Bookish Wrap Up | September and October
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Hello Readers,
I know it’s been a while and I’m sorry about that. I took an unexpected break from writing as I simply didn’t haven’t the energy or the motivation to write anything for the last couple of months. To be completely honest, I’ve also been struggling to physically read as well. So to try to keep reading, I’ve been pairing the books I want to physically read with their audiobooks and following along. Doing this meant I was able to read three books during October which was a big improvement on the one I read in September.
During October I also hosted a read-a-thon for my bookclub’s second year anniversary, so all the books I read in October for were a number of the prompts for that.
So enough rambling, let me tell you about the books I’ve read in the last couple months…
Books Read in September:
Tomorrow and, Tomorrow and, Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Synopsis from dust jacket:
“Two kids meet in a hospital gaming room in 1987. One is visiting her sister, the other is recovering from a car crash. The days and months are long there. Their love of video games becomes a shared world - of joy, escape and fierce competition. But all too soon that time is over; fades from view.
When the pair spot each other eight years later in a crowded train station, they are catapulted back to that moment. The spark is immediate, and together they get to work on what they love - making games to delight, challenge and immerse players, finding an intimacy in digital worlds that eludes them in their real lives. Their collaborations make them superstars.
This is the story of the perfect worlds Sadie and Sam build, the imperfect world they live in, and pf everything that comes after success: Money. Fame. Duplicity. Tragedy.”
Zevin’s writing style is a great and really easy to read as it flows so well. The games that the characters are developing seem so legitimate that I honestly wanted to play every single one of them, though it did help that a couple of my favourite games are listed as inspirations and you can really see the that in the game play that’s shown within the story.
There’s also some good disability / long-term illness representation as Gabrielle Zevin, through the character of Sam, has beautifully expressed what Gaming can mean to some who, like myself, is a chronically ill, disabled person. Playing video games enables me to do things I am physically unable to do in real life ~ like running or even going to a café without the consequences and payback that come with being chronically ill. The biggest thing gaming allows me to do is ride horses again, something I had to stop doing almost 9 years ago ~ the majority of my playtime in Breath of The Wild is me riding around Hyrule!
This book is definitely a must for anyone who enjoys playing video games!
Books Read in October:
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins {audiobook}
If you’ve been around here for a while then you know I’ve read this book a few times since its publication in 2020. So I’m not going to go into my thoughts about this one here, instead I’m going to point you in the direction of the full review I wrote on this book for you to read if you’re interested in knowing more about this book and what I thought of it.
The Tempest by William Shakespeare {audiobook}
Synopsis:
A ship carrying the King of Naples, his son and other Nobles are wrecked in a storm created by Ariel the sprite. Prospero and his daughter, Miranda, are living on the island and he explains to her that he is the rightful Duke of Milan and that they had arrived on their island many years before after being sent out to sea by some of those whom he now had in his power…
The first time I read The Tempest was back in High School for my A Level English Lit class and I really enjoyed it. I’ve since read it again as an adult and again enjoyed it. So I decided to read it for one of the prompts of my read-a-thon but this time I thought I’d try it via audiobook.
I can be very picky when it comes to audiobooks as I sometimes struggle when there’s music or sound effects added in with the dialogue and when I first started this one, I was unsure if I’d be able to listen to it all as the sounds of the shipwreck and the ocean overpowered much of the dialogue but once the opening act was finished and the play moved on to quieter moments with Prospero and Miranda, I felt I could keep going. The cast was wonderful and it included Ian McKellen, Emilia Fox and Benedict Cumberbact, all amazing actors and they played their parts so well!
I’m very slowly working my way through all of Shakespeare’s works and I think I’m going to try taking them in the way the bard intended, with a full cast!
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas {audiobook}
I’m not going to go into detail about this book as it is the second of a series and I’m pretty sure most people will know what this series is about anyway. I listened to the first book in a few months ago and while I didn’t feel like I needed to carry on with the series, I decided that if it became available at my library and I needed an audiobook to fill the void, then I’d give it a go.
After reading this one, I completely understand the entire fandom and hype around this series. But sadly it just hit the mark for me. The characters are fine and the world is fine but the only time I felt I had a “wow” moment was when the main character is shown a certain city for the first time. I really did want to like this one but the more I read the more, I realised it’s just not for me and that’s completely okay ~ you will never love every single book you read.
Also, as most of you will know by now that I’m not really a Fantasy reader and I feel that after two books in this series, I can say I gave it a good go but I highly doubt I’ll continuing with this one.
Babel by R. F. Kuang {physical and audiobook}
I’m thinking of writing a full review for this one at some point but as I’m not sure when that will happen, I’ll give you an overview of the book and some of my thoughts on it now;
Synopsis from dust jacket:
“An of translation is always an act of betrayal.
Oxford, 1836. The city of dreaming spires.
It is the centre of all knowledge and progress in the world.
And at its heart is Babel, Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation.
The tower from which all the power of the Empire flows.
Orphaned in Canton and Brough to England by a mysterious guardian, Robin Swift thought Babel a paradise.
Until it became a prison… But can a student stand against an empire?”
There was a lot of hype around this book when it was published a few months ago and it definitely lives up to it all! Kuang’s take on the British Empire and colonialism is incredible and there’s so many important topics being raised within the backdrop of Oxford University. The world of academia and translation adds to the atmosphere of the story and as someone who loves language, origins of words and their meaning, this drew me in even more.
The characters all felt so real and I found myself feeling very invested in what happened to them. I loved the found family / friend group within this book and I felt very attached to all of them as they navigated life at Oxford. Robin as a main character is wonderful and I just wanted everything to turn okay for him, especially as he deals with feelings of conflict and wanting to do what’s right. His growth and that of his cohort from beginning to end was written so well ~ I think they’re one of my favourite friend groups I’ve ever read! Honestly this book is one of my top reads of the year!
So those were all the books I’ve read over the past couple of months. My stands out from them are definitely Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and Babel ~ you’ll be seeing them on my Top Reads of 2022 list at the end of the year for sure!
I’m hoping to be able to start writing a bit more regularly again but please bear with me as my articles may still not be as regular as they have been in the past. I’m just prioritising my health at the moment while trying to find a balance with all the things I want and need to do. So my articles won’t necessarily be weekly again for a little while.
If you’d like to keep up to date with what I’m reading, the best place to do that is via my Bookstagram.
What have you been reading lately? Let me know in the comments below.
Stay Safe. Read a Book.
L x
