Welcome to my first round up! I have been reviewing some of these, and hope to post these soon, but in the meantime, I thought I’d do a little round-up. Somehow, I ended up reading thirteen books during January, and I’m still not too sure how I did it! I think I got lucky with a couple being short reads, and I picked a lot of excellent books that I simply couldn’t put down.
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
What a great start to the year so far with this lovely read. I love non-fiction, but they can often be rather depressing. Perhaps reflecting reality a little too much? But this book is the perfect antidote. It turns everything you think you know about the world on its head and leaves you feeling so much better and informed. And that maybe the world isn’t so bad after all.
I Still Dream by James Smythe
This is one of my most thought-provoking reads of January. This book has a strong Black Mirror vibe, as it intertwines technology and an intimate character study. Beginning in the 1990s, it focuses on a young woman developing AI software. Then it follows her through every ten years of her life, showing how much of an impact that software has had on technology and the rest of the world. It has a great atmosphere and an impressive scope.
Art Matters by Neil Gaiman
A short, little book, beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully done and lovely to look at. I really liked the parts about the importance of reading and libraries, which I wrote about on my Instagram.
Please Don’t Hire Me I’m Scared by Sophie Bloodworth
As a not-so-recent graduate, this book sums up exactly what a lot of us in our twenties are going through when job-hunting. Sophie’s memoir is personal, funny and relatable and was a great short read for some motivation and consolation in these hard times!
Circe by Madeline Miller
It’s really hard to sum up my feelings of Circe. It is an incredibly expansive book, with beautiful language and intricate details of the Circe, the Greek goddess. Told from her point of view, following her across thousands of years, we explore the hierarchy of the Greek gods and the fragility of mortals. It is a brilliant read, although verging on a tad too long. Well told and tied together, it has intrigued me to learn more about these myths and legends though.
How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price
Reading this inspired me to ‘break up’ with my phone, so I suppose it does exactly what it says on the tin! It is a book of two parts. The first explaining what phones have done to us and our brains and the second a how-to on how to make a change. I’m currently blogging my way through the challenge. Have a look at the first post here!
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
I read this in two days as it was just so addictive! You are thrust into Starr’s world straight away. The uneasy nature of living in a mostly black and poor neighbourhood and attending a predominantly white and wealthy prep school. It is a contemporary take on race, told from the point of view of a young adult. You can tell the author knows the world inside and out and has poured her heart and soul into it. As a white reader, I felt I learnt a little more about the black experience and just how heart-breaking and every-day it can be.
Normal People by Sally Rooney
What can I say, other than WOW. I know this book has incited a love-it or hate-it response, but I am firmly on the love side. It does have some problematic moments. The protagonist’s relationship may not be the healthiest, but it feels the most realistic human experience I have read in a long time. I love the style of writing, where speech just flows down the page, rather than using speech marks and punctuation. It feels like you are a part of the conversation and experiencing it alongside Marianne and Connell, as we follow them through high school to college. It feels very Irish too, which I enjoyed, and I’d like to read more Irish authors and Irish set books in the future.
The Wonder Down Under by Dr Nina Brochmann and Ellen Stokken Dahl
I’ve done a full review of this one here, but to summarise this is an excellent thought-provoking book that I think everyone should read. It explains so much, in a fun, easy to understand way. I definitely wish I’d had this to read when I was younger. However, I am still finding it super useful, as I continue to navigate periods, hormones and contraception.
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
I love self-help books. There’s just something about them that is so comforting and motivating, so I often turn to them for a little pick-me-up. This is one I’ve meant to read for a while, and I’ve seen recommended all over the place. But… I didn’t really gel with this one, unfortunately. I found the tone of voice quite airy-fairy and didn’t give me any new information. Admittedly I skim read the last half, as I was just over it already. But I didn’t seem like I missed much.
Misfit by Charli Howard
Misfit is a memoir from model Charli Howard, who I hadn’t heard of before. I have now looked her up and I am liking her current work. Charli is now a ‘body positivity ambassador’ and a ‘plus size’ model (despite being smaller than I ever will be). I quite liked this book, as her style of writing was intimate yet powerful. She details her time as a child, moving every few years, not finding any friends and living with an eating disorder.
As someone who hasn’t had an eating disorder and not knowing too much about them, I found her take really interesting. She discusses how it was rooted in her anxiety and how she coped with it. Entering the modelling industry at such a young age was absolutely a hindrance in her recovery and set her back for years. Her inside look as to how it operated back then is shocking and sad. I am glad that towards the end she managed to be more comfortable in herself. She finds a new career path that isn’t determined by her hip size.
How to Be an Overnight Success by Maria Hatziestefanis
Another self-help style book, but this time from a #girlboss approach. Maria Hatzistefanis is another figure I hadn’t heard of, but I liked her story of ‘success’. The book details how she began her skincare business and how it developed over many years to be an ‘overnight success’. At the end of each chapter, she gives tips and advice. I found many of these sections genuinely useful, and it is good value for the short length.
An Edited Life by Anna Newton
This book is a game-changer. If you’re a Type A, organisation addict and wanna-be Marie Kondo like me, then this is the book for you. But if you’re not, this book may change how you view organising and sorting out your life. I love that this is so not a ‘declutter, ‘think positive’, ‘meal prep’ type of book. It kind of falls between the self-help and how-to genre.
This isn’t about getting rid of your stuff or changing your life; this is about realistic and relatable ways to EDIT your life. It prompts you to curate three areas: Life, Work and Home. In that order.
I think it’s so great she focuses on ‘life’ first, as you have to be in the right frame of mind for any kind of change. She goes through your digital life, finances and socialising, noting that you can’t always get it right. I’ve read many a self-help book, but this has been the prettiest and most helpful.
There were so many things I genuinely hadn’t thought of before. Each page is crammed with info and thoughts. Its release is perfect timing, ready for a spring clean, of every area of your life. Anna Newton also has lots of great resources on her blog and her YouTube channel too.
So, there we are, all thirteen! I think there was a good mix of genres and I really enjoyed the majority of what I read. Overall it has been a good start for 2019!
I posted most of these on Instagram over the last month, so follow me on Instagram for updates to see what I’m currently reading, and other book-related things…
Let me know if there are any you’d like a review of, and if you’re thinking of reading any of these yourself.
