Tag: books

Hay Festival + Book Haul

At the end of May, we drove down to Hay-on-Wye – a quaint market town on the Welsh/English border that is notable for its bookshops. Why, I hear you ask? Cos, for their less than two thousand inhabitants, there is over twenty bookshops! Often crowned ‘the town of books’, it’s been on my list for forever. We picked a nice weekend in May to go (in hopes of sun, lol jk) as we decided to do a combination trip of endless book perusing with intervals of camping and hiking in Brecon Beacons National Park. The week I planned to go just happened to also be the world renowned Hay Literary Festival. Serendipity! We decided to risk the crowds, invited my dad who loves a book, and headed down.

The festival itself was really cool. The festival bookshop, don’t even get me started, huge. It’s free for anyone to enter the site and then you just buy tickets for individual events. We decided to see a Q&A with Anna Burns, the award-winning author of Milkman. She had such a quirky, amusing manner and read her book extracts with such animation it actually really helped me understand the novel’s tone. We also saw Stephen Fry. He was due to read a couple of extracts from his books Mythos and Heroes but instead decided to do a reading from the third book he is currently writing in the series, unbeknownst to his publishers! The real treat to that event was the outstanding illustrator Chris Riddell was there live-illustrating the session! He was very impressive and hilarious.

On another day, we went for a walk at Henrhyd Falls which was a bit treacherous from the recent rain but completely picturesque and tranquil. Easily satisfied my hiking fix. Also visited the town of Brecon which was quiet and cute. Had a lovely vegan daal in an indie coffee shop there!

Hay, the town, was just lovely. It was everything you want from a small market town. It had a couple of delicious food places with great veggie options, and more importantly it had a cosy little pub, The Blue Boar, that became our local for the weekend. The atmosphere was electric with booklovers visiting from far and wide. But enough of all that, on to the bookshops!

They were everything I hoped and more.

We grabbed a little map of the book tour that most shops carry and got on our way. The second we saw a book in the display window we were in there. There was such a variety of genres, I was in heaven. There was an entire poetry shop where I wanted to purchase every single book. There was a bookshop called Murder and Mayhem which, you guessed it, was entirely crime-based. There was a bookshop with all sorts of old editions of my favourite modern classics. I found an edition of 1984 that was truly magical to find. There, simply, was too many to mention. My favourite booksellers included Addyman Books (and their Annexe), Richard Booth’s Bookshop, The Poetry Bookshop and Green Ink Booksellers.

I completely shattered my 2019 book buying system cos I just could not contain myself. I came home with fourteen books.. My five gifts from Danny (that I won from reading the entire Mistborn Trilogy in April) and nine from myself! Oops. Here’s a quick book haul, one line about each though or we’ll be here forever, kids!

Animal – Sara Pascoe

A recommendation from my mate. Quite scientific so far, as well as funny.

Felicity – Mary Oliver

Read Blue Horses and needed to devour more Oliver, especially a love poem collection!

#MeToo: A Women’s Poetry Anthology – Ed. Deborah Alma

Speaks for itself: brave, boss women who I’d like to learn from.

Wishful Drinking – Carrie Fisher

A very self-depricating, endearing memoir.

The Beauty Myth – Naomi Wolf

Quoted it in my dissertation, liberally. Yet to read it.

Emma – Jane Austen

The last to complete my Austen’s. Needed the old black Penguin Classics editions as a rule.

Nineteen Eighty-Four – George Orwell

An edition that’s very special to me, to match some of my mums favourite books from her collection.

Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

Just have been meaning to read it. We all know the story.

The Day of the Triffids – John Wyndham

Ditto. Also had a boss cover.

The Sonnets – William Shakespeare

Wanted for ages, found in an edition I enjoy. (Running theme?)

Peril At End House – Agatha Christie

Continuing my Christie journey with another Poirot!

After Dark – Haruki Murakami

Constantly hear about Murakami and haven’t read him! This one sounds mysterious and mad.

