on her own life as a non-criminal sociopath.  I have seen many disregarding this book because it was too "self-involved" but I feel that this is something that should be expected given the title.  My reason for disregarding it was that I just did not find the subject interesting.  The narrative was clumsy and too repetitive.  Perhaps this would have been better as a series of short stories rather than a jarred attempt to combine all of the events in her life that showed her lack of emotional connection.   I won't be going back to this one and I doubt I would even give it to anyone to read to be honest.


Finally I read half of the short story collection The Blue Lenses by Daphne DuMaurier.  I will definitely go back to this one and finish it off before I write a full review.  They were getting a little bit much for me to read all at once.











A very positive reading month overall.  I think in October I may try to include a mid-month wrap up if I have time - I always regret leaving all of the typing to the very last minute!

Meg x

Hacienda Moon by Kassondra Leigh (Release Date: 31/10/17)

Hacienda Moon
KaSonndra Leigh
(Path Seekers #1)
Publication date: October 31st 2017
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Suspense

Centuries ago, his ancestor fell in love with a woman cursed by a jealous witch. No one believed him until it was too late. Eric Fontalvo was determined to prove one thing… that a family curse didn’t cause his father’s death.

The plan was working until the day he found her…again. Suddenly his life changes forever, and he is forced to question everything he believes.

Moving into an old plantation house was just what Tandie Harrison needed to recover from tragedy. So she writes a book, a story based on a man in her dreams. There’s only one problem though… the characters from her novel keep showing up on her doorstep.

And then she finds a diary written hundreds of years ago.

As if that isn’t strange enough, she meets him…the man from her dream, someone who reawakens her psychic power along with something else from long ago.

Can Eric and Tandie’s love destroy the force keeping them apart? Or will darkness win again?

Hacienda Moon is a new classic tale of two lovers crossing time. A seductive tale of one woman’s journey to confront the demons of her past and to find the courage to face her future. It is a mesmerizing novel that explores the deepest depths of human nature, and the characters will hold and haunt you long after you have read the final chapter.

Goodreads

Author Bio:

Meet your word sculptress...

Author of the Bestelling Lost Immortals Saga, Musical Interlude Series, and the PathSeekers Novels, KaSonndra is also a mother, blogazine owner, reader, gardener, home renovator, and a slayer of undead Egyptian mummies in Tomb Raider. She believes in karma, coffee, and seriously wish that the producers of Xena would bring her favorite show ever back.

Strange things about KaSonndra: Everything. She's weird, odd, unusual, and generally tends to make people think she swooped down from another planet. Maybe she did. Who knows? She's also a member of the #zombiesurvivalcrew on twitter. So if you need protection from the upcoming apocalypse, don’t hesitate to call on KayLeigh and crew!

KaSonndra was born in the race-car city of Charlotte, NC, and now live in the City of Alchemy and Medicine, NC, when she's not hanging out in Bardonia (Lost Immortals Saga setting). Most of her characters are based on people that she has met throughout her travels and adventures. People tend to stop and start conversations with KaSonndra as if she has known them her entire life. Does this freak her out? Not really. Her mom says that one day she’ll get kidnapped by one of these folks. KaSonndra's response? She told her mom that if it weren’t for these lovely people, then she wouldn’t be able to create such fabulously romantic stories.

A few other tidbits about KaSonndra... She has watched the movie Under the Tuscan Sun almost 200 times. This is her explanation regarding her obsession. She figures that if she keeps watching the film enough times, then suddenly the house that Diane Lane lives in will magically appear in her backyard. Yes! KaSonndra has a huge imagination!

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom - Series Review

Before this month it was a while since I read any YA fiction novels other than those I read to teach.  I was intrigued by the sound of Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows after hearing all about it on Booktube and so I picked it up on Audible with the idea that I would possible have to return it after listening to the first hour. Contrary to what I thought, however, I absolutely loved it almost immediately.

Characters

Kaz Brekker is tasked with putting together a notorious crew for, what seems like, mission impossible.  He is promised millions if he can break into the Ice Court - a military stronghold. From the beginning of the series Kaz presents as a troubled young man with a multitude of skeletons in his closet.  His brutal honesty, intelligence and brooding nature poses an intriguing read.  In the face of every difficulty that is put in his path Kaz shows himself fearless and smart enough to overcome anything.  It is through Kaz that we eventually are introduced to the rest of the main characters.

