At the time of writing this blog post, we've been on official lockdown for 44 days with the possibility of coming out of it this week. There are people who are going crazy and are itching for things to go back to normal, but I, like I'm sure many others, am taking this time to relax and catch up on a little bit of reading. When there's a pandemic currently going on, why wouldn't I grab the nearest book and escape into a whole new world? The below list includes a mixture of new(ish) releases and books I've been meaning to read for years. Now I have no excuse not to.
THE FIVE: THE UNTOLD LIVES OF THE WOMEN KILLED BY JACK THE RIPPER
BY HALLIE RUBENHOLD
★★★★★
SYNOPSIS
Polly, Annie, Elizabeth, Catherine and Mary-Jane are famous for the same thing, though they never met. They came from Fleet Street, Knightsbridge, Wolverhampton, Sweden and Wales. They wrote ballads, ran coffee houses, lived on country estates, they breathed ink-dust from printing presses and escaped people-traffickers.
What they had in common was the year of their murders: 1888.
The person responsible was never identified, but the character created by the press to fill that gap has become far more famous than any of those five women. For more than a century, newspapers have been keen to tell us that 'the Ripper' preyed on prostitutes. Not only is that untrue, as historian Hallie Rubenhold has discovered, it has prevented the real stories of these fascinating women from being told.
Now, in this devastating narrative of five lives, Rubenhold finally sets the record straight, revealing a world not just of Dickens and Queen Victoria, but of poverty, homelessness and rampant misogyny. They died because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time - but their greatest misfortune was to be born a woman.
Now, in this devastating narrative of five lives, Rubenhold finally sets the record straight, revealing a world not just of Dickens and Queen Victoria, but of poverty, homelessness and rampant misogyny. They died because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time - but their greatest misfortune was to be born a woman.
THOUGHTS
I'm not much of a non-fiction reader unless it's the autobiography of someone I adore or about events I'm truly interested in. The Five falls into the latter category, though I have to admit that, like most others, the victims had never been my main point of interested, it was always the murderer. This unique look into the lives of the victims of Jack the Ripper is incredibly eye-opening and just a truly wonderful read. It's very clear that Rubenhold has done her research and I think even those who are more familiar with what happened will finish the book with a list of new facts to share. My mind was completely blown at how much detail we were given and Rubenhold succeeded in giving these women lives of their own rather than solely being known as the victims of a murderer. She gives them back their dignity, which I applaud her for. Whether you're a fan of history or not, The Five is definitely one to add to your reading list.
THE FLATSHARE
BY BETH O'LEARY
★★★★☆
SYNOPSIS
Tiffy Moore needs a cheap flat, and fast. Leon Twomey works nights and needs cash. Their friends think they're crazy, but it's the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy's at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.
But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven't met yet, they're about the discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window...
But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven't met yet, they're about the discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window...
THOUGHTS
Reading this book was such a pleasure from beginning to end; there wasn't a single chapter that didn't make me laugh or smile or nod along because I could relate so much to the characters. I must admit that I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I do because books similar to this tend to make me cringe a little and constantly roll my eyes. But not this! The adorable addition of Post-It notes shared between Tiffy and Leon was one of the reasons I got so hooked. There was also the surprising addition of one thing that added another level of depth to the characters: psychological abuse. But O'Leary deals with this subject wonderfully and allows her characters to grow naturally as a result of such abuse. With warmth, wit and charm, The Flatshare is the perfect feel good read.
ANGELS & DEMONS
BY DAN BROWN
★★☆☆☆
SYNOPSIS
CERN Institute, Switzerland: a world-renowned scientist is found brutally murdered with a mysterious symbol seared onto his chest.
The Vatican, Rom: the College of Cardinals assembles to elect a new pope. Somewhere beneath them, an unstoppable bomb of terrifying power relentlessly counts down to oblivious.
In a breathtaking race against time, Harvard professor Robert Langdon must decipher a labyrinthine trail of ancient symbols if he is to defeat those responsible - the Illuminati, a secret brotherhood presumed extinct for nearly four hundred years, reborn to continue their deadly vendetta against their most hated enemy, the Catholic Church.
The Vatican, Rom: the College of Cardinals assembles to elect a new pope. Somewhere beneath them, an unstoppable bomb of terrifying power relentlessly counts down to oblivious.
In a breathtaking race against time, Harvard professor Robert Langdon must decipher a labyrinthine trail of ancient symbols if he is to defeat those responsible - the Illuminati, a secret brotherhood presumed extinct for nearly four hundred years, reborn to continue their deadly vendetta against their most hated enemy, the Catholic Church.
THOUGHTS
This book has been recommended countless times but there was just a lot that fell flat for me. Although it has been praised, I actually had no idea what it was about. Perhaps I wouldn't have given it a go if I'd read the blurb. There was simply too much that I didn't understand. Physics isn't my forte and I probably spent more time on Google looking for definitions than actually reading. There's no doubt that Brown is an insanely talented writer and the rave the Langdon series gets is understandable. The story is clear and offers twists and turns - arguably too many. A good enough story to keep me turning the page, however that was only so I could finish it quicker.
