What I've been reading: November and December
As predicted, the last couple of months of 2018 saw a lot more reading time. I flew to Macedonia for a Girlguiding event (which was excellent fun) and there was quite a bit of hanging around in airports. The Christmas period has also seen extra reading time, there's nothing quite like being at home, cosy and content with a book, a box of chocolates, and alternating cups of tea with gin and tonics.
Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls was an impulse selection in the library. It's a YA book following several young women from diverse backgrounds as they become involved with the Suffragettes and Suffragists and the associated campaigning and protesting. I really enjoyed this, and actually learned quite a bit. It was good to read it in the centenary year, too.
Normal People by Sally Rooney has to be one of my favourite books of 2018. I've wanted to read it for a while, and Mum bought it for me for Christmas (not knowing that I wanted to read it, but on the basis of lots of excellent reviews). The two main characters meet at school, and encounter each other again throughout the rest of their teens and early twenties. It's about relationships, friendships, sex, and I loved it. Another book I sat down and read pretty much in one sitting.
After the Party by Cressida Connolly was passed on to me by my Mum, who enjoyed it, and I'm glad she had told me she had, as it's not a book I'd have chosen independently. It's also one of those books where nothing seems to happen, and yet a lot does. Set just before the outbreak of war, three sisters live comfortable middle-class lives, socialising and raising their children in West Sussex, the area I now live (so many of the places are very familiar to me). They get caught up in politics and this has ramifications on their lives. It's a specific area of history I know very little about, but I think it's a story which will stay with me.
The Power by Naomi Alderman is one of my favourite reads of the year. I picked it up in a charity bookshop when I was in the north west for a conference - I had to escape the conference venue for a spot of fresh air, and surprise surprise ended up in a bookshop. It's an incredibly interesting premise, some young women suddenly develop a power, a strong power which can inflict pain and even death. In a world which is so recognisable as our own, and yet so different, this power has enormous consequences. The plot follows different women and their friends and family over a number of years as the history of this power is recounted. An incredible book, which I've passed on to a colleague and will gradually do the rounds of the office!
This Child of Ours by Sadie Pearse* follows a family as their young daughter expresses that she is, in fact, a boy. This has a massive impact on his family as they adapt their lives accordingly. Quite an emotional read, questioning so many assumptions society has as to what makes us who we are.
Jack of Hearts by Lev A.C. Rosen* was an impromptu selection on NetGalley - Jack is a gay high school student and is persuaded to write a column for the school newspaper, which works in a Q&A format answering questions about sex and sexuality. Very open and honest.
I read XX by Angela Chadwick* in a matter of hours as I couldn't put it down. Scientists at Portsmouth University have developed an IVF technique to take genetic material from two women to make an embryo, so male DNA is no longer needed. The story follows Rosie and Jules as they embark on participating in the first clinical trial of this technique with humans, and the repercussions it has on their families, friends, and society. It questions what is socially acceptable with regards to assisted reproduction, and moves along at a great pace.
Notes to Self: Essays by Emilie Pine* was one of those books I wasn't sure I'd like, but ended up enjoying very much. The author has written a number of personal essays on topics such as growing up with her alcoholic father, fertility, and her teenage years. They're all incredibly insightful and heartfelt. She is a university lecturer and some of her writing about working within academia resonated clearly with me. It's a book I'll be recommending to colleagues, definitely.
Once again, varied reading, some books I loved and others not so much. I like that these couple of months have included books that have made me think, for one reason or another, and I always like a book which can make me do that.
Here's to 2019, I look forward to the books it will bring!
*Provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are, of course, my own.
Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls was an impulse selection in the library. It's a YA book following several young women from diverse backgrounds as they become involved with the Suffragettes and Suffragists and the associated campaigning and protesting. I really enjoyed this, and actually learned quite a bit. It was good to read it in the centenary year, too.
Normal People by Sally Rooney has to be one of my favourite books of 2018. I've wanted to read it for a while, and Mum bought it for me for Christmas (not knowing that I wanted to read it, but on the basis of lots of excellent reviews). The two main characters meet at school, and encounter each other again throughout the rest of their teens and early twenties. It's about relationships, friendships, sex, and I loved it. Another book I sat down and read pretty much in one sitting.
The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo was lent to me by a colleague who loved it, and I wanted to love it too, but didn't. It's a Spanish whodunnit, which didn't capture my attention - I ended up skipping quite a bit and can't remember much about it. It's the first in a trilogy, so several plot points are left unanswered, but I won't be rushing to read the other books. Sorry, colleague!
After the Party by Cressida Connolly was passed on to me by my Mum, who enjoyed it, and I'm glad she had told me she had, as it's not a book I'd have chosen independently. It's also one of those books where nothing seems to happen, and yet a lot does. Set just before the outbreak of war, three sisters live comfortable middle-class lives, socialising and raising their children in West Sussex, the area I now live (so many of the places are very familiar to me). They get caught up in politics and this has ramifications on their lives. It's a specific area of history I know very little about, but I think it's a story which will stay with me.
I've enjoyed Alan Hollinghurst books before, but The Sparsholt Affair wasn't my favourite. During the war, a number of young men meet whilst studying in Oxford - the following chapters jump around as the reader learns more about what became known as the Sparsholt Affair and its effects on this friendship group, their acquaintances and relatives.
The Power by Naomi Alderman is one of my favourite reads of the year. I picked it up in a charity bookshop when I was in the north west for a conference - I had to escape the conference venue for a spot of fresh air, and surprise surprise ended up in a bookshop. It's an incredibly interesting premise, some young women suddenly develop a power, a strong power which can inflict pain and even death. In a world which is so recognisable as our own, and yet so different, this power has enormous consequences. The plot follows different women and their friends and family over a number of years as the history of this power is recounted. An incredible book, which I've passed on to a colleague and will gradually do the rounds of the office!
This Child of Ours by Sadie Pearse* follows a family as their young daughter expresses that she is, in fact, a boy. This has a massive impact on his family as they adapt their lives accordingly. Quite an emotional read, questioning so many assumptions society has as to what makes us who we are.
Jack of Hearts by Lev A.C. Rosen* was an impromptu selection on NetGalley - Jack is a gay high school student and is persuaded to write a column for the school newspaper, which works in a Q&A format answering questions about sex and sexuality. Very open and honest.
I read XX by Angela Chadwick* in a matter of hours as I couldn't put it down. Scientists at Portsmouth University have developed an IVF technique to take genetic material from two women to make an embryo, so male DNA is no longer needed. The story follows Rosie and Jules as they embark on participating in the first clinical trial of this technique with humans, and the repercussions it has on their families, friends, and society. It questions what is socially acceptable with regards to assisted reproduction, and moves along at a great pace.
Notes to Self: Essays by Emilie Pine* was one of those books I wasn't sure I'd like, but ended up enjoying very much. The author has written a number of personal essays on topics such as growing up with her alcoholic father, fertility, and her teenage years. They're all incredibly insightful and heartfelt. She is a university lecturer and some of her writing about working within academia resonated clearly with me. It's a book I'll be recommending to colleagues, definitely.
Once again, varied reading, some books I loved and others not so much. I like that these couple of months have included books that have made me think, for one reason or another, and I always like a book which can make me do that.
Here's to 2019, I look forward to the books it will bring!
*Provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are, of course, my own.
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