Pachinko – Min Jin Lee

When purchased was Our Shared Shelf’s pick of the month.

Silence – Erling Kagge

A little cute one Danny picked up that I know nothing about. Honing mindfulness skills I think!

All in all, a fabulous weekend. Cannot recommend Hay enough. Will be going back ASAP.

Come Alive – The Greatest Showman Soundtrack (Me and Danny had this album playing in the car all weekend. Also books make me come alive so that’s a nice little coincidence isn’t it?)

July 9, 2019

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May Wrap Up

So it’s been a hot minute there. Sorry, I don’t want to force posts when they’re not coming cos I want this to be fun! But here we are back again with another book wrap up! Who doesn’t love talking about books? Clearly I love it.

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars – Kai Cheng Thom

Like nothing I’ve ever read before. I heard of this book a couple of months ago from Emma Watson’s book club, Our Shared Shelf. When I saw it on the shelf in Gay’s The Word I knew it must be mine. I loved the fantasy and magical realism elements. The fierce ties of sisterhood were heart-warming to read. I enjoyed having the chance to read a trans-themed book from a trans author, something we’re still very much missing in the book world. Also, those bees? Love those bees. Would definitely recommend.

Book Love – Debbie Tung

This book is perfection. Read it. She has a way of drawing and expressing exactly how I feel about almost everything in life! I loved her first book about being an introvert in an extroverted world although I understand how that may not have landed if you are in fact extrovert. It’s not insulting, you might just not understand the exhaustion you feel when you get home from being ‘social’. But fear not. If you’re reading this post I assume you like books. This new book is completely devoted to books! (I’d say the name is pretty apt then.) The illustrations are beautiful and I love their greyscale colouring.

We Are Okay – Nina LaCour

I’ve wanted to read this book for a long time. I thought it was a heart-warming look at grief and loneliness and finding yourself. I thought the plot built up a little too much to uncover something a little mediocre but aside from that I enjoyed it. I didn’t need a ‘big reveal’ to enjoy the book. I thought it being a close and sometimes painful examination of the rubble of someone’s life was amazing enough. It was nice to see a lesbian relationship in a ya as well as a wonderful story of friendship and chosen family. A small thing, but I found the stark contrast of weather in the present and flashbacks really interesting. Weather definitely links to emotion there!

No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference – Greta Thunberg

A lovely gathering of Greta Thunberg’s public addresses to date. I enjoyed reading them as opposed to hearing them because you can really appreciate how cleverly crafted her speeches are. Got a little repetitive but that’s the fault of the publisher, not her. Perfect gift for a young, budding activist in your life.

A Happy Death – Albert Camus

As always, Camus explores some excellent concepts. The idea of happiness; how you achieve it; can you find it if you’re looking for it? Can you die a happy death?Personally, I preferred his later, similar work, the much more well-known The Outsider. I did find a lot to like (Zagreus, his experience of travelling alone, the heat of Algiers) although I occasionally found some of these characters a little nauseating, possibly that was the point. Either way, I think the overall ability to make me think deeply is what will keep me coming back to Camus.

The Other Side – The Greatest Showman

June 4, 2019

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April Wrap Up

So back in the innocent days of March, Danny was reading Brandon Sanderson’s epic fantasy trilogy, Mistborn. Now each of these books is around 700 hundred pages but I said I thought he was reading them quite slow and that I could of course do it quicker. A bet was born. He was reading them in about three weeks, perfectly reasonable, most would say. I thought I could do all three in a month. The wager then turned out like this: if I read all three novels in the month of April then Danny would buy me five new books of my choosing. And so the page adventure began.

Did I do it?

Of bloody course I did it!

The Final Empire – Brandon Sanderson

I’ve been trying to think since I finished the trilogy about which is my favourite. It’s super close but I think it’s this one. There’s just something magical about the beginning of an adventure. Strangers coming together to become family. This book is the most epic revolution you’ve been looking for. The magic system is so unique and boss. I get a lot of Oceans Eleven vibes from this but like fantasy. Fucking read it already.

