I was ill for a couple of weeks in February and by the time I was better I would have been recording my January wrap-up very late, so I decided to roll the two together and do a bumper wrap-up!
Books mentioned in my wrap-up:
An Almost Perfect Christmas, by Nina Stibbe
I didn’t love the author’s very dry, almost monotone delivery, but I did really enjoy this collection of Christmassy short stories and anecdotes. I don’t think I’ll listen to it again, but I would recommend it if you’re looking for an easy Christmas read.
The Colour of Magic, by Terry Pratchett
I’ve been cautioned many times against reading this but having read most of the Tiffany Aching books and being in no danger of being put off Pratchett I thought why not go back to the start of the Discworld series? It was about what I expected – gently amusing but it drags a bit, nowhere near the tightly-paced relentless entertainment of The Wee Free Men. I’ve not been put off the early books though and am currently continuing to indulge my completist urges by listening to book two, The Light Fantastic.
Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading, by Lucy Mangan
It took me about 100 years to finish this as my NetGalley copy expired, then it was in hot demand at the library. The author did make a few generalisations about bookworms-as-introverts which I disagreed with, being a non-introverted bookworm, but I really enjoyed it. I feel inspired to track down and read all the books she loved that I haven’t read.
Go Ask Malice: A Slayer’s Diary, by Robert Joseph Levy
Imagine if Faith, the Vampire Slayer, kept a diary? No, me neither. I did not like this.
How to Be Both, by Ali Smith
First book club read of this wrap-up! I enjoyed this novel of two halves and thought it was well-crafted but didn’t really take anything away from it.
Fame: Stripping Celebrity Bare, by David Gritten
I hunted-and-pecked my way through several books on celebrity culture this month, but this is the only one I read cover to cover. The author is a bit judgemental but offers some interesting insights into the effects of celebrity on a person.
Convenience Store Woman, by Sayaka Murata
Second book club read of the wrap-up! I really loved this. It’s a very short, quick read about a woman who started working at a convenience store as a student and is still working there in her mid-thirties, despite the judgements of her friends and family. I left it with so much food for thought and can’t wait to discuss it.
All the Lonely People, by David Owen
Third book club read! After being bullied into deleting her entire internet presence, Kat finds that she’s turned invisible in the real world too. Can she turn back and save herself, or will she need the help of one of the boys who did this to her? Gripping and thought-provoking, it made for a great discussion.
Brooklyn, by Colm Tóibín
There was so much hype about this I really thought I’d like it but I found it to be really slow paced and full of tedious detail. The protagonist was almost completely passive, and all the men in the story were unbelievably good hearted and kind while the women were bitchy and obstructive.
Have you read any of these? What books have provided you with lots of material for discussion?
Leave a Reply