Over the past couple of years I’ve really got the reading bug, and love curling up with a good book when I have a bit of time to myself. It’s been a great form of escapism in these strange times! Last year I set myself a target of 20 books which I managed to achieve, and discovered some great books that have really stuck with me. This year I want to read even more and have set myself a goal of 35, roughly 3 a month, and I’m already off to a good start!
Since I’m reading more, I thought I’d write up some mini book reviews at the end of each month. Not only to share my thoughts with you, but to help keep me on track too! I’ve started 2021 off with some really strong contenders, so let’s dive straight in!
I know I’m massively late to the party with this one, but it was worth the wait! It was on my ‘to read’ list throughout 2020 but I just never got round to it, so I made sure I kicked off this year with it and I’m so glad I finally did! Three Women is non-fiction, written in a journalistic style by Lisa Taddeo who spent years living close to her subjects. It almost reads like a fiction, but it is in fact three true stories about real women, and that’s what I loved about it.
Each of the three women has a different story which at the core revolves around their relationship struggles and female desire. They have experienced things such as assault, committed adultery and endured power struggles and gender equality in relationships. All three experiences are completely different, but all had me hooked with their honesty. Parts were painstaking, parts were uncomfortable to read, and one part in particular left me so angry on behalf the woman involved. Such a gripping book made all the more interesting by the fact these are real people.
My rating: 5 out of 5
(Buy it here)
This book couldn’t be more different to the first one! I’m a huge fan of Richard Osman and couldn’t wait to read his first book. Dan bought me this one for Christmas and I’d been itching to read it since I opened it! This is like nothing I’ve ever read before – it’s a murder mystery set in a retirement village, with a group of pensioners trying to figure out whodunnit! I absolutely LOVED the characters in this, and whilst the topic of the murder itself is a little grim, it’s actually a really uplifting story.
There are so many twists and turns in this book that really keep you on your toes. As someone who loves nothing more than to try and figure out who the culprit is before it happens, I was pleasantly surprised to NOT guess correctly! The fact that the story revolves around a group of elderly people (aka not your typical murder mystery cast) makes it a really refreshing read. I can’t wait for the second instalment later this year!
My rating: 4 out of 5
(Buy it here)
Another book that has been on my shelf for a while that I finally got round to reading! Girl, Woman, Other come with HUGE praise, winning the 2019 Booker Prize, so I was really excited to get stuck in to this one. The book explores the lives, struggles and relationships of black British families through generations. It’s a really eye opening read that delves in to topics such as racism, gender, sexuality and inequality.
It admittedly took me a while to get in to at first, but that’s down to the unconventional writing style rather than the story. (The book is written with no punctuation at the end of sentences, and no capitalisation at the start). But once I got used to that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. A really clever portrayal of womanhood with 12 brilliant characters. My favourites being Amma, an eccentric playwright and Hattie, a fierce 93 year old farmer with a big secret. I especially liked how all of the characters’ lives intertwined throughout, and the ending had me shedding a few (happy) tears!
My rating: 4 out of 5
(Buy it here)
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Three extremely different books to kick off this year, but three I thoroughly enjoyed! I’ve started February off with Writers & Lovers by Lily King and I’m already enjoying it so far. I’ll be back with some more mini book reviews of that and a couple others once February is done and dusted!
What books will you be reading this year?
C
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Read: 2021 – A Fresh Start
I really need to start reading more to step away from too much screen time and Three Women sounds great, very much my kind of book. I’ll definitely have to order a copy! Ruth ruthwrites.blog
It’s the perfect escape! Would highly recommend Three Women x