Recent Reads for September and October

I'm not sure if anyone reads my blog anymore or if anyone has noticed but there was a big gap between me post until last week. I have been moving house and let me tell you - it's more stressful doing it during a pandemic compared to when there isn't one so I haven't really had the time (been packing and then unpacking) or head space (who knew building flat pack furniture would tip me over the edge).

What I'm trying to say is that you're getting a combined reading blog post for both September and October.

Right lets get going with the books....

The best book I've read in the past two months is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This has been on my Kindle for a while after reading Daisy Jones and the Six last year and loving it. Hollywood icon, Evelyn Hugo is ready to tell the story of her glamorous life in Hollywood and to reveal her secrets. This isn't just a book about the many men she has married and divorced or even about the glitz of 1950s Hollywood but about forbidden love and relationships in a repressed time, secrets and lies and their impact on the people around us, unrelenting ambitions. This is an absorbing read and I couldn't put it down as there were many twists and turns. 

Let me tell you about a library that sits between life and death, giving you the chance to sample different versions of your life if you had made a different decision. The Midnight Library*, Matt Haig's latest novel, tells the story of Nora who has given up on life but ends up at the library. She is given a chance to undo the regrets she has been carrying around with her to find the perfect life but maybe there isn't such thing as 'perfect.' This is a touching and warm novel that explores regrets, family relationships, self confidence, and mental health. If you're looking for some hope at the moment and something to warm your insides then this is the book for you.

I was over the moon when Sarah Crossan released an adult novel as I had enjoyed The Weight of Water and We Come Apart last year. Here is the Beehive* is not a typical novel about adultery told in a typical way. This is a book that needs to come with a warning - a warning that you're going to read this in one sitting as the story won't let you go. The book starts at the end of the affair where Connor dies unexpectedly, leaving Ana unable to share her grief and stand on the sidelines. This is a book about families, grief, secret and lies. You can read my review here.

Feathertide*, a debut novel from Beth Cartwright is one of those books that pulls you in by the cover and the intriguing plot. Born covered in feathers, Marea is kept hidden away in the basement of a brothel and kept secret from the world. Curious to find out more about her past, she goes in search of her father who remains a mystery. This is a fantastical fairy tale with mermaids, and mysterious mystic weather and fortune tellers. This is a coming of age story Beth explores sexuality, family secrets and lies, self acceptance with great details into the characters and the world. Beth also appeared on my blog, talking about her ideal bookshop. You can read the Q&A over here. Thanks to this book I'm about to start reading a 1000 page fantasy novel as I've finally gotten over my resistance to fantasy!

A book completely different to Feathertide is Come a Little Closer by Karen Perry, a thriller, read for work's book club. This was a twisty, turny thriller with most of the characters being unlikable or horrendous yet it grip me!

I also managed to read some non-fiction in the past couple of months, and the first book was a re-read for me. I was looking at my shelves wanting something that would pull me into the story and also be familiar as I had read it before. Three Women was my choice and I still loved it as much as I did last year. You can read my review here. 

I also picked up More Than a Woman by Caitlin Moran after reading some of her previous books years ago, and this looks at the ways issues for women have changed in the past ten years. Ultimately I enjoyed this book about becoming a middle-aged woman but I think there could be more topics explored around feminism. The format was unusual as it's told across 24 hours but the short chapters were just want I needed after hitting a bit of a reading slump after moving and not feeling that great after having a flu jab.

But a book that doesn't disappoint... Last year one of my favourite books of the year was Elizabeth Day's How to Fail, and I was really pleased to see that there's a smaller, shorter follow up called Failosophy* recently published. This short, sharp book shows reader's how they can practically turn failures into successes and explore how we can learn from the experience. Using examples from her podcast, Elizabeth Day, gives reader's an insight from some of guests in the way that failure, once recognised can inspire us to be better, more connected to the world. This is a great book showing how we can turn failure into success and leave you feeling less alone about failing.

I've started Christmas early or at least with my reading. The Unwrapping of Theodora Quirke* by Caroline Smailes is Crossed between A Christmas Carol and The Grinch who Stole Christmas, Caroline Smaile's latest novel, The Unwrapping of Theodora Quirke, is a festive story about redemption and coping with loss, is a book full of hope and is exactly what we need for 2020's festive period. You can read my review here.

Thank you if you've made it this far!

* I was sent these books via the publisher/netgalley.