March | Wrap Up

Seeing as we're fast approaching the end of March I thought I'd do a wrap up post for the month. This will include books I've read this month, but haven't done a stand alone review for, along with my currently reading pile.

Starting off with the book I finished reading this month:

By Light We Knew Our Names by Anne Valente 

(Paperback, 222 pages)

This is a collection of thirteen short stories, published by Dzanc Books (2014). Having never read a short story collection before I was interested to give this one a go after Mercedes from MercysBookishMusings on Youtube highly recommended it. To give you an idea of some of the themes that run across the collection I'm going to insert the blurb here (as they've summed it up better than I ever could!):

"From Midnight Sirens to pink dolphins to a fight club of young women who meet beneath the aurora borealis, By Light We Knew Our Names examines the beauty and heartbreak of the world we live in, and the one that hovers just beyond it, enigmatic and out of reach. Across thirteen stories, this collection explores the thin border between wonder and loss, between magic and grief within the human experience."

As someone who doesn't really read much magical realism I suppose this was an unusual place for me to start with short stories, but I thought that genre would suit the short form well. I have to say though, I actually really enjoyed this book and it definitely didn't overplay the magical realism aspects. Many of the stories only had subtle magical elements in and some didn't include any at all. Notably, 'Latchkey' and 'Minivan' were two of my favourites from the collection, but the language throughout was beautiful and I didn't think there were any 'duds'. Valente has a clever way of shifting her writing style which means that each story remains distinct and separate - rather than them all merging together. I often read on my way to and from work on the train and therefore the short story format really suited my reading patterns. So overall I'd definitely recommend By Light We Knew Our Names to anyone, especially if you find yourself only having short blocks of time to read. If you don't like ambiguity of endings that aren't always completely conclusive then maybe don't pick this one up - but I really enjoyed this aspect! 

[4.5/5 Stars]

Now onto the books I'm currently reading:

Swing Time by Zadie Smith 

(Hardback, 453 pages)

I preordered this book ages ago and did start reading it in 2016 when it came out, but due to it being a hefty, large hardback it wasn't a book I wanted to carry around with me in my bag constantly. Which is why I ended up putting it down for a while, simply because it was inconvenient. However, this month I decided to get back into it and I'm currently about a third of the way through. I really loved Zadie Smith's book NW and there are some parallels to be made, particularly in terms of style, between that and Swing Time. I'm liking it so far but it's proving to be a slow read, partly because I only really pick this one up when I'm at home/weekends. If you're interested in finding out my thoughts on this one once I've finished it do check back because I'll probably do a stand alone review on it!

Night Waking by Sarah Moss 

(Paperback, 378 pages)

I've heard many great things about Sarah Moss online, especially in relation to her most recent novel The Tidal Zone, which I also have to read but I thought I'd start with one of Moss' earlier works (which my Nana kindly gave me). As you may have guessed, this is the book I'm currently reading on my commute, paperbacks are definitely the best for chucking in your bag! I've only read 80 or so pages so far but can Moss' writing style is brilliant. It's witty, almost lyrical in places yet easy to read. The only negative thing I have to say about this book so far is that it includes letters inbetween the main chapters, which gives me flashbacks to studying Lady Montague's Turkish Embassy Letter's as part of my degree. I don't know what it is about letters but they tend to bore me a little - but time will tell whether I'll be converted to liking them when I've finished Night Waking. 

So that's the end of my March wrap up!

P.S. Please do let me know if you have any book recommendations either in the comments, or feel free to contact me through any of my social media platforms (linked on my 'contact' tab at the top of my blog).

Laura.

The Vegetarian | A Review

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

(Paperback, 183 pages)

'The Vegetarian' was the winner of the Man Booker International Prize for 2016 and was translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith. This particular edition, with the red metallic foiling on the cover, is available exclusively from Waterstones and is published by Portobello Books. It also includes an additional short story called 'The Fruit of My Woman' which I won't be reviewing in the post (I haven't included it in the page count above either).

