Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021) by Sally Rooney

As I talked about in my previous post, I missed the Sally Rooney hype the first time around in 2017, and it was the release of this novel that got me a little more interested in her. I started with Conversations with Friends, but then decided to dive right into Beautiful World, Where Are You… Continue reading Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021) by Sally Rooney

Conversations with Friends (2017) by Sally Rooney

I’m probably the last book blogger (at least in the UK, who likes this sort of thing, etc…) to read this book. The hype around Sally Rooney has been quite something, and I often have mixed feelings about hype. Often with “popular” novelists, especially female ones, I find that the novels that get the most… Continue reading Conversations with Friends (2017) by Sally Rooney

She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor (2011)

She-Wolves was one of those books that I had heard about for ages, and kept meaning to read, but for some reason never got around to - laziness, too many other books to read, a million reasons. So I decided to put it on my wish list for Christmas and birthday books last year, and… Continue reading She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth by Helen Castor (2011)

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara (2018)

As soon as I heard about this book I wanted to read it. It was published in February 2018, and just two months later its subject, the Golden State Killer, was finally captured. His first recorded attack was in 1974, and he had finally been identified and caught. It was a big moment for all… Continue reading I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara (2018)

In Praise Of: Sad Stories

When we learn about trauma, we also learn about catharsis, about 'getting it out' and finding closure. About having a cathartic experience. This is why we read books about war and suffering, why survivor testimonies are always popular books in whatever form they may take - from the wonder of writers like Primo Levi, to… Continue reading In Praise Of: Sad Stories