I know, I know, this is insanely late, but better late than never, right?
I may have started off the year strong by reading 13, but I only managed 9 books this month. Well, 8 depending on what your definition of *finish* is.
That’s right, this month I faced the old foe of DNF’ing a book. That’s Did Not Finish for anyone who doesn’t know that abbreviation. It’s not something I do very often at all, but I had to make the hard decision to pull the plug. However… I’m still counting it as a book. Keep reading to find out why:
Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful by Arwen Elys Dayton
A dark lustrous sci-fi tale that sucks you in and spits you out. Told in short stories from the distant future and beyond, the book tackles the issue of body modification and genetics, and just how much of an impact it could have on the human race.
Despite the overarching theme, the story still felt very personal as it followed different characters throughout the years, neatly intertwining their stories leading up to an epic conclusion. I haven’t seen much about this anywhere which I think is a shame. It deserves a wider readership, especially from sci-fi fans!
21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
Yuval Noah Harari does it again, following up his last book, Sapiens. This time he looks to the future, tackling topics like technology, politics, religion, education and justice. Spanning so many major things can be overwhelming at times, and so I read this on and off for a couple weeks as it felt too ‘rich’ to read at once. Each section delves deep and is definitely one of the most thought-provoking books I’ve read in a while.
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
After reading Circe last month, I rushed to check out Madeline Miller’s first book. I missed her writing style and I wasn’t finished with the world of Greek gods just yet.
Incredibly, I think I liked this one even more than Circe, which I wasn’t expecting. While Circe is about (duh) Circe, the goddess, Song of Achilles isn’t completely about Achilles, but instead told from the point of view of human Patroclus. I found this POV easier to relate to, and experiencing that world through his eyes was all the more rewarding. But ultimately this is a love story and a beautiful one at that, as Patroclus is exiled as Prince to the court of King Peleus, where his son Achilles lives. The boys grow up together, and eventually, come to realise their feelings are far from brotherly. The story never stales for a moment, and the Trojan war is vivid and heartbreaking.
If you haven’t read Circe yet or aren’t sure about it, perhaps pick this one up first and see if it whets your appetite.
The Skills: From First Job to Dream Job—What Every Woman Needs to Know by Mishal Husain
An empowering guide for women in their careers, Mishal’s book is easy-to-read and to-the-point with some great info, advice and inspiration for people at all stages of life. Not the best of the genre, this is still worth a flick through if you spot it.
Munmun by Jesse Andrews
I enjoyed Munmun. It’s really weird and hard to describe, as it is a kind of dystopian/sci-fi/fantasy set in an alternate reality. It is based on the premise that people are as tall as they are rich. Therefore, a lot of people are ‘rat size’ and some are so big they have to go to the toilet in the ocean. It’s an odd premise, but due to the characters, you get sucked right in and it does all make sense in many ways. There are more layers to the story than meets the eye.
The Catherine Howard Conspiracy by Alexandra Walsh
I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley, and I absolutely LOVED it. Looking around Goodreads and Instagram, it seems I’m not the only one! Also, I’m so glad there’s not too long to wait for the sequel, released in June! I laid out all my thoughts in a full review which you can read here.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
I fell head over heels for The Cruel Prince, the first book in the Folk of the Air series. It follows human Jude and her sisters, as she grows up in the land of Faerie. While there is an advantage to being human – the ability to lie – humans are inferior in this strange land. Despite this, Jude is ambitious and won’t let this hold her back. A fantasy, a romance, an adventure – this book has it all and would make a brilliant TV show. I’ve since read the next instalment, The Wicked King, which you’ll hear more about very soon.
Be More Pirate: Or How to Take On the World and Win by Sam Conniff Allende
This was a cool quick read, describing the misunderstood history of pirates, what we can learn from them, and how to apply this to our lives today. A little over the top at times, it was a fun and easy take on the motivational self-help book.
The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
I’d been reading this book on and off for over a month, dedicating 13 whole days overall, but somehow it just wasn’t clicking. This could be because it’s a beast of a book at over 1400 pages! I started trying to read it many years ago when I first jumped on board the Outlander train. I read all the way through to this one, but got bored and put it down. With the new season just finishing, and the TV show fast catching up with how far I’d read in the books, I wanted to give it another go. However after all that time, and over 400 pages, almost nothing of note had happened, and I just couldn’t take it any longer.
I’m still going to count it though because, at 400 pages, I got further than how long most novels are! I’ve made my peace with it now, and won’t’ be reading any further in the series. It’s a shame as I’d really enjoyed it up to now, but this book needed some serious editing to be done. Instead, I’m grateful that the TV show is continuing at least (for now, fingers crossed!) so I will see how the story ends.
I’m hoping now to put it behind me and continue with books that make me excited to read them! So bring on March.
