What I've been reading.

Here's what I've been reading recently, lovely library books and some second hand finds too,

Doctor Who Time Lord Fairy Tales

This book has the most gorgeous illustrations and it looks beautiful on the shelf.  The stories are quite simply told, in the same style as fairy tales, so it's best to leave any literary expectations aside and imagine baby Time Lords being told these stories.  I especially liked the story of Cinderella and the Magic Box and the Three Little Sontarans.

Sofia Khan is Not Obliged - Ayisha Malik

This is a typical chick lit, rom-com, but with a twist as the main character is a strict British Muslim and the focus is on her love life.  I don't think this was a brilliantly written book, but I got into it and it was a really interesting insight into Muslim culture, which it turns out I know little about despite living in an area with a huge Muslim community.  It's nice to learn something. 

The Treasure Hunters - Enid Blyton

I picked up this 1960s edition of The Treasure Hunters for 20p in a charity shop.  It's not an Enid Blyton story I've read before and it was a nice comfort read, full of adventure, picnics, and a naughty dog.  I was mostly attracted to it because it looks like it's been printed in a proper printing press, and by the cute, retro illustrations.

The Girls - Emma Cline

Evie's boring summer is dramatically turned around when she gets involved with a cult, implicated in an infamous murder.  It's set in 1969, all hippies and living in a commune, but The Girls gives a deeper look at the dysfunction rife in that kind of living arrangement.  It's told from the present day, with a grown up Evie looking back on her youth.  Although I've never lived in a commune, I did find a lot of Evie's thoughts relatable and familiar to my own as a teen and as a woman.

Vinegar Girl - Anne Tyler

The Hogarth Shakespeare series sees popular authors updating Shakespearian plays.  Vinegar Girl is Anne Tyler's version of The Taming of the Shrew.  This is the first book I've read by her and I thought it was just OK, easy to read and quite sweet, it shows a different imagining of the story and is less extreme than the play, or the Richard Burton/Elizabeth Taylor film.  But to be honest I prefer 10 Things I Hate About You.

What have you been reading?  

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