What I've Been Reading Lately #3

It’s been a while since I did a book review/recommendation post so I thought I’d do a quick one talking through books that I’ve really enjoyed over the past six months or so.

Dune by Frank Herbert

Follows 15 year old Paul Atreides as his family move from their lush home planet of Caladan to the dry, desert planet of Arrakis (also known as Dune) to take over “spice” control from the Harkonnens - a rival house. What ensues is an epic scale story that’s very Star Wars meets Game of Thrones (though I’m aware it was written long before both and probably worked the other way in terms of influence). I also loved the strong female characters of Chani and the Lady Jessica.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

This novel follows a group of six students at an elite New England college while they study under their exclusive Classics professor. There’s a murder (not really a spoiler, you find out in the prologue) and that’s about all that I can say without giving away the plot. I had hoped that maybe Tartt had based this around a Greek Tragedy story arc but I don’t know if that’s just me clutching at straws here. Anyway, for a “meh” sounding review, I actually did really enjoy this and it kept me pretty gripped right through. Loved the depiction of American college life, the relationships between the main characters and the element of Greek mythology.

A Burning by Megha Majumdar

From the lovely ladies at Well Read. I’m always a sucker for a book following multiple characters that end up intertwining somehow. It primarily follows a young girl named Jivan, living in the slums in India who is wrongly accused of aiding terrorists because of a post she makes on Facebook. A strong commentary on politics, corruption and class.

Exhalation by Ted Chiang

I read Stories of Your Life and Others last year (mentioned here) and was really excited to read Exhalation, which did not disappoint but was not as good as the stories in his first collection in my opinion. Another collection of short stories exploring science and religion. My favourites were The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate which explores fixed timeline time travel and Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom which shows a world where you can easily glimpse into alternate realities (even talk to alternate versions of yourself) and in his usual Ted Chiang way, he explores some more “everyday” realities of what that kind of world would look like and potential problems it would pose. Always leaves you with a lot to think about.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

I don’t read much non-fiction but I think this is a must read for everyone. Written as a letter/essay from Coates to his adolescent son, he talks about his own upbringing and explores through his own experiences what it’s like to grow up Black in America and what that means for his son also.

Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld

Another Well Read monthly book - I would’ve never picked this one up if they hadn’t sent it to me but I’m so glad they did! I’m a fan of Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing, and really enjoyed her collection of short stories You Think It, I’ll Say It. This novel follows a young Hillary Rodham as she meets Bill Clinton but eventually rejects Bill’s marriage proposal; and the rest as they say, is not history.

Writers & Lovers by Lily King

I really unexpectedly loved this! Follows a young woman named Casey who is struggling through a breakup, her mum’s death, and staying financially afloat while trying to finish her first novel and get it published. There’s just something so endearing about Casey and this story. I also loved the ending, not too cliché but still super satisfying and “feel good”.

What I've Been Reading Lately #2

I finally made a Goodreads account at the start of this year, and was prompted to set a reading goal when I set up my account so I put in 20, unsure of how many books I really read a year, only really thinking about how “20 books in 2020” had a nice ring to it.

Now that we are well and truly in the self-isolation and lockdown period of COVID-19 I thought I’d do a quick sum up and review of the books I’ve read so far in the year. I have a lot more spare time on my hands and I thought some of you might too and may be interested in adding a book or two to your to-read list.

Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer (4/5 stars)

Area X, a remote land on the southern coast of America, has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last remnants of human civilisation. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of cancer.

We begin in the first book Annihilation, following a group of four women who form the twelfth expedition and their journey into Area X where their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself. Authority follows the new Director of the Southern Reach and takes us through the government agency that governs everything to do with Area X. The last book Acceptance, finishes what the trilogy started. All things considered, I thoroughly enjoyed this whole trilogy and was absolutely on the edge of my seat the majority of the time. Annihilation is my favourite out of the three; Acceptance left a little too much to the imagination for my liking but I can appreciate that VanderMeer leaves it up to the individual’s interpretation and I quite enjoyed reading through reviews online after I had finished to see how other people had interpreted certain things - there’s definitely a lot to be unpacked in this book.

The Binding by Bridget Collins (4/5 stars)

I wasn’t sure whether I was going to enjoy this book or not, but I really liked the concept so I thought I’d give it a try and ended up really loving it. Set in a strange Medieval England where to forget a memory is as easy as going to a “binder” to get your memory bound into a book, after which you forget it ever happened. The Binding follows a young man named Emmett Farmer, who gets recruited by the local town binder to be their apprentice. He is prohibited from going into the locked vault that keeps all the bound books of people’s memories, but one day when a young man turns up on their doorsteps asking to be bound, things are set into motion that cannot be undone.

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker (2/5 stars)

This was my least favourite out of this pile of books. As I have probably said before, I am a Greek mythology nut; Circe and The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller are two of my all time favourites so I thought I’d give another Greek retelling a go. Masquerading as a feminist retelling of the Trojan War, The Silence of the Girls was really just a retelling of Achilles in the Trojan War by Briseis (the woman he takes to be his bed slave). Along with the content not really being pro-female, Briseis has literally no power and authority in this story (she is a slave, of course) and so there’s nowhere else or nowhere new Barker could’ve taken this story without altering the entire outcome of the Trojan War (which I may have actually enjoyed more; a reimagining where Troy actually wins). All in all, I enjoyed it as another retelling of the Trojan War.

