Ali Smith is wonderful in every way possible. This little book (a part of the Canongate Myths series) is a retelling of the Iphis and Ianthe myth, in which Smith uses her lyrical and beautiful style to tell a story about love and the different shapes it can take. It‘s a lovely book and I‘d recommend it to everyone I know.

Can‘t believe I didn‘t post this before, but I got some book mail last week. I‘ve already read the Faulkner and The Miniaturist, and looking forward to the tagged book and the poetry collection! 😊

First time I heard the concept of “flâneur” was in an Art History course in college. I liked the romantic idea of walking the city and actually seeing it (I am from a small town, moved to a city for college). But it seemed like only men could do it. Elkin explores women and cities and how they made them their own. Mixing essays about famous women and her own experience as a flâneuse, she does a thoughtful analysis about women place in the world.

I read this book a couple years ago and loved it. Set against the Golden Age of comic books, the story spans through the years and the world, which is changing fast around the two cousins. If you like historical novels, superhero comics, and interesting and nuanced characters, this is a real fun book to read.

#RoryGilmoresReadingChallenge

Can‘t believe I haven‘t posted a review here! This is one of my favorite books, Chimamanda‘s writing is fantastic and this story is fascinating in every level: the characters, the settings, the ideas. I loved Ifemelu‘s strong character and how she was unapologetic in expressing her ideals. The themes of immigration and home are well thought and developed, and the story is very compelling. I‘ve recommended it many times, and I‘ll keep doing so.

Victorian age? Mysterious events that might be paranormal? Long discussions about religion and science? Great female main character? I don‘t know about you, but this book really checks a lot of my boxes and it‘s really a fantastic read. Sarah Perry has a charming style and her prose makes you keep on reading because it is that good. Seriously, give this one a try.

Apparently this book is not yet out in English, but as everything Alexiévich writes, it‘s wonderful. She has a way of finding these very human and personal stories and creates a rich tapestry that allows us to get a better picture of the consequences of WWII in Belarus, and how terrible life was after it. It‘s really fascinating and lovely.

“This is the saddest story I‘ve ever heard” begins this novel, which talks about two couples and their disintegration as the world changes around them. It‘s a very short novel, but it manages to involve you in the world of this health spa and pre-WWI Europe in general. There‘s interesting gender dynamics in both relationships, considering the context of early 20th century.

#RoryGilmoresReadingChallenge

Love love love retellings of myths (and fairy tales, and classics). This one, by my favorite author ever is fantastic. When I read The Odyssey in High School, I was very frustrated with how Penelope was always sidelined and we never got to hear her side. Atwood does a beautiful work of telling her story and portraying a different part of this narrative. I‘d love to get to the rest of the series.

This is easily the most controversial and most misread book in the world. Also, pretty divisive. Nabokov‘s prose is unbelievable and he has a great insight into the mind of a horrible disgusting man. Lolita is a victim here, and she is also a fascinating character because we never really get access to her as a person, she‘s only seen from the eyes of HH, who is so horrible.

This book changed my life when I first read it as a budding 16yo feminist. It help me start questioning what I was reading and studying, as well as what women‘s roles were and how they affected me. Despite being written about ninety years ago, it still feels current, which is very sad and frustrating. But Woolf is a fantastic writer and her work is thought provoking and fascinating. A must read for everyone.

#RoryGilmoresReadingChallenge

This is my absolutely favorite graphic novel/memoir in the world. I loved how Satrapi conveyed the complexities of the Islamic Revolution and how it affected her life (and that of every woman!) in Iran after it. Her story is really fascinating and her art is amazing, which makes it a joy to read. I recommend this book to literally everyone because it‘s fantastic in every way.

I‘ve already reviewed this one, but I got this copy recently and it‘s too pretty not to show it off. It‘s a 50th anniversary thing, so it‘s lavishly illustrated and a family tree and everything. I really had to buy it.

