Everything I read in March 2019
A lot happened this month so I didn't read quite as much as I did in February. I did try to include some poetry again this month but not as much as I'd planned to. I managed to fit in two nonfiction books, the first history book in a while and one on natural disasters, I always loved volcanoes at school which prompted me to pick it up. Hope you enjoy finding out my thoughts!
Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII, Gareth Russell, 3.75 Stars
This was one of the better biographies on Catherine Howard, some struggle to balance the little that we have on Catherine with the world around her. A little hard to get into a first, opening with the fall of Thomas Cromwell, after a while, it reads fairly easily. It charts Catherine's life from her childhood to her execution, using several sources as it goes. A useful introduction to Catherine Howard but can be a little dry in places.
Becoming, Michelle Obama, 5 Stars
A really interesting look into the early life of Michelle Obama and her journey to becoming First Lady alongside Barack Obama's journey to become President. It's very inspiring and my only critique is I wished the second half of the book was longer, once they got to the White House, to give some more insight into their world in those eight years there.
Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys, 4 Stars
Following the story of one of the characters in "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte, this attempts to fill in some of the blanks of the story. Very disorientating towards the end as the main character descends into madness, she is trapped in a world where she doesn't have a true identity and is disliked by many others, for this reason, even her own husband refuses to call her by her own name. We also see Rochester start to darken into the version of him we first meet in "Jane Eyre" and it's hard to see him the same way again. The pacing was a bit off in this one, it took a while to get going but picked up towards the end.
The Complete Poems, Emily Bronte, 4 Stars
Many of these poems were really good, some were alright and a few I didn't like. I tended to get on better with the shorter poems, and mostly the ones that weren't set in the fictional world of Gondal.
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way To Live Well, Meik Wiking, 4 Stars
A cute little book that gets repetitive after a while, makes you want to get all cosy under a blanket with a warm drink. Serves as a good introduction to Hygge, I was only vaguely familiar with the concept but now I want to learn more about it.
The Secret History, Donna Tartt, 4 Stars
One of those books that really sticks with you, with its surprisingly unnerving settings and interesting characters. The first half was stronger than the second, the ending could have been better. The only character that I thought was a bit of a let down was Julian, who became redundant for most of the novel. We already know what is going to happen early on in the book yet I couldn't put the book down, for wanting to know how it would come about.
The Princess Saves Herself In This One, Amanda Lovelace, 3.5 Stars
Recommended on Goodreads after reading Rupi Kaur's works, I have to say I prefer Kaur's works to this one. I liked most of the poems, some felt like they had been done to match the trend of hitting enter after every word. An alright collection, I enjoyed it but probably wouldn't recommend it in a hurry.
The Return Of The Native, Thomas Hardy, 3 Stars
A Thomas Hardy novel that I didn't love, never thought I'd see the day. I just found this one dull, I didn't care for a lot of the characters. Thomasin is alright but largely forgettable, Eustacia is far more interesting but even she lost my interest by the end of the novel. I was getting strong "Madame Bovary" and "Lady Chatterley's Lover" with this one and so I guessed roughly what was going to happen. The usual Hardy misery with some happiness at the end in some form, this time I didn't finish the book wanting to read it again one day.
The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us, Lucy Jones, 4 Stars
I miss learning about Geography, particularly about plate tectonics and volcanoes and all that cool stuff. After watching many documentaries I decided to finally pick up a book on volcanoes and this seemed like a good one to ease me back into it. A little technical with terminology in places but easy enough to read for someone beginning their journey into the world of plate tectonics. It explores some of the major natural disasters that have occurred over time, from Pompeii to Hurricane Katrina to lesser known ones such as the Lisbon earthquake in 1755.
The Constant Princess, Philippa Gregory, 2 Stars
With the tv adaptation of this novel coming out at some point this year, I decided to reread it and it was so disappointing. I read this for the first time several years ago and remember enjoying it, this time it was a slog to get through. Full of the usual Gregory tropes such as repetition, "I am a princess/infanta/queen" got on my nerves, we don't need the constant reminders. The characterisation was pretty poor too, with historical fiction there can be some creative liberties that can be taken but many of these characters were unrecognisable from their historical counterparts. In addition to this, there were several historical inaccuracies which I noticed, such as Elizabeth of York dying after giving birth to a son when it was actually a daughter. The split POVs between the third person then Catherine's first-person take on events didn't work for me, it would have been better to just stick to one style. I was just really bored with this one and I hope the tv adaptation is better than this.
The Queen's Favourites, Jean Plaidy, 3 Stars
This one swung between 3 and 4 stars, some parts being really good and others dry. If it had been a 100 pages or so shorter it would've been a lot better. I've been meaning to see the recent film about Queen Anne and her relationships with Sarah Churchill and Abigail Hill and so I picked up this book. There were fewer POVs in this one than I've usually seen in Plaidy's works, this time focusing more on the central characters to the story. It was nice to see something covering the rule of Queen Anne as a lot of popular historical fiction seems to ignore her.
