I have been a very bad blogger recently. Not a single post since the end of January! To get me back in the swing of things, let me tell you a little about what I've been reading over the last couple of months....
1. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling (★★★★ 4 stars). This book perfectly captures everything I love about J.K. Rowling and her writing - powerful storytelling with lots of heart and a social conscience. The characters are so well crafted and each narrator utterly believable. I loved the way that for each POV character, Rowling explored their most raw thoughts, feelings and prejudices, invoking both outrage and sympathy. This book shines a light on some truly abhorrent attitudes and prejudices. At the same time, it asks the reader to take a difficult step towards questioning our own attitudes, to let go of judgements and misconceptions, to be a more decent, compassionate human being. This book is bold, honest and challenging - highly recommended.
2. Station Eleven by (★★★★ 4 stars). This book is one of my favourites of the year so far. I have a real weakness for post-apocalyptic stories, so I knew this book would be my cup of tea as soon as I heard about it. I certainly wasn't disappointed. I loved this book's exploration of what a world following the collapse of civilization might look like, but I also really enjoyed the sections of the book set beforehand, in our own familiar, modern world. One of the things I like best about this book was its subtle examination of what it means to live and survive in each of these two worlds. This is a story about survival, not only in some hypothetical future, but in the here-and-now, in a world that can at times seem very impersonal and superficial.
(★★★★ 4 stars). This book is a very satisfying read, one of those beautifully-told stories you can get absorbed right into and makes you feel utterly content when you finish it. It is wonderfully atmospheric with a gripping mystery at its centre, lots of past secrets and tragedies to uncover, and a fantastic cast of characters. It is also a book about books - something I am always a fan of. I'm very glad I finally got round to reading this one (it has been on my shelves for years) - well worth it.
(★★★ 3 stars). I read the first book in this series a little over a year ago (Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - reviewed here). This book continues the tale of Jacob and the other "peculiar" children and is equally enjoyable as the first. It is fast paced, exciting and original, and at times rather creepy. I did find it a little hard to get into at first, but once I did I was hooked. This book is great fun - nothing mind-blowing, but an entertaining and fantastical read with lots of suspense.
Kazuo Ishiguro (★★★ 3 stars). I was really excited to be reading this book. Although ultimately it didn't captivate me as much as I'd hoped, it is still a powerful and intelligent read that explores a lot of interesting questions relating to personal and collective memory, identity, war, love and death. It doesn't provide the reader with the answers they might crave, but is instead thought-provoking, inviting them to ponder these themes for themselves. A very imaginative, intelligent and heart-felt read.
6. Children of Men by P.D. James (★★★★ 4 stars). I have wanted to read this book ever since seeing the film adaptation (which I loved). Although I knew that the book was very different, I was surprised just how different it was. However, for me this was a good thing as it meant the story was completely fresh and unknown. I found this book to be a very inventive and gripping read. The plot was interesting, but what I loved most about this book was its very believable world-building and the exploration of humanity's response to its own slow demise.
7. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (★★★★ 4 stars). I picked this book up on a whim at the library and I'm very glad I did. This book is a fascinating, intelligent read that at times I found very hard to put down. The narration style is unique and the story jumps back and forth in time to slowly reveal and explore the secrets of Rosemary's very unique childhood. This book is a highly original, moving look at family, love and separation. It's hard to go into much more detail without spoiling a central twist, but I thoroughly recommend this book if you haven't read it already.
8. The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter (★★ 2 stars). I loved the idea of this book and really enjoyed it to start with, but sadly I found myself growing frustrated with it as it went on. The plot was a bit predicable and unoriginal and the pacing rather uneven, painfully so at times. That's not to say I hated this book. I really liked many of the characters (Joanna is awesome!) and was enchanted by the magical, alt-history Regency-era setting. But unfortunately, for me, that just wasn't enough to make this book an enjoyable read.
All in all (with the exception of the last one), I have read some great books recently. I hope you have too and would love to hear any recommendations. I have just started reading Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekbäck, which I am very much enjoying so far.
