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| Disclaimer: This blog post feature items that been gifted to me, and these will be marked with an asterisk (*) Thank you to the relevant publishers and Netgalley for the copies. |
Now we all know I love a good book, but the heatwave we've throughout August has meant I've been spending more time in a sweaty puddle, so I was anticipating this month's summary of books I've read to be a little shorter than usual. Fear not, the books I did manage to read this month I tore through pretty quickly, and some did not disappoint, so without further ado, here's what I read in August
Before I Saw You by Emily Houghton (*)
Rated: 3/5 🌟
Alfie and Alice meet under the most exceptional circumstances, but never come face to face. The pair sleep next to one another every night in a recovery unit of a hospital/treatment centre. Alfie, the boisterous personality on the ward, aims to befriend Alice who is silent and spends her time behind her bed curtains refusing to be seen. There are disagreements, heartfelt moments and support shared between the two despite the barriers between them.
This book is compassionate and really delves into the emotional and physical aspects of recovery, but also looks at the feelings of grief, longing and acceptance. There is a menagerie of eclectic people surrounding the protagonists, and I enjoyed that the story switched between the perspective of the two main characters to really give you a look into how they were both thinking and feeling.
I do feel as though the ending was a little abrupt, and predictable, and I would’ve liked to see an epilogue just to round things up a little more.
The Lido by Libby Page
Rated: 5/5 🌟
The Lido is ultimately a story of two halves coming together - the story of two unlikely women whose lives become interwoven by the local outdoor pool. The pool is a central hub in the community which sparks compassion and drive in journalist Kate and is a source of belonging and hope, and the last crucial reminder of her husband George for Rosemary who's spent 80 years swimming in the lanes come rain or shine. The pair of women are unlikely companions - Kate is a nervous young reporter adapting to life in the big city with little friends, a sister she barely speaks to and anxiety attacks which she refers to as a visit from the Panic, whilst Rosemary is a beacon and a constant heart of the Brixton area she calls home. Kate, working for local paper The Brixton Chronicle, is tasked with the job of reporting on the prospective closure of the outdoor pool, and whilst looking for a human aspect to her story, Kate interviews Rosemary, who only agrees to talk if Kate goes for a swim and experiences the magic of the water for herself.
The community of Brixton is beautifully written about, with a menagerie of authentically real and charming characters surrounding the pair including local bookshop owners, greengrocers, pool staff, and fellow swimmers. I really found myself resonating with Kate as I too am a twenty-something journalist living in London, struggling with the same issues as she is. Her uniting with Rosemary, and their crusade together to stop the lido from closing is an unlikely pairing in this story of belonging but it works so well. The women became close friends from shared swims, shared meals, and the same drive and tenacity I aspire to be capable of.
The story is heartwarming, and at times gut-wrenchingly sad; I found myself feeling the characters' plight as they struggled against money-driven councillors and unfriendly paper editors. I loved the descriptions of the Lido throughout time and it's role in George and Rosemary's life. I like how the pool symbolised different things for different people - how it survived wars and was the meeting place for lovers, and the start of a journey for young children, or a place to call home if you didn't have anywhere else. It almost felt like the pool itself was a character, with charm and likeability that befriends all of those in the area who come to visit. The Lido soon becomes a place of happiness and memories for Kate, in much the same way as it is for Rosemary, and the pair tirelessly fight to save it. The words were poignant, and the story enveloped me from the first few chapters. Delving back into the story felt like sinking into the water - all-encompassing and a lift to the spirits. It's a clever look at the way evolving times and gentrification has changed our communities, and the significance of places and people we may have overlooked before. There's a real sense of growth and change, interwoven into a story ultimately about love and friendship.