THE HUMANS
BY MATT HAIG
★★★★★
SYNOPSIS
After an 'incident' one wet Friday night where Professor Andrew Martin is found walking naked through the streets of Cambridge, he is not feeling quite himself. Food sickens him. Clothes confound him. Even his loving wife and teenage son are repulsive to him. He feels lost amongst a crazy alien species and hates everyone on the planet. Everyone, that is, except Newton, and he's a dog.
Who is he really? And what could make someone change their mind about the human race...?
THOUGHTS
The one piece of advice I can give when reading this book is don't read it in public because you'll be giggling non-stop. This genuinely surprised me. There's only one person I know who has read this and his only review to me was that it wasn't what he expected. It wasn't much to go on but I completely agree. Haig gives us a unique view on how we humans live and what pointless things we do that actually don't increase our happiness at all, despite what we claim. It's clever, thought-provoking, highly observant and, most importantly, it's hilarious. From the first page I started laughing out loud and continued to do so until I finished it. Out of all the books on this list, The Humans is where you should start.
THE DEAD FATHERS CLUB
BY MATT HAIG
★★★☆☆
SYNOPSIS
Philip Noble is an eleven-year-old in crisis. His pub landlord father has died in a road accident, and his mother is succumbing to the greasy charms of her dead husband's brother, Uncle Alan. The remaining certainties of Philip's life crumble away when his father's ghost appears in the pub and declares Uncle Alan murdered him. Arming himself with weapons from the school chemistry cupboard, Philip vows to carry out the ghost's relentless demands for revenge. But can the words of a ghost be trusted any more than the lies of the living?
THOUGHTS
Although not originally what I thought it would be like, it was an enjoyable book. As a retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet, it should be expected to have its own added humour and twists with Haig's talents. My heart ached while I read what Philip was going through. I'm lucky enough to never lose a relative but reading Philip's somewhat confused and conflicted thoughts allowed me, as a reader, to understand more of the pain. The style of writing took a few chapters to get used to as there isn't much punctuation; I imagined this was literally Philip writing the story himself and therefore didn't care for punctuation, so I can let that slide. It's impressive how Haig manages to keep that style up for the entirety of the book and it's certainly engaging, however I was left feeling a little frustrated with the partially obstructed point of view.
THOUGHTS
Although not originally what I thought it would be like, it was an enjoyable book. As a retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet, it should be expected to have its own added humour and twists with Haig's talents. My heart ached while I read what Philip was going through. I'm lucky enough to never lose a relative but reading Philip's somewhat confused and conflicted thoughts allowed me, as a reader, to understand more of the pain. The style of writing took a few chapters to get used to as there isn't much punctuation; I imagined this was literally Philip writing the story himself and therefore didn't care for punctuation, so I can let that slide. It's impressive how Haig manages to keep that style up for the entirety of the book and it's certainly engaging, however I was left feeling a little frustrated with the partially obstructed point of view.
THE HANDMAID'S TALE
BY MARGARET ATWOOD
★★★★★
SYNOPSIS
The Republic of Gilead offers Offred only one function: to breed. If she deviates, she will, like dissenters, be hanged at the wall or sent out to die slowly of radiation sickness. But even a repressive state cannot obliterate desire - neither Offred's nor that of the two men on which her future hangs.
THOUGHTS
Of all the dystopian books I've read (which, admittedly, isn't a lot), this is definitely the most realistic one. Throughout my time reading this, I kept telling myself that this could happen and wondered what I would do if I was put in this situation. Would the fear of being killed stop me from fighting, or would I stand up for the rights women deserve and die trying to put an end to it all? I honestly don't know. Atwood's writing is beautiful; her words are captivating. The second I turned the last page and realised there was no more, I felt almost heartbroken. The world that's been created is so fascinating. In no way at all is this an easy read, but that's what makes it so brilliant. As much as I wanted to stop and take a break just to get back to reality, I couldn't put it down. I'm struggling to put into words how much I love this book, it was simply a pleasure to read.
THOUGHTS
Of all the dystopian books I've read (which, admittedly, isn't a lot), this is definitely the most realistic one. Throughout my time reading this, I kept telling myself that this could happen and wondered what I would do if I was put in this situation. Would the fear of being killed stop me from fighting, or would I stand up for the rights women deserve and die trying to put an end to it all? I honestly don't know. Atwood's writing is beautiful; her words are captivating. The second I turned the last page and realised there was no more, I felt almost heartbroken. The world that's been created is so fascinating. In no way at all is this an easy read, but that's what makes it so brilliant. As much as I wanted to stop and take a break just to get back to reality, I couldn't put it down. I'm struggling to put into words how much I love this book, it was simply a pleasure to read.