I‘m kinda in the fence about this one. While I think that the experimental side is cool, I‘m not crazy about his style. And it was very hard to read a book in which all the characters were despicable. I‘m cool with unlikable characters, but these ones were too much for me. There‘s a section where they discuss attacking a young woman which was particularly disturbing.

#RoryGilmoresReadingChallenge

I‘m a big Shakespeare nerd, so the Hogarth series hits the sweet spot for me. Especially this one, since I was lucky enough to see Margaret Atwood herself talking about it. Taking on Shakespeare‘s weirdest play is not a small feat, but Atwood tackles it with brilliance. I loved the parallels between magic and theater and the whole jail setting as the context for this adaptation. And I have a signed copy!!!

This is one of those books I‘ve read so many times throughout the years. Largely because I just love it, grew up with it, and find new things every time I read it. I‘m definitely a Jo (loyal, fierce, bad tempered, reader, writer), but I love all the sisters (yes, Amy too). It‘s one of my comfort books as well, so I read it when I‘m feeling down, as they just feel familiar and cozy.

#RoryGilmoresReadingChallenge

When we think about female writers, for some reason we usually picture them in isolation. Men are usually surrounded by other male authors, but women are sort of alone. This book does a great job at describing female friendships that shaped these women‘s work and lives, which is something that‘s usually left aside. But these women did have a community behind them, and we should see more of it.

When I was in high school, a friend asked my why I liked Jane Austen, as she was only a writers “of manners”. And I‘m sure Jane Austen may seem like that superficially, but she‘s so much more than that. Helena Kelly does a brilliant work of presenting how Jane Austen approached hard social topics in her novels and their subversive nature as a female writer in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Highly recommend to any Austen fan.

Since my brain can‘t deal with Joyce alone, I am alternating it with N. K. Jemisin‘s The Fifth Season in my Kindle.

Reading Shirley Jackson in college was a revelation. Loved the way in which she brought horror to seemingly normal spaces, showing the darkness among the domestic and familiar. This biography is great, as it shines a light on her life and the importance of her work (which is highly regarded by authors like Stephen King and Neil Gaiman). I‘m really loving this revival of Shirley Jackson!

Despite the crude descriptions of the cruelty of war, this book seems to me like an example of good journalism, taking government and the military up to task and asking the hard questions. Hersh doesn‘t seem afraid of showing the horrors that the US did in Vietnam, despite lots of people questioning his facts and why he covered this massacre. That‘s what a journalist should always do. #RoryGilmoresReadingChallenge

Honestly, at this point I‘m not sure which way is up and which is down, but there‘s something very interesting about Joyce‘s playing around with language. He uses weird spelling and creates new words mixing old ones. It‘s weird and incredibly hard to follow, but it‘s a bit hypnotic at the same time.

Okay, challenge accepted. I‘ll probably go very slow, as I always do with Joyce because he‘s hard.

It‘s September 1st, so that means it‘s time to #GetBacktoHogwarts. A friend is hosting a re-readathon in Mexico, so I‘m joining from a distance. And it‘s good to get out from the Vietnam war for a while. #RavenclawForever

It‘s been a while since I stopped here. Shame on me, I guess. But I‘m reading this right now and it‘s unbelievable. Hersh does not shy away from describing the cruelty and horrors of war. So much that I had to leave my book aside for a little while because it is quite upsetting.

It‘s so cold outside, but it‘s also a long weekend and I can read to my heart‘s content. This is my book for #June #ReadAroundTheWorld. Hope it counts! @JenP

How pretty is this illustrated edition? I love the pictures in here, they are amazing! 😍

My heart is breaking with this book. I can see the echoes between what happened in my country and what happened in Ethiopia and I feel I understand a little of the pain they‘ve suffered. #ReadAroundTheWorld #Ethiopia

What a lovely book! While it does explore terrible topics like loneliness, the consequences of abuse, and mental illnesses, it does so with a humorous and compassionate way. I really wanted to give Eleanor a hug (though she would probably not like it) and tell her everything‘s gonna be better. She was an interesting character and so well portrayed that it‘s impossible not to feel for her and her story.

