Tag: literature

Book review: The Goldfinch

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Hi all!

How are you?

I have been having quite a mixed weeks: some super busy couple of weeks and the latter have been quite chilled which means only one thing: lots of reading!

I’ve been reading such a range of different texts to be honest; mostly fiction, but there’s been a few non-fiction which I have really enjoyed. I’m really trying to finish all the books on my physical tbr before I buy anything new (but I have slipped up a couple of times 🥲)

One of these books is The Goldfinch by Donna Tart. I genuinely can’t remember when I brought this, but I have definitely had it sat on my shelf for at LEAST 4 years 😅 I know, it’s so bad!


I was so conflicted reviewing this. There were parts that I loved, Donna Tart is such a beautiful writer, parts of her prose are sublime and I loved the way the story unfolded through art and it’s peppering throughout the narrative. The backdrop of New York just pulled me in and reignited my desire to go there. And to be honest, the first 200ish pages I was so invested in Theo, his story and where it was going to go. Theo as the protagonist and narrator I didn’t hate, I sort of liked him and yet…

The story dragged SO MUCH. There were so many points during this read I wanted to dnf it but I persevered thinking ‘it must get better, there must be something.’ Now, this wasn’t due to the length, but the boredom of continously reading Theo’s drug and alcohol riddled life events over and over and over…and over again. In all honesty, I must’ve skim read about 250 pages in total and rushed the last 150 pages so that I was done with it.

I felt as though not much happened, especially in the middle 300 pages – Boris and Theo get drunk, again, they don’t go to school, again, they take drugs, again, they throw up…again. Drudgery. Absolutely drudgery. I didn’t like Boris as a character, or what he stood for and represented. I am not someone who feels like they MUST connect with every character, each character should bring a nuance to the story, for better or worse. All of these characters (apart from Hobie and Pippa) did nothing for me. They were bland and one dimensional, bringing nothing to the story. When Theo finally got dragged into the underground drug world, I had become so uninvested in his story – I didn’t care.

Urgh. When will Booker Prize winners stop disappointing me 😢

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book review: Katabasis

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Hello!

This is going to be a tough one.

Let me start with saying that I LOVE Kuang’s prose and her story building, her meticulous attention to detail through research and her character building – Babel, for me, is just sublime and a 6* read – and it pains me to say this, but Katabasis just fell flat for me.

I was lucky to attend an evening with R.F Kuang as part of Manchester’s Literature Festival and it was a joy to hear her speak about her influences, research and love of literature.


I was so excited for Katabasis off the back of Babel and maybe these high expectations are what let me down somewhat.

Kuang writes so beautifully and the English Literature student in me loved all the classical references to Dante, Virgil and Eliot and their works on Hell, their descriptions, their analogies – she borrows from them and weaves it all together giving the beginning of the novel a gorgeous mystical feeling. And yet…Hell is inherently religious, morality and steeped in culture and Kuang strips Hell of this core factor which, I think, removes the imagination and nuances which the classical stories delve into.


The premise of the story is obviously what drew me in and sounded so intriguing, but, for me, the full potential wasn’t reached and I think it’s because I felt a constant sense of disorientation rather than clarity at Alice and Peter’s descent into hell. The plot jumped from bit to bit, the levels of hell all felt separate rather than being cohesive and feeding into each other – the description and prose of each was beautiful, but at times became nonsensical – massive amounts of exposition – and the narrative amd plot became lost in it. I did like the structure it gave the story and I liked that as they went further into hell the prose took on a darker tone.

The characters. I liked Peter. His story, his silent struggle and his need to keep Alice safe. But his relationship with Alice just lacked…everything. I didn’t feel any chemistry or intimacy between them. I wasn’t invested in their ‘love’ story. To me it didn’t feel anything like a love story – just two people forced to be with each other due to proximity.

Alice. Oh Alice. I don’t mind an unlikeable character with flaws – for me they make a story – I just felt like Alice thought so much of her self, that self arrogance linked to Grimes and then right at the end the romantic feelings for Peter. I couldn’t sympathise with her and by the end I just disliked her. Her acknowledgement of misogyny but refusal to do anything, instead to benefit from it and use Grimes’ attraction to her but then cry when he behaves the way he’s expected. Double standards. But because of this flip/flopping between thoughts and opinions I just couldn’t warm to her.