The Wraith - also known as Inej - is Kaz' main weakness.  She is a trained acrobat as well as a skilled fighter.  She gains the secrets of the city to provide Kaz with the information he needs to stay on top of his enemies.  From the beginning it is very clear that Inej is in love with Kaz but as to whether those feelings are reciprocated we do not find out until much later.  Inej is a character who comes to life through her dry sarcastic humour and her emotional capacity. As a reader, I loved Inej and felt like I was routing for her all the way through the series.

Jesper is a gambling addict with a knack for shooting exactly on target.  He is extremely lovable but it is clear that he has done some very questionable acts to get through a tough life.

Nina is my absolute favourite character.  She is a charming young woman with the power to turn people's internal organs to mush.  She is a Grisha Heartrender who was saved from a life in a brothel (The Menagerie) by Kaz when he brought her into a life in the Dregs.  Nina is hilarious - she is a character who can simultaneously make light of a situation while kicking ass at the same time. My favourite quotation from Nina is: “Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return.” Nina goes through one of the toughest journeys of all the characters.  It is depicted in a realistic representation of the hardship she faces as well as a believable portrayal of the human responses to such situations.

Other main characters include Matthias Halvar, a Fjerdan Druskelle, who is grudgingly in love with Nina.  He is very much stuck in a mindset that has been drummed into him by his peers.  This mindset almost stops him from making the right decisions on so many occasions.  He is a character that I feel real sympathy for.  I think everyone, at some point, is guided by the wrong people to believe in things that are not necessarily true.  Matthias is a particular example of this who really goes on a journey of discovery to make up his own mind on his beliefs.


Plot

Six of Crows has a real page turning quality to the plot.  It is, on the surface, an impossible quest but one that we get behind straight away because we are so invested in the characters.  Leigh Bardugo is very good at showing the events of the story rather than just telling us what is happening.  I really enjoyed her portrayal of the plot (more of that in the narrative style section).  The seamless transition between Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom was excellent.  I actually don't read a lot of series, particularly fantasy, because they can get caught up in the time gaps between each release which really turns me off as a reading experience.  The plot of the series is eloquent, fast-moving and engaging from the very start to the last word.


Narrative Technique

As with most YA fantasy novels the story is told through multiple narrative perspectives.  Each character's story is closely intertwined.  At first it can be a little bit confusing because you are trying to follow the plot as well as getting to know all of the different characters.  There are lots of strands of stories that are started but then cut to start someone else's story.  I was very worried that I would lose the place with the plot and end up missing out on the story but actually came to appreciate Bardugo's writing style even more.  She ensured that the plot was paced appropriately at the beginning to allow us to keep up with what was happening at the same time as getting to know everyone.

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom have definitely opened my eyes up to a new genre that I would not normally have given a second look at. I feel like my reading horizons have definitely broadened as a result of reading this series.  My only flaw with the series is the characters are very young in age but not in attitude or actions.  It is clear that the characters are written from an older perspective.  I feel like that does not actually take anything away from the plot.

There are a few posts on the way...September Wrap Up, October Reads, September Book Haul which will all be up in the next few weeks.

Meg x

A New Venture...Inspired

Sometimes inspiration just happens.  Not when you are looking or necessarily want to be inspired.  For me it has been one of those inspiring weeks.

I took a trip to a creative writing convention with some young people and I will be honest and say that I had solely looked at this as an opportunity for the young people I was supervising.  Never did I expect to walk away totally inspired to kick start my own writing creative writing back up again. I was so fortunate to meet some wonderful Scottish writers and hear their own stories of how they write, what made them write and where they draw their creative musings from. 

The whole day is run by the Scottish Book Trust and offers pupils the chance to meet poets, novelists, playwrights and short story writers with Scottish backgrounds.  The pupils are divided into groups and each group experiences the workshops of two writers.  My group first met an ex-English teacher named Martin Stewart who recently released his debut novel, Riverkeep.  This workshop was a lot about choosing the right words to express what you are trying to say.  Not over-writing and falling into cliched habits.  I particularly enjoyed the editing techniques that he suggested. This has to be one of the most practical advice sessions I have ever had when it comes to writing.  I will definitely be putting his advice to good use.