If you want an absolutely amazing retelling of the life of Achilles and Patroclus, I would highly recommend The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, and if you’re looking for a strong female character in Greek mythology, read Circe instead.

There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett (5/5 stars)

If I had to choose I think this would be my favourite read so far of the year. There Was Still Love is about two twin sisters, separated in 1930s Prague, one staying and one moving halfway across the world to Melbourne. Now in the 1980s, they are both grandmothers and their two grandchildren narrate the book in such a beautiful, touching way. This is a story of pure love. I grew up with my grandparents from when I was a little toddler until the end of primary school, and this book just completely brought me back to those years. I loved it, There Was Still Love will forever hold a special place in my heart.

And a side note, if I were to recommend you one book out of these six to read during this time (or any time really) it would be this one.

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré (4/5 stars)

It took me about 40 or so pages to properly get into this book, as at first Adunni’s broken English which the book is written in was a bit difficult to get used to but once I did get into the rhythm it completely immersed me into her world. Adunni is a fourteen year old Nigerian girl who just wants an education but instead is sold by her father as a third wife to a local man who is eager for her to do what his previous two wives couldn’t, bear him a son. A lot of misfortune falls upon this poor girl, and yet she is brave throughout it all and remains hopeful about a future life where she can continue her education and go on to teach girls in similar situations as her so they too can have “a louding voice”.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (5/5 stars)

This heartbreaker of a book follows the lives of four men - JB, a quick-witted painter pursuing fame in the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; Willem, an aspiring actor; and brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity, but is becoming an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood.

We join them in their mid-twenties at the beginning of the book and are essentially with them (primarily Jude) for the rest of their lives. I really enjoyed the first half of the book; I was sceptical in the beginning but very quickly grew to like and become very invested in these four characters that Yanagihara has so effectively shaped into such genuine human beings. I found myself often thinking about them and what I’d just read in the book during the day as if they were my friends, something I’d never done with a book before. I had to stop reading in so many moments; sometimes because I was hugging the book with pure happiness but more often because I thought my heart would rip in two from the pure misery that is packed heavy-handedly throughout the entire book. Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it does. Just when you allow yourself a little sliver of hope that maybe we can all live happily ever after… nope. I love all of the characters in A Little Life and despite not agreeing with how much misery Yanagihara decided to put them through, I couldn’t not rate this book 5 stars because no other book has ever made me ugly cry, nor affected me this much.

What I've Been Reading Lately #1

Three Women by Lisa Taddeo

Taddeo kept in contact with three women over eight years and the result is a glorious true story that reads more like gripping fiction. Three Women is a very interesting, thought-provoking read that makes you stop and check yourself and your judgment towards others, and other women specifically, because we don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. It offers a deeply personal, often painful, and wildly voyeuristic look into the lives of these three women and I found the book a very unique read indeed.

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

A collection of sci-fi short stories exploring topics of physics, mathematics, human intelligence, alien linguistics, and religion, to name a few. My favourites were Tower of Babylon, Understand, and Story of Your Life. Hell is the Absence of God also explored very interesting ideas of religion and created a world where holy visitations from angels were as “normal” and frequent as a natural disaster and statistics are even counted up afterwards – how many miracles were experienced, how many were blinded by Heaven’s light, how many were injured and/or killed during the visitation. The story follows a man who doesn’t believe in God, and how he copes after his wife dies during a visitation. The film Arrival was based on Story of Your Life, which explores an alien invasion on earth through the eyes of a linguist who is recruited to try to learn the alien language and teach them English to be able to communicate with them, and explores the implications of becoming fluent in a non-linear alien language that doesn’t conform to time as we know it. I enjoyed this book an enormous amount, and really appreciated Chiang’s ideas and writing. I’ll definitely be reading his latest release of short stories, Exhalation after I finish my next list of to-reads.

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

I am the biggest Greek mythology nut ever so I thought I’d give Norse mythology a try. This was also my first Neil Gaiman book and I’m afraid I wasn’t so keen on this book as I hoped I would be. I learnt a lot about Norse mythology, but I didn’t like Gaiman’s writing and found it a bit simple and bland. A few friends reassured me that it was probably just this book specifically, as Gaiman had to essentially adopt the role of a “fireside bard” and retell the Norse myths. I’m currently listening to Mythos by Stephen Fry on Audible and really enjoying it, I imagine that Norse Mythology could be better as an audiobook, too. I’ll definitely be giving another Gaiman book a try in the future, perhaps American Gods. Also side note, I listened to this podcast where Tim Ferriss interviews Neil Gaiman and I really enjoyed it.

