lou's library

It’s time for a book tag! I’m not sure who created it, as the blog I found it on (booklovingnut.com) found it on another blog and doesn’t know where they got it from. Anyway, whoever created this, thanks a bunch!

A BOOK THAT MADE ME THINK

The first one that springs to mind for this one is Factfulness by Hans Rosling, as it is meant (and did so quite successfully in my case) to make you challenge a lot of preconceived notions about the state of the world. It’s one of the few nonfiction books I’ve read that left me feeling hopeful, rather than a bit miserable. I know the book has been criticised for being too optimistic (quite ironic, I think) and for being unhelpful when trying to combat urging crises such as the climate. I get the point, but I also believe in order to persevere, we need a little dose of lightness and optimism from time to time.

A BOOK THAT SURPRISED ME

Okay, that’s got to be Atonement by Ian McEwan. Uff, that ending. I won’t spoil anything here, but just to say I didn’t see it coming. But the book surprised me in more ways than just this obvious one. The plot unfolds all due to one child’s perception of a situation, which then leads to some kind of action that has long-lasting, serious consequences. What surprised me was how entirely believable McEwan managed to make the story feel, and how understandable he made said important decision, despite its heavy consequences. Basically, what I’m trying to say is I was surprised by how ridiculously well this was written and how intricately it showcases human flaws.

A BOOK THAT MADE ME HAPPY

Huh, this one isn’t easy, because I’m just realising I seem to enjoy reading heavy, sad stuff. But a book (actually, it’s a series, but we’ll just go with the first one for the sake of this) that made me happy when I first read it and the roundabout ten times I’ve read it since, is Rubinrot by Kerstin Gier. The characters in this fantasy series are incredibly funny, and it’s just such a feel good series that I would recommend to literally anyone! It’s got suspension, a love story to die for, some of the most lovable characters you’ll find in any book and brilliant writing. Reading this is so, so much fun because it’s fast-paced and there are secrets and mysteries to solve, but it’s always light-hearted and fun and I don’t see how anyone can read this and not be happy?? The series has been translated into English (and other languages) so there’s no excuse, go read it!!

A BOOK THAT MADE ME FEEL NOSTALGIC

This might be a bit of a weird choice, because the book is set in the 80’s, when I was very much not born yet, but reading Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan made me feel nostalgic for a time I didn’t witness and a youth I didn’t have (uuuh, we’re getting deep here aren’t we). It’s about a group of teenage boys growing up in Thatcher’s Britain, united by a love of music and what it’s like to be so young and so full of life. They go to Manchester together for a festival and it’s written beautifully. It made me yearn for this exact experience, despite the very obvious hardships also obvious in this book. It made me feel nostalgic as all hell for a time in a country I’m not a citizen of, and did not experience. Literature, eh?

A BOOK I HAVE A LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH

This might be a tad controversial, but I have mixed feelings about Donna Tart’s A Secret History (don’t come at me, dark academia stans). I read this about five years ago and didn’t love it. I think one mistake on my part could have been reading it in German, as I feel like the author’s writing style is very specific and best enjoyed in the original. But even so, I just didn’t really get into the story, although I did love its dark academia vibe. And, it’s become one of those books I keep thinking about, which makes me wonder if I should give it another go (in English, this time) and see if it turns out to be one of those books I need to read a couple of times to appreciate fully? All that being said, I do recognise what an amazing author Donna Tart is, which is why I want to love this book, but just don’t quite do.

A BOOK THAT I HAVE REREAD THE MOST

I’m not sure which one that is, to be fair, because I don’t tend to count my rereads. The above-mentioned Rubinrot by Kerstin Gier certainly is a strong contender for this category too, but it could also be All Quiet On The Western Front by Remarque. It’s my favourite book and I try to reread it every year. Also, I once wrote a term paper on it, during which process I read it three times, I think. So yeah, it’s probably that, but who’s to say?

A BOOK THAT MADE ME WANT TO TRAVEL

It’s gotta be something by Bill Bryson, because he is the best at travel writing. I guess I could pick any travel book of his that I have read, but I’ll go with a Walk in the Woods, because I like walking in the woods (lol) and because he describes hiking the Appalachian Trail in the US with a sort-of-friend and it put me off hiking in the wild forever and yet made me want to go out into the world and explore at the very same time. How that works? No idea, I guess you’ll have to read the book to understand.

A BOOK THAT GAVE ME ALL THE FEELS

Natasha Solomon’s Romeo and Juliet retelling Fair Rosaline had me thinking all the thoughts and feeling all the feels. As the title suggests, it’s about Rosaline’s story, the girl Romeo is in love with before he meets and falls for Juliet (the fool). It genuinely made me feel like I was there with the characters, I was rooting for them (well, for some of them, at least), made me shout at them in rage and if I were a crier, I certainly had cried a ton. By the end, I was so sad it was over, and I found it hard to move on from this book. I can’t wait to reread it soon and feel all them feels again!!

A BOOK I WISH I HADN’T READ

I do believe that every book I read teaches or gives me something, even if I don’t enjoy it. That being said, I think I could’ve done without the excruciating experiencing of reading Faust by Goethe. Normally, if you do your A-Levels in Germany, you’re gonna encounter this book at some point. Somehow, I magically managed to graduate without this being the case and then decided to read it on my own?? @2016me, what was wrong with you? You okay, hun? To be fair, I had just enrolled to study German Literature at uni, and was paranoid no one would take me seriously if they knew I hadn’t read this landmark classic. Hahaha, sweet child. No one gave a shit, and I sure did not take much from this book because I didn’t understand it. Lesson learned, I guess.