September 2019 Reads!
September was a very hard month for me and I relied a lot on my books to help distract me. During hard times, I either find myself unable to read at all or I take comfort in worlds that are far away from my own. I want to keep up with this blog to help give me something else to focus on.
This was everything that I read in September 2019:
Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion, Anne Somerset, 2 Stars
There was definitely an emphasis on the politics in this one. I found it hard going as, while I understand the importance of politics in Anne's life, I just got stuck on all the politics in this book. I enjoyed getting to know more about Queen Anne, but it felt more like a reference book.
Life and Death, Stephenie Meyer, 3 Stars
It's been nearly 10 years since I first read Twilight so it was time to revisit the world, although in a slightly different way. The concept was interesting, flipping the genders, which led to a few funny moments. I liked seeing how Stephenie would have originally ended Twilight, although it felt rushed and info-dumpy. However, I didn't like Beau all that much, Bella was a protagonist that I could relate to a lot more growing up. I'd probably just stick to the original saga.
The Winter Ghosts, Kate Mosse, 3 Stars
I wanted something slightly spooky for my trip down to St Ives and this was the last Kate Mosse book I had to read so it made a good partnership. I tend to prefer Kate's supernatural books to her history ones, "The Mistletoe Bride" is one of my favourite books of hers. This one wasn't quite as good. There was an alright story at the heart of it but nothing memorable, not one that I'd recommend picking up.
The Loving Spirit, Daphne du Maurier, 5 Stars
I loved "The Loving Spirit", du Maurier's family saga about the Coombes. Janet Coombe was an interesting character who I found instantly relatable. I picked this up while I was down in Mousehole, Cornwall and I love how du Maurier captures the spirit of Cornwall in her books. A du Maurier book I would recommend to try something different from "Jamaica Inn" and "Rebecca" gothic atmospheres.
The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas, 4 Stars
I picked this one up as I really needed a distraction, a book out of my normal reading comfort zone that I could get lost in. I also started watching the BBC tv adaptation at the same time. Whilst I prefer the tv version, the original book is still a good book in its own right. I don't normally go for adventure books but I enjoyed this one, particularly the historical setting of 17th Century France.
Charlotte Bronte: A Life, Claire Harman, 3 Stars
It's time for Victober and I've picked Shirley to read this month, so I wanted to do a bit of background reading before going into it. I've read Elizabeth Gaskell's biography of Charlotte and Harman's biography pulls a lot from Gaskell's work. Harman uses a lot of letters and excerpts from the Brontes. I have mixed feelings towards letters as sometimes they can ruin the flow of the writing, I'd prefer them in an optional appendix, especially if a whole letter is printed. Sometimes it works, but often it doesn't work for me.
Bring Up The Bodies, Hilary Mantel, 3 Stars
Better than "Wolf Hall" but this won't be making my top historical fiction list. Slightly less irritating techniques, i.e he, Cromwell, but I still struggled with this one. It was interesting to see the fall of Anne Boleyn from Cromwell's point of view, imagining how the four men accused of treason were questioned and how the plot came about to remove Anne. This book could've done with some more editing to streamline it down.
The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter, 5 Stars
I really wanted to give this book a second chance as I felt that I was too young for it last time and I'm so glad I waited before reading it again. Some stories I didn't love, others were outstanding, particularly the title story, "The Bloody Chamber". I liked the retellings of Beauty and the Beast and Snow White. Such an interesting way of retelling the stories and perfect for this time of year.
This was everything that I read in September 2019:
Queen Anne: The Politics of Passion, Anne Somerset, 2 Stars
There was definitely an emphasis on the politics in this one. I found it hard going as, while I understand the importance of politics in Anne's life, I just got stuck on all the politics in this book. I enjoyed getting to know more about Queen Anne, but it felt more like a reference book.
Life and Death, Stephenie Meyer, 3 Stars
It's been nearly 10 years since I first read Twilight so it was time to revisit the world, although in a slightly different way. The concept was interesting, flipping the genders, which led to a few funny moments. I liked seeing how Stephenie would have originally ended Twilight, although it felt rushed and info-dumpy. However, I didn't like Beau all that much, Bella was a protagonist that I could relate to a lot more growing up. I'd probably just stick to the original saga.
The Winter Ghosts, Kate Mosse, 3 Stars
I wanted something slightly spooky for my trip down to St Ives and this was the last Kate Mosse book I had to read so it made a good partnership. I tend to prefer Kate's supernatural books to her history ones, "The Mistletoe Bride" is one of my favourite books of hers. This one wasn't quite as good. There was an alright story at the heart of it but nothing memorable, not one that I'd recommend picking up.
The Loving Spirit, Daphne du Maurier, 5 Stars
I loved "The Loving Spirit", du Maurier's family saga about the Coombes. Janet Coombe was an interesting character who I found instantly relatable. I picked this up while I was down in Mousehole, Cornwall and I love how du Maurier captures the spirit of Cornwall in her books. A du Maurier book I would recommend to try something different from "Jamaica Inn" and "Rebecca" gothic atmospheres.
The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas, 4 Stars
I picked this one up as I really needed a distraction, a book out of my normal reading comfort zone that I could get lost in. I also started watching the BBC tv adaptation at the same time. Whilst I prefer the tv version, the original book is still a good book in its own right. I don't normally go for adventure books but I enjoyed this one, particularly the historical setting of 17th Century France.
Charlotte Bronte: A Life, Claire Harman, 3 Stars
It's time for Victober and I've picked Shirley to read this month, so I wanted to do a bit of background reading before going into it. I've read Elizabeth Gaskell's biography of Charlotte and Harman's biography pulls a lot from Gaskell's work. Harman uses a lot of letters and excerpts from the Brontes. I have mixed feelings towards letters as sometimes they can ruin the flow of the writing, I'd prefer them in an optional appendix, especially if a whole letter is printed. Sometimes it works, but often it doesn't work for me.
Bring Up The Bodies, Hilary Mantel, 3 Stars
Better than "Wolf Hall" but this won't be making my top historical fiction list. Slightly less irritating techniques, i.e he, Cromwell, but I still struggled with this one. It was interesting to see the fall of Anne Boleyn from Cromwell's point of view, imagining how the four men accused of treason were questioned and how the plot came about to remove Anne. This book could've done with some more editing to streamline it down.
The Bloody Chamber, Angela Carter, 5 Stars
I really wanted to give this book a second chance as I felt that I was too young for it last time and I'm so glad I waited before reading it again. Some stories I didn't love, others were outstanding, particularly the title story, "The Bloody Chamber". I liked the retellings of Beauty and the Beast and Snow White. Such an interesting way of retelling the stories and perfect for this time of year.
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