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When I started working from home 14 weeks ago, I was concerned for my TBR. I usually only read on the commute (12 hours of travel time a week came in handy) and I was worried that I wouldn’t get a chance while working from home, especially with Jenson at home 24/7 too. Fortunately I’ve found time to read six whole books, and I was excited to hear that libraries will soon be re-opening. If you need some reading recommendations for this weekend, you can’t go wrong with one of these. Well, maybe one of these…
Can you guess which one I didn’t love?
Pretending by Holly Bourne
I adore Holly Bourne. I’ve read everything she’s written and love her YA and adult books equally. After the success of How Do You Like Me Now? I had to pre-order her latest adult novel, Pretending. Inspired by Bourne’s previous job as an agony aunt and relationship advisor, it follows a young woman who, after a string of bad dates, decides to pretend to be that dream girl all men want. Then she reels one in and starts to get a little too close…
While this book is largely about April’s pretence, it’s also about sisterhood and female empowerment. It’s shocking how few people are clear on the boundaries of consent and Pretending is certainly an eye-opener. While it may be triggering for some, I think it also has the power to help people come to terms with past experiences and find the support they need. And it’s a testament to Bourne’s writing that she manages to do this with sensitivity and humour. Already one of my books of the year.
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The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
I’ve always said I’m not a fan of fantasy novels but, after loving the Caraval Trilogy, I’ve been willing to advance further outside of my comfort zone. Plus this book was all over Instagram at the end of last year and I’m a sucker for a stunning cover. Just look at it!
The Starless Sea also piqued my interest because it’s a book about books: Zachary finds a strange book in his university library which details a memory from his childhood, amongst stories of lovelorn prisoners and lost cities. He then embarks on a quest which leads him to a subterranean labyrinth filled with stories – and people who will fight to protect those stories at all costs.
I was surprised by how engrossing I found this book. I struggled to put it down and not once did I have a clue where it would take me next. It is beautiful, magical, and enchanting. I can’t wait to see an adaptation and I’ll be checking out Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus in the meantime.
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Buy it from Waterstones (signed edition)
The Switch by Beth O’Leary
If you read The Switch without having read anything about it, you’ll probably fare better than I did. While I enjoyed it, I could predict the ending as soon as I read the blurb – there really should be better guidelines for these things. But I suppose it’s about the journey rather than the destination, right?
After a mistake at work forces her to take some time off, Leena switches homes with her grandmother for two months. Twenty-something control freak Leena upsticks to rural Yorkshire while 80-year-old Eileen embraces the single life in Shoreditch. Supporting characters provide barrels of laughs and it’s these relationships I warmed to the most. If you can get past the predictability, there’s a lot to love.
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Buy it from Waterstones (signed edition)
Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
Naoise Dolan has been dubbed ‘the new Sally Rooney’, which should have put me off from the start (I found Normal People over-rated), but one review said to read it if you loved The Bell Jar, so I pre-ordered a copy. Plus this edition has sprayed edges, which I find very hard to resist.
In Exciting Times, 22-year-old Ava leaves Ireland to teach English in Hong Kong. Her house share is a nightmare and she meets Julian, a banker who likes to spend money on her and lets her stay in his spare room. When he goes away for six months for work, she meets a woman who she can have an actual conversation with. Then Julian returns and Ava has a decision to make. Can she keep both people in her life? Does she even want to?
I thought this book was so over-rated! Maybe I’m just not the target audience but I didn’t find it half as witty as reviews suggested and not a lot actually happened. Give it a go if you enjoyed Normal People but I honestly wouldn’t recommend it.
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Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano
Bookstagram made me buy it! More specifically, The Hels Project made me buy it. I’ve bought a fair few books on her recommendation now and really must add I Am Pilgrim to my TBR pile… Plus, if you like book porn, this book is for you. It’s beautifully shiny with glorious sprayed edges.
With Dear Edward, you know from the start you’re in for an emotional read: 12-year-old boy is the sole survivor of a plane crash which kills his parents and older brother. So far so sad. Forced to live with his aunt and uncle, who are coming to terms with their own loss, he withdraws – until he’s befriended by his neighbour, Shay. When they discover hidden letters addressed to Edward from the families of the other crash victims, they embark on a profound journey exploring what it really means to live.
OK, I don’t think I sold it that well. That last bit sounds a bit wanky but, trust me, it’s a really lovely coming of age novel. Highly recommended.
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Buy it from Waterstones (sprayed edges edition)
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
You know how sometimes you read a book which you feel is really ‘important’? Books like THUG, Home Fire, and How to Cure a Ghost? Queenie is one of those books.
Over the last few years, I’ve been on a bit of a mission to read more diverse stories – stories unlike my own. While there’s a lot I can relate to as a young woman, I was also encouraged to check my white privilege and learn more about intersectional feminism. Queenie’s life as a young Black woman, making her way as a journalist, working through her ‘break’ with her boyfriend, over-looked and under-paid, is heart-breaking yet darkly funny.
This novel is educational without being preachy and I warmed to Queenie from the very first page. It’s hard to believe this is a debut and I can’t wait to see what Candice Carty-Williams does next. Possibly my book of the year.
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What have you been reading lately?
Phew! I was worried that the one you didn’t love would be The Starless Sea, which has undoubtedly been my top book this year so far. I hope you love The Night Circus just as much.