If you’ve read any of my previous posts about reading, you’ll know that I’ve been trying to read more this year. Halfway through the year, and I’ve just finished book 15 of my 15 book goal! However, I’ve just started volunteering at my local library, so I have a feeling that that number will be going up over the summer.
Not Another Happy Ending by David Solomons
If you’re a writer, you’ll relate to this book a lot. Set in Glasgow, it follows the story of an author trying to live up to the success of her first book while dealing with a complicated relationship with her publisher. I rarely laugh out loud at books, but I did at this one.
Also, the film is great! (Yes, I am the kind of heathen who watched the film first)
Does it make it onto the reading list? Absolutely!
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Like many YA books, I found this one problematic, which I wrote a post about when I first read it.
Does it make the reading list? As I said at the time, yes, but with a pinch of salt.
Les Armoires Vides (Cleaned Out) by Annie Ernaux
I read this whole book the night before my French speaking exam (which was about abortion in France, I didn’t just feel like depressing myself for fun) and found it really interesting. The semi-autobiographical story of a girl who becomes pregnant outside of marriage is told in such a poetic yet brutally honest way, even in the English translation. With themes of class, marginalisation, and being a woman in the period before abortion was legalised, this book was an important part of the movement.
Does it make the reading list? Definitely!
Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike
I don’t like being solely negative about books, but to be honest, I found this one so spectacularly awful that I got Lydia to read it too, so we’ll do a discussion post at some point.
Does it make the reading list? To be honest, no.
My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
I found this book problematic for similar reasons to All The Bright Places (which I’ve just realised we STILL haven’t done a discussion post on… Watch this space), and so became almost immediately angry at it. I can’t decide if the ending was better or worse. I guess in some ways, both.
Does it make the reading list? Not really.
Panic by Lauren Oliver
I started this book in October 2015, so when I picked it up again I had absolutely no clue what was going on for the first few chapters. Despite that, I found it really entertaining and finished the rest all at once. The concept is basically a game in which that year’s high school graduates compete in a series of dangerous challenges.
Does it make the reading list? It sure does.
Wonder by R J Palacio
This was another one that I’ve had on my to-read pile for years and years. I was really worried that this book would fall into the trap of romanticising anything that it can get its hands on, but I was pleasantly surprised. Wonder is the story of a young boy with facial abnormalities as he starts mainstream school for the first time, which is told through the perspective of various characters in his life. The whole story is realistic and unsensationalised, which is valuable to any age group, despite being aimed at children.
Does it make the reading list? Yes, about five times (if that was allowed).
What have you been reading this year? Share in the comments below. The rest of the Blogolepsy reading list can be found here.