I appreciate what Kuang was trying to do, it just didn’t work for me 😔

3.5 ⭐️

Literary visits: Chatsworth House

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Hello!

I spent such a wholesome Saturday visiting one of the most beautiful country houses: Chatsworth House, used as Pemberly in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. I mean, look at it!

Chatsworth House

My friends and I paid for the house and garden ticket, which was £32. This includes house entry (you do have to book for a specific time) and unlimited time in the gardens. The house inside is gorgeous, if you’re into stately homes you would love this, just look at one of the bookshelves 😍 Of course the library was my favourite room, seeing all of the books, and I could envision myself sat there with a pot of tea for hours on end.

Pride and Prejudice is my favourite Jane Austen novel, and I actually re-read it earlier this year. I adore the unravelling of both Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy and their prejudices against each other as individuals and the societies and communities they come from. Austen artfully encapsulates how pride can affect everyone.

Lizzie Bennet is a strong female character who has strongnopinions and isn’t afraid to voice them, whether it be about marriage, society, or her own family dynamics. Her integrity is both her strength and flaws, but watching her unpick her own judgements and understand that the world and people around her have more depth than she realises is sublime. Austen’s prose beautifully unfolds through the slow burn romance between Lizzie and Mr. Darcy, and it’s so much sweeter when it all comes together. I love that Darcy falls fast and hard for Lizzie but has no clue how to tell her, so he basically says that even though she’s poor, he is willing to overlook this because he loves her. Oh Darcy! Im not surprised she rejected you after that proposal 😅

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

After having read Sense and Sensibility earlier this year, you can tell that Austen’s prose, plot and character development has improved. The dialogue is witty and sharp. She critiques the society around her through the characters and offers the reader life long lessons of what it means to be loved, to self develop and grow and how, if we don’t do this, our prejudices will be our downfall.

There are so many beautiful quotes from the story, but I’ve somehow managed to narrow it down to my top 3″

  • “In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will no longer be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
  • “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”
  • “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
Mr. Darcy bust

This has always been a 5 star read for me, and each time I have re-read this, i fall more in love with the prose, characters, and messages. I always unearth something new in every read. This is why I love re-reading, because each time you glean something new from it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

xo

Book review: Sense and Sensibility

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2025 is the year I have dedicated to reading and re-reading classics. I started the year with Pride and Prejudice because…well do I really have to explain myself 😅

But, whilst I’ve watched tv and film adaptations of Austen’s works, I’ve never actually read them!

So, as part of Canterbury Classics Instagram challenge for 2025, I will be reading ALL of Austen’s novels.

March’s read was Sense and Sensibility. Did I pick this up in April and finish it it May? Yes. But hear me out! Work was busy and I had about 5 books on the go…

How pretty is this cover 😍 I love the Chiltern covers. I think I’m going to collect as many as I can. TK MAXX is definitely the place to go for these! I paid £8 for this copy, and they retail for about £20. Absolute bargain.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

What does it mean to be sensible?

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this and the way it unfolded. I’ll be honest, it took me some time to get into it, and I was confused by the family dynamics initially. It holds very similar themes to Pride and Prejudice: bad boy love interest, to marry for love or to marry for money and plucky strong female leads.

Marianne. I actually adored her. I can understand why some people might get annoyed at her and her reactions to things, but I loved her character. Open to all of her emotions and feeling them deeply. She knew what she wanted and she wasn’t afraid to go after Willoughby. She is reshaped and redefined by her heartbreak and illness, which makes her a better person and ends up with Colonel Brandon. Hello! The better option of man, in my opinion. She definitely got the better man. I can understand why some people might get annoyed at her and certain characteristics and over dramatic nature, but she is true to her age and who she is.

