It's officially dark at 4pm and I haven't left the house once today... I'm really not sure why everyone's fawning over single digit temperatures, for I'm just glad that I'll be off to warmer environment in two weeks (going to Hong Kong!).
The end of summer kickstarted my reading habit again and as we find ourselves with nothing but darkness and time in the evenings, I'm trying to start reading more again. Usually I read 1 non-fiction book and 2 fiction at the same time – it helps switch things up depending on my mood! I'm sharing a peek at what I'm currently reading now...
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
This was on my to-read for a while and thanks to my friend who works in publishing, I managed to get this on her staff discount. The last non-fiction book I read was Hooked: A Guide to Building Habit Forming Products and my other in current rotation is Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed which is very enjoyable - and I'm excited to get started with this one as it dives into contemporary societal attitudes around race and identity in Britain.
It evolved from Reni Eddo-Lodge's blog post and her frustration about discussions on race in the country and I think now more than ever, it's one that will inform how we think about identify through these tumultuous times.
Lest I get too political (Matt said one of my recent Instagram stories about Philip Green was too political and that's why no one engaged LOL) I'll just say I'm looking forward to this one!
The Book of Dust: Volume One La Belle Savauge by Philip Pullman
I actually talked about this on my Instagram as was kindly gifted an illustrated soft copy of the book but totally sidetracked and haven't finished reading this! A prequel to His Dark Materials, I'm already immersed in Pullman's vivid descriptions of Oxford and the imagery that's to come...
One of the dark, cold evening methinks.
If On a Winter's Night A Traveller by Italo Calvino
A classic pick, this is perfect for my postmodernist fancy - I love novels which challenges literary structures so I think this will be just the book for it. It reminds me of Paul Auster's metaphysical style and unexplained plots, so I'm sure while it's going to be an inventive journey, it'll be slightly frustrating too!
Here I Am by Jonathan Safran-Foer
Everything Is Illuminated is possibly my favourite book by Safran-Foer, his trademark style of combing sadness and humour in a way that I've never seen before was what drawn me in in the first place, and daring to be so poignant and ever so close to truth is something that I've always admired. I'm halfway through this, while it does retain a lot of the same non-sequitur remarks and traits as in his previous work, I'm not overly attached to this.
The basic plot centres around the Bloch family who find themselves amidst a breakdown and familial crises threaten to change their lives for good. It's filled with a lot of dialogue so it can be hard to follow, and specific cultural references that may be hard to pick up.
One thing I do enjoy though, is the Jewish context this is set in - presumably influence by his own background, it's enjoyable to see how religion (in the lightest sense) entwine with the banalities in love, relationships and a world full of references to hypernormalised consumer brands.
That's it on the shelf for now! What are you reading + please send me your recommendations :)
Post a Comment