I got this from the library!Currently reading Fake Law by The Secret Barrister. It's really interesting but I think it's reminding me too much of uni, plus I'm highlighting any bits I find relevant to my studies in case I decide to reference them later so. They do a wonderful job of explaining the basic concepts of the laws they're talking about, and why/how this fake mass-hysteria catches on around certain stories
Because that's a bit of a slog I'm also rotating in The Dennis Nilsen Tapes by Michael Morley. I'm only a few pages in but it seems that it'll be a good book! May watch that Netflix documentary after too
thank you for the supportWell, while we’re confessing to stuff, I read PTWM’s “fiction” the other week. It wasn’t even freebut it was 99p and I was intrigued, okay?!
P.S - it was shit.
Sally Rooney got very lucky, normal people was such a success for the bbc it secured her position as a popular author, but I really struggled to like any of her books.Finished Beautiful World, Where Are You a few days ago, I pretty much stand by what I said originally that it’s more similar to Conversations With Friends. There’s a Normal People style romance but that’s less than half the book. It was okay, I don’t regret spending my time on it but wouldn’t say it’s one of the best I’ve read. I’ll put my little ramble under a spoiler (not actual spoilers, just vague thoughts)
Stuff I liked: the centrepiece of female friendship was interesting; SR is good at exploring complexities in all kinds of relationships and I enjoyed reading about the friendship/family conflicts. The characters are all 29+ which was refreshing as previously they’ve all been younger. The last chapters (about 2.5 hours in audiobook) were written particularly well imo.
Stuff I didn’t like: lots of sex scenes which mostly end in drama* (it got boring); unnecessary conflict that just felt stupid; a particular character was so unlikeable but in a way that made me wish they’d just disappear rather than loving to hate them; the ending didn’t feel like SR at all. Some of the academic talk got a bit too pretentious and long winded and reading her characters basically talk at each other gets annoying even if that is ~the point~.
*I listened on audible and while the female narrator got into character for the women in sex scenes, she gave no fucks about the men. At one point she acted out the man saying “is it okay if I come?” in the same tone as he might say “have you put the bins out?”. Had to laugh at that.
Generally speaking I find it odd that SR is currently so popular among the younger generation. I’m 27 and find some aspects of her work quite dated. The extreme thinness and hints about disordered eating that is consistent across her female characters has been picked up on a little, but not the relationships with men which are quite… questionable. Many of them date much younger women who are financially unstable (while they have steady careers) and the power imbalance is something SR makes really obvious but she never seems to attempt to unpack it like she does with class, therefore I think her younger readers don’t really either and it all feels a bit weird.
This is why I found CWF depressing
so am I! I keep falling asleep and getting confusedI am currently reading the The Sanatorium.
god that was overhyped rubbishso am I! I keep falling asleep and getting confused
I am about to start this too.I just had an email from Amazon advertising ‘the flight’ for 99p on kindle so I’m giving that a go this weekend
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel CaineRecommendations please
Best psychological thrillers from the past few years. I'm trying my hardest to get into 'stolen' and it's just not grabbing me. I'm not hating it just not loving it
I love a book with a good twist or 2
I’ve just finished In My Dreams I Hold A Knife which was really good. I think it is pretty recent.Recommendations please
Best psychological thrillers from the past few years. I'm trying my hardest to get into 'stolen' and it's just not grabbing me. I'm not hating it just not loving it
I love a book with a good twist or 2
Its a decades work Im sure I read. It was turned down by so many publishers as 'we dont know how to market this'I've been reading Shuggie Bain for about three weeks now (really, really slow for me). I am enjoying the writing, but it feels very dense. I am in awe that this was a debut novel.
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