The book follows the life of a married woman called Yeong-hye who suddenly decides to become a vegetarian. This choice is considered to be taboo within the culture she lives in and she is even challenged about it by her family. I think it's best if you go into reading it without knowing too much about the plot itself - but it basically follows the consequences, both physical and mental, of Yeong-hye's choice not to eat meat. Ultimately the novel explores broader themes about the female body, the breaking of conventions as well as mental illness.

There isn't really a traditional beginning, middle and end structure. Instead, the book is split into three perspectives: Yeong-hye's husband, her brother in law and her sister. Consequently, we never really gain an explicit first person narrative from Yeong-hye herself, with the exception of a few short jumbled snippets of her dreams. This means that there is always an element of 'putting together' and 'making sense' of the fragments and point of views. I think how much you'll like this novel will partly depend on how willing you are to read into the symbolism and images within the text. If taken at surface level or in a very literal way you won't gain much from it. Additionally, if you're someone who looks for a plot driven, page turner - this may not be for you. But if you appreciate slower novels that focus on character development which also tackle important issues I think it's worth a read. There's certainly some beautiful passages (which I loved) and there's some very relevant underlying political messages that run throughout regarding women's rights and patriarchy.

I definitely think this book deserves the praise it's received and it will be a book that stays with me for many reasons, but I can see why it's often described as a 'marmite book'. I'd give 'The Vegetarian' 4/5 stars. It's by no means perfect and I did often feel aware of the text being translated, that might just be because I haven't read many translations, but some of the sentences did feel a bit simplified or basic. I also wouldn't say I 'enjoyed' this book, it deals with some dark topics and it's not a comfortable, light hearted reading experience. Regardless of this though, I have great admiration for Han Kang not shying away from writing about unsettling or uncomfortable themes and this is certainly an impactful novel for that reason. For me, the beautiful language alongside these strong themes make it worth the time and effort you have to put into it.

[4/5 Stars]

Laura.

Birthday Books

I got a couple of books as presents for my birthday last month (no surprises there) so I thought I'd share them with you. Anyone who knows me well will know I always appreciate beautiful copies of books and these two are no exception...

To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

(Paperback, 235 pages)

This small edition is one of six titles which form the Vintage Classic Woolf series published by Vintage Classics, an imprint of Penguin Random House. All of the covers for this collection are absolutely lovely and were painted by an artist called Aino-Maija Metsola. They also have artwork on the french flaps, this one has blue and white speckled end papers (love love love). 

In my third year of university I took an English Literature module on Virginia Woolf & Bloomsbury. It definitely made me love her work and I respect her a lot as a person. Although we covered a lot of texts during the module this is one I haven't read yet as it wasn't one of our course texts. If you haven't read any Woolf before and are looking for somewhere to start I'd recommend 'Mrs Dalloway', it's my favourite pieces by Woolf and I think it's one of her more accessible novels - don't be intimidated by her being a 'modernist' author! However, 'A Room of One's Own' is also a must read (especially given the political situations happening around the world at the moment) which is quite straight-forward and easy to follow if you want something a bit less experimental. ANYWAY, I'm hopeful that I'll enjoy 'To The Lighthouse' just as much as her other work so watch this space for a review once I've had a chance to pick it up.

Autumn by Ali Smith 

(Hardback, 263 pages) 

I've never read any Ali Smith before, but I have heard nothing but good things about 'Autumn'. Published in 2016 by Hamish Hamilton, another imprint of Penguin, it's the first of four seasonal books named after the seasons that Smith is writing (I think 'Winter' is coming out later this year?). I've deliberately tried to avoid knowing too much about this book especially because of the hype it's received. It's described as being a 'mediation' on life and the blurb makes it sound as if it engages with philosophy, time and politics. I'm looking forward to getting round to reading this one anyway and will be sure to report back with what I thought.

On a side note: Aesthetically speaking, this is another gorgeous book. By combining a clothbound backing with the partial wrap around cover it has quite a unique look and let's be honest - who doesn't love a bit of rose gold foiling?? (I'm not at all obsessed with metallic things...)

I always think books make great gifts for anyone who does enjoy reading, especially when the outside looks as promising as the inside sounds. As I mentioned reviews of both these books will follow eventually so watch this space if you're interested in either of them!

Let me know if you have any book recommendations -  there are links to

 where you can contact me in the side bar on the right of this post.

Laura.

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