The Power by Naomi Alderman
Rated: 3/5 🌟
A cleverly woven dystopian reality where women have 'the power' is the basis for Alderman's narrative which focuses on a set of 4 characters who suddenly experience a world in which one day, without warning, young women develop a strange physical power: they can produce electricity. This electricity charges through them allowing them the power to hurt, kill, and even torture other individuals. Some girls are gifted with more power than others, and others can awaken this power and activate the 'skein' (the power source located in a female's collarbone) in other girls and older generations.
The Power turns the world and society as we know it on its head, allowing power and the world to be run by females, with men living in fear of their counterparts. Governments become female-focused, a new concept of religion where God becomes female is introduced, a female army is started and there are even some questionable scenes from the Middle East where women are wildly behaving.
The narrative focuses on power dynamics ultimately, reversing the gender oppression of our present day. Its a fascinating concept, but there was certainly a degree of confused pacing and interest - at the beginning I was enthralled, towards the middle I became bored, and near the end, it was tedious to get through the perspectives to find out how the Western world was advancing with the female leaders.
Everything felt a little in disarray, and the ending was a little anticlimactic. As the book spans a ten-year period, there is little in terms of 'world-building' so you're left to fill in the gaps left by Alderman. Often each character's perspective was based on the negative characteristics of the world like the violence and torture people experience so this certainly isn't a light-hearted read; instead, it's challenging and powerful, if a little clunky.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Rated: 3/5 🌟
This is a story of intrigue - Eleanor Oliphant is a little strange, and as I read more about her character my intrigue and curiosity of her mannerisms and why she was the way she is, grew. In the beginning, I felt a little jarred by her formal way of speaking, her lack of eloquence in social situations, and her strict routine, but you soon become accustomed to this and instead focus on the effect loneliness can have on a young woman, and the power a support system can have on improving things.
Her backstory and the reasoning for her scarred face are hinted at, at first, before finally being revealed at the end of the book as Eleanor comes to the precipice of her journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Whilst I was a little confused how she'd spent the majority of the story being reluctant to share the reasoning / her past, to then blurting it out to a therapist, I wish there were more descriptions of her life after this acceptance and reveal, as it felt like the balance of 'before' and 'after' were a little off.
Whilst I liked the balance of this being a tragic story with some uplifting heartfelt moments, I really don't think it deserves the hype it has. Yes, it was enjoyable, but not groundbreaking. The story itself reminds me of John Green books - upon the first read, you think it's spectacular, but really it's a little backward in its ways and is a little bit murkier on a second glance. In a way, this is a slow burn of happiness - it's not like the way a fire burns quickly through things encompassing and engulfing things with a flame easily, instead it's the slow drag of a match or the flicker of a candle flame - you expect great things but it's just a simmer under the surface instead.
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
Rated: 4/5 🌟
With introspection aplenty and poetic descriptions it's hard not to imagine yourself on the Italian shores, or biking through the streets or tasting rich Italian ice cream, alongside Oliver and Elio. Whilst this description may form the basis of the perfect love story, Call Me By Your Name is far from that. This is a story of 17-year-old Elio falling into deep infatuation and sexual obsession with 24-year-old Oliver, who is this year's guest at Elio's parents' villa. The dreamy Italian Riviera lends itself as the background for a slow fizzle then quick-to-ignore emotionally charged relationship between the two boys as they muddle their way through translations, composing and summer activities.
There's a sense of richness and an almost melancholic taint to the descriptions of their relationship and actions. It's a story riddled with disdain, indifference, lingering friendship, and heady intoxication with each other, which forms the vicious cycle of a short-lived should-we-shouldn't-we relationship. There are descriptions of a feverish obsession, pangs of longing, and intense denial that makes you invested in the pair, but also question the healthiness of their feelings as the expiration date draws ever closer. There's an obvious intimacy between the two which is evident on every page, and also we (as a reader) feel in touch with Elio as we read his innermost thoughts and reasoning for his actions.
