Book Haul | January

I was given some books for Christmas so I thought I'd do a book haul to show you them, along with a couple I bought myself recently.

Let's start with the books I got for Christmas...

Women and Power by Mary Beard

(Hardback, Profile Books, 115 pages)

I first saw the cover of this book on Twitter around the time of it's publication date near the end of last year. That, along with the title was enough to draw me in (my English Literature dissertation did largely look at women and power so it's not really very surprising). It's written by Mary Beard, a well known classicist and is supposedly looks at how powerful women have been treated throughout history. I think it's worth sharing the quote on the back of this book, it says: "You can't easily fit women into a structure that is already coded male; you have to change the structure". So I'm definitely hoping to get round to this relatively short, non-fiction book soon.

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green

(Hardback, Penguin Books, 286 pages)

'Turtles All The Way Down' is John Green's most recent Young Adult novel. I've been a follower of him and his work for quite a few years now, and although I do think he often explores the same kind of themes I wanted to give this one a go! I don't know all that much about it, other than it touches on mental illness and friendship. I'll of course share my thoughts on this one once I've read it.

Winter by Ali Smith

(Hardback, Hamish Hamilton, 322 pages)

If you've read my 'Best Books of the Year' post you'll know how much I loved Ali Smith's novel 'Autumn' last year, so needless to say I was very happy to receive the next book in the quartet. I've heard great things about 'Winter' from Simon Savidge and Jen Campbell, so I'm sure I won't be disappointed (if you like book-ish content, then definitely check out both of their channels on Youtube by the way). I believe 'Winter' is set in Cornwall when four people come together at Christmas - I won't say more that that because I think Smith's novels are best when you read them not knowing too much. P.S. How beautiful is this cover?!

Onto the two books I picked up myself recently!

Mrs Dalloway's Party by Virginia Woolf

(Hardback, Vintage, 70 pages)

I studied a module on Virginia Woolf during my third year of university and 'Mrs Dalloway' was my absolute favourite piece of her work. This book, 'Mrs Dalloway's Party' is a series of seven very short stories that Woolf wrote during the same time as 'Mrs Dalloway' - the first story was initially meant to be the first chapter of the novel and I think the rest all link to Mrs Dalloway in some way too. I didn't even know this collection existed until I stumbled across it when I was browsing the shelves in Foyles, so obviously I just had to buy it...

Three Things About Elsie by Joanna Cannon

(Hardback, Borough Press, 455 pages)

I mainly bought this book because of Simon (yes, he influenced me again haha) because he raved about it. I haven't read Joanna Cannon's other novel but I'm looking forward to this one! It's about 84 year old Florence, her life both past and present, and the mysterious new resident that has appeared at her care home. I think this novel only came out this month and I'm keen to try and read new releases fairly close to their pub dates this year, so fingers crossed I'll finish the books I'm currently reading and will get to read this one very soon.

That's all of the books I've been given/purchased so far in January, let me know if you have any recommendations or particular books you're looking forward to this year!

Laura.

Best Books of the Year | 2017

Seeing as twenty seventeen is drawing to a close, I thought it would be a good idea to share my favourite books of the year. I've picked out four of the best books I read this year, that is to say they weren't all published this year!

So, in no particular order, let's jump straight into it:

Let Them East Chaos by Kate Tempest

(Paperback, Picador, 72 pages)

First up is this book, which contains a single poem. I previously reviewed this one back in May, original post linked 'here' in case you're interested. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars and I definitely still stand by that rating. I feel like it's even a poem for people who don't necessarily 'get' poetry or find poetry inaccessible usually, everyone will be able to take something from it and grasp what Tempest is trying to say. It's topical, current and political and I'd definitely recommend you give this one a go if you're looking to try out something a little bit different.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

(Hardback, Hamish Hamilton, 228 pages)

I read this book prior to it being shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize, but it was definitely a worthy contender. It primarily follows two young characters: Saeed and Nadia when their country is torn apart by war... They become estranged from their own country and must seek peace elsewhere by travelling through one of the mysterious doors which start to appear around the world and form a link to other countries. Do not be fooled into thinking that this is a love story or full of magical realism, it isn't one and is only framed by this magical 'door' aspect. Although the novel does follow the pair's relationship it has a raw 'realness' and the focus of the narrative focuses more greatly on the political turmoil and it's impact, so is not romantic in a typical sense. Hamid explores the personal perspective of what it is to be a refugee and the public reaction of others. It's beautifully told, almost poetic at times and is definitely a must read in my opinion. 