The Last by Hanna Jameson

This book follows American historian Jon Keller after the majority of the world erupts into nuclear war. He is in a secluded hotel in Switzerland, visiting for a conference initially, and decides to stay there (along with 20 or so other people) for safety once the nuclear bombs start hitting various cities. The book is written in diary form, as being a historian, Jon feels the need to record the day to day happenings. A body is discovered, and a lot of other (more interesting and gripping) things happen. I personally wasn’t sure how I felt about the ending, it was a satisfying enough ending but felt almost a bit too rushed compared to the rest of the book. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and if I had had a full rainy day to read this in one go I would’ve definitely done it; it’s for sure a page turner! It’s also written scarily realistically and got me thinking many times throughout the book how I would cope in that situation and at what day I would go crazy holed up in a hotel with 20 strangers (pretty confident I wouldn’t last more than a month).

Elmet by Fiona Mozley

If there ever was a book to curl up and read in winter with a hot mug of tea, this would be it. Elmet takes us through the perspective of 14 year old Daniel, who lives with his 15 year old sister Cathy and their dad John, whom they refer to as Daddy. John is a bare knuckle boxer who used to make a living fighting for businesses or gangs looking to settle disputes and debts. He’s since semi retired from this lifestyle and built his two kids a house in the countryside of rural Yorkshire by a copse, where they are self-sufficient and live off the land around them.

Elmet is one of the most lyrical and atmospheric books I have ever read and I will forever love it for that very single reason. There’s one page that I still think about all the time,

“Daddy carried the kitchen table and chairs outside and set it up with a chequered cloth. I got the eggs and bacon on. Cathy brewed the tea and we took it all outside to eat in the cold bright sun. The bacon was from the butcher, Andrew, who was also one of Daddy’s few friends. It was well salted and he had cut it thickly but I made sure the rind was crisp before I lifted it from the skillet. The eggs fried quickly in the bacon fat and took on salt from the meat so their bottoms formed caramel crusts while the yolks remained golden. I warmed the plates first in the oven before serving up and afterwards finished them with a slice of fresh bread. Eating a full breakfast outside with my Daddy and sister was always a joy but this morning more than ever. There were troubles, we knew. But right now, with a bright white sun shedding its light onto my pale, thin arms, and thick crispy bacon held between two slices of soft, warm bread, I could not have been happier.”

I enjoyed the theme of femininity vs. masculinity explored through our three main characters; John is presented physically as your stereotypical male (often described as hulking in size, extremely muscular with dark black hair on his body) this is contrasted beautifully by the fact that he also plays the “mother role” in raising his two children and providing a warm, loving home for them. His two kids are then presented as characters who both challenge society’s gender norms - Daniel takes after their mysteriously absent mother and has no desire for violence or conflict, grows his hair and nails, and is happy tending to the home and cooking for his father and sister. Cathy takes after their hot-headed father more, she’ll happily use violence to solve a problem she has, is confident and authoritative, and is also constantly in a state of anger at the very idea of becoming an adult woman and fitting into the roles/norms that she feels like she cannot fit into.

I loved everything this book had to offer me except the ending; I didn’t hate it but it left me feeling a bit empty and not completely satisfied, but I guess that’s the point in some way. Despite that, I’m so very glad I took this book journey and will forever treasure Elmet.

Circe by Madeline Miller

“When I was born, the name for what I was did not exist. In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child…”

Circe discovers she has powers of sorcery and witchcraft. Zeus, threatened by this new power unknown to the gods and immortals banishes Circe to the remote island of Aiaia. There in solitude, she spends her days practicing herbs, potions, and spells and honing her sorceress powers. Her story crosses paths with greats such as Hermes, Daedalus, and Odysseus.

This was such a beautiful book and I think it has definitely taken number one on my list of all time favourites. Miller’s storytelling really breathes new life into the story of Circe. One of my favourite things about this novel is how it “humanises” immortality. The whole theme of mortality vs. immortality in this book is explored so beautifully.

“It was their fate, as Prometheus had told me, the story that they all shared. No matter how vivid they were in life, no matter how brilliant, no matter the wonders they made, they came to dust and smoke. Meanwhile every petty and useless god would go on sucking down the bright air until the stars went dark.”

Of all the things Miller’s writing had to offer me, though, the one that meant the most to me was wholly unexpected: the perfect, beautiful depiction of motherhood through Circe’s relationship with her son.

Through the life and experiences of one immortal goddess, Miller takes us through what it’s like to grow up as a woman, and what it’s like to share our world with men. From Circe’s desperate attempts for her father’s validation and a first and very naïve love in the beginning of the book, to being cast away on an island and left to fend for herself, being abused by sailors to turning those men into pigs, and finally, throughout her thousands of years of living, cherished relationships with mortal men who she loved very dearly and one who she had a son with where we saw an ultimate maternal love.

I loved that this book showed us powerful female figures and showed themes of feminism, in an ancient world where women in literature never really had a say in much, it was quite refreshing.

“It is a common saying that women are delicate creatures - flowers, eggs, anything that may be crushed in a moment’s carelessness. If I had ever believed it, I no longer did.”

I highly recommend you pick up this book, I’m positive you’ll love it. Now don’t mind me as I perch eagerly awaiting the next book from Madeline Miller.