So it’s been a while since I’ve posted a “What I’ve Been Reading” post, but don’t worry, it’s catch up time. So sit back and relax while I tell you about the books I’ve been reading the past few months.
July
Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart
Everyone knows this book is an African classic, so I made a concerted effort to read it. It’s really short, so that’s a plus because I found this book to be a lot of work. I don’t know, maybe I’m not mature enough to understand it or the meaning of it. And maybe in a few years time, I’ll read it again and maybe find that I enjoy it. But I did not enjoy this book. I found it to be unsatisfying and the ending to be a bit disappointing.
Have you read it? I’m interested to hear some of your thoughts on it in the comments!
August
Emma Donogue, Room
I found this book to be one I couldn’t put down. The plot, the way it’s written is just flawless. The story is told by a five year old boy who lives with his mother in a shed. He is unaware that they are being held captive and has no prior idea of the outside world until they escape. It’s a brilliant book. I loved it.
Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey
I’m a huge lover of poetry, being a poet myself. So when I was given this book as a gift from a dear friend of mine, I couldn’t wait to read it. There’s something about the way Rupi Kaur completely bares her soul in this book. You see her breaking, her loving, her healing in the pages of this anthology. And I found that this book was exactly what I needed in my own life. It’s beyond beautiful and I cannot wait to read her new book, “The Sun and Her Flowers”
September
Nadia Hashimi, the Pearl That Broke Its Shell
I’ve never read any of Nadia Hashimi’s work before, I came across this book when it was mentioned by someone on Twitter and I bought it on an impulse. This book tore me to pieces. I had to put it down a few times just because the plot is so heartbreaking. It follows the life of a girl, Rahima, living in Kabul, in a family of girls only and a drug addicted father. In her culture, it is a disgrace to not have any sons, so her family decides to enforce the tradition of the Bacha posh- where one of the the daughters lives as the son of the family. This books shows the powerless fate a woman has in the time Rahima lives. It’s an extraordinary read. Definitely a favourite of mine. I look forward to reading more of Nadia Hashimi’s works.
Nicola Yoon, The Sun is Also a Star
I needed something light after reading The Pearl That Broke It’s Shell. So I went to Nicola Yoon. She is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. Although this is a book for teenagers or young adults, I still enjoyed reading it. This story deals with love and soulmates, while tackling deeper issues such as race and immigration. I won’t go too much into the storyline, as I don’t want to give it away. But it’s a good book, if you’re looking for something light hearted to read.
October
Dave Eggers, The Circle
This book was another impulse buy, after I saw the trailer for the movie. Look, this book took me a while to get into. The build up is tedious and it only starts getting interesting after like 150 pages. Then it’s really good for a while, like I couldn’t put it down. And then it ends, abruptly. It left be extremely disappointed 490+ pages later. It’s not worth the read. It does however make you question the impact social media has on your life but beyond that, it did nothing for me and I also found the main character, Mae, exhausting and unlikeable.
Nadine Naturally 