Blue Horses – Mary Oliver

Fit a sneaky extra book in when we were away in Paris. I’ve been trying to read more Mary Oliver since she died and I didn’t know who she was. This had all elements of Oliver I’ve come to love: nature, feminism, simplicity, love, animals and the everyday. We did read this to each other whilst we were drinking red wine though so I think I need another flick through, the end is a bit hazy.

The Well of Ascension – Brandon Sanderson

Loved this second instalment to the Mistborn trilogy. There’s a charming naïvety to the first book that is completely crushed in this one. It’s brutal, it’s war, it’s twists and turns and sneaky politics. It’s fascinating and delves so much further into the world than I even knew was possible. Some boss new characters as well as more detailed narratives of our favourites.

The Hero of Ages – Brandon Sanderson

Man. This book gave you all the answers you could have dreamed of for a final book in a trilogy and then some. A perfect instalment that takes us to new places in the world. New systems of magic are discussed and I could not stop turning pages. I really didn’t want it to end. 720 pages simply wasn’t enough. Even twenty pages from the end you’re questioning how the fuck it’s going to tie up. You won’t be disappointed.

So yeah, if you think you even slightly like fantasy (and I know all you fuckers watch Game of Thrones) then I implore you to read these books. They’re mind blowing, one hundred times over. The big question is, shall I just buy another five Brandon Sanderson books with my winnings?

Pink Tiger – Flizz

May 7, 2019

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25 Bookish Facts About Me
1. i don’t really like book series (though just today i’ve finished the mistborn trilogy and i’m just tempted to be converted)
2. i hate hard backs
3. i used to just kind of shut the book and work it out later, now i use train tickets as bookmarks so, progress
4. i’m obsessed with memoirs
5. i think names written in my secondhand books are magic, i love imagining their lives
6. i prefer second hand over new where possible
7. i’m always currently reading like ten books, something i’m working on
8. i’ve somehow become rory gilmore, i carry different books in my bag for different moods
9. i love modern classics, anything twentieth century
10. i’m a very unreliable reader – i either read 4 in a fortnight or none in 3 months
11. i’m aiming for 50 books this year, we’re on track so far
12. i love when people write inscriptions in books they give me
13. i arrange my books by publishing date cos that just makes sense to me
14. i love gifting books especially when it’s one that i really believe someone will love
15. i don’t sweat when i don’t finish a book, if it’s not working it’s not working, don’t fight it
16. i don’t really have a reading nook, i’m working on it – i actually mainly read on public transport
17. my uni library overwhelmed me with it’s vastness and i’m gutted i don’t have access anymore
18. when i think of all the books in the world i’ll never have time to read it upsets me
19. i love when someone gifts me their favourite book because i know it’s something so personal
20. i love an almost word for word film adaption – flipped, look it up
21. i don’t have a favourite book, who possibly could
22. i appreciate books that are under 200 pages
23. i enjoy all the poetry i read and want to explore more
24. i love reading non-fiction and textbooks and articles
25. i only read harry potter for the first time when i was 20, i know, what was i thinking
26. i really like rereading, happy twentysix
Benadryl Dreams – Soccer Mommy
April 30, 2019

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Most Anticipated Spring Reads

Now that we’re finallllly seeing some sun (don’t hold your breath, Liverpool, it’s supposed to rain here this week!) I thought I’d do a little post about some of the books I’m currently most excited to read. Some feel a bit springy but others just need to be read immediately regardless of season. Do your reading habits change with the seasons? I think mine do occasionally.