Elinor bless her. Always in complete control of her emotions, a complete juxtaposition to her younger sister in pretty much every way. She’s never able to openly discuss her wants and desires, but she is the ultimate big sister: kind, trustworthy and compassionate. I do think she deserved better than Edward. He was not a well developed character, or man, that deserved her. Honestly, I kind of wanted her to end up with Colonel Brandon…

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

The bond between the sisters is the core of this novel, I found, not the romantic love. The way they consistently stick up for one another even when they’re fighting. They are both fighing their ‘sensibilities’ and rationale within society trying to make sense of it all. A true sister bond.

Having read this after Pride and Prejudice, I can tell that this was published first:

  • It doesn’t have the same depth of plot or character development (specifically with the men).
  • The pacing isnt great. There are long chunks of the novel where not much really happens, just various visits to family and London.
  • I felt like the ending was rushed.

However, it carries the classic Austen commentary on society and social constructs. She delves into themes or inner turmoil, morality and what it means to have sense and be sensible in a world hindered the growth of women. Austen allows the reader to become immersed in this world through the characters and understand how different people can interact and react to the same situations.

An enjoyable read, if albeit a long one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

xo

Palestinian book recommendations: fiction

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Hello all.

I wanted to share some fictional books written by Palestianian authors. I won’t spend time talking about all the horror that is happening in Gaza right now because I want to shine a light on the gorgeous words that have come from the people of Gaza.

There are NO spoilers below, but I urge you to read as many of these as you can. The prose is lyrical, beautiful and heartbreaking.

Mornings in Jenin

Starting off with a gut-wrenghing novel. Amal is born into the refugee camp of Jenin after her family was forced to flee Palestine in 1948. But here’s the kicker – her brother, a baby at the time, is stolen away by an Israeli soldier.

The vivid imagery that runs through this really immersed the reader and keeps you engaged and hooked until the very end. She really does get across feelings of hopelessness and grief, which can make it difficult to read, but it’s so necessary.

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

Against The Loveless World

Another by Susan Abulhawa – I really do enjoy reading her work!

This novel. Where do I even begin? Following a young Palestinian refugee, Nahr, we listen to her story, which is being told from solitary confinement, as she becomes more and more radicalised.

Abulhawa blends fact with fiction and it haunts me to this day. It’s a book I think about every couple of days to be honest. The rawness of the prose, the gritty nature of what it means to be a women who is dealt a hand and has to make do in a world that is not meant for her at all.

Against the Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

The Sea Cloak & Other Stories

A collection of short stories from Nayrouz that are drawn from her experience of growing up in Gaza. This is a short book, only 100 pages, with 11 stories.

Quick snippets and insights into a range of different characters and a real focus on what it is like to live in Gaza – forcing the reader to envision life there. Short stories are always so much hard hitting I find, because of their length. The message hits harder, the words are more scathing and the prose is more sharp.

I think my favourite short story from the collection was ‘Pen and Notebook’, but they were all gorgeous.

If you are a fan of Susan Abulhawa, then I think you’d really enjoy this!

The Sea Cloak by Nayrouz Qarmout

Minor Detail

Don’t be fooled by the length. Whilst this is very small, 112 pages, it packs a massive punch in feels. I was gifted this by a friend last year and it has stayed with me ever since. If you can’t commit to something longer, this is a great, but impactful, one to start with.

Shibli intertwines the modern with the past. A Palestinian writer risks her life to find out more information about a young Palestinain girl who is raped, killed and buried by Israeli soldiers in 1948.

The story is hauntingly beautiful. The title encapsulates life – how one minor detail can strike any one of us and change our entire trajectory in life. Shibli’s narrative is sharp and gets to the point – there is no hiding.

Minor Detail by Adania Shibli

Returning to Haifa

Another short read and a play! I have to read the novella, but the play packs a punch. I read this and feeling more and more deflated and desolate as I got towards the end because I knew how it was going to end, but that didn’t take away from the story.

Two families – one Palestinian, one Israeli – are forced to live out their stories side by side. Starting in 1948, after the Nakba, the plot travels through to 1967, the Six days war, where Said and Saffiya dare to travel back to their home in Haifa and the memories that dome with it.

Returning to Haifa by Ismail Khalidi and Naomi Wallace

A Woman Is No Man

Set in America, Rum tells the stories of three generations of one family of Palestinian American women and their struggle to find their place in this world, in this society and within their own culture. We go through their struggles, desires and shameful family secrets that threaten to tear apart the whole family through the three women – Deya, Isra and Fareeda.