A Game of Thrones, George R R Martin, 4 Stars
I definitely preferred this book this time compared to the last time I read it, although I did struggle to keep track of some of the minor characters. This is a case of needing to watch the tv show first as I was able to keep track of the main characters more easily and also cared about them a lot more as well. Fantasy has never been one of my absolute favourite genres, I often get lost in all the lore and I get put off by the vastness of the world and sometimes the length of the books. I'm planning on rereading the rest of the series over time.
Death On The Nile, Agatha Christie, 4 Stars
I must have watched the tv adaptation with David Suchet as Poirot dozens of times as a child and finally got round to reading the actual book. It was a nice book to settle down with before bed as I knew everything that was going to happen and yet I still found myself surprised when they did. A great mystery that isn't too easily solved by the reader.
The Painted Lady, Maeve Haran, 3 Stars
I was on a bit of a Stuart kick after reading "The Queen's Favourites" and found this one in a charity shop. It follows Frances Stuart at the Restoration Court of Charles II and his pursual of her. It does get a bit repetitive after a while. If it had been a 100 pages or so shorter it would've been much better. There are some events which are unbelievable in the time period which are given a lot of time and yet other major historical events are rushed over. An easy read but not an essential one.
Transformation, Mary Shelley, 4 Stars
I'll admit that I didn't know Mary Shelley had written anything other than "Frankenstein" when I found this in the library I was quite surprised. I enjoyed the first two stories, the third one was alright, I enjoyed it more once the twist was revealed. Having not enjoyed "Frankenstein" when I first read it for A-Level, I was reluctant to try Mary Shelley again but now I want to try "Frankenstein" again, having enjoyed these short stories.
Elevation, Stephen King, 3 Stars
One of my least favourite Stephen King books so far. It felt a bit disjointed like it was trying to do too many things at once and I was glad when it was all over. There's the problematic storyline with the lesbian neighbours and then the "losing weight without getting thinner" plot that is never fully explored. Granted it's a short story but more could've been done if only one plot had been focused on. The writing was good as usual, the story just let this one down.
The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath, 4 Stars
A book that must have been referenced a million times that I've never gotten round to reading until now. Covering many important topics such as mental illness and how it was once treated. A very good book that resonated a lot with me in places and is one that I would encourage people to read.
Next month
That's a wrap on everything that I read this month. My reading plans for April are going to be:
- "Kafka on the shore" by Haruki Murakami
-"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
-"The Queen of Last Hopes" by Susan Higginbotham
-"Educated" by Tara Westover
-"The King's Daughter" by Christie Dickason
Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII, Gareth Russell, 3.75 Stars
This was one of the better biographies on Catherine Howard, some struggle to balance the little that we have on Catherine with the world around her. A little hard to get into a first, opening with the fall of Thomas Cromwell, after a while, it reads fairly easily. It charts Catherine's life from her childhood to her execution, using several sources as it goes. A useful introduction to Catherine Howard but can be a little dry in places.
Becoming, Michelle Obama, 5 Stars
A really interesting look into the early life of Michelle Obama and her journey to becoming First Lady alongside Barack Obama's journey to become President. It's very inspiring and my only critique is I wished the second half of the book was longer, once they got to the White House, to give some more insight into their world in those eight years there.
Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys, 4 Stars
Following the story of one of the characters in "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte, this attempts to fill in some of the blanks of the story. Very disorientating towards the end as the main character descends into madness, she is trapped in a world where she doesn't have a true identity and is disliked by many others, for this reason, even her own husband refuses to call her by her own name. We also see Rochester start to darken into the version of him we first meet in "Jane Eyre" and it's hard to see him the same way again. The pacing was a bit off in this one, it took a while to get going but picked up towards the end.
The Complete Poems, Emily Bronte, 4 Stars
Many of these poems were really good, some were alright and a few I didn't like. I tended to get on better with the shorter poems, and mostly the ones that weren't set in the fictional world of Gondal.
The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way To Live Well, Meik Wiking, 4 Stars
A cute little book that gets repetitive after a while, makes you want to get all cosy under a blanket with a warm drink. Serves as a good introduction to Hygge, I was only vaguely familiar with the concept but now I want to learn more about it.
The Secret History, Donna Tartt, 4 Stars
One of those books that really sticks with you, with its surprisingly unnerving settings and interesting characters. The first half was stronger than the second, the ending could have been better. The only character that I thought was a bit of a let down was Julian, who became redundant for most of the novel. We already know what is going to happen early on in the book yet I couldn't put the book down, for wanting to know how it would come about.
The Princess Saves Herself In This One, Amanda Lovelace, 3.5 Stars
Recommended on Goodreads after reading Rupi Kaur's works, I have to say I prefer Kaur's works to this one. I liked most of the poems, some felt like they had been done to match the trend of hitting enter after every word. An alright collection, I enjoyed it but probably wouldn't recommend it in a hurry.