We Are Okay – Nina LaCour

Something about the warmer weather just makes me crave YA. Like some fun, angsty, honest, somewhat naïve but no less enjoyable stories. After reading Five Feet Apart last month I was on the hunt for another excellent young adult to sink my teeth into. I’ve known about this book for years. I think every booktuber or Goodreads user on the planet must have mentioned it by now so I picked it up at Gay’s the Word when I was in London. I don’t know much about it other than it deals with grief and mental health. I think. It won’t necessarily be as breezy as a spring book ought to be but I’m excited to finally tick it off my list.

Fierce Femmes and Notorious Liars: A Dangerous Trans Girl’s Confabulous Memoir – Kai Cheng Thom

I really had a great trip to Gay’s the Word earlier this month. I wanted to buy everything. Well as soon as I saw this near the front of the shop I literally pounced. It’s been out a couple of years but has gained a lot of attention recently after being picked as Our Shared Shelf’s March/April book (that’s Emma Watson’s feminist online book club for those of you not in the know). The selections are always excellent but I’ve literally never seen a book like this before. It’s a memoir but with fictional/magical realism elements. It also obviously has an LGBTQ+ theme as well. I’m beyond excited to read this!

The Bricks That Built The Houses – Kate Tempest

This book I bought at the Glastonbury Bookshop in 2017. I know, Glastonbury has a bookshop. Literally what doesn’t it have? I’d just seen Kate Tempest perform earlier that week and my life had been altered. It was one of my highlights of the festival. She’s this amazing spoken word poet/rapper and this is her first novel. I don’t know why I haven’t read it yet. I’ve read the first page several times and it’s so poetic that, whilst it gives me chills, I think it’s been intimidating me. Well no more! I’m tackling it this spring. The synopsis sounds like an adventure and it just sounds perfect for this season of change and rebirth.

Educated – Tara Westover

This book has been on my radar for a while and was kindly sent to me by a publisher friend a few months ago. I love a memoir. Anyone who knows me or reads my posts must know this by now. They’re just my absolute favourite thing. This particular memoir follows a woman through childhood and adolescence in the mountains of Idaho with her survivalist family. Tara didn’t enter a classroom til she was 17 due to her family’s isolation from mainstream society. This is the story of her self-education. It’s a story of loyalty and self-invention. It sounds incredible.

Tales of the City – Armistead Maupin

I first came across this book in uni, you know, one of those classic haven’t-read-it-but-have-left-yourself-no-time-so-now-we’re-writing-an-essay-about-it-anyway type situations? For those of you who want to strangle me, I feel you. But regardless, this book really started to intrigue me. It’s a series that I really want to get into but need to properly read this one first. It’s set (and written) in 1970s San Francisco and has all the LGBT elements you’re looking for. It’s also like a book soap opera. I know, how cool?! It follows many characters as their narratives intertwine. The themes are sometimes hard hitting but more often than not it seems to just be a really fun, sarcastic, chilled book that is perfect for spring. Also, the book is bright orange so it’s literally screaming at you to read it in the sun!

————————————————————–

A few favourites from winter:

Everything I Never Told You – Celeste Ng

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World – Debbie Tung

Dept. Of Speculation – Jenny Offill

Nina Is Not OK – Shappi Khorsandi

Boy Erased – Garrard Conley

Bone – Yrsa Daley-Ward

Art Matters – Neil Gaiman

The Terrible – Yrsa Daley-Ward

Vicious – V.E. Schwab

The Incendiaries – R.O. Kwon

(Okay that was ten, but you’re forgetting I read 17 books in December and just really epic ones in January and February! So hard to pick favourites.)

Inside Out – Soccer Mommy

April 23, 2019

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March Wrap Up

We all know why we’re here, let’s get going.

The Woman Who Walked Into Doors – Roddy Doyle

This book has been on my shelf for literal years. And I have no idea why. I read the Barrytown Trilogy when I was a teenager and loved Doyle’s writing. It’s dry and he perfectly portrays family life. I’m so glad I picked this book up because it was excellent. It’s the story of a woman who’s in an abusive marriage. It’s about her childhood, her kids, her relationship and her drinking. Her story is brutal but I think it’s an important one to read. It presents many stereotypes of abuse (ie. a drunk woman cannot be a victim) and throws them on their head to show their absurdity. Paula is failed in so many ways by so many people. There are some endearing moments mixed in too though. Some of the sisters arguments made me laugh because they were so accurate.