Whilst the descriptions do border on pretentious, there is a poetic lilt to Aciman and his description of the pair and of Italy itself. You can tell the story is a labour of love, and that words are chosen for specific reasons, to ultimately formulate the bittersweet heartache of two men in love and gorgeously succinct descriptions of the Italian spots they frequent.
I do think the novel has more hype than it deserves, whilst it is a powerful story - there was a sense of lacking for me - the overwhelming nature in some parts was inconsistent in others so I felt like I was ebbing and flowing like the waves of a shoreline. It's got an intensity I can't formulate into words, but I'm left unsatisfied after the last page. It's shattering, and emotionally exposing and shows the thoughts, fantasies, worries, shames, and fears of a 17-year-old, but ultimately it's a story without a plot; it's a distilled memoir of life-altering summer love, that's simultaneously the past, present and future, it's a love that is distant, and immediate. Ultimately, it's incomprehensible to understand unless you've read it, or can relate to that all-in love the characters experience
In Case You Missed It by Linsey Kelk (*)
Rated: 3/5 🌟
From my other recently read books you can tell I'm a fan of a rom-com; a frothy, breezy coming-of-age style story with a fun meet-cute moment between the female lead, and her potential partner.
This is my first foray into Lindsey Kelk's writing and I wasn't disappointed - it has a more charming and sophisticated approach than most, and with a cast of thirty-somethings in the story it tackles more age-relevant aspects like having a baby, being too late to play the field and living with your parents being frowned upon. The book starts with Ros Reynolds, aged 32 having moved back to London after a three-year stint in Washington DC as a podcast producer. Armed with a new phone, a shed in her parents' garden as her new room, and no job yet, she sends out a mass text to her contacts announcing her return, the only trouble is her ex Patrick is one of them. For Ros, he is the man who got away so she's thrilled at the opportunity of a second chance at love with a confident and sexy travel writer (even though her friends hate him). As she's feeling nostalgic, she tries to invoke the same fun and experiences she had in her twenties, so dating Patrick, rolling skate dates, and friends gatherings - only things aren't quite the same as they used to be, which is a difficult adjustment for her to make.
There's misadventures, hilarious and well-written supporting characters, and even a questionable 14-year-old wearing giant animal head masks to make this a light-hearted comical page-turner. There's unflinching honesty to the character of Ros - her doubts, struggles, and idealisms are ones I found myself resonating with so easily. Her parents rekindling their romance is a great additional thread of the narrative, and the sushi scene is FUNNY. However whilst I did feel like the book was trundling along at a believable pace, it was very predictable how it was going to end. The romantic element also takes a back-seat so friendship and self-respect take the reins over Ros's feeling for Patrick, who is hilarious dubbed Twat-faced Wank Chops, and brooding bar-owner John. This really runs with the idea of the mundane moments being the most significant sometimes, so whilst it's not my favourite book of the year, it's a perfect Saturday afternoon flick-through.
Truly, Madly, Like Me by Jo Watson (*)
Rated: 2/5 🌟
In the world of 2020 hashtags, an internet connection and the term 'selfie' are everyday norms. Truly Madly, Like Me follows social media influencer Frankie who's social media career goes downhill after posting a rant about her ex-boyfriend, you could say she has #regrets. As a result, she heads off to a no Wi-Fi zone town in the middle of the desert, where the population has no clue who or what is trending, what an Instagram filter is, or how many followers you have. On her journey of self-discovery, she befriends a one-eyed dog, the town suddenly all know her name (and it's nothing to do with her social media status, it really is just that small) and there's a spark with a man who seems a little familiar - but she has no way of googling him or cyber-stalking to find out why.
This is an interesting story of a modern-day woman who's been caught up in the likes and shares, and constantly being plugged into her phone that she misses out on life. It's interesting to see her shift from having a fake virtual life where she only takes pictures of her breakfast - but never eats it - to living a real one complete with pancakes and without a (Instagram) filter. The reason I rated this with just 2 stars is that I found the content about her weight gain and past self to be off-putting. I felt as though there should be a clear trigger warning and the topic should have been handled more sensitively / in a delicate manner.
