Due to quarantine last year, I refound a love for reading that hadn’t been present in my life for a few years. I fell back in love with books, both fiction and non-fiction, and rediscovered how at peace I feel with a book in my hand. So I thought each month I would write my monthly reading wrap up, to help anyone wanting some reading inspiration during this time.
This month I read 5 books, varying from all different topics and genres, so hopefully at least one of this book fits your desired reading interest:
Get a Life, Chloe Brown – Talia Hibbert
This book was the sweetest romance, following a young woman venture through life as a chronically ill, black woman who comes to the realisation that she needs to get a life. She writes a bucket list of things she wants to achieve, and expectedly so, she falls in love along the way. It’s such a sweet story and the first of Hibbert’s trilogy of Brown sisters novels, which I’m so excited to read at some point! I really am a sucker for a romance novel. 4/5
Daisy Jones & The Six – Taylor Jenkins Reid
The uniqueness of this novel was so refreshing and I found myself not being able to put it down, finishing it in two sittings. Following a fictional account of how the 1960s rock band, Daisy Jones & The Six, went from worldwide fame to breaking up overnight. It was told in interview form which was so intriguing and different to anything I’ve read before, and the story was so thoroughly interesting, discussing topics such as drugs, addiction, music and love. It was such a good book. I’m so excited to read more of Jenkins Reid’s books because I’ve heard nothing but positive things. 4/5
Lowborn: Growing Up, Getting Away and Returning to Britain’s Poorest Towns – Kerry Hudson
My favourite book of the month by far was Lowborn. This memoir follows Kerry Hudson, a writer, who decides to venture back to her childhood homes and memories, which in comparison to her current life, is nothing similar. Growing up, she faced poverty, poor housing and council estates in some of the most impoverished areas around the UK. She recounts this tale of her own life, as a middle-class, well-educated woman who ‘got out’. It’s a gorgeously written account of someone being nothing but honest. I couldn’t recommend this book more. 5/5
One of Us is Next – Karen M. McManus
Sequel to One of Us is Lying, this novel was the most angsty yet fascinating novel I read this month. I picked the sequel up because I really enjoyed the first book when I read it last year, and admittedly this one didn’t disappoint either. The novel is the perfect combination of crime, thriller, romance and angst. It’s a little make-belief and quite far-fetched, but what good young adult novel isn’t? 4/5
Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment – Tal Ben-Shaher Phd
I read this book because I wrote the majority of my dissertation this month (all finished now, congrats to me :D) , I thought reading a self help book during a really trying time would be smart, but I didn’t personally enjoy it. It was very unique in that it provided so many prompts and really encouraged reflection and was very thought-provoking, but I just didn’t personally enjoy it! 2/5