Hey lovelies, what an exceptional month it has rounded up to be, I’ve not had much free time to myself but I am trying to read more when the time is available. I’ve not read much for fun but I wanted to share these on the blog. I’ve had this post ready to go for almost three weeks so thought it was about time to hit publish.
Normal People – Sally Rooney
“Connell and Marianne grow up in the same small town in the west of Ireland, but the similarities end there. In school, Connell is popular and well-liked, while Marianne is a loner. But when the two strike up a conversation – awkward but electrifying – something life-changing begins.
Normal people is a story of mutual fascination friendship and love. It takes us from that first conversation to the years beyond, in the company of two people who try to stay apart but find they can’t”
This was read that I honest didn’t choice myself, I have a little book club kinda thing with one of the girls at work and one day this found its way into the office for me. I’d never heard of it, so I was shocked when I found out that it was the Costa 2018 Award Winner and a Sunday Times Best-seller.
I found the characters so ridiculously interesting and quite intoxicating in the first chapter, it’s like after the first chapter you are desperate to know what happens to them, and their development together. Each chapter is set at a time period after the first, such as four months/seven months later. It’s not my favourite style for chapters but it worked for this book.
But the ending, I was so disappointed (no spoilers we’re all friends here) I thought was lacklustre and boring. I enjoyed the rest of the book so much that the ending was just a bit baffling and I wasn’t a fan.
Seven Days In The Art World – Sarah Thornton
“Contemporary art has become a mess entertainment, a luxury foo, a job description and, for some, a kind of alternative religion. Sarah Thornton’s shrewd and entertaining fly-on-the-wall narrative takes us behind the scenes of the art world, from art school to auction house, showing us how it works, and giving us a vivid sense of being there.”
I know that this probably won’t be a book that would interest most, if any of my readers because well it’s just art theory. I love it. I’m actually reading it as part of my PhD practice because well my thesis is art based.
Sarah Thorton is a great author, and I really love her style of writing. Each chapter in this book follows a different sector of the art world making it much easier to understand if you’re not someone with an art background.
Chernobyl History Of A Tragedy – Serhii Plokhy
“A compelling history of the 1986 disaster and its aftermath.. plunges the reader into the sweaty, nervous tension of the Chernobyl control room on that fateful night when human frailty and design flaws combined to such devastating effect”
As a regular reader I’ve been trying to branch out with my subjects, I spend a lot of time reading really heavy art theory on death, history, loss, and painting theory for my thesis. I rarely ever read these things for my own pleasure. Chernobyl is something that has recently taken my interest as I’ve even watching a lot of documentaries.
My grandads bought this for me alongside some early birthday presents as I won’t be seeing them on the day, but nonetheless I can’t wait to dive into it. I’m sure it’ll be a sad, brutal but educational read.
The Testaments – Margaret Atwood
“More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results.
Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third: Aunt Lydia. Her complex past and uncertain future unfold in surprising and pivotal ways.”
I’m not going to lie here people, I really wasn’t a fan of The Handmaid’s Tale (the book at least) I wasn’t a massive fan of the slowness of the book in places. The TV series on the other hand I really did enjoy watching if that’s the right term for it, so I felt as if I had to buy The Testaments.
I’m about three quarters of the way through the book and I love how it is set by perspective and that is doesn’t directly carry on from the end of the last book.
I’d love to know what you’ve been reading lately, let me know as I’m in need of purchasing some new bits.
If you enjoyed this, head over to my Waterstones Book Haul and Eight Must Watch Films
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