The second workshop I attended was by poet Liz Niven.  Her workshop was less about the practicalities of writing and more about actually getting us to put pen to paper and to look for inspiration all around us.  Liz was super keen to get us all involved and we took inspiration from some poems she had selected in order to start writing our own poetry.  The first exercise was that we were given the colour blue then given one of the senses. Mine was sound. I had to write down what the colour blue sounds like.  We wrote a series of short poems using different exercises and were encouraged to write both in standard English as well as in Scots.  The outcome of this surprised me - what I ended up with written on the paper left me feeling really inspired to start writing again.

After I got home from the conference I felt like I had been away from writing for too long.  I always said that I would write a novel one day.  That I would be a published author.  When I left the feeling I had was that I want to start slightly smaller and go with writing short stories and maybe even poetry.  This week I have finally put my pen to paper and jotted out my ideas that I have had for a while.  Hopefully I will be posting some snippets of writing very soon.

Meg x

September TBR

Already I feel like I have been side tracked from my original TBR for September because of how much I enjoyed "Six of Crows" at the start of the month.  I got an Audible credit and just felt like I had to spend it on the sequel.  I have no regrets!

The first book on my TBR is "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo.  I got this from Audible to keep me company on a long car journey after hearing so much about it on Booktube.  I was pretty intrigued and had gotten about halfway through it in August.  It was my priority to finish this one first (which I have) and get on to reading the rest of my September TBR.  I will put a full review in my September wrap up but it was a superb read.










The next book is one that I am totally unsure about, even a bit wary, if I am honest.  There are so many mixed reviews about it that it took me a while to convince myself to put it on my list.  "Confessions of a Sociopath" by M.E. Thomas is one that should be right up my street - I love anything remotely psychological and especially books that look at things from a different perspective.  As M.E. Thomas is a diagnosed non-violent sociopath I figured that it would be an interesting way to learn a bit more about the condition.  I have started this one already and I can totally see where the negative reviews are coming from.






"Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine" by Gail Honeyman is book 3 on my to be read list this month.  The title caught me straight away - who is Eleanor Oliphant!? Why wouldn't she be fine? Is she really fine?  All questions that have popped into my head when I look at the title of the book.  To me this sounded like a book of balance - it has a serious side but a bit of humour injected too.  I am saving this one for the middle of the month when I need something to cheer me up a little bit amongst my other dark, gloomy reads. 


This next book is one I picked up for a few reasons: the nomination for the Women's Prize for Fiction and the hype that surrounds it.  "Stay With Me" by Ayobami Adebayo is set in a community where polygamy is normal and the idea of staying faithful to one person is absurd.  It follows the journey of a couple who are trying (unsuccessfully) for a baby and the devastation they face when they don't get what they want.  The couple's devastation is deepened when the family arrives with another wife to join the family and provide children to Akin.  I am so keen to read this beautiful book - the yellow edged pages are stunning!





I fell in love with Ira Levin when I read "Rosemary's Baby" at university and I have always been meaning to come back and read more of his work but never quite found the time.  This month I have added "A Kiss Before Dying" to my list to ensure I finally get around to this one.  I don't know very much about the actual plot other than it is about a young man who will do anything to get to where he wants to be.  I know that Ira Levin's writing style is one that I previously enjoyed and I know that this book gets rave reviews so I have high hopes for this one.






"The Sellout" by Paul Beattie which won the Man Booker prize is another book on my list this month. This is about a man brought up by a racist father who has shaped his view of the world.  To try to make a point he re-introduces segregation and slavery in modern day America.  This is a shocking story but one that I am genuinely scared of becoming a reality in the future.  The way that the world is heading seems to be further and further from what is morally acceptable.  I think this may well end up an important lesson that should be heeded by many world leaders today.