The women, and men, in the novel adhere to and break stereotypes that are forced upon them, and so many others around the world.

A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum

I can never do these stories justice. They’re meant to be read. Meant to be cried over. Meant to stir anger and passion.

All of these books were 5 stars for me. They were achingly, heartbreakingly beautiful reads. The imagery, the pain that is at the heart of each story, connecting it. They were all sublime.

Happy reading!

🇵🇸🤍🍉

xo

Thinking about writing!

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So I’ve had the crazy idea to maybe write a novel? I mean, it’s not as if I’ve never thought about it before or haven’t been told ‘oh, you like English and love to read, maybe you should just write your own book!’

I also don’t think it would amount to much, but maybe it would be nice to explore that side of my love for literature? Ah conflicted!

Anyway, I think I might use this space to just throw some bits and pieces out there and I guess we’ll see how it goes.

Any tips would be really welcome!

xo

Book review: ACOTAR 1 – 3

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Hello!

This has definitely been a long time coming…

I recently went through, sorted and cleared out my MANY boxes of books. A woman on a mission, I vowed to get through my physical tbr this year and force myself on a book buying ban (I have already broken this of course🫠). So, I spent a few hours sorting books into piles and came up with a few piles to read.

Whilst sorting, I found A Court Of Thorns and Roses, A Court Of Mist and Fury and A Court Of Wings and Ruin as a trilogy…wrapped in cellophane…with a receipt from 2017. That should give you an indication of how far back my physical tbr goes 😭 But I thought why not, they seem to have had a resurgence lately. About 8 people I work with are reading them, so I thought why not see what all the fuss is about?

Sarah J Maas has worked on creating a universe that is interesting to delve into – all the courts and their personalities – was definitely something that’ll interested me as I read the trilogy and kept me engaged. I did like how she spent time fleshing out these different courts and their High Lords, differences, similarities, unique aspects. With fictional universes, so many times this aspect is rushed, I find, so this was definitely a nice breath of fresh air. A lot of the characters were fleshed out, given somewhat complex personalities. Only so much can be achieved over the course of three books, especially when you have a diverse range of characters.

Freyre

Ah, our protagonist. I wasn’t sure how to feel about her in all honestly. Over the course of the three books, I didn’t feel like her arc progression amounted to much, but maybe she wasn’t meant to. A stable 1st person narrative that allows the reader into the mindset of a girl trying to manage herself in a new and volatile world. It’s a trope that’s been done, of course, time and time again. Set against the backdrop of magic and faeries the strong-willed, fiesty, snarky female didn’t really feel that much different from other fantasy females. I did like seeing the inner conflict and how she dealt with that, the way she loses and then remakes herself in this new world.

Rhysand

I mean. I love me a chaotic good character. Couple that with enemies to lovers…ooh! Rhysand. A white Knight saviour, hidden under the mask of being a prick. I get it. He’s the guy who treats you right, gives you the choices, doesn’t force you into doing something you don’t want. Respectful. But coupled with being messy, willing to be sneaky to get what he needs, all whilst having peoples best interest at heart. I think I would have just liked to see a bit more push and pull between Freyre and Rhysand. Once the mating bond kicked into place, then everything became really easy for them as a couple. No fights or disagreements, really. I think having that would have just added to their relationship.

The inner circle

Definitely very well fleshed out, interesting characters that added richness and depth to the story. Azriel definitely needs a whole arc to himself. Mor…it’s been 500 years, just tell him already. And Cassian, the glue holding them together. Odd love truangle – that wasn’t really a triangle – but was forced to be was odd for me, especially when nothing came from it? It had been teased for two books and then nothing? I delt slightly cheated if i’m honest. I felt like Amren just disappeared from A Court Of Wings and Ruin, appearing sporadically and not really doing much when she arrived.

Writing and pace

The pace of the trilogy was pretty decent. I didn’t really feel like there were any major sections that were unnecessary. The plot itself tied together quite neatly with no plot holes and a somewhat happy ending for all involved. I do think the writing of the courts and the world building could have done with more  “show not tell”. I never felt 100% immersed in the courts. I could envision them well enough, but I wanted to feel like I was there, the smells, the sounds, the fell of the grass and roughness of the bark and ash trees.

