March Newsletter #01
Welcome to my first newsletter, this one is a little longer than what I will usually post but it’s all relevant I promise!
I know most of you have come here for books so I’m going to delve straight in. I’m not going to include any spoilers and I’ll include a link to the synopsis, I personally prefer not knowing too much about a book before starting, so I will try my best to not overshare. For the bookclub book chosen below I would love for you to join me in reading! Until there are a few of us I will post the book club newsletter with comments/chat feature open. I’d love in the future for this to be an online/in person club.
I really wasn’t sure how much reading I would get to do after having a baby. So many people told me that I’d no longer read, that there wouldn’t be any time for that. This terrified me, but I feel like anything if it’s important you find the time, even if that’s only 15 minutes a day. I’ve still managed to keep up a good amount of reading mainly during night feeds or when baby has fallen asleep in the car. I try to always keep a book on me, but failing that I have the kindle app on my phone, which is great as it’s connected to my actual kindle. So whenever I am able to and I want to I can pick up a book where I left off.
Personally I tend to have a couple of books on the go, right now I’m reading one physical book, one kindle and one audiobook all fiction. But if I stumble across a non fiction book I’d probably start that before finishing the others. It takes me a little longer to finish books because of this but I enjoy reading multiple things. It takes a lot for me to be all consumed by one book.
Towards the end of last year I felt overwhelmed by the amount of unread books on my kindle and didn’t really know where to start, so I gravitated back towards hard copies which I’ve not done in ages. It really helped me get my mojo back. Now I’m reading both kindle and physical books. But I would always recommend changing medium if you’re in a lull. Hopefully each month there will be something to entice you.
Goodreads & Storygraph.
I personally log most of my read and TBR (to be read) on both of these apps. I’ve used Goodreads for such a long time now it’s habit to click on and log any book that’s on my radar as well as my reading progress. I personally like using the reading challenge to set myself a goal each year, but I don’t put too much effort into reaching or beating. If I read some big novels I know I will read less, and also, life happens it’s not a competition to whether you manage 5 books or 50, just make sure you enjoyed what you read.
Both apps are great in reminding you what you’ve read and the name of that book a friend recommended which you’re finally getting round to reading. There is nothing worse than reading 100 pages of a book that feels familiar to know that you loaned it from the library in 2015. Whatever works for you but I personally love logging any book that inspires me and knowing that I can come back to it at any given.
Storygraph is an app I’ve only just started using so I’m still finding my feet, however what I have used/seen on it so far I’ve enjoyed. This app focuses on more of the technical side. It does literally what it says on the tin and graphs your reading journey. I like seeing the breakdown of my books to help me navigate what I might like to read next or what to avoid. I’ve also heard it’s great for buddy reads, which I’d love to do in the future.
As always I encourage you to order from independent book retailers, hive is a great option connecting you to an independent local to you. OR if available ordering from your local library - did you know you can get ebooks and audio’s from there too?
Happy reading! And please let me know what you think!
3 Books To Get You Excited About Reading Again.
It’s inevitable to experience peaks and troughs when it comes to reading, sometimes it’s hard to find the time and sometimes it’s hard to just find a book that tickles your fancy. Here are 3 enjoyable reads that will hopefully break the cycle and help you find your flow again.
Who is Maud Dixon by Alexandra Andrews
324 pages.
You can read the synopsis here.
I read this on the last day of my honeymoon, I was sat by the window overlooking lochness (keeping one eye out for Nessie herself) and was totally absorbed. I knew nothing of the plot, which in this case I think is ideal. It’s definitely best going into it blind, it makes for a much more exciting read. In the space of a couple of coffees a stack of pancakes I had devoured the entire book. It is an incredibly smooth, well plotted and without the predictability I usually find in the thriller genre.
I’ve gone back and forth to whether or not explain the plot, but because of the nature of the book I’m just going to keep it really loose. Florence a small town wannabe author meets Maud a celebrated but anonymous novelist when she becomes her assistant, they travel to Morocco on a research trip for Maud’s latest book, this is where the story unfolds and becomes truly gripping!
I find that thrillers are easy to binge, but quiet often they can become quiet same-y, this for me was different to what I’ve read before. I could not put it down and I could not figure out how it was going to end. Andrews manages to write compelling and believable characters so effortlessly, her ability to take us on this wild (sometimes slightly implausible but enjoyable) ride is inspiring.
Of course it’s not a life changing novel, but I strongly feel that a good book doesn’t have to be something that wins the Booker Prize. I have a beady eye out to see what Andrews does next because this debut novel I thought was great fun!
People Person by Candice Carty-Williams
336 Pages.
You can read the synopsis here.
After reading Carty-Williams first novel Queenie I was so excited that she had written a second book so quickly. It’s the perfect book to get you into reading as it is fun, it doesn't try to be too serious but the writing is also top quality.
People person is a contemporary novel surrounding Dimple and her four other half siblings. When Dimple finds herself suddenly in trouble she turns to her siblings bringing the family back together. I just loved the humour in this book, whether that was the perfect one liners, the characters, or, just the ridiculousness of it all. We really get to know and love each sibling whilst also become more and more frustrated with Cyril (their absent father). Despite at times wanting to shake Dimple for being a bit of a doormat and her desperation for validation I ended up having a soft spot for her and (some) of her siblings.
I listened to this book on audible which was so enjoyable Danielle Vitalis did a great job in her delivery.
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
416 Pages.
You can read the synopsis here.
A friend recently recommended this to me, and after seeing it all over my instagram I was delighted when it came up on Kindle book deals for 99p. I had previously read the synopsis and thought that the book wasn’t really for me. The theme of video games really didn’t appeal to me, I’ve never been one to be into them, however I am here to reassure you that this is so much more than that and is for sure worth the hype.
The book drew me in instantly, introducing us to a young Sadie and Sam who capture your hearts immediately. I did feel that the first half was stronger than the second, there is a small portion of the book that almost lost me (in depth computer game play by play). But the way in which the story unfolds and the unexpected storylines hit just Wow! The character development is subtle and so well considered, I really enjoyed the depiction of both platonic and romantic relationships. It was so immersive and believable I personally couldn’t put it down. I loved reading a book about relationships, careers and heartbreak that had substance.
I’m pretty sure I heard that this is going to be made into a movie and I cannot wait.
March Bookclub Read
This month in celebration of the Women’s prize long list being published (you can check it out for yourself here). To be honest most of the books on this list I’d not even heard of! So it will be great to read a couple over the next few months. I have chosen Wandering Souls for our bookclub read, its a shorter read than a lot of the books on there and it sounds like a beautiful read. I will post my thoughts (with spoilers) in the first week of April. I hope you can join and let me know in the comments/chat if you enjoyed it!
A bit about the book - (taken from Goodreads)
A luminous, boldly imagined debut novel about three Vietnamese siblings who seek refuge in the UK, expanding into a sweeping meditation on love, ancestry, and the power of storytelling.
A bit about the author - (taken from RCW lit agency website)
Cecile Pin grew up in Paris and New York City. She moved to London at eighteen to study Philosophy at University College London, followed by an MA at King’s College London. She writes for Bad Form Review, was longlisted for their Young Writer’s prize and is a London Writers Awards 2021 winner (literary fiction category)
pages in book - 240
If you are on instagram then give me a follow, you can find my book account here (@ela_bookshelf)