For years I have been meaning to work my way through the works of Shakespeare that I (shame-faced) admit that I have not actually read yet.  I feel this list is WAY longer than it should be!  I also feel that I have added "The Tempest" to this month's list because I really want to read Margaret Atwood's "Hag-Seed" which is a re-telling of the original story.  I figured it is definitely some sort of sacrilegious act if I was to read "Hag-Seed" before the real deal.








Having read my first Daphne DuMaurier novel in August I was intrigued to compare the quality of her short stories to the novel.  I have picked "The Blue Lenses" as a short story collection to start reading this month.  My aim is to get this finished pretty quickly - especially since it is actually a book borrowed from the library. I know nothing about the stories but I am intrigued to find out more.

Finally, as mentioned earlier, I want to listen to "Crooked Kingdom" by Leigh Bardugo.  I was so impressed with "Six of Crows" that I just don't want there to be a huge time gap before I get the chance to binge on this one too.  The cliffhanger in "Six of Crows" left me glad that I came late to the party and could move straight on to the next book in the series!









I am going to do a mid month reading review in September I think so that will be up in the next week or so.  I also want to do a proper individual review of a few books I have loved recently.

Meg x

August Reading Wrap Up

Compared to July I was a little bit disappointed by August's reading but towards the last week it definitely picked up a bit.  I loved every book that I read except for one.  This was the first month in a very long time that I DNF'd a book but I will get to that later.

The first book that I read in August was "My Cousin Rachel" by Daphne DuMaurier.  It really kickstarted my month of reading well because I ended up totally hooked.  I listened to this one on Audible but it is one I definitely want to go back to read it in book format.  This is my first ever DuMaurier read and it certainly will be far from my last.  The characters were so rich in personality that I felt like I got to know them personally.   This is very much a character driven novel - not very much happens by way of plot until the denouement.  I felt like the characters were so well developed that there really wasn't a necessity for lots of plot points.  The character of Rachel was by far one of the most intriguing, mysterious and well written characters that I have ever read. All throughout the novel I really could not grasp my feelings towards Rachel - I went from hating her to feeling intense sympathy for her as a character. This was honestly the most certain 5 star read I had read to this point in the year.

Having finished my first ever DuMaurier novel I was really concerned that whatever I read next would end up being a disappointment.  Whenever I read a really good book I worry that whatever comes next doesn't really get a fair chance because I know whatever is next will disappoint me in comparison.  This month was totally not the case because my next read was "The Essex Serpent" by Sarah Perry - I feel like I came late to the party with this one but I am super glad I saved it for this occasion.   I won't ramble on too much because I have already put up a full review already but this was amazing.






"A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue" by Mackenzi Lee was my next read this month.  I really enjoyed this one because of the witty writing style.  It took serious plot points and injected them with humour whilst still dealing with the issues at hand.  The unintentionally hilarious "Monty" has to be one of the funniest characters I have come across.  The way that Mackenzi Lee has made him so funny when he doesn't mean to be or even realise that he is being funny is so clever.  There were points in this Audiobook that I was laughing out loud which is pretty rare in a book for me.  I liked that it was set years ago but deals with issues that are still so relevant today.  The prejudice Monty faces as a bisexual man was relevant then and is still relevant now.  I think this is a novel that really deserves the hype that it has gotten.  The plot is developed at an appropriate pace which meant that the characters could be thoroughly developed as the events unfolded throughout.   

The next book I was super skeptical of - I just didn't really fancy it and I had heard a lot of mixed reviews so I approached with caution along with a good few hours of reading time.  "His Bloody Project" by Graeme Macrae Burnet is a novel based on the life of a young, Scottish murderer.  Roderick Macrae was convicted of a brutal killing spree in 1869 after admitting the whole thing.  The narrative styles within the story are intriguing in their variety: witness statements, character statements, the story as told by Roddy Macrae and finally a journalistic type view of the court case as it unravelled.  I really enjoyed the story although I believe it has been more embellished than what is made out in the introductory notes.  The characters are interesting and the setting is beautiful - it is easy to become immersed in the history of the Highlands of Scotland and the way the characters lived.  I really felt like the author created a connection to that particular setting.