I understand why people are raving about this series. For me, it was okay. Nothing special, but an easy read with decent pacing. Would definitely help to get someone out a reading slump if need be.

Overall rating for the trilogy: 3/5

xo

Deeds not words.

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Happy International Women’s Day to all!

In 2018 I wrote about a badass woman Princess Sophia Duleep Singh who led an incredible life. If you don’t know who she is please give it a read!

This IWD I want to pay homage to one of the original suffragettes – Emmeline Pankhurst.

Emmeline Pankhurst statue in Manchester.

Seen by many as a radical and a threat, Emmeline was a woman who refused to back down and allow women to be mistreated after seeing the dire conditions that many worked in in Manchester’s workhouses. Her methods may have been extreme, and their effectiveness has been disputed, but there is no denying that her work was crucial and seminal in leading the movement and gaining votes for women.

Born and raised in Manchester, it’s amazing to see this statue everytime I make my way into the city centre. It genuinely brings a smile to my face watching and seeing people young and old surrounding the statue. It gives people, especially young boys and girls, a chance and an opportunity to discover a part of Manchester’s history that went on to change the entire UK.

Feminists don’t wear pink

“Feminists Don’t Wear Pink” is a collection of short stories and essays from women across Hollywood from actresses to teenage activists. They l tell their story of their personal relationship with feminism and what it means to be a woman. For me, it shows is how far we have come as women and a society, but still how far we have yet to go.

There are still 31 million girls in the world not in school and 17 million of them probably never will. 1 in 5 women in the UK have experienced sexual assault – but these are just from the brave women who have come forward to report it. And at the rate the word is going it will take over 100 years just to close the gender parity gap.

Emmeline Pankhurt fought over 100 years ago for the rights for women, but in order to make the world a fairer and just place we must all come together to create it.

Let us all incite this meeting to rebellion.

xo.

Book subscriptions🤗

Hi😁

One of the (many) things that I love about books is that book subscriptions exist! For me, nothing beats wandering around a book store, but receiving a monthly book parcel in the post is just😌 A little gift from me to me🤗

I currently have a monthly book subscription to Reposed and did also have one with Bookishly if you would like to check them out.

What I love about the Reposed subscription is that it’s not just about the book you receive. They take the time to include handmade chocolates, teas, beauty products and/or stationary. All made independently and to the highest standards. So you dont just pay for a novel, which is great in itself, but you’re also paying to help local and independent businesses.

The novels that are sent in the Reposed subscription are modern literary fiction if that’s your jam. Or if you’d like to start reading more modern fiction then definitely give this a go! They handpick the newest, inspiring and insightful novels to send and I’ve enjoyed every single one.

February’s box of goodies!

If modern fiction isn’t your thing, not to worry, Bookishly is there for you! They will send out classic novels that they have beautifully re-created the cover to in house. And if classics aren’t your thing, there are so many different types or book subscriptions out there from Crime and Detective to YA to Women led/feminist literature to just receiving a completely random book, there’s a subscription box for you!

xo

Booktour of LDN: Persephone Books

Hi!

I spent a couple of days in the good ol’ UK capital this week and decided to pay a visit to one of my favourite book stores – Persephone Books.


Persephone Books reprints neglected fiction and non-fiction by mid 20th Century (mostly) women writers. There are around 132 books that they publish that range from novels to stories to diaries to memoirs to cookbooks!


This is a must for any book lover or bookstore lover to add to their list. If you get the chance whilst you’re in London, definitely give it a visit! The books range from around £12-£13 or you can grab 3 for £33, and a lovely  little extra is you get individually crafted bookmarks for each if the books you buy!

I picked up 2 novels and a book of poems – The World that was Ours by Hilda Bernstein, It’s Hard to be Over Thirty by Judith Viorst and A Lady and her Husband by Amber Reeves. Can’t wait to get stuck into these so keep an eye out for my reviews🙂

If you would like to check out their catalogue, head on over to the website!

xo