[4.5/5 stars]

By Light We Knew Our Names by Anne Valente

(Paperback, Dzanc Books, 222 pages)

I gave this short story collection by Anne Valente 4.5 stars out of 5 because of it's beautiful language, interesting concepts and the merging of magical realism and realistic stories, my original review can be found 'here'. I think this will be a collection I return to and reread in the future and is a good place to start for anyone who is new to short stories. 

Autumn by Ali Smith

(Hardback, Hamish Hamilton, 263 pages)

My final pick is this very aesthetically pleasing edition of 'Autumn', I received this one for my birthday earlier this year and only recently got round to reading it. Safe to say I absolutely loved this book, but it won't be to everyone's tastes. This is for lovers of contemporary and literary fiction, who enjoy non-linear narratives, playful language and unconventional writing techniques. Broadly speaking this novel depicts a friendship between a young girl and her elderly neighbour, mostly set against the back drop of Brexit and 'current' political events. However, because it touches on so many different themes and topics it would be impossible to mention them all here - I feel like you'd pick up on different things every time you reread it. Published in 2016 this is the first book in a seasonal quartet, the second of which called 'Winter' was only released fairly recently. I'm looking forward to reading more of Smith's work next year (especially the rest of this little collection). 

[4.5/5 stars]

So they are my best books of 2017!

I'm hoping to get back on track with more regular posts going forward into the New Year, so watch this space for new content in 2018!

Laura.

Wrap Up | May

May hasn't been the most productive in terms of reading for me, but it's been a pretty busy month filled with traveling to various places around the country, catching up with people and a few birthdays. Despite this I did still manage to read a collection of short stories, a long poem and a novel...

So onto the three things I read this month:

Let Them Eat Chaos by Kate Tempest
(Paperback, Picador, 72 pages)

Kate Tempest is a spoken-word poet who has become increasingly well known in recent years, mainly due to her impactful live performances. Let Them Eat Chaos, although now produced in 'book' form, is still intended to be read out loud. The poem follows seven neighbours in London who are all awake early one morning and we gain direct insight into their lives, their problems and their concerns. Simultaneously it deals with broader problems that face humanity more generally. It concludes with a big storm breaking over the city, which ultimately ends up connecting all of the disconnected individual voices. Tempest's poem is startlingly relevant and raw in the present climate; both politically, socially and philosophically. Despite studying English Literature at University I often steered clear of poetry during my degree. I struggled to analyse it in a sophisticated way because I found a lot of it incomprehensible and dense (especially the older stuff with complicated language). But that isn't to say that I dislike all poetry - I'm a big fan of Carol Ann Duffy and Rupi Kaur whose's work is more accessible and relatable, particularly because it has a way of appealing to emotion. Tempest too, for me, falls into this category. I'd definitely recommend this poem to everyone, even if you aren't sure poetry is for you.

I read this poem three times: once in my head, once out loud and once following along while I watched/listened to her live performance (linked 'here'). I'm glad I did it in this order. It was interesting to see how I interpreted the spacing of the lines and tempo in comparison to Tempest herself, so do check out the live version if nothing else. I'm keen to pick up her previous collection of poems: Hold Your Own at some point as well as anything else she brings out in the future.

"Come to remind you that you're not an island, 
Life is much broader than borders..."

