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Working from home has seriously impacted on my reading time. I used to average a book a week and I’ve read five books over the last couple of months. As a result, I’m a lot pickier about what I read and take less chances on something new or a bit more outside of my comfort zone. That said, I’m a sucker for recommendations and get a bit of FOMO when it comes to books which are all over Instagram, so do keep leaving your favourite titles in the comments.
Here are some mini reviews of what I’ve been reading lately…
A Poem for Every Autumn Day, edited by Allie Esiri
Not gonna lie, I picked this one up largely because of Zanna Goldhawk‘s cover illustration (I love her work!) and partly because I’ve been trying to read more poetry. I have to admit, I wasn’t a huge fan of most of this collection. I had hoped the poetry would be more autumn-centric but a lot of it was tied to the day of the year, war poetry and such. I read Ana Sampson’s She is Fierce last year and it made me realise that poetry doesn’t have to mean the stuffy and unrelatable stuff they make you read at school. Unfortunately I didn’t get the same vibe from this anthology.
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The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
I adore Matt Haig and pre-ordered this one when he first teased it on his Instagram account – a book about a library between life and death where a woman gets to try all her other lives she could have lived. To say ‘it’s such a lovely book’ feels like I’m not doing it justice but that’s what it is. Our heroine has Eleanor Oliphant vibes, the overall theme feels very The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse-esque, and it’s as captivating and endearing as How to Stop Time, his last adult fiction release. It’s in my top five of the year.
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This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
I said earlier that I’m a lot pickier about what I read due to time constraints, so I tend to avoid anything which could be quite chick lit-ish. No disrespect intended at all, it’s just time is precious and I’d rather read something which has the potential to be a bit more impactful or educational. But we all need a cheesey escape from time to time and this was the perfect festive read.
Picture this: In 1990, two children are born one minute apart at the same hospital on New Year’s Eve. Exactly 30 years later, they find themselves in the same place at the same time. Is the universe trying to tell them something?
Yes it’s predictable, yes the heroine’s name is cringey AF (Minnie Cooper!), and, sure, I hated her mother for 90% of the book. But it has heart, and depth, and a predictable romance certainly won’t do us any harm right now!
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The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
There’s a reason why people are still going on about this book over a year after it was first published. Written and illustrated by Charlie Mackesy, it is the most heart-warming and wholesome book I’ve ever come across. It’s uplifting, inspiring… it’s a hug in a book and everyone needs a copy. It’s genuinely my new all-time favourite book and my go-to gift for friends and family.
I’ve followed Charlie on Instagram for a while and had come across a lot of the illustrations before, but to have them in one place and to be able to look back at them at any time is much-needed. I’ve noticed that there are prints available on his site too and I’ve love to invest in a few – although I’ve spotted that a few fans have been buying extra copies of the book and framing the pages, such is the power of his words and inkings. Get your copy now and thank me later.
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Winnie the Pooh by A.A. Milne
I don’t normally include the books I read with Jenson in my Goodreads list but this one is different…
Jenson has an Eeyore toy which his grandparents bought him before he was born. When watching or reading something new, he likes things with some sense of familiarity, so we started watching some Winnie the Pooh films on Disney+ recently. Then I remembered my Winnie the Pooh treasury which I’ve had for 15-20 years and Jenson said he’d like to read that with me. We’ve been reading a chapter a night and have just finished Winnie the Pooh, ready to move on to The House at Pooh Corner.
It’s so much fun reading these with him. The chapters are longer than the bedtime stories he’s used to and I love that he’s always excited for the next one. There’s something quite magical about sharing your childhood favourites with your own child. It won’t be long until we’re moving on to Roald Dahl and Harry Potter!
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What have you been reading lately?