GERALD'S GAME
BY STEPHEN KING
★☆☆☆☆
SYNOPSIS
A game. A husband and wife game. Gerald's Game.
But this time Jesse didn't want to play. Lying there, spreadeagled and handcuffed to the bedstead while he'd loomed and drooled over her, she felt angry and humiliated.
So she'd kicked out hard. Aimed to hit him where it hurt.
He wasn't meant to die, leaving Jesse alone and helpless in a lakeside holiday cabin. Miles from anywhere. No-one to hear her screams.
Alone. Except for the voices in her head that had begun to chatter and argue and sneer...
THOUGHTS
I wanted to like this. Believe me, I wanted to find a new love for Stephen King. But this just wasn't it. After having sped through The Outsider, I thought I'd give some of King's older work a try. Perhaps I should have tried something else. This book was so hard to get through. With just one main character handcuffed to a bed with nowhere to go, there's only so much that can be read before it starts to feel incredibly drawn out. Every minute movement is described in extreme detail, which can sometimes make for great, tense reading, but there's only so many ways I can read about Jesse taking a sip of water. It pains me to admit it but I couldn't actually finish this one. Maybe I'll get back into it another day or maybe I'll just give it back to charity and dive into another of King's books.
But this time Jesse didn't want to play. Lying there, spreadeagled and handcuffed to the bedstead while he'd loomed and drooled over her, she felt angry and humiliated.
So she'd kicked out hard. Aimed to hit him where it hurt.
He wasn't meant to die, leaving Jesse alone and helpless in a lakeside holiday cabin. Miles from anywhere. No-one to hear her screams.
Alone. Except for the voices in her head that had begun to chatter and argue and sneer...
THOUGHTS
I wanted to like this. Believe me, I wanted to find a new love for Stephen King. But this just wasn't it. After having sped through The Outsider, I thought I'd give some of King's older work a try. Perhaps I should have tried something else. This book was so hard to get through. With just one main character handcuffed to a bed with nowhere to go, there's only so much that can be read before it starts to feel incredibly drawn out. Every minute movement is described in extreme detail, which can sometimes make for great, tense reading, but there's only so many ways I can read about Jesse taking a sip of water. It pains me to admit it but I couldn't actually finish this one. Maybe I'll get back into it another day or maybe I'll just give it back to charity and dive into another of King's books.
DAISY JONES & THE SIX
BY TAYLOR JENKINS REID
★★★★★
SYNOPSIS
For a while, Daisy Jones & The Six were everywhere. Their albums were on every turntable, they sold out arenas from coast to coast, their sound defined an era. And then, on 12 July 1979, they split. Nobody ever knew why. Until now.
They were lovers and friends and brothers and rivals. They couldn't believe their luck, until it ran out. This is their story of the early days and the wild nights, but everyone remembers the truth differently.
The one thing they all know for sure is that from the moment Daisy Jones walked barefoot on to the stage at the Whiskey, the band were irrevocably changed. Making music is never just about the music. And sometimes is can be hard to tell where the sound stops and the feelings begin.
THOUGHTS
On the complete opposite side of the scale, we have Daisy Jones & The Six. What a book. What a brilliant book. When the sales assistant in my local Waterstones recommended this to me with the claim that it was the perfect book, I wasn't convinced but decided to take her up on it. (She agreed to read Harry Potter if I bought this, so I suppose I had no choice). The hype this received put me off reading for months and now I can't believe I wasted all that time not reading this utterly fabulous book. Written in the style of an interview, we go on a journey with the band through their rise and fall. Somehow the lack of long paragraphs of description made it much clearer and I truly felt for all members of the band. There were many points where I lost patience and wanted to find out on Wikipedia what happened, only to remember that this in fact wasn't a real band and the information wouldn't be readily available to me. I truly believed this had happened. That's how good it is.
They were lovers and friends and brothers and rivals. They couldn't believe their luck, until it ran out. This is their story of the early days and the wild nights, but everyone remembers the truth differently.
The one thing they all know for sure is that from the moment Daisy Jones walked barefoot on to the stage at the Whiskey, the band were irrevocably changed. Making music is never just about the music. And sometimes is can be hard to tell where the sound stops and the feelings begin.
THOUGHTS
On the complete opposite side of the scale, we have Daisy Jones & The Six. What a book. What a brilliant book. When the sales assistant in my local Waterstones recommended this to me with the claim that it was the perfect book, I wasn't convinced but decided to take her up on it. (She agreed to read Harry Potter if I bought this, so I suppose I had no choice). The hype this received put me off reading for months and now I can't believe I wasted all that time not reading this utterly fabulous book. Written in the style of an interview, we go on a journey with the band through their rise and fall. Somehow the lack of long paragraphs of description made it much clearer and I truly felt for all members of the band. There were many points where I lost patience and wanted to find out on Wikipedia what happened, only to remember that this in fact wasn't a real band and the information wouldn't be readily available to me. I truly believed this had happened. That's how good it is.
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