lou's library

So, it was my birthday a few weeks ago and what can I say? My friends and family pulled through and got me some amazing books!! And then I also went on a little book buying spree in Prague as a little birthday treat (that’s how I’m justifying it to myself, not that I ever need a reason to buy books), and so here’s a little round up of the books I got in the past few weeks.

First up are the books my Dad got me. He spends hours looking for second hand editions because that way he can get me way more books than if he bought them all new and that’s true love if ever I saw it. Special shout out to my Papa!! Can’t wait to see the Christmas stack!! I did ask for most of these, but I usually send him a list of books that’s as long as my arm, so it’s always fun to see which one’s he picks. Whenever I ask for a Shakespeare play (which I do pretty much every birthday or Christmas because I’m on a mission to read every single one and there are just so many of them help), I usually get it, which I absolutely love for me!! I asked for Julius Caesar because I’ve barely read any of Shakespeare’s history plays and so I figured I better start changing that.

But I also got this ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS selection of Shakespeare’s plays that I am obsessed with called Shakespeare For Every Night Of The Year. Basically, for every day of the year there’s a short excerpt from one of his plays and I think that’s a really cool way of getting to know his work better and making sure I never stop reading Shakespeare. Also, this looks absolutely fantastic on my bedside table and I will never stop gushing about this!!

All Among the Barley by Melissa Harrison sounded right up my street and so I dived in straight away on my birthday. It’s set in rural England between the two World Wars and follows a young girl growing up on a farm. It’s written in a way that made me feel I really understood the main character, and at the same time I had this eerie feeling she was keeping something from the reader. It was a fascinating read because of its descriptions of rural England and I’d recommend this to anyone who loves nature writing! Some of the subjects are quite heavy though, so be prepared for that. I loved this, it’s definitely one of my favourite reads of the year so far!!

I saw Free Therapy by Rebecca Ivory all over Instagram and so added it to my TBR-pile. It’s a short story collection and I’ve only read one story so far, so can’t say too much about it. I’m always trying to read more short stories because I’m fascinated by the genre. If well executed, a short story can pack a punch and be much more memorable than a novel. I have high hopes for this one and as it’s by an Irish author, it also helps me achieve my goal of reading more books by Irish authors.

I listen to Rory Stewart’s Podcast The Rest Is Politics (co-hosted by Alistair Campbell every week, so I’ve been dying to read Politics On The Edge for some time now. Apparently it’s a very frank account of British politics, written by someone who used to be an MP and minister. I get that this is a bit niche, but I do think understanding our political systems better and being aware of what’s going on is crucial to make change happen (says someone who isn’t even British, but, you know, it’s not like their decisions don’t have any impact on my life #brexit).

Not pictured but very much part of the books my Dad kindly gave me is War and Peace by Tolstoi. And a biography about Tolstoi. Were these on my wish list, you ask? No, they were not. But my Dad decided it would be funny to get me books I would not be able to finish in a day, and believe me, he achieved his goal. Both books are absolute door stoppers. I’d like to be the kind of person who has read War and Peace and a Tolstoi biography. Both are probably brilliant. I’m just not sure I’m ready for that sort of commitment yet, so these two might have to wait a little while until I’ve worked up the courage.

My friends (who are the best, ily!!!!!) kindly gave me a mix of books I’d been meaning to read and books I’d never heard of (my favourite kind of combination!!). I’ve already read Caledonia Road by Andrew O’Hagan, because I started reading it almost immediately after I got it (shout out to my reading bestie who got the hint in a previous blog post and got me this book!!). Also, having it in a gorgeous hardback edition feels like such a treat!! I didn’t love it as much as Mayfliesby him, but that book is almost impossible to beat anyway. Caledonia Road is set in London, mostly in 2021, so mid-pandemic. It centres on a wide range of characters and the political landscape at the time. It’s what is described as a state of the nation novel, so deals explicitly with the political climate and social issues of Britain. I love that stuff. I had a seminar at uni about it and wrote my undergraduate dissertation on three state of the nation novels. Writing about a whole nation convincingly without turning it into a non-fiction book and also managing to make it entertaining is a skill I will always be in awe of.

Die 13 1/2 Leben des Käpt’n Blaubär by Walter Moers is a German book I really can’t tell you anything about other than that it comes highly recommended by one of my dearest friends and that I’ve been meaning to read it for ages. It’s sort of fantasy, I believe? And part of a much bigger literary universe that I have yet to uncover. I will report back as soon as I’ve read it!!

The same friend also gave me Poyums by Len Pennie (I know, I’m a lucky friend!!). Len Pennie mostly writes in Scots and my friend bought it from a book shop in Edinburgh (The Portobello Bookshop, if anyone is curious. I’d highly recommend!!) It’s a signed edition (it just keeps getting better, I know) and honestly sounds like the perfect addition to my small but growing poetry collection. I’d never heard of the book or author before, but my friend obviously knew I needed this and oh how right she was!!

There’s something incredibly personal about getting gifted a copy of a book your friend used to own. It almost feels like an honour to me, because books are such sacred objects to me, so someone giving me their edition of a book they loved means a lot. One of my friends gave me Boys Don’t Cry by Fiona Scarlett, which, based on