Friday 16 March 2018

Library books I've been reading.

Here's what I've been reading lately, 

Library books I've been reading.  From UK book blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #bookblogger #ukbookblogger #librarybooks

Moxie - Jennifer Mathieu
Viv is fed up of boys will be boys, uniform checks and at school, so starts an anonymous feminist zine calling her classmates to action, inspired by her new feminist friend and her mum's box of 90's riot grrl paraphernalia.   I really loved this book, I would have loved it when I was younger too, but now I'm old I also identify with Viv's Mum and loved that she was given a proper personality, former riot grrl now making some compromises to get along in the world.

Library books I've been reading.  From UK book blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #bookblogger #ukbookblogger #librarybooks

Someday, Someday Maybe - Lauren Graham
I loved this, but I think maybe because it's written by Lauren Graham so in my head I populated the book with Gilmore Girls characters!   Franny moved to New York and gave herself a deadline to make it big in showbiz or go home, as her deadline approaches will she stay or go.  There's a nice romance in there too :)

Library books I've been reading.  From UK book blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #bookblogger #ukbookblogger #librarybooks

Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng
I loved this.  realistic and quirky characters, a moral dilemma or two to grapple with and just lovely scene setting and character building (which must have been done well because I usually hate overly descriptive books!).

Library books I've been reading.  From UK book blogger secondhandsusie.blogspot.com #bookblogger #ukbookblogger #librarybooks

Drawdown - Paul Hawken
I've renewed this library book waaaaaaaaaaay more times than I'm officially allowed!  There are 100 ideas for ways to reverse climate change in this book.  Most of them aren't things you can do yourself at home, they're more big ideas like using alternative cement, educating girls, using regenerative agriculture or repopulating the Mammoth Steppe.  Despite what could seem like dry subject matter, I've really enjoyed dipping in and out of this book, lots of scientific and social and economic matters are explained simply and it has pretty pictures too.   This book makes me both want to cling to it in hope, and buy a copy for every World leader and beat them round the head with it shouting 'do something about climate change before it's too late!'.   

Into White - Randi Pink
The premise of this book was really interesting, a teenage girl prays to be anything other than black, and wakes up white.  I'm not sure about the writing style though, I liked the basic plot, characters and some of the observations about race, but to me this read like a first draft that needed more editing.

The More you Ignore Me - Jo Brand
Alice loves The Smiths, her mum has serious mental health issues, and she has a guinea pig called Smelly.  I thought this book was just alright, with some bits I loved and a last sentence that made me say 'ahh'.

Lumberjanes - Noelle Stevenson
Friendship to the max!  All hail the kitten holy!  This is a super cute graphic novel, with relatable female characters getting into all sorts of supernatural adventures at summer camp.  I think I'm a Riley.

My absolute darling - Gabriel Tallent
I really didn't like this book.  Turtle, our teenage girl main character, is raped and tortured by her father, which a. I don't really want to read about, and b. the sexual abuse was written about in such a way that it seemed pornographic and titillating, I'm guessing it's representing the views of the abuser and manipulated abused, rather than those of the author (I hope) but it was horrific and waaaay too much for me.  I've seen so many good reviews for this but I hated it and skipped through it to the end to see how things turned out for Turtle.  I'm trying to read more books written by men but I don't think this was a good first choice!

What have you been reading? 





7 comments:

  1. I am so glad I have rediscovered my local library. I have already read two amazing books that I loved called The Readers of Broken Wheel recommend and The Year of Marvellous Ways. Currently have Confessions of a shockaholic by Carrie Fisher to read and a book called Carraval which looks interesting. X

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    1. I'm really glad you're enjoying your library! I borrowed the Readers of Broken Wheel.. from my library and really liked it too :)

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    1. I've recently finished a really good book by a man (Gavin Extence) called The Universe Versus Alex Woods. It's about a friendship between a young lad and an elderly man, and the consequences when old age catches up with the older character. A great read, thoroughly recommended! x

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    2. Oooo thanks for the recommendation, I'm sure I've seen that book at work (I work in a library!) I'll have to borrow it!

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  3. This has been really helpful! I've been looking for a book to read for ages! Overly debating between Little Fires Everywhere and My Absolute Darling!

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    1. Thanks, I'd recommend Little Fires Everywhere over My Absolute Darling!

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