recent reads

For the past 5 years, one of my new years resolutions has been to read 26 books, I've got close most years (except last; I'd read all of 2 books by June) and this year I am determined to smash it.
Some of the below were part of my gap year TBR, others offered a literary escape, some were fucking brilliant and others utter trash.
So here we go.

Autumn–Ali Smith

I wanted to love this. I loved the cover. I loved tiny snippets in an isolated manner. I loved the ease to read.
But it made no sense. I have no idea what it was trying to say, what the characters were doing, who the characters were, what (if anything??) happened. It all felt like one self indulgent poetic metaphor, the meaning of which was impossible to discern. In fact, it was entirely self-indulgent. As though the reader remains in a position of stupidity to make the writer feel superior. I think it was supposed to be some kind of commentary on Brexit and the political turmoil and division but it was, to be honest, very difficult to tell. There were certain chapters I adored and some of the writing was so beautiful but there appeared to be no running theme, nothing linking the chapters together and as a novel, it just didn't work.

Pride and Prejudice–Jane Austen

I loved this. So much. Maybe as a result of studying Shakespeare and Wilde, but I found it surprising easy to read and loved Austen's subtle critique throughout. It is, fundamentally, a romance and I love that because it shows a good love story and feminism can go hand in hand; not everything needs to be heavy. Elizabeth is such an empowering and powerful character and, when considered in the context of the novel, she's fucking awesome. Historically, I found the (realistic) presentation of the patriarchy so eye-opening and the restraints, expectations and formalities of the 19th Century shocking. The weight placed on marriage, for securing wealth, reputation and continuing the family line, the importance of class, the separation of genders and inability to ever relax. It all contrasts with 21st Century modern society so powerfully. The characters and their subsequent relationships are confusing but, with the help of a diagram I found online, it all ran very smoothly.

Billy and Me-Giovanna Fletcher

I bought this when I was having a bad day and I needed to escape into a world of idealised, cliched romance. For that purpose, this book was ideal. It was such a quick read and I could lose myself in its complete predictability. Its trashy and badly written, sickly, sickly sweet and unbelievably cliched (think tea shop! cupcakes! florals! purple converse! shaggy-haired hunk who mysteriously falls in love with the nervous socially awkward girl! you get the picture (its like Cathy Cassidy for adults)) and appears to mirror 13 year old Katie and her literary dreams but, all jokes aside, I can't critique it. I bought it for one sole purpose, to read a trashy romance. And for that purpose, it completely delivered. Its not a work of literary genius, in fact its pretty crap but if you need to lose yourself/feel 13 again, I'd recommend.

How to Stop Time –Matt Haig

All things considered, this book was fantastic. I usually hate anything with any element of fantasy but this was engaging and easy to read. The book was laced with wisdom and relate-ability and so much of the novel and characterisation became a vehicle to explore mental health and the feelings of loss, of emptiness, of disappearance. It felt very comforting. It explores what it means to be alive, what it means to be different, enjoyment of art and fulfilment of life, the purpose and value of memory, identity (or lack of), happiness, love, loneliness and, in many ways, the actual storyline became secondary to the feeling of understanding. It made me think about all the things I want to achieve in my lifetime, all the different lives Tom had lived and how you could recreate this element of interest and intrigue in your own world.
It also challenged and presented humanity as a whole, our existence, our attitudes, how they've changed and how they will perhaps never change.
It evoked so many interesting questions and ideas about history, what it teaches us, whether we ever really learn from the past, whether humanity is programmed to make the same mistakes, and seemed to echo this article I read a while ago.
Tom Hazard meets so many interesting people and explores so many scary and exciting and humiliating moments in history that make you think about what it means to be a part of society, past and present. For a history nerd, it was idyllic, but could be enjoyed by almost anyone.
I had this really weird moment when reading this on the bus when my memories felt so present. It was like an epiphany, realising that all the things that have happened in the past haven't been left there to never be experienced again, they are continually surrounding us, shaping who we are and being a part of the journey. Idk. Cringey but I felt it pretty strong.
By the end, I found the storyline a bit depressing and the end was a bit predictable but, these minor details aside, I did thoroughly enjoy it.

Next on my list are: Call Me By Your Name (Libby said the book is even more beautiful than the film), The Cat on the Hot Tin Roof (which I started last night and I remembered why Tennessee Williams is my favourite playwright), Never Let Me Go and The Go-Between (for the 3rd time, because I honestly regularly get moments of craving nostalgia and I know I just need to read it again).

Leave literary recommendations below, my list is ever growing.

(I feel like this post is really badly written. I'm kind of rusty. I haven't posted so infrequently since Summer. Bare with whilst I get my jam back)