Last October,suddenly and rather unexpectedly, I lost my love of reading. Not reading altogether, I was still enjoying the readings I needed to do for my masters course, but when it came to reading for… More
Double the fun
The Humans, by Matt Haig and Angel, by Elizabeth Taylor reviews.
The day after I finished Germinal, I finished The Humans and I meant to review it but then I went away to Canterbury for a long weekend and then life happened and I started this draft 17 days ago (according to my laptop) and still I haven’t managed to review that novel or the next one I read! That one was Angel by Elizabeth Taylor and it just happens to be one of the most beautiful books I own. I mean, look at that Celia Birtwell designed cover!!
‘Germinal’ Review
Germinal, by Émile Zola
Hello dear readers! I am sorry for my absence but I have been reading Germinal for what has felt like forever! I did finish this a few days ago, but I didn’t really know what to write about it. I can’t say I enjoyed it exactly, but I didn’t hate it either. I just really struggled with getting through the novel.
Daisy, daisy, give me your answer do…
2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C Clarke
I am more than happy to admit that I love watching sci-fi. It stems from when I was a baby and would start crying, as if on cue, every time my dad sat down to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation. No matter whether it was live or recorded, I would howl and howl until I was in my father’s arms and he was walking up and down the room bouncing me. I watched them all with him (though neither of us remember them very well!). I’ve watched Doctor Who since the age of 7(ish), one of my favourite films is Silent Running, and yet until I started reading 2001: A Space Odyssey, I had never seen or read anything to do with the series before. We’ve had all 4 of Clarke’s novels in the house my entire life and dad adores them but I’d somehow managed to avoid it. Of course, my father had been bugging me to read them all for a long time but I’d always resisted. Until now.
‘Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again’
Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier
From that famous opening line until the final page, Rebecca had me hooked. I simply could not put it down. I unearthed this copy a week ago from the spare bedroom (where the bookcases are stacked two or three deep) when I was looking for a dictionary. As Rebecca was on my unofficial reading list, I decided to give it a go once I’d finished The Woman in White. I actually remember my mum buying this edition about ten years ago from Tescos and getting all excited because she loves Rebecca and it’s one of her favourite books. My favourite thing about this copy is the introduction by Sally Beauman which is well researched and thought provoking and caused me to critically engage with what I’d just read. (I always read the introductions to novels right after I finish them – a habit left over from university!)
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‘The Bloody Chamber’ review
The Bloody Chamber, by Angela Carter
I won’t even try to hide the fact that I adore the work of Angela Carter. I have been meaning to read The Bloody Chamber since before I first read her work as many people whose opinions I admire (mainly at uni) have recommended it to me. It was with great excitement that I purchased my somewhat battered second hand copy from a man selling books by the Millennium Bridge in London in September, but for various reasons I didn’t start reading this collection of short stories until the 1st of January. I have taken my time to read this collection, reading one or two stories before bed and then rereading them the night after to tease out themes and meanings.
‘The Woman in White’ review
The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins
I first read Wilkie Collins during my third year of university for my Victorian literature course, when I was set Armadale to read as an example of sensation fiction. I later found The Moonstone in a second hand bookshop and read it in the summer and now, finally, I have progressed to what is probably Collins’ best known work – The Woman in White. I am happy to report that my love of Collins and of the fiction of sensation is not diminished or altered. The Woman in White is fabulous.
‘The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman’ review
The Peculiar Life of a Lonely Postman, by Denis Thériault
My very wonderful friend H bought me this book for Christmas after hearing about it on BBC radio 2 and I’ll admit that I was rather excited when I first started it. The blurb suggested something light and fluffy that could be made more meaningful if one wished to delve deeper, which at the time I did not. I started reading this at 1am on New Years Eve, or rather day, so I was looking for something gentle to wash over me. The use of haiku was also intriguing as the haiku is one of my favourite poetical forms. It seems so simple and brief, but when written by a skilled poet the haiku’s brief syllables can hold a world of imagery and meaning.
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Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
Wolf Hall, by Hilary Mantel
For many years this novel has sat on my bookshelf waiting for me to get around to reading it. Mum had read it and raved about it but I never seemed to have the time. Other things always seemed to take priority and were more interesting. My hand has been forced by the forthcoming adaptation because I like to watch these things having read the book first. I also have to read the Poldark novels before that airs, but then again I might not because there’s loads of them.
I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling 22!
As of yesterday I now have to deal with the unfortunate fact of being 22 and not being Taylor Swift! Aside from this, I had rather a lovely birthday. I am currently working in customer service, for a website that sells gifts so this time of year is manic and yesterday nobody actually shouted at me, which made a nice change. All in all, looking forward to my 22nd year.
A massive list of everything I read for my dissertation
Literally exactly what it says in the title for anyone that’s interested. I realised that I read so much when I was a student a ridiculously huge amount for my dissertation and I wanted to document this. So if anyone is interested in Sir Thomas Malory’s Morte D’Arthur and in particular women and healing in said Arthurian Romance, have a gander. Or if you just want to see the amount of reading that’s needed to get a first in a dissertation, then here’s a handy list to sate your curiosity.
(All referencing is in MHRA format)
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Foxes In Pink Boxes 