The Immortalists – Chloe Benjamin

This one I’ve seen floating around the internet for a while so picked it up from Waterstones. I loved it. The story follows for siblings as they grow up together. The twist? As children they visit a psychic and are told the day they will die. Would you live differently if you knew? The mystery and mysticism of the plot is enchanting. It makes you feel at home in both New York City and San Francisco due to its beautiful imagery. I learnt a surprising amount about Judaism. The magic elements are captivating, as are the intricacies of each sibling friendship.

Conversations With Friends – Sally Rooney

I’ve been trying to read more current adult fiction recently and my dad actually got me this for my birthday last year. I’ve heard a lot about Normal People recently but figured I’d read the one I had first. I liked it. I think. It was an interesting look at a relationship that starts as cheating. Yet we’re supposed to root for them. I think I felt left wanting more because although this ménage a quatre is vaguely implied there’s no explicit conversation about an open relationship. I would have liked to see that. Although it’s not a conventional love story so I did appreciate that. However I found the characters a little nauseating at times. I think that comes from their privilege. I enjoyed the writing elements of the narrative but found her opportunities a little too easy at times. A solid book though. I’d still recommend it.

Five Feet Apart – Rachael Lippincott

This last one was a spontaneous buy after I saw the trailer for the movie version. I haven’t read a nice YA romance for quite a while, however this book was that but so much more. It had all the enjoyable gripes of a high school romance but also wrenched your heart out several times. The story follows two teenagers with cystic fibrosis as they deal with adolescent angst as well as a degenerative disease. The catch? They can never be closer than six feet apart from other people with cystic fibrosis. I learnt so much about CF reading this book, it was fascinating. The book also deals with themes of grief, friendship, mental health, family, and adventure. Made me cry several times.

Blue Monday – New Order

April 16, 2019

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The Travelling Book Bag

Today’s post will be a quick one cos I’m off exploring beautiful Paris but I’m really trying to stick to a regular posting schedule for you guys! Tuesdays are my book days. I don’t leave the house without a book. Do you? Sometimes I carry three or four. But I’m working on that. I live and breathe books, basically. Today I got to finally go to Shakespeare and Company after many years of waiting! It did not disappoint. I wanted to buy every single book. So I settled for five.

Below I have mixed together two of my favourite things: books and travel. Here is a list of books about travel. Or about a city. They’re books that focus on travelling within the plot, as part of a theme, or just in the words they say, they make you feel part of the world they’re describing. Completely immersed. Whether it’s Patti Smith’s love letter to New York or the powerful revolution in Animal Farm and their creation of a new home. Enjoy!

