Hi everyone! Welcome to March, the year seems to go by.... can you believe it's been in a year since we went into our first lockdown?
Following on from last month, my summary of February reads will be much the same - 5 books you can read currently, and 5 you can read in due course, so without further ado here's 5 books I loved in February
This Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Rated: 5/5 🌟
Set within the Nazi occupation of France, this remarkable story looks at what happened to the women left behind as the men went to fight. Focusing on the wives, daughters and widows left behind, we see two sisters make decisions that will ultimately shape their lives beyond recognition.
Vianne and Isabelle couldn't be more different. As the eldest, Vianne is more sensible and nurturing, and sends care packages to her husband Antoine (who is trapped at a Nazi war camp) and struggles to feed her daughter as rations deplete. Whilst Isabelle is more insufferable and rebellious with a fiery independent streak and finds herself involved with a group of French citizens leading a resistance, as they refuse to sit back whilst the war rages on. The sisters both make difficult and unavoidable decisions that cause suffering to those around them, and ultimately whilst their personalities may differ so much, they both shape into inspirational and powerful heroines worthy of recognition alongside the male counterparts that most war fiction is focused on.
The contrast between the two sisters is fascinating. We see Vianne housing Nazi soldiers, being forced to betray lifelong friends, and witness manipulation and suffering at the hands of the Germans lodging in her home. In contrast we see Isabelle, who wishes to fight on the frontline and puts herself in danger to help in the war, in any way that she can. The characterisation and growth of the two is admirable with both of them finding strength within themselves to make a difference. Hannah's writing style is so artistically refined that there are a host of magical and resounding moments interwoven with the ordinary to perceive the suffering of war in its totality.
Like with any war story, despite knowing the result from our own history, there are always overarching themes of love and hope, to contrast the fear and suffering. It was incredibly sad to read more about the Nazis overtaking France, and how the soldiers and government manipulated and evoked fear in its residents, and ultimately segregated society beyond repair. I was glad for the tender and loving moments between couples, and families as an anthesis of the more emotive elements, and this ultimately made it a fulfilling, immersive and strong book, one that will stay with me for a long time.
It's an enchanting, and sincerely distinct and emotive look at the role of women in wartime. I'm not referring to simply ration books, and tending to children but instead the defying of expectations and the role they played in saving lives and serving their country from within their ranks, rather than from the front line.
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
Rated: 4/5 🌟
I picked this up as I had seen it EVERYWHERE on Bookstagram, and also because I am a sucker for a romcom, hand me a DVD of Notting Hill or any Nicholas Sparks inspired movie and I am SOLD.
The premise of this story is that Quinn and Minnie were both born at the same hospital on New Year’s Day 30 years ago. Throughout the story, we see how many times their paths coincidentally crossed on the eve of their birthday without them realising. It really is a book channelled by the theme of fate, and ultimately even though I knew the pair would end up together I found myself rooting for them from the offset, despite their clunky ill-mannered partners at the time.
This had all the charm of a teeth-achingly cute Hugh Grant movie with a sugar-coated ending. Minnie and Quinn both undergo some self-development and I LOVED that this wasn't a 'love-fixes-all' story. The menagerie of characters that surround the pair are smart, and funny additions to the plot, however, the character of Bev is mentioned prolifically, but she doesn't really have any relevance to the ending of the characters' developments. There are some unbelievable and unrealistic moments to the story which normally I'd roll my eyes at, but it added to the cutesie romantic vibe of the quirky characters.
An element I was a huge fan of in this story was the humour. There were moments I found myself grinning or laughing out loud - like the coconut bra moment, and the unicorn proposal. I also really enjoyed the flitting from New Years Eve pasts to the present day. I would have loved to see an epilogue or even a 'what are the pair doing this time in 5 years' which is why I didn't rate this 5 stars. Despite its misgivings, it is a charming uplifting read for a year when we could all do with a bit more laughter and light.
Circe by Madeline Miller
Rated: 3.5/5 🌟
Much like The Dictionary of Lost Words which I reviewed recently, Circe gives a female voice to a story who’s male version is widely told. Much of Greek mythology focuses on the male stories we know so well; Achilles, the fall of Icarus, the Minotaur. This story is so richly complex that it has these elements cleverly interwoven into a story of acceptance, of escaping one’s origin, of a Goddesses’ experience of loss, love, discovery and resolve.
Circe, daughter of the sun god Helios, is an immortal witch who’s banished from her father’s kingdom to live a life of solitude upon the island of Aiaia. After escaping the restrictions of her old life she has the chance to develop as a witch and as a woman.
