Wolf Hall – Hilary Mantel (physical book, new read)
‘England, the 1520s. Henry VIII is on the throne, but has no heir. Cardinal Wolsey is his chief advisor, charged with securing the divorce the pope refuses to grant. Into this atmosphere of distrust and need comes Thomas Cromwell, first as Wolsey’s clerk, and later his successor.
Cromwell is a wholly original man: the son of a brutal blacksmith, a political genius, a briber, a charmer, a bully, a man with a delicate and deadly expertise in manipulating people and events. Ruthless in pursuit of his own interests, he is as ambitious in his wider politics as he is for himself. His reforming agenda is carried out in the grip of a self-interested parliament and a king who fluctuates between romantic passions and murderous rages.
From one of our finest living writers, Wolf Hall is that very rare thing: a truly great English novel, one that explores the intersection of individual psychology and wider politics. With a vast array of characters, and richly overflowing with incident, it peels back history to show us Tudor England as a half-made society, moulding itself with great passion, suffering and courage.’
In March I began to see this book everywhere, and with an interest in the time period and Tudors I decided to try it- I was panic buying books in Waterstones on my last day out with the idea that lockdown was soon impending. I never purposefully read books based on book prizes such as the man booker, but I watch lots of book videos on youtube and the interesting ones tend to come up a lot until I become curious. I enjoyed this book and the atmosphere, particularly the later sections when Cromwell had more interactions with Anne and Mary, however, it felt too long when I was reading it and at times I lost the thread a little bit. In the past I’ve read about the tudors through the Alison Weir series The Six Tudor Queens and I love these books, but I feel that it would have been beneficial to know more about the time period and Thomas Cromwell before reading this book. This is something I could have researched as I read the book, but as I grew closer to the end I wanted to finish the book. I didn’t feel very connected to Cromwell due to the writing style, and I think I’m more interested in continuing to learn about the six queens. I don’t think I’ll read the rest of the trilogy, but I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the Tudors. P.s I feel like this is a good time to mention that I’m obsessed with a song if ice and fire and always looking at parallels haha, I was interested in the Littlefinger/Cromwell parallels that I noticed 🙂
Favourite/meaningful quote:
‘I was always desired. But now i am valued. And that is a different thing, i find.’
A Little Life – Hanya Yanagihara (physical book, new read)
I wrote a whole review/rant about this haha so please go there if you’re interested in my rambling.
Lovely War – Julie Berry (physical book, new read)
‘Thirty years after four lovers’ fates collide, the Greek goddess Aphrodite tells their stories to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, in a luxe Manhattan hotel room at the height of World War II. She seeks to answer the age-old question: Why are Love and War eternally drawn to one another? But her quest for a conclusion that will satisfy her jealous husband uncovers a multi-threaded tale of prejudice, trauma, and music and reveals that War is no match for the power of Love.’
I wanted to read this book as soon as I heard about it because I love everything to do with Greek mythology and I was interested in the narration. This book felt lighter and cheesier than I expected it to be- although I didn’t know going into it that it was young adult so that’s maybe why- and I didn’t feel strongly connected to the characters, although I liked the secondary love story more so than the main one. I enjoyed the story and the elements of music throughout, but I don’t think it will stick with me and it wasn’t a favourite. The narration style was very cheesy but interesting, the Gods and Goddesses reminded me a bit of the humorous depictions such as in Good Omens and Supernatural. I’d maybe recommend this for people who enjoy young adult historical fiction, but I prefer othr young adult books when depicting mythology.
Favourite/meaningful quote:
‘If music stops, and art ceases, and beauty fades, what have we then?‘
Norse Mythology – Neil Gaiman (physical book, new read)
‘Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman fashions primeval stories into a novelistic arc that begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds; delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants; and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly reincarnating Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, the son of giants, a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator. From Gaiman’s deft and witty prose emerges the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions, making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again.’
This is the first book I’ve read about Norse mythology and I really enjoyed it! This was a good book to start with as it was very easy to read and although I don’t typically like short stories I found the characters and stories interesting- although I need to get used to the names as I doubt I can pronounce any. Being Scottish, I enjoyed learning about Norse mythology as it is probably the mythology most closely related to Scotland- I know they are fictional myths hahaha, I’m very bad at explaining what I mean- and I enjoyed reading about the gruelling hardships faced by the Gods that are very different to Greek and Roman mythology (although Greek is still my favourite). I’m not intrigued to read more about Norse mythology so if you have any recommendations please let me know! 🙂 In terms of ASOIAF parallels, I love the elements of Odin/Ragnarok/symbolism/prophecy that GRRM has been influenced by when writing about the wall/Bran/the three eyed raven/Jon. I’m definitely going to read more about the parallels and influence, these are the things I do at 2am.
Favourite/meaningful quote:
‘The Norse myths are the myths of a chilly place, with long, long winter nights and endless summer days, myths of a people who did not entirely trust or even like their gods, although they respected and feared them.’