[4/5 stars]

Treats by Lara Williams
(Paperback, Freight Books, 125 pages)

Treats is a collection of realist stories which explore life in the twenty-first century, with a particular emphasis on relationships. If you're a twenty-something (or a bit older) who has graduated from university - this collection is for you. Many of the stories have relatable elements, especially the first story in the collection called It Begins which is about a girl who graduates, goes to live back home with her parents and is figuring out what she should do next with her life. My other favourites included: Dates, Sundaes At The Tipping Yard and Safe Spaces. Some of these are only a page or two long, others are a bit lengthier. Although I really enjoyed this collection as a whole some of the stories did end up blurring into one another because they did, broadly, explore the same themes and topics. I also noticed that some of the same wording is repeated throughout. These were the main reasons why I only gave it 3.5 stars, but I'd still recommend it if it sounds like the sort of thing you'd be interested in. It's definitely down to earth and wryly written, so don't go into it expecting any inspiring solutions to your singleness or undecided future. Having said that, there is something to be said for the reassurance it offers and the bold decision Williams has taken to depict a 'real' version of post-teenage life.

[3.5/5 stars]

The Mothers by Brit Bennett
(Paperback, Riverhead Books, 278 pages)

The Mothers is a contemporary novel based in America which predominantly focuses on three main characters: Nadia, Aubrey and Luke. I was expecting great things from this book but for me it fell a bit short, mainly because I found the plot to be a little predictable, a bit simplistic maybe. Yet the writing was still good and there were some really good sections within the novel that stood out to me. I just feel like if you read the blurb for this book you pretty much know the whole story already, it didn't blow me away basically. However, if you're looking for a quick, easy read over summer this might be a good option. This is also Brit Bennett's debut novel, so I'll be interested to see what else she writes going forward.

[3/5 stars]

Currently reading:

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid 
(Hardback, Hamish Hamilton, 228 pages)

I'm currently reading Exit West and absolutely loving it so far, the main themes include love, politics and war with a bit of magical realism thrown in for good measure. I'm not going to say much more about it here though - I'll do a full review once I've finished it!

Laura.

Book Haul | May

How is it nearly the end of May already?! This year really seems to be flying by... but seeing as it is almost the end of the month I thought now would be a good time to share the books I've picked up during May.

Swimmer Among the Stars by Kanish Tharoor

(Hardback, Picador, 239 pages)

So technically I got this one at the very end of April, but I'm going to include it here anyway. Swimmer Among the Stars is a fairly long collection of short stories and this edition was only published a couple of months ago, but I haven't seen or heard many reviews for it yet.

Two things in particular drew me to this book: the blurb and the cover. As some of you may already know, I am a recent convert to short stories because they're the perfect length to read on my commute. These ones sounded cool as they seem to be a little bit different to normal and include stories about "an interview with the last speaker of a language" and "the lonely voyage of an elephant". Secondly, any cover which has elephants and/or metallic foiling is always going to grab my attention. When I'm looking for my next fix of short stories I'll definitely be reaching for this collection.

The End We Start From by Megan Hunter

(Hardback, Picador, 127 pages)

One day I was randomly scrolling through Twitter and a photo of this book popped up on my feed. Like aforementioned, foiling on front covers is a weakness of mine (don't judge me okay), so that combined with the interesting premise of this book meant I just had to get it. The End We Start From is set during a "mysterious environmental crisis" in which London is submerged by a flood, it follows a woman who gives birth to her first child, referred to as 'Z', and their journey to escape the flood waters. It promises to be novel which explores motherhood and family in a unique way - I'm excited to read this short debut super soon.

Strange Heart Beating by Eli Goldstone 

(Paperback, Granta, 194 pages)

The next three books came from a second hand book shop called 'Any Amount of Books' in London. Not only do they have a basement full of books for a pound, but they also have proof copies and hardback books that have only recently come out, sold at discounted prices - definitely worth a visit if you're a book-lover and in the area. 

I've seen a lot of book tubers talk about this first book so I grabbed it when I saw it in the shop for five pounds rather than the usual thirteen. From what I can gather Strange Heart Beating is loosely based on the Greek myth of Leda and the Swan. When Leda is killed by a swan Seb, Leda's husband, discovers some mysterious letters from another man. The rest of the novel follows Seb on his journey to find out more about the letters, the man and Leda's past.

Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag 

(Hardback, Faber & Faber, 118 pages)

I love brave designs that embody simplicity but are bold at the same time and this is definitely a good example of that. I pretty much know nothing about this book other than it centres around a poor family that comes into fortune unexpectedly and the consequences this results in. This book also only came out a month or so ago, so I'm keen to get to these new releases shortly because I always think there's something nice about reading a book around the time it comes out! Again, I only paid five pounds for this one too. I just can't resist a good bargain.

How Much the Heart Can Hold

(Hardback, Sceptre, 149 pages)

This collection of short stories about love came out last year and each story is written by a different author. I haven't tried a short story collection which has multiple authors yet but I thought it would be a good way to read lots of authors I hadn't necessarily heard of before quite quickly. How Much the Heart Can Hold supposedly examines seven different concepts of love, I'll be interested to see which stories I end up liking the most and hopefully I'll discover some good new authors too.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

(Paperback, 4th Estate, 433 pages)

I think most people have heard of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie because of her well known TED Talk/Essay: 'We Should All Be Feminists' but she's also written a selection of novels - I've heard that this is one of her best. Another one of her novels was on my contemporary literature reading list at university. I never got round to reading it though, because of the typical 'so much to do, so little time' problem that so many English Lit students face. However, I was in Whitstable visiting my sister for her birthday yesterday and there's a little independent bookshop there so since I've been meaning to read more of Adichie's work I picked up this lovely 2017 edition. It explores how three character's lives intertwine in Nigeria during the 1960's against the backdrop of the Civil War. I'm hoping to do an author spotlight on Adichie once I've managed to get through some more of her work, so look out for that later on in the year.

And that's all of the books I've bought in May.

Do let me know if you have any book recommendations or have read any of the books in this post - I'd be interested to know your thoughts!

Laura.

Night Waking | A Review

Night Waking by Sarah Moss 

(Paperback, 378 pages, published by Granta)

In my March Wrap Up post I briefly mentioned that I had started reading this book and since I finished it earlier today I thought I'd do a quick review post for it.

It follows Anna and her family's life on the small rural island of Colsay. She's the mother of two young children (Moth and Raph), a historian and an researcher from Oxford University. The novel discusses her struggle to balance her academic work with her domestic role and more broadly, childhood in general. When the family discover a baby's skeleton which has been buried in the garden the narrative spans both the past and the present. 

I definitely enjoyed this book, it was easy to read which was perfect for my commute on the train to and from London. One of the novel's biggest strengths is the characterisation. By the end of the book you feel like you know Anna and her children, you care about them and their lives. Giles, Anna's husband, on the other hand was more of a 'take it or leave it' kind of character for me. He was irritating at times (maybe this was deliberate?) and I feel like he could have played a bigger part in the plot even though it was mostly told from Anna's perspective. Despite this minor snag however, I think Moss' depiction of motherhood was brilliant. She didn't shy away from being realistic and blunt about it - there were definitely parts which made me laugh even though I can't personally relate to Anna's role as mother. 

I thought the narrative structure was also interesting: every chapter starts with a quote which frames each section and at the end of the chapters are a selection of historical letters. I have to say, although I understand entirely what Moss was doing by including these letters, they weren't a favourite aspect of mine. I found myself skim reading them nearer the end as I was more interested in the 'present day' thread of the novel. Obviously at the end the necessity of them becomes more apparent but I think there could have been less of them dispersed throughout the novel without impacting negatively on the plot. 

Overall I'd give Night Waking 3.5 stars out of 5. If you want a quick, humourous read and some lovable characters definitely pick this one up. It didn't quite convert me to the intermittent epistolary format, hence the star rating, but it was well written. I'm looking forward to reading The Tidal Zone soon, one of Moss' most recent novels. It will be interesting to see how she has developed as an author!

[3.5/5 stars]

Laura.

Book Haul | April

I've been buying some books, so I thought I'd share them with you.

Let's start with the three beautifully designed and brightly coloured hardbacks...