Along for the Ride – Sarah Dessen

Brooklyn – Colm Tóibín

A Darker Shade of Magic – V. E. Schwab

Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi

A Caribbean Mystery – Agatha Christie

Astray – Emma Donoghue

The Immortalists – Chloe Benjamin

Conversations With Friends – Sally Rooney

Just Kids – Patti Smith

The Final Empire – Brandon Sanderson

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – J. K. Rowling

Wild – Cheryl Strayed

Tales of the City – Armistead Maupin

The Northern Lights – Phillip Pullman

The Power – Naomi Alderman

Animal Farm – George Orwell

Johnny Cash – I’ve Been Everywhere

April 9, 2019

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2019 Reading Goals

We’re headed in to our fourth month of the year so I thought it was about time I tell you my reading goals for the year. We were stuck in a Wrap Up cycle there for a while but now we’re up-to-date they should just be monthly moving forward! I love talking about books almost as much as I like reading books or buying books or rearranging books on a bookshelf. Books just make the world go round, right? Since finishing uni, I’ve been making it a bigger priority in my life to read good, important, brave, inclusive, informative, diverse, funny, honest, blunt books. Each year I’ve done a little better. Last year I managed to complete my challenge of reading 50 books. This was a HUGE deal for me. Going back a couple of years i was reading maybe 14 a year. Which is still a big number and the right amount for some people. But I knew I wanted to inhale more words. I wanted to expose my brain to more ideas. So I needed to read more books. Between January and June last year I read 26 books. Literally crushed it. Then between July and November I read 7 books. Leaving 17 to be read in December. Reflecting on this information, I decided to keep my Goodreads Reading Challenge at 50 for 2019. I think this is sensible, right? It’s a goal I hit but not without a heck of a lot of scrambling towards the end. So now we have the number but what are the other goals?

1. I want to read every day.

2. I want to aim for one book a week. Sometimes I’ll be busier than others and a week may go by with finishing a book. My intention, though, is to not have seven consecutive weeks pass without finishing a book.

3. Stick to my book buying system (find here: https://sarahwilliamsandco.com/2019/02/11/the-book-buying-ban-pt-2-conclusion/) I’m doing really good at this so far!

4. By 2020 own more read than unread books.

5. Buddy-read lots with my boyfriend. (We’re reading the Mistborn trilogy right now!)

6. Read all the memoirs in the world.

7. Choose reading over Netflix 90% of the time. I.e. STOP BEING LAZY.

8. Read more women than men. (Something I seem to be naturally doing after my year of reading women in 2017!)

9. Read experiences that are not my own.

10. Have fun with it. Yeah, I’m setting these goals but I don’t want it to be a chore or it will inevitably end in failure.

Happy reading, kids!

Ticket To Ride – The Beatles

April 2, 2019

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February Wrap Up

Another solid month of reading. Also the most beautiful covers. Serendipity. Let’s get started.

The Sleeper and the Spindle – Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell

I spoke about how much I’d enjoyed this duo in Art Matters with a friend and she told me she had this book! Don’t you just love swapping books with friends? The artwork in this illustrated story is beautifully gothic and incredibly detailed. Probably my favourite part of the book actually. The story is a twist on the well-known stories of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. I enjoyed Snow White ditching her wedding dress on the eve of her wedding for some chainmail and an adventure. Badass woman saving badass woman. But whilst it’s fun to see, I think it left a lot to be desired. I was told there could be an LGBT+ narrative to this book which did not materialise. I think that was a missed opportunity. The execution was just nothing mind-blowing but it was a nice, quick little read.

Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishiguro

This was another one of those been-on-my-shelf-for-years-interested-in-it-but-just-getting-covered-in-dust-but-trying-to-change type situation. I’ve also wanted to watch the movie for years but I just cannot watch a movie first when I know a book exists. So it was high time I read this. I’m gonna be brief because I don’t want to give anything away. It’s mysterious, it’s enchanting, it’s captivating. I found it a beautiful exploration of youth and what it is to be human. Go and read.

The Terrible – Yrsa Daley-Ward

I simply can’t get through a month without reading a memoir. I loved Daley-Ward’s poetry collection so much (as you might remember from January, go and read it now!) that I immediately went out and bought this book. It was written equally as beautiful as the poems. She just has a natural flow about her writing that it sounds poetic even when framed as prose. She also uses some experimental formats throughout the book which really add to its uniqueness. Similar to her poetry, the themes of this memoir are not easy to read. The stories will make your heart ache

Vicious – V. E. Schwab

This was the first V. E. Schwab book I heard about on Booktube many years ago. I read A Darker Shade of Magic last year and really enjoyed it so when I saw this stunning edition of Vicious it had to be mine. I definitely wasn’t disappointed. There’s just something about Victor Vale, man. Like I know he’s an anti-hero at best and kind of just a criminal, but I think he’s a really intriguing character. The twist on the traditional superhero narrative was very dark but well executed. The ragtag gang of characters are very endearing if not odd. Made me excited to read more of this author.

