Books to get curious about…
What I’ve read and loved so far this year.
I’m not one to engage in competitive pursuits but this year I’ve set a reading target on Goodreads. 36 books across the year which equates to 3 per month. I’m including audiobooks in this goal which makes it slightly more likely I’ll reach it.
I always have a reading pile both virtually and IRL. Most I never get round to reading so I’m hoping that setting a goal will allow me to get through more. Every now and then I pop into the app see how I’m doing and when I get told I’m 1 book behind schedule it gives me the little push I need to move forward.
Here are 5 of my favourite reads from the first 3 months of the year. If you’ve read these and loved them (or hated them for that matter) I’d love to hear what you thought.
Sorrow and Bliss - Meg Mason
This had been on my virtual reading list since it come out in 2020 and swiftly became a bestseller. Martha is unlike-ably likeable as her battle with an undiagnosed mental health condition pushes away those closest to her. The family relationships, in particular Martha’s relationship with her sister Ingrid, are written with such authenticity and humour.
No Honour - Awais Kahn
This book came to me via my Reposed book subscription which is amazing for introducing me to new authors. Through their book selection I have travelled to just about every continent, experiencing cultures from around the world and I was so consumed by this book and couldn’t put it down. The story centres on the theme of Honour Killing in Pakistan and the follows Jamil and his daughter Abida as they navigate Joy and despair.
Big Magic - Elizabeth Gilbert
This one was the audiobook version which I loved so much I now need the paperback version so I can mark the pages to come back to. So much truth and wisdom on fear and living a creative life in this one. Here are the big lessons I took from the book:
Fear is boring and basic Gilbert illustrates this point with a story of a tadpole “if you pass your hand over a petrie dish the tadpole will flinch beneath your shadow. That tadpole cannot write poetry and it cannot sing and it will never know love or jealousy or triumph and it has a brain the size of a punctuation mark but it sure knows how to be afraid of the unknown”
The shit sandwich. How much are we willing to put up with to get what we want? For a writer it’s rejection but there’s always something.
Perfectionism is fear in a fancy coat. People will alway find fault but we need to finish the work and move on.
Freedom Seeker - Beth Kempton
I was lucky enough to win a signed copy of this book from the author. Part memoir and part self help, Freedom Seeker gives you 7 tools to unlock the metaphorical cage we sometimes find ourselves in: be it a job, relationship or a way of living that doesn’t make us feel free. These tools are punctuated with amazing stories from Beth’s own journey to feeling free and those of her Freedom Seeking community.
Magpie - Elizabeth Day
I love Elizabeth Day, her podcast How to Fail with Elizabeth Day has been a weekly dose of comfort for me for the past 2 years. Amongst memoir and non fiction she also writes fiction and Magpie is her fifth novel. A story about Jake, Marisa and their lodger Kate, takes you on lots of twists and turns as it navigates motherhood, envy, possession and obsession. You won’t see this one coming!
What have you been reading this year?