Get lost (in a book)

Some of my favourite reads

The Guardian published an article last week about a study that found a third of UK adults have given up reading for pleasure. It cites social media, lack of time and difficulty concentrating as contributing factors. How utterly depressing. Young people aged 16 to 24 were found to have the lowest percentage of regular readers among all groups. Are we heading for a generation of complete non-readers next? I hope not. 

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I wasn’t really reading before lockdown. I couldn’t say when the last time I had actually read a book was before that, and I definitely hadn’t been reading regularly for a long time. My interest in reading was revived when I was furloughed from my job. The word sounds strange on my tongue now, I wonder if we’ll ever speak so frequently of furlough again. Reading was my saviour. As I said before, I eased myself back in with audiobooks first and it quickly gained momentum when I devoured Normal People in a day. 

I wanted to share some of my favourite reads, the ones I’ve rated 5 stars on Goodreads. There are so many great books I could list, but I’ve hand-picked five for you below. I diligently mark the reading of every book on my account, relishing in the small dopamine hits that come with it each time. Follow me here to see everything I’ve read.

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Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

No one creates devastatingly poignant narratives like Kazuo Ishiguro. The oldest of my shortlist, it first came out in 2005. It pulls on your heartstrings to make you question what it is that makes us all human, while exploring the strength of true friendship. In an alternate reality of England in the 1990’s, “Kathy attempts to come to terms with her childhood and with the fate that has always awaited her and her closest friends in the wider world.”

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

This book was one of my holiday reads this year. Initially written in 2016, the English translation of this Japanese novel was published three years later, Sayaka Murata’s first to be translated into English. I enjoyed the beauty of simplicity in this book. It’s a short read, that follows the life of Keiko, a 36 year-old convenience store worker. “Keiko has never really fitted in”. She battles with acceptance from her family and society around her, but she feels most at home and herself in the store she’s worked in since she was 18. As pressure to live a more conventional life builds, Keiko tries to navigate the best course of action. 

Divine Might by Natalie Haynes 

You’ll know I already gushed over Divine Might’s chapter on Hestia so I thought it worthy of a mention. I’d also recommend basically anything by Natalie Haynes. Jennifer Saint, Madeline Miller and Pat Barker are other great authors to take a look at too when it comes to retellings of Ancient Greece and Rome. I loved studying Classics and particularly enjoy all of their 21st century reimaginings which give back a voice to the women who had stories told about them but not from their own perspectives.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Another book I read back in the summer of 2020. I was immediately captivated by Oyinkan Braithwaite’s darkly comic writing style. Even now after all the books I’ve read since, her writing style still feels so distinctive and brave in comparison. I’m not surprised it won the British Book Awards for Crime & Thriller Book in 2020. “[Korede] loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede's long been in love with him, and isn't prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other…”

Write It All Down by Cathy Rentzenbrink

At the time when I read this, I felt intimated at the thought of reading a non-fiction book about the process of writing. But this book was like getting a big bear hug of encouragement from Cathy Rentzenbrink herself. It’s tailored for essays and memoir, but if you want to improve your writing in any medium, or if you work through the drafting process in any creative sense I am sure you’ll take something away from this book.

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This week I think Simone Biles is worthy of a mention. If ever there was someone to idolise for dusting yourself off and coming back stronger she’s it. An example to us all of listening to our bodies, particularly when they ask for rest. Since heading to Paris, she’s now the most decorated American gymnast of all time. I saw the new Netflix documentary about her this weekend and it’s a good watch!

Although, this year’s Olympics are steeped deep in controversy on multiple fronts. Someone’s already whipped up an entire (lengthy) Wikipedia page about it. Paris 2024 isn’t unique in that sense, as many Olympics gone by have had their own fair share which has also been reflective of contemporary issues from the time. It makes for difficult watching to celebrate the achievements of some, particularly of those representing countries that are simultaneously waging warfare around the world. The Olympics represents a certain type of dystopia in which blind eyes are turned money doesn’t just talk it shouts - oh wait, that’s not just the Olympics, it’s the dystopian society we actually live in.