It’s a gateway into the world of myth, as an accessible means of understanding these classic stories. What I love about the story is that this is an ode to a fierce female; one who is allowed to have power, and carve an independent life for herself. Much like Medusa, she is often recognised in villainous terms but previous stories never show you the other side to her. She shatters the fragile equilibrium of society and defies what is expected of her. When she is free from the shackles of expectation and societal norms, she begins to flourish. She is ultimately a symbol of feminine power. This is a tale for heroines who are often overlooked in favour of stories of their male hero counterparts. Greek mythology is woven beautifully into a new story that is lyrically and charmingly written.
I went in with little context of Circe’s origin but no matter, Miller does an exquisite job of telling the story for you and feeding you necessary info as and when is relevant. We follow the story through an outcasts’ eyes, whom we see grow through her own self wisdom and freedom. Circe is powerful, and despite being a goddess, she has undeniable humanity which we are finally given insight into thanks to the narrative agency Madeline Miller gives her. There’s a sprinkling of bloodshed, magic, and a look at power all wrapped in a lyrical package.
At times I found my mind straying and it did take me a while to get into the story, so whilst it was enjoyable it is not the most enjoyable of reads which I think comes down to its complexity and the large cast of characters (often with similar names) you have to keep track of. In spite of this, there is an epic warmth to the story and the last few chapters are pretty powerful and cement that Circe was a Goddess to be respected and not reduced to one aspect of a story but instead is the heroine of her own tale.
Bright Burning Things by Lisa Harding (*gifted)
Rated: 4/5 🌟
Do you ever read a story that is so distressing that it seems a crime to say it was enjoyable? At times this story was so unnerving it made my skin crawl. It's powerful and emotive, and at times the descriptions were so distressing and raw that I could feel my throat clog up.
This story focuses on Sonya, an actress who has since fallen victim to alcoholism and struggles to look after her four-year-old son Tommy and dog Herbie. Things become so bad that soon her father, and a meddling neighbour, are forced to intervene for the sake of Tommy's welfare. During a three month stint on a rehab style course at a local convent, Sonya struggles to detox from alcohol which has been her crutch for so long and is forced to face some harsh realities about her life and her character.
The themes themselves are challenging and Harding is brave in her approach, especially with the way it handles the disintegration of relationships addiction can cause. It's a fascinating look at how damaging an upbringing under the alcoholic influence can be, and there are real moments of distress particularly when Sonya is separated from her son. I loved the visceral and tainted perspective that Sonya had of the world from her own upbringing, and the effect of the 'bad fairy' when she had been drinking was emotional and convincingly handled. There is a delicate hand used to describe the suffering the family encounters and the result is a moving, enchantingly sincere, all-encompassing alive piece of text.
This is both intricately intense and fast-paced, whilst being soothing and sincere at moments, showing how quickly the change and effect Sonya's addiction has on her maternal feelings.
This Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Rated: 4/5 🌟
Fresh from reading Circe I delved into Miller's other popular Greek retelling, this time it’s Achilles' demise at Troy. The Trojan War provides the background for an epic love story. Patroclus, our narrator, is a recently exiled young prince and we witness the bond between himself and Achilles grow from a tentative friendship into an all-consuming meaningful deep-rooted love. Despite their intentions to avoid the war, but after much of a rigmarole, they find themselves involved in the fight.
Despite their obvious differences - Achilles being a gifted fighter, Patroclus lacking these skills; Achilles being popular and well adored, Patroclus being exiled and somewhat under the radar amongst his peers; Achilles being arrogant whilst Patroclus is much more subdued about his skills- it's a charming story of the coming together of two unlike beings. The pair love each other in spite of their evident flaws, and even have lengthy discussions about their faults to formulate a stronger bond.
At each beautiful advance in their relationship, I felt an intense sense of trepidation as I knew ultimately how the story would end, and both simultaneously wanted to read more but also didn't want the tragedy of death to tear apart yet another two lovers.
It was gripping, and mesmerising and a beautiful retelling of such a tragic tale. Whilst poetic and poignant in its approach, there are well-established characters and a doomed-for relationship that still has you rooting for them even as you're sobbing in your bed (just me?).
At times this was tender and emotive, whilst at others it was violent and powerful. Ultimately, this book embodies LOVE. Love can come in both of the forms I've just described, and this is a love story centred on Patroclus and Achilles, and ultimately the word 'love' also describes how I feel about this book. To put it succinctly; I ADORED THIS ONE.
And there you have it, 5 books with strong protagonists and a sense of moral message in them all! Have you read any of these?
Kisses,
Chlo x
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