I have had a pretty great reading month despite moving away from home, back to my university flat and getting back into the swing of learning and studying. I have managed to finish a total of 6 books this month as well as starting two other books. Let’s have a look at them:
Long Way Down – Jason Reynolds
A beautifully written, powerful book in verse about the cycle of violence in the black community. This is without a doubt one of my all time favourite books, as every time I read it, I am amazed by how the author is able to use so few words but still deliver such an emotional impact. I would highly recommend this books if you haven’t read it yet as it is perfect for all types of readers and you will be able to read it all in one day!
The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins
This was my most disappointing book of the month. There was just so much I disliked about this book: the annoying characters that got no development, the awful portrayal of female characters, the stilted story arc due to poor pacing etc etc. There wasn’t a point where I considered not finishing the book and I did quite like the atmosphere the author was able to create so for that it gets only 2 stars!
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named
Will not give the author the time of day so just going to skip past this one since I’m sure almost everyone knows what these books are about. So far this is my least favourite book in the series as for me it was far to long and all the action was squeezed into the last 100 pages. I still wanted to mention it as it is a book I read this month!
Everything I Never Told You – Celeste Ng
Again, another one that disappointed me however, that could entirely be down to the fact that I thought I was reading a murder mystery and not a domestic drama. So maybe I would have liked it a lot more if I knew what to expect going into it! I did like the authors writing style so I would be interested to see how this book compares to her others, as I have Little Fires Everywhere on my tbr.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid
What a fantastic book! The characterisation what truly amazing as you forget that they are fictional and you are able to connect to them on such a deeper level as they are portrayed as very flawed people. I was surprised at how many topics and important issues this book was able to explore, all of which I thought was excellently done! Taylor Jenkins Reid’s writing style is phenomenal and now I am so eager to read her other books!
Girl, Woman, Other – Bernardine Evaristo
Wow this book! I definitely was a bit late to this book trend but I am so glad I read it nonetheless. This has such real, raw and honest accounts of what it is like to be a Black woman in Britain. Although this is a piece of fiction, I felt like I was reading a nonfiction which only enhanced the reading experience as it forced me to check my privilege and question issues which, on a day-to-day basis, I don’t have to think about. This is another fantastic book I would recommend if you haven’t read it!
I was also hoping to read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte this month for a classics book club I am apart of. I have said previously that I really want to get better at reading classics and aim to read at least one classic book a month and the book club was a way to hold me accountable. However, I read a couple of chapters and I just was not feeling it! I think because I was busy moving and with uni starting I wanted to read something easy and fun which didn’t feel like homework. So, I have put that aside right now because I really don’t want to pressure myself to read anything and hopefully I will be inclined to pick it up soon!
I said at the beginning that I also started two books this month which I haven’t yet finished. The first of those is Natives by Akala. I am reading this via audible so I am taking it slow and only listening to it when I have the time, like out on a walk or cleaning etc. But this is such an educational and insightful book and I already know that I want to reread it some time in the future as I’m sure on first read, I will not get everything out of it that I need to. I am currently 65% of the way through the audiobook so I’m sure I’ll be able to finish it in October!
The next book is The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary. I picked this up because I wanted something light and easy after struggling to get into Wuthering Heights and I am loving it so far! It is just the type of book I need right now. I only have about 100 pages left so I am actually hoping to finish this tonight, so if I manage that I will have technically have read 7 books!
I would love to hear your thought on any of the books I have read this month or your thoughts on the books you read this month!
Read With Ro 