"See What I Have Done" by Sarah Schmidt was another re-imagining of an historical murder scene - I know cheery reading this month was! - this time of the Borden murders in Massachusetts.  The story is told from the perspectives of Lizzie Borden - the victims' youngest daughter, her sister, Emma, the house maid and the mysterious Benjamin.  When Lizzie finds her father brutally murdered by an axe a murder enquiry begins.  The different view points of the story all point to different views of who the murderer could be.  I was kept guessing right until the very end as to who it really was.  Schmidt's beautiful use of language is intriguing and stunning - every description seems poetic.  I didn't know who to sympathise with, who to pity and who to dislike - my opinion constantly changed.  The craftsmanship demonstrated within the words was absolutely outstanding.  A clear 5 star read for me and I must say a very nice step on my reading journey this month. 

I was extremely fortunate to be able to go to a small gathering with the author Patrick Ness in August.  There he spoke about his newest book, "Release".  Having heard all that Ness had to say about the novel I was very keen to start reading it as soon as I got home from meeting him.  The story intertwines the tales of Adam Thorn - who is having quite frankly a terrible day - and a young girl murdered by her boyfriend.  If I am honest I appreciated what he was trying to do with the dual narrative but I really didn't like the dead girl parts - they stretched outwith my limits of imagination.  Adam's story was one that I'm sure a lot of young people could relate to.  The exploration of relationships and love in the novel is one that is important for all of us to consider.  Adam does not have a lot of love at home since he is faced with the religious prejudice of his father, a minister, who knows deep down that Adam is gay but refuses to accept it.  Adam's real family are his friends and boyfriend.  I definitely think we all need a friend like Angela in our lives - I fell in love with her character and her way of dealing with anything she faced.  The story is packed full of action despite the fact it only takes place over one day.  This would have been a 5 star read had it not been for the dead girl with the magical faun. 

My final read in August was "Nutshell" by Ian McEwan.  This was a short read but it had such an impact on me.  This was my first Ian McEwan read and I must admit I am desperate to read more of his novels.  This was a fantastic, contemporary take on the story of Hamlet which is written in beautiful prose from the perspective of an unborn baby who has been resident in Trudy's womb for 8 months.  He overhears her and his uncle (who is also her lover) plotting the death of his father (his uncle's brother).  The narration is beautifully elegant throughout.  The baby's stream of consciousness is laugh out loud hilarious in parts and heartbreaking at others.  The incredible intelligence of the baby stems from his understanding of the world as heard through the podcasts and news articles his mother listens to regularly.  He learns of the terrible attrocities of the world he is about to be born into. An intriguingly stunning read which was, without doubt, a 5 star read.

So 7 books in August - a little less than July - which I am overall very pleased with.  I definitely need to up my game in September and have planned for this accordingly.  I DNF (did not finish) Stephanie Garber's "Caraval" because, quite frankly, it was boring.  I couldn't get into it and found myself drifting off whenever I started to read it.  I learned the important lesson that sometimes you just have to say no to a book - even if you have started it already. 

My next post will be my September TBR - I have tried to vary the reading to something a little bit cheerier next month but I do love a dark, murderous thriller read so no promises there!!

Meg x

August Book Haul - Part 2!

So when I wrote part one of the book haul for August I had divided the books I bought this month nice and evenly between the two parts.  I bought more between then and the end of the month so this one is even longer. I have a serious book buying problem!!

I am going to start off with the two books that I have received kindle copies of for review.

"A Prophet Without Honor" by Joseph Wurtenbaugh

What if Hitler had won the war?  What if a clever bluff meant that the French and British soldiers lost to Hitler's untrained army? What if Hitler had taken over the world? I requested this advanced reader copy because I was so excited by the plot outline.  I really love reading authors I have never read before so I was keen to review this one - I can't wait to read it this month.  This book was released in June 2017 and is available on Amazon.






"The Lost Season of Love and Snow" by Jennifer Laam

This is based on the story of Alexander Pushkin's wife.  Natalya has a lot of admirers within the court and soon strikes up a loving relationship with the poet.  Their intense love for each other as well as their jealous tendencies spells disaster for the couple.  Natalya is vilified in St. Petersburg the story tells of her tale to defend her honour and to broadcast the truth about what she is really like.   I LOVE Russian based stories.  Among my favourite ever reads are books like "Sashenka" so I truly hope that this lives up to my expectations - I am predicting this one as a 5 star read.  The book is an advanced reader copy for review and will be published January 2nd 2018.


