Adèle – Leila Slimani
Slimani’s talent for writing makes me want to read more of her work. I simple love her writing style. But, like so much I seem to be reading right now, I’m disturbed by the destructive representation of the unsatisfied woman. The absence of contentment which leads to dangerous behaviour is a theme cropping up so often its is clearly a significant societal issue. The novel left me wondering so many things.
The Heart’s Invisible Furies –
What a beautiful work of art! Boyne is a writer who can break your heart and turn your tears to those of joy, whilst holding you captive throughout the most epic of novels. The author of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, Boyne is a genius storyteller. I was invested from the first chapter, as the story artfully unfolds in 7 year intervals, until the closing line 70 years later. Fabulous. Can’t recommend highly enough. Boyne may fast be coming one of my favourite authors.
The Skincare Bible – Dr. Anjali Mahto
Dr Mahto is a refreshingly impartial author, presenting scientific skincare research and explaining treatment methods within an easy, conversational narrative.
My biggest take-away is to look beyond the luxurious commercial brand and the work of their clever marketing teams, and instead learn what ingredients my skin needs, and look for it on the label. Knowledge is a powerful thing.
Where’s my happy Ending – Anna Whitehouse and Matt Farquharson
This was everything I have come to expect from this couple whose brand more and more represents all that is ‘real’ about ‘real life’. Toe(nail – read it to understand) curling honesty wrapped up in humour and warmth.
Do Humankind’s Best Days Lie Ahead – Steven Pinker, Matt Ridley, Alain De Bottom, Malcolm Gladwell
The question is huge, and it soon becomes obvious it is far too wide for a debate of this length. There is so much to pack into this conversation that I became frustrated when, on occasion, it centered on barbed jibes, and one-up-manship between the two camps. I also felt many arguments lacked solid supporting evidence.
Nevertheless, it was a fascinating read, and I highly recommend it. It has made me think more deeply about the subject, and yet I don’t feel confident in an answer.
I guess as a mother, I want to believe the future is bright, and I can’t raise my children shrouded in pessimism. But what @alain_de_botton does teach me however, is to instill an educated realism, and ironically I think it is that which might make for a brighter future. And we need that now more than ever.
The Underground Railroad- Colson Whitehead
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead magnifies the horror and deprivation of the slave trade in 18th and 19th Century America. This Pulitzer Prize winning novel captures emotions from the very core, juxtaposing the most evil side of humankind with the most selfless individuals choosing to risk their lives in gruesome ways in order to stand against wrongdoing.
I Feel Bad About My Neck – Nora Ephron
Such a gentle, funny, revealing commentary on life as a woman. I love this collection of essays by the writer who gave us films such as ‘When Harry Met Sally.’ This book is like a literary balm women should keep on their nightstands for those moments our minds need soothing.
The Pisces – Melissa Broder
This novel is a work of art, but not a pretty one, in fact it’s skilfully crafted to be ugly. The story follows the unusual role-reversal of a woman falling for a merman, instead of the mythical mermaid fantasies of old, and the author delights with satirical lines such as, “I imagined eating his tail with garlic butter.” But, the unlikeable protagonist is so entirely full of self: self-absorption, self-destruction, lacking self-respect, that I came to loathe her. The author’s raw descriptive style left me feeling toe-curlingly uncomfortable, and yet despite this I could not give up reading to the end. This book, which was long listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2019, left me unsettled and slightly despairing, but I could not put it down.
Queenie – Candice Carty-Williams
I fell in love with Queenie despite inwardly imploring her to fall in love with herself. I think I might be on the older side of the intended demographic because my maternal side wanted to scoop her up and kick all the undesirables in her life into touch. Nevertheless, this story is deeply educational as we accompany Queenie, a young Black woman growing up in Brixton, South London, on a journey navigating abhorrent (mainly male) human behaviour. It’s made lighter by a perceptively comedic dialogue that had me, on occasion, laughing out loud. I can’t recommend this enough.
Beach Read – Emily Henry
Nothing signifies summer delight more to me than something so often labelled a ‘guilty pleasure’…the ‘beach read.’ So, I Googled just that, and unsurprisingly this popped up, and it is an absolute winner! The story cleverly addresses head-on the high-brow perception of this rom-com genre. Henry depicts complex relationships all at the mercy of love, with a fantastic sense of humour that had me laughing, re-reading, and laughing again…oh the bookshelf scene – absolute genius!
The Surface Breaks – Louise O’Neill
A compelling feminist retelling of ‘The Little Mermaid’ that had me skipping through my bookshelves to find the original so I could reread it and understand fully the patriarchal messages drip-fed to us as children. This novel is so clever and had me praising it out loud to my teenage daughters as I gobbled up each chapter. It is certainly not for little children, but frankly I question now whether the original was suitable either.
Such A Fun Age – Kiley Reid
Kiley Reid’s debut novel, ‘Such A Fun Age’ is perhaps one of my favourite this year. It’s rightly included in numerous booklists about race, but while race clearly forms the backbone of this story, it embodies so much more. Motherhood, parenting, women’s role in society, the American healthcare system, female friendships, romantic relationships, opportunity and ambition, (or lack of either) pulse through the veins of this highly entertaining story. And yet, Reid has the unusual ability to present these topics and all their complexity in a refreshing and inclusive way.