The Incendiaries – R. O. Kwon

I saw this book first when it was Belletrist’s book of the month. It was a novel I devoured about a relationship between two college students from very different backgrounds. One thing I found intriguing about the novel is that it’s arguably primarily about Phoebe but it is narrated by Will. So we have this pretty good idea of who Phoebe is but then I realised, is that even how she sees herself? And is this narrator reliable? Is he a caring friend or actually weirdly obsessed after her disappearance? Either way, it’s very fractured. Aside from the love story, the plot actually follows a group of extremists. It was very interesting to get a snippet at a look into cult initiation. Very powerful novel.

Fan The Flames – Sheer Mag

March 26, 2019

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January Wrap Up

So we started January off pretty strong! For my standards anyway. I read six books. And after December’s somewhat cheeky tactics of reading very thin books (don’t get me wrong, I love a book under 200 pages, possibly my favourite), I was ready to get to some more weighty books. I loved everything I read and I just love when that happens.

Boy Erased – Garrard Conley

Having seen the movie trailer, I knew I wanted to read this book first. I purchased it at the end of last year with a gift card from a friend and I couldn’t wait to start it. This memoir tells the story of a young man who is outed to his very religious family and then must agree to conversion therapy or risk losing the only life he’s known. This book made my heart ache. The repeated imagery of disappearing due to isolation and confusion and oppression is explored really well. Conley speaks with conviction as he relives his brutal journey trying to find his place in his community and faith without losing who he is.

Weight – Jeanette Winterson

This is a retelling of Atlas and Heracles. The imagery in the book is stunning. I really enjoyed the mythology aspect of the narrative; it’s the old story but told again, still with similar problems we find in today’s world though. The themes of isolation and loneliness are beautifully explored. I found Atlas a really interesting guy. I rooted for him. I found Heracles to be a bit of a dick. Massively so. Oh well, can’t win them all. Definitely worth a read.

bone – Yrsa Daley-Ward

This poetry collection is bloody brilliant. Everyone needs to stop what they’re doing right now and go and buy this book. Daley-Ward’s writing is blunt, it’s raw, it’s poetic, it’s stunning. It hurts but it has to be read. The poems are autobiographical yet she can make you feel them even if they’ve not been your experience. She was a way with words. She explores themes of womanhood, race, abuse, religion, depression, grief and more.

The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly – Jean Dominique Bauby

My brother gave me this book last year for my birthday. We’d never heard of it but he said it sounded interesting. It also had an iridescent cover so I was on board. This memoir is charming and unapologetic. Bauby found himself unable to move or speak after suffering a massive stroke in the prime of his life. He had locked-in syndrome which meant his mind was completely sound. He could, however, only communicate moving his left eyelid and so this book was spelt out letter by letter. He doesn’t hide how horrible his situation is yet he manages to write beautifully about what it is to be human. Read it.

Art Matters – Neil Gaiman, Chris Riddell

This short book is a necessary read for any creative. It will inspire you to hone your craft and it will motivate you to lift that pen or paintbrush or microphone, whatever. Make good art. That’s all Gaiman is asking you to do. He tells you it’s okay to fail and it’s okay to not have a clue what you’re doing. Just keep trying. Keep making magic. Riddell’s illustrations are a perfect accompaniment to help convince you to conquer the world.

Astray – Emma Donoghue

I’ve had this book on my shelf for years and I’m making a conscious effort to minimise the old tbr. So I picked this up. Shows how much I knew about it, I assumed it was a novel, it’s actually a collection of short stories. I really enjoyed it. The stories are all based in reality. They are stories of journeys, of departures, of arrivals. They are stories about changing your circumstances and searching for something better. Each story has a page at the end that explains its real life origin, a newspaper clipping, a letter, etc., and I thought that was a nice touch!

Switzerland – Soccer Mommy

March 18, 2019

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