Breathless by Jennifer Niven (*)
Rated: 5/5 🌟
Breathless is a slow simmer of a book - it's like the first moments of summer break where you've got weeks of endless time stretching out in front of you, it's like the sea dropping off into the horizon, or the endless hours of sunlight before nightfall. It becomes the sudden flurry of activity and the scramble to do things before normalcy returns, and the change in pace is so subtle it's like a ripple in the water. We follow Claudine - Claude - who's family dynamic has shifted by her parents' impending separation, who spends the summer in a remote island in Georgia with her mum. Having just graduated, this summer was meant to be about one final adventure with her best friend before starting college in different states, instead, she spends her time in a far-off disconnected place - both figuratively and literally. The book really tackles the emotions Claude feels, especially when hearing about change, she says it's as though the floor has be taken out from underneath her. This is is quite fitting considering this becomes her summer of change, but not in the way she expected.
I compulsively sunk into the descriptions of the weeks spent languidly on the island, her routine, and the people who Claude now orbits in this strange in-between phase. As she's cut off from everything she's familiar with, she becomes more open to the possibility of new experiences. There's a solace to be found in the bug-infested heat, and calm to be found in the turtle breeding grounds, and an excitement to a tepid summer romance with a boy, Miah. As you know there's an expiry date on the pair, it makes the descriptions of their budding, blossoming feelings to be raw and heartbreaking from the very offset. It's like there's a melancholy taint, like floating in the sea - it's calm at first, but soon a wave comes to disturb that peace.
The main themes of sexuality and virginity are tackled well - and the descriptions are not far apart from those of the warm summer days and the hazy heat. There's no earth-shattering moment, there's no hyped-up fantastical element to the concept of virginity and it's certainly not a ritualised moment like in other YA fiction. Instead, we see it through Claude and her inherent disconnection from the world and society not only in her literal location but in that it's just a societal construct. She can choose to have sex for the first time to define her if she wants to, just like how she can let her summer on the island define and change her if she'd like it to.
Reading this story is bittersweet, especially with all that Claude endures from first-love, self-discovery, and struggling to make friendships go the distance, it really struck a chord with me. This is a poignant story and one who's moments I savoured as I knew all too soon they were going to end, yet I couldn't stop myself from reading just a few pages more. This book had me feeling nostalgic - it feels like the kind of book I'd read on my own summers away from school or during university, and it had the same cosiness and 'sink-in' moment I associate with summer romance films like The Last Song and Safe Haven. It's emotional and heartfelt and a modern take on female sexuality, growth, and adulthood. This coming-of-age story is unlike anything I've read in a long while, which I think is part of its charm. Certainly Niven's best piece of work
The Cottage of New Beginnings by Suzanne Snow (*)
Rated: 2/5 🌟
Set in the charming village of Thorndale where everyone knows everyone (and their business), Annie is set to make a home of Willow Cottage, left to her by her godmother Molly. It's a place where she spent many parts of her childhood summers. After a failed relationship, she leaves her old life in Edinburgh behind to make a fresh start there, but it doesn’t get off to the best as she angers local resident Jon by parking in the wrong spot. The pair have several interactions from there and start a relationship that is as every bit as cliche as it sounds. Their romance is basically the only plot element, and there is little else discussed like Annie's teaching career or village life outside the two interacting.
I found this book unrealistic and whilst there were enjoyable elements and a wholesome to reading this over the bank holiday, it lacked momentum and panache to make it really enjoyable. Annie was an annoying character and I felt as though the conflicts in the story were resolved much too easily. It's a story without substance so if you're looking for a PG romance fluff then this is for you, otherwise, opt for a romance story by the likes of Sophie Kinsella instead
I was surprised by the religious element as this is a very Christian and faith centred novel and relationship so it remains very much PG which seems a little unlikely in our current society.