"The Book of Magic: From Antiquity to Enlightenment" Edited by Brian P. Copenhaver

Ok so this is a total guilty pleasure for my.  I love all things witch - anything with a Wiccan stamp and I am all over it.  There really is not a lot to say about this book other than it is basically a book full of spells, incantations, charms and curses.  The book features a variety of entries from ancient and medieval times through to Thomas Aquinas, Milton, John Dee and much more.  I think this will be a book that will be more of a casual flip through and reading bits and pieces than a cover to cover read.

"Antigone" by Sophocles

This is the third of Sophocles' Theban plays.  It tells the story of the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Antigone.  Antigone is basically a kick-ass female character - she is strong willed and intelligent and is not scared to show it.  Antigone wants to bury her brother but the king has forbidden it.  She goes up against him in a bid to get him to back down.  She is strong and determined throughout which makes her a typically fantastic Greek character.


"The Empathetic Store" by Jackie Kay

Currently the Scottish makar, Jackie Kay is a larger than life personality who makes me laugh out loud.  I got this when I went to see her at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August.  This is a collection of her poetry which generally makes honest and down-to-earth observations about life, childhood and relationships.  I can't wait to dig through this collection.




"Letters of Note" by Shaun Usher

This is exactly what it says on the tin: a collection of interesting letters from throughout history.  Such gems included are: letters from Queen Elizabeth II, Virginia Woolf and Jack the Ripper.  This is a beautiful "coffee table book" that will be another book that I pick up and flick through every so often.  I kind of enjoy the idea of a non-committal reading tool actually - sometimes you just need a break from trekking through 400 page tomes!





"How to Stop Time" by Matt Haig

Tom is centuries old.  He has a rare condition that keeps him alive.  Over the years he has changed his identity several times to keep him from being discovered.  When we find him he is teaching History at his local high school telling stories that he must pretend that he never really witnessed.  The one thing Tom is not allowed to do though is to fall in love. OK I will hold my hands up - the beautiful cover of this book definitely played an important role in my choice to buy it however I have also heard wonderful things about this book so it definitely is not just me being shallow!  I don't know what I will make of this as it will be my first book by Matt Haig.



"Only Ever Yours" by Louise O'Neill

The reason I picked this one up was it has real similarities to "The Handmaid's Tale" (which I LOVE) and I am intrigued at whether this one will pull off the emotional response Atwood created for me.  This tells of a version of the world where women are bred in specialist centres where they are trained in the art of pleasing men.  At the graduation ceremony the most highly rated become "companions" who live with their husbands for the sole purpose of breeding sons until they no longer can.  Those who are not highly rated become concubines or teachers.  A story of two girls brought up as best friends which ultimately tests their friendship and loyalty to each other.




"The Language of Flowers" by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

I received this book in a mystery package from "Blind Date With A Book" - I have no idea who ordered it but I totally love it.  Victoria has spent her life in foster care.  She feels a real sense of detachment to those around her because of her childhood experiences.  Victoria is an expert in flowers.  She knows the symbolism of Victorian times which is associated with each flower and sets about planting her own garden beside the park bench that she sleeps on.  Victoria is soon discovered by a florist who notices her talent and passion for flowers.  Victoria has to decide whether she is ready to let go of her past for a second chance at being happy.



Finally...
"The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead

A story of slavery set in Georgia we follow the story of Cora - an African slave who is outcast by her fellow slaves.  When Caesar comes onto the scene he offers Cora a sense of hope she has never had before.  He explains of the existence of an underground railroad which will take them out of the plantation to a life where they can be free.  They take the risk but it does not quite go to plan.  They end up running for their lives being chased all the while.  I knew nothing about this book when I picked it up but I have seen it on so many review sites and it has much hype surrounding it.  I am eager to read it but I don't think I will get to it any time soon.  It does sound very interesting though.




My August wrap up of what I read will be up this weekend as well as my reading outlook for September - I need to up my game to get back on track with the number of books I want to have read in 2017!!

Meg x