It‘s a dark cold day on this side of the planet, the perfect weather to lie down and read my #ReadAroundTheWorld pick for #May, #Ethiopia, here I come!

I can‘t believe I didn‘t read this one as a child. Even if my mum had it at home, I only read it when I got to college. And there were tears because the ending is so sad and beautiful and adorable. Charlotte is one of my favorite characters in children‘s literature and I loved her fierceness when protecting Wilbur. #RoryGilmoresReadingChallenge

#currentlyreading

Emily Wilson‘s translation is fantastic! It reads very differently from the translations I had to read in High School and at uni, but it retains the magic and themes that are so attractive. Even if cunning Odysseus has never been my favorite, I love his story of trying to go home.
This was my book for #April in #ReadAroundTheWorld #Greece. Better late than never, I guess. There‘s also a picture of me chilling at the Parthenon last November. @JenP

So many of Eugenides themes appear throughout these short stories: loneliness, the desire for transcendence, solipsism, the paradoxes of human relationships. He‘s a very subtle writer, and I loved reading these stories. However, the last one (“Fresh Complaint”) just felt a bit tone deaf in this #metoo climate. It showed a teenage girl “seducing” an older English professor to accuse him of rape to save herself from an arranged marriage.

Morning coffee (first cup of many) and my current read.

Sunday reading! And coffee. Lots of coffee.

My father visited his godfather a couple of days ago, and apparently spoke of my love of literature. So, his godfather sent me this through my dad: a vintage edition of the first novel ever written (and by a lady, no less). And he said that if I like it, I can keep it! How cool is that?

It‘s been a while! I‘ve been busy with my new job, but I still wanted to check my book for this month in #ReadAroundTheWorld. This month, the country was our neighbor #Peru and I‘m cheating a wee bit here because I read this book long ago. While I‘m not a huge fan of Vargas Llosa, this book is an interesting essay about one of my favorite books in the entire world, Les Miserables. @JenP

I‘m in charge of three teenage boys tonight, so wine seems to be in order.

Reading about gender biases in science is making me a wee bit angry.

I was going to read but my mum hijacked me into helping with lunch. #ReadAroundTheWorld #Turkey @JenP

I read this one when it came out, years ago. I remember thinking it was a sweet and sad love story. Funnily enough, it also came at a point when I read a lot about the Japanese American internment camps, so I was very aware of the history behind this novel. It‘s far from being Allende‘s finest book, but it is rather enjoyable as a light read.

This book is fascinating and I‘m loving it very much. #ReadAroundTheWorld #Turkey @JenP

Loving this book so far, so a heart-shaped infuser is kinda appropriate. #ReadAroundTheWorld @JenP #Turkey

Is there anyone left who hasn‘t read this book? I love the way in which Fitzgerald describes the excesses of the roaring twenties. And how it all comes crashing down in one moment. Jay annoys me at times, but his relentless optimism is what makes him endearing, isn‘t it? This is a classic for a reason, and I love it very much.
#RoryGilmoresReadingChallenge

Cute little duckling in my mug! Reading my February book for #ReadAroundTheWorld @JenP #Turkey

Ishiguro has a way of writing that always floors me. He has a way to portray terrible tragedies by focusing in small stories. In this case, the ending of the world as the character know it is portrayed in an intimate and empathetic way that allows the reader to fully immerse in this world. A seriously fantastic read.

Book club read! Finally, I‘ve been looking forward to reading this book for a while now. Began it this morning and I haven‘t stopped reading. And isn‘t the umbrella infuser pretty?

Whatever I say about this book will never be enough to express my love for it. The way in which Woolf writes makes you feel like you‘re right there on the streets of London. And the psychological depth of the characters is amazing, her understanding of how the mind works was definitely miles ahead of her time. This is one of the books I go back to again and again.
#RoryGilmoresReadingChallenge

There‘s another really cute shark in my tea today!