Whenever I get asked about my hobbies I always include the fact I love to read.
Carving out the time to read can prove tricky though. After popping on your phone to check your email, you end up spending half an hour down the rabbit hole that is the internet. Whether it is scrolling on Instagram or seeing what the latest news is, or even doing a quick search on eBay for that elusive piece of midcentury furniture. The struggle to read is real!
One of my intentions for 2018 is to read more, especially fiction so I thought if I began to share what I’ve been reading, it would give me some accountability to keep at it. I find books much more nourishing than the internet don’t you?
Here’s what I’ve loved reading over the past couple of months. I Must warn you though, the majority of these books aren’t new, so you might be reading this and be like, I’ve totally read all of these. Er, what can I say?
Anyway, here’s the list;
- Station eleven
- The perks of being a wallflower
- The Power
Currently reading;
- Dæmon voices: essays on storytelling
- Women who run with the wolves: contacting the power of the wild woman
Unfinished;
- Mr Mercedes
- Hawksmoor
You’ll notice that I tend to read a couple of books at once! Let break down the lists;
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Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
This book was a slow burn for me. Layers of time and layers of characters, it ends up fully absorbing you into its pages. The story feels like something that could quite easily happen in mankind’s future, a new strain of flu sweeps across the world. This makes it all the more compelling, of course. The themes of survival, death, memory and creativity are painted vividly through the different and intertwining lives of the characters.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
I’d heard so much about this story, told in through letters to an unknown recipient. I finally read it over the Christmas and New Year break. I found this story so visceral and felt akin to Charlie in many moments within the book. Reading this really brings back the some of the memories and emotions of being a teenager, there were tears! I watched the film (which is directed by the author) straight after finishing the book and loved that too.
The Power by Rhonda Byrne
This is the sequel to The Secret and is about the laws of attraction and positive thinking. I find that I too often listen to my inner critic, so reading this will hopefully make me more conscious of negative thought patterns, which in turn breed more negativity. It’s so much easier to moan about something and wish it were different than it is to find something good and really be grateful. I aim to practise more of this.
Daemon Voices: Essays on Storytelling by Philip Pullman
So this is the newest book on my list. It’s a collection of essays and lectures, the type of thing you probably don’t read in a linear way. I’ve never read any of Phillip Pullman’s books before, more fool me because I love what I’ve read of his writing in this collection. A fascinating look at what it is to be a storyteller.
Women who run with the wolves: contacting the power of the wild woman by Clarissa Pinkola Estés
Another compendium of stories, these are about what it is to be a woman. Through folk tales and metaphors, Jungian psychoanalyst Clarissa reconnects us to what it means to live creatively as a woman. She talks about how to reconnect with the powerful force inside, I’m finding it really inspiring so far.
Mr Mercedes by Stephen King
I just couldn’t get into this, and I really tried. I love Stephen King normally but this one just didn’t click for me. I might go back to it at some stage.
Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd
I had great intentions of joining in with the #BowieBookClub on Twitter started by Ducan Jones, Bowie’s son. This being the first book of 100. Read more here. I struggled with this complex story to be honest. I don’t think I gave it the time and dedication it deserved. So it’s another I may come back to in the future.
What have you read recently?
susan earlam ~ horror author 
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