The Return Of The Native, Thomas Hardy, 3 Stars
A Thomas Hardy novel that I didn't love, never thought I'd see the day. I just found this one dull, I didn't care for a lot of the characters. Thomasin is alright but largely forgettable, Eustacia is far more interesting but even she lost my interest by the end of the novel. I was getting strong "Madame Bovary" and "Lady Chatterley's Lover" with this one and so I guessed roughly what was going to happen. The usual Hardy misery with some happiness at the end in some form, this time I didn't finish the book wanting to read it again one day.
The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us, Lucy Jones, 4 Stars
I miss learning about Geography, particularly about plate tectonics and volcanoes and all that cool stuff. After watching many documentaries I decided to finally pick up a book on volcanoes and this seemed like a good one to ease me back into it. A little technical with terminology in places but easy enough to read for someone beginning their journey into the world of plate tectonics. It explores some of the major natural disasters that have occurred over time, from Pompeii to Hurricane Katrina to lesser known ones such as the Lisbon earthquake in 1755.
The Constant Princess, Philippa Gregory, 2 Stars
With the tv adaptation of this novel coming out at some point this year, I decided to reread it and it was so disappointing. I read this for the first time several years ago and remember enjoying it, this time it was a slog to get through. Full of the usual Gregory tropes such as repetition, "I am a princess/infanta/queen" got on my nerves, we don't need the constant reminders. The characterisation was pretty poor too, with historical fiction there can be some creative liberties that can be taken but many of these characters were unrecognisable from their historical counterparts. In addition to this, there were several historical inaccuracies which I noticed, such as Elizabeth of York dying after giving birth to a son when it was actually a daughter. The split POVs between the third person then Catherine's first-person take on events didn't work for me, it would have been better to just stick to one style. I was just really bored with this one and I hope the tv adaptation is better than this.
The Queen's Favourites, Jean Plaidy, 3 Stars
This one swung between 3 and 4 stars, some parts being really good and others dry. If it had been a 100 pages or so shorter it would've been a lot better. I've been meaning to see the recent film about Queen Anne and her relationships with Sarah Churchill and Abigail Hill and so I picked up this book. There were fewer POVs in this one than I've usually seen in Plaidy's works, this time focusing more on the central characters to the story. It was nice to see something covering the rule of Queen Anne as a lot of popular historical fiction seems to ignore her.
A Game of Thrones, George R R Martin, 4 Stars
I definitely preferred this book this time compared to the last time I read it, although I did struggle to keep track of some of the minor characters. This is a case of needing to watch the tv show first as I was able to keep track of the main characters more easily and also cared about them a lot more as well. Fantasy has never been one of my absolute favourite genres, I often get lost in all the lore and I get put off by the vastness of the world and sometimes the length of the books. I'm planning on rereading the rest of the series over time.
Death On The Nile, Agatha Christie, 4 Stars
I must have watched the tv adaptation with David Suchet as Poirot dozens of times as a child and finally got round to reading the actual book. It was a nice book to settle down with before bed as I knew everything that was going to happen and yet I still found myself surprised when they did. A great mystery that isn't too easily solved by the reader.
The Painted Lady, Maeve Haran, 3 Stars
I was on a bit of a Stuart kick after reading "The Queen's Favourites" and found this one in a charity shop. It follows Frances Stuart at the Restoration Court of Charles II and his pursual of her. It does get a bit repetitive after a while. If it had been a 100 pages or so shorter it would've been much better. There are some events which are unbelievable in the time period which are given a lot of time and yet other major historical events are rushed over. An easy read but not an essential one.
Transformation, Mary Shelley, 4 Stars
I'll admit that I didn't know Mary Shelley had written anything other than "Frankenstein" when I found this in the library I was quite surprised. I enjoyed the first two stories, the third one was alright, I enjoyed it more once the twist was revealed. Having not enjoyed "Frankenstein" when I first read it for A-Level, I was reluctant to try Mary Shelley again but now I want to try "Frankenstein" again, having enjoyed these short stories.
Elevation, Stephen King, 3 Stars
One of my least favourite Stephen King books so far. It felt a bit disjointed like it was trying to do too many things at once and I was glad when it was all over. There's the problematic storyline with the lesbian neighbours and then the "losing weight without getting thinner" plot that is never fully explored. Granted it's a short story but more could've been done if only one plot had been focused on. The writing was good as usual, the story just let this one down.
The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath, 4 Stars
A book that must have been referenced a million times that I've never gotten round to reading until now. Covering many important topics such as mental illness and how it was once treated. A very good book that resonated a lot with me in places and is one that I would encourage people to read.
Next month
That's a wrap on everything that I read this month. My reading plans for April are going to be:
- "Kafka on the shore" by Haruki Murakami
-"Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
-"The Queen of Last Hopes" by Susan Higginbotham
-"Educated" by Tara Westover
-"The King's Daughter" by Christie Dickason
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