Tag: Month in Review

Literary Life: September in Review

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I’m wearing a jumper, I’ve switched to a winter quilt, and I’m considering a fringe – it must be autumn.

September was a quiet month and rather depressingly I’m having to check Instagram to see if I’ve done anything. Who needs a memory when you’ve got social media…..

I went to the Brighton Toy Museum, which is adorable if a little train heavy (luckily, I love a train). My friend Agnes and I (almost) aced the child’s puzzle and we felt rather smug about it.

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In other news, I faced a big change last month and I’ve had to do a fair amount of soul-searching to come to terms with the change.

Brace yourselves. I’m a Ravenclaw.

I’ve finally come to accept that my obvious genius utterly overpowers my capacity for evil. It’s not been easy to accept, but sometimes you just need to accept that who you are when you take the Pottermore quiz when it began isn’t the person you are when you take it in your 30s, and you need to deal with that. It does beg the question, what am I going to do with my Slytherin robes…?

Also, my Patronus is a Mastiff, I’m not sure whether to be pleased or not. Thoughts?

Currently Reading:

Bel-Ami – Monpaussant
Parade’s End – Ford Madox Ford

Unfinished:

We Have Always Lived in the Castle – Shirley Jackson (I spoiled myself and then got put off)

I’ve Read:

  1. About My Mother: A Novel – Tahar Ben Jelloun
  2. Eileen – Ottessa Moshfegh
  3. Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame – Mara Wilson
  4. Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide – J.K. Rowling
  5. Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies – J.K. Rowling
  6. Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists – J.K. Rowling

Eileen – as you will have gathered from my review on Monday – utterly disturbed me. I’m still not sure what I think of it.

How was your literary September?

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Literary Life: August in Review

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If you’ve not read or seen The Cursed Child do no go beyond the list of what I’ve read below, as there be spoilers.

August has been a lovely month, full of mini golf and dressing up as Sherlock for a Sherlock tour around central London.

The British Museum is an oven in summer, however, there is a rather marvellous room full of books that was air conditioned. I am not sure I have ever been happier; books and cold. There is also a picture called L’Oeuf which looks a lot like Darth Vader without the helmet, as my friend James very accurately assessed. I’m going to let you find that for yourselves, consider it a challenge and an adventure.

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Reading wise I’m a bit behind on the impressive reading of June and July, but I’ve read some good’ens!

Currently Reading:

We Have Always Lived in the Castle – Shirley Jasckson
Parade’s End – Ford Madox Ford

Unfinished:

None!

I’ve Read:

  1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – Parts One and Two
  2. The Interestings – Meg Wolitzer
  3. The Couple Next Door – Shari Lapena
  4. Ctrl, Alt; Delete: How I Grew Up Online – Emma Gannon
  5. Bodies of Light – Sarah Moss
  6. Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi

The Interestings is now one of my favourite books, it’s so good that it’s replaced One Day by David Nicholls on the favourites shelf.

Homegoing EVERYONE should read, you need it in your life.

HP SPOILERS: Firstly, does this mean Harry no longer has control of the elder wand as he was disarmed? (Why hasn’t there been a Buzzfeed article on this??) and secondly, AS IF Voldemort had sex. I mean really. I can’t even believe there was a turkey baster because no one who splits their soul a ridiculous amount of times has the ability to conceive. The man thing had no nose, it’s fair to assume the rest of him was Ken doll smooth as well.

How was your literary August?

Oxford

Literary Life: July in Review

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Highlight of the month: I turned 30 (yup, I’m still talking about it, it’s just a bit weird). I spent the day in London and Oxford (because the TV show Lewis is one of my favourite things) and it was lovely. The Bodleian gift shop got a lot of my money.

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Reading wise it’s been a month of finishing off books I’d begun, graphic novels, and small reads. I didn’t invest the time into much more.

Currently Reading:

The Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas
A Clash of Kings – George R.R. Martin
The Cursed Child – WHEN IT FINALLY ARRIVES.

Unfinished:

None!

I’ve Read:

  1. Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea – Guy Delisle
  2. Logicomix – Apostolos Doxiadis
  3. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase – Joan Aiken
  4. Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys. – Viv Albertine
  5. Animal: The Autobiography of a Female Body – Sara Pascoe
  6. Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie – Anne Martinetti
  7. Hysteria: Graphic Freud Series – Appignanesi, Richard
  8. The Tidal Zone – Sarah Moss
  9. We Were The Mulvaneys – Joyce Carol Oates

The Tidal Zone was by far the best book of my month, more about that in Shiny New Books on Thursday. The most disappointing was We Were The Mulvaneys, I think I missed something significant about it, because it failed to move me.

How was your literary July?