A spot of bother – Mark Haddon (physical book/new read)
At fifty-seven, George is settling down to a comfortable retirement, building a shed in his garden, reading historical novels, listening to a bit of light jazz. Then Katie, his tempestuous daughter, announces that she is getting remarried, to Ray.
The family is not pleased, as her brother Jamie observes, Ray has ‘strangler’s hands’. Katie can’t decide if she loves Ray, or loves the way he cares for her son Jacob, and her mother Jean is a bit put out by the way the wedding planning gets in the way of her affair with one of her husband’s former colleagues. And the tidy and pleasant life Jamie has created crumbles when he fails to invite his lover, Tony, to the dreaded nuptials.
Unnoticed in the uproar, George discovers a sinister lesion on his hip, and quietly begins to lose his mind.
I’m still addicted to buying new books but for the most part I am reading a very random collection of books with the aim of no longer owning at least 50 unread books. I read this book with no real expectations as I knew little about the plot and vaguely remember buying it from a charity shop a long time ago. I really enjoyed this book! I love black humour and sarcasm, and the spiralling turn of events that make the world seem a little bit like an apocalypse really relate to the current state of the world (I will say here, I am taking what’s happening very seriously and understand the severity and tragedy behind it, but on things like social media I try to keep things as normal and light at possible because I think a little bit of humour and joy is helping everyone). I really liked the main character in the story and enjoyed the spiralling of events and pace of the book. I’d recommend if you enjoy sarcastic humour and stories about family 🙂
Favourite/meaningful quote:
‘The secret of contentment lay in ignoring many things completely.’
The Wouldbegoods – E. Nesbit (audiobook, new read)
‘Sent away to the country after a particularly unruly episode, the well-meaning but wayward Bastable children solemnly vow to reform their behavior. But their grand schemes for great and virtuous deeds lead to just as much mayhem as their ordinary games, and sometimes more.’
I decided to listen to this audiobook in my quest to read the books I’ve owned for a, long long time. I didn’t have a great interest in this book and it hasn’t really stuck with me. I also found some parts to be stereotypical or sexist, I think maybe because this book was written in 1899. I wouldn’t recommend this to children for these reasons, however, I’ll always keep this book and appreciate it due to the sentimental value of being given it by my dad as a wee girl.
When God was a Rabbit – Sarah Winman (audiobook, new read)
When God Was a Rabbit is the story of a memorable young heroine, Elly, and her loss of innocence; a magical portrait of the pull and power of family ties, of loss and life. From Essex and Cornwall to the streets of New York, from 1968 to the events of 9/11, When God Was a Rabbit follows the evolving bond of love and secrets between Elly and her brother, Joe, and her increasing concern for her best friend, Jenny Penny, who has secrets of her own. Funny, quirky, utterly compelling, and poignant, too, When God Was a Rabbit heralds the start of a remarkable new literary career.
Another book I found at a charity shop a good few years ago, I enjoyed this book and the flow of it and I liked learning more about the characters lives over time, however, this was another book I didn’t really connect with or care deeply about. I like to get extremely invested in a story and it’s characters (I think this is why I love long, character driven stories) so it can feel a bit sad when this doesn’t happen. I will say though, I don’t know if this was due to reading this at a time when I wasn’t really in the mood for it, or listening to the audiobook instead of reading it. I’m not normally so fussy with books but March seemed to be a month where I didn’t find anything I really loved, and maybe this is why I’m often drawn to rereading old books instead of reading new ones. I think this is also because I’ve been trying to read a lot of the books I own already, so I bought them long ago.
Favourite/meaningful quote:
‘Memories no matter how small or inconsequential are the pages that define us.’
Our Stop – Laura Jane Williams (audiobook, new read)
Nadia gets the 7.30 train every morning without fail. Well, except if she oversleeps or wakes up at her friend Emma’s after too much wine. Daniel really does get the 7.30 train every morning, which is easy because he hasn’t been able to sleep properly since his dad died.One morning, Nadia’s eye catches sight of a post in the daily paper:
To the cute girl with the coffee stains on her dress. I’m the guy who’s always standing near the doors… Drink sometime?
So begins a not-quite-romance of near-misses, true love, and the power of the written word.
I don’t know why I read romance contemporaries because I always end up moaning that I don’t like cheesy books haha- but I do like to have a nice balance, and funny easy to read cheesy books were DEFINITELY needed after A Little Life. This was particularly cheesy and a lil unrealistic even for the genre but I did enjoy listening to it despite this. There were times where the characters would discuss feminism or gender, but these seemed quote random and I felt a little bit like they were in the book just to add depth when they didn’t really seem to fit in. Not a favourite, but still fun to read. I would recommend Beth O’Leary’s books for this genre 🙂
March Favourite
Norse mythology was probably my favourite book in March 🙂 Thank you anyone who has read to this point, I do ramble haha. Please recommend any books you think I might like and let me know if you’ve read any of these
carly books 