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

(Hardback, 300 pages)

Having only been published by Viking (an imprint of Penguin Random House) at the end of 2016, this book has already received a lot of hype. Homegoing is about two sisters who end up living very different lives: one is a slave owner's wife, the other is sold into slavery. The novel apparently spans seven generations across three different continents - that's a lot to fit into 300 pages! But I'm looking forward to reading this one, so hopefully I'll get a chance to pick it up soon.

Idaho by Emily Ruskovich 
(Hardback, 305 pages)

Idaho is Emily Ruskovich's debut novel, published by an imprint of PRH called Chatto & Windus and it came out earlier this year. I haven't heard all that much about this one apart from the fact that it centres around a terrible event that happens to a family and is told from multiple perspectives. Sometimes I like going into a book quite blind and I think this is definitely one that suits that method. Apparently Ruskovich grew up in Idaho too, so I'm hoping that the novel will portray an authentic sense of place.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier 
(Hardback, 441 pages)

I've heard great things about Daphne Du Maurier's writing, especially Rebecca so have wanted to get my hands on a copy of it for quite some time now. I studied a small section of this novel during my English Literature A-Level but never got round to reading it in full. Better late than never. No surprises here, but I particularly wanted this 2003 Virago Modern Classic edition because I'm a sucker for pretty covers and well published books. I managed to get it at a decent price from the online bookseller Wordery - definitely worth checking out when you're buying books or just want to steer clear of Amazon with their sneaky postage and packaging charges as Wordery offer free delivery. I probably won't get round to reading this one super soon but I'm pleased to now own a copy.

Last but not least, I got two small paperbacks; one short story collection and some poetry.

Treats by Lara Williams 
(Paperback, 125 pages)

This short story collection was published by Freight Books in 2016. After reading By Light We Knew Our Names I was keen to pick up some more short stories and this sounded like my cuppa tea. I heard about it on Leena Normington's Youtube Channel (JustKissMyFrog) definitely go and check her out - she has some super intelligent and well formed ideas about many things, including books. I'm just going to put a snippet of the blurb here as I feel like collections of stories are always difficult to sum up when you haven't read them yet: 'Treats is a sharply authentic collection of short stories which pinpoint life in the twenty-first century'. Review to follow shortly as I'm sure I'll speed through these.

Let Them Eat Chaos 
(Paperback, 72 pages)

You may have heard of Kate Tempest because her poetry collection called Hold Your Own received a lot of attention and praise. I haven't read that collection yet but I was intrigued by Let Them Eat Chaos, a long poem which was originally written for live performance which examines the lives of seven neighbours in London. I must say, I always avoided studying poetry in an academic sense at university. I often struggle to dissect poems but I do like poetry that engages with relatable issues and topics so we'll see how I get on with this one.

So, that's all of the books! I'm slowly but surely getting through the novels from my March Wrap Up post so expect reviews of those soon. Do let me know if you have any book recommendations, I'm always looking for new suggestions (contact info in the 'contact tab' at the top of the page).

Laura.

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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The First Post

Welcome to the first post of my newly created book blog. 

This is something I've been thinking of starting for quite a while, which I kept putting off for various reasons. However, I decided now was the time to finally do it. I've found that there's rarely ever a 'perfect' time to do something and often the best thing is to just start regardless. 

Most of you are probably aware that I studied a Philosophy and English Literature degree at University. Since graduating I've got a bit more time to read books, but maybe more importantly, books that I've chosen to read myself rather than being from a compulsory reading list. I decided to call this blog 'Made Up Worlds' firstly because I'll primarily be talking about fiction on here, but also because it quite nicely links back to my lifestyle/opinion based blog 'Living in a Made Up World' which I've had for many years now!

As of yet I haven't planned how regularly I'll be posting or even the exact kinds of posts I'll be writing - apart from the fact that they'll definitely be book related. Hopefully this blog will be an online space to share my opinions on books, keep track of what I'm reading and maybe even inspire someone to pick up a book they otherwise may have never come across.

Anyway, this was just a quick introduction so more book themed posts will follow shortly!

Laura.