April 2023

When I was thinking back on April, it didn’t feel like I read a lot, but turns out I did. A mix of travel and a lot of time by myself meant I was between no reading at all and a lot of reading in odd bursts. I also read a lot more things this month that I wouldn’t usually, as well as some book club picks. An eclectic mix!

Most Talkative: Stories from the Front Lines of Pop Culture by Andy CohenThree and a half stars

After reading and loving Andy Cohen’s second book, I bought his two other ones. While it wasn’t as funny and compelling as the second, the first is still really fun and filled with lots of great celebrity gossip and Housewives tidbits.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean VuongFive stars

I love reading novels by poets, because the language is always so considered and beautiful. This book blew me away. I read it at a particularly emotional time and really related to its themes of unrequited love, belonging and family. It made me buy Vuong’s two volumes of poetry, and I’m really excited to read them.

Original Sin by Tasmina PerryThree stars

My favourite trashy novelist after Jackie Collins. I’m never let down by these stories of people jetting all over the world in designer clothes against a backdrop of murder, drama and intrigue.

A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal by Anthony BourdainThree and a half stars

Anthony Bourdain is my ultimate celebrity crush. There is no one so passionate, open and adventurous. I didn’t like this one as much as Kitchen Confidential, but you can still sense him through the pages and feel as if you’re accompanying him around Vietnam, Laos, Scotland, London and other locations in search of the perfect meal. Like the man himself, a feast for the senses.

BFFs: The Radical Potential of Female Frienship by Anahit BehroozFour and a half stars

A gift from Sara on my favourite subject. As a single straight woman in her thirties, I’m endlessly fascinated by the downfall of dating and how so many of us are now focusing our energies on creating supportive and loving communities with our friends. It’s always tricky to articulate the power and politics of female friendship, but this essay does a really good job.

Devotion by Madeline StevensTwo stars

I have literally nothing to say about this book except I finished it quite quickly and I basically remember nothing about it. It’s one of those damaged female narratives but was boring. I only picked it up from the library as the cover was pretty, but I did finish it, which is unusual for me when I don’t feel that engaged in something.

salt slow by Julia ArmfieldThree and a half stars

I always find it difficult to rate short story collections because I always find some great and some uninteresting. Ultimately, I liked more stories than I disliked in this one, although some of the metaphors felt heavy handed. The standout for me was The Great Awake, which tells the story of a city gripped with insomnia, as their “Sleep” becomes personified and follows them everywhere like a companionate ghoul.

The Dinner Guest by Gabriela YbarraTwo stars

I read this for book club and didn’t really understand its purpose. It’s fiction but contains family photos. It reads like news journalism but is meant to make you feel something? It just didn’t really engage me.

The Vegetarian by Han KangThree and a half stars

Any woman will relate to the themes in this book, even if they are expressed in an extreme way. This book asks questions about bodily autonomy and how we can regain control in a world where men lay claim to our bodies and selves, consciously or subconsciously. It got a little heavy handed for me at times, but gave me a lot to consider.

Trespasses by Louise KennedyFour and a half stars

This is the May book club pick and I loved it. I’m really interested to discuss it with a majority English group. It tells the story of a Catholic schoolteacher who has an affair with a Protestant barrister in Belfast during the Troubles and relays familiar themes on Irish culture, secrecy and violence, but easily conveys the normalcy of violence in the time period, as well as the sacrifices you can make in the name of validation and love.

If I Can’t Have You by Charlotte LevinTwo and a half stars

A trashy thriller to get me through the bank holiday. Totally forgettable and predictable but I did finish it and had some interesting and familiar themes.

Four Letters of Love by Niall WilliamsThree and a half stars

I don’t usually like magical realism, but Niall Williams’ writing is beautiful. The narrative of this one felt too long in parts and too rushed in others, but it read like a love letter to rural Ireland, especially the west coast, and the passion of the characters kept me reading.

Call Me Mummy by Tina BakerTwo stars

I basically read this one as a joke with Sara and Clare. A mess, really, but I did finish it and it raised some interesting thoughts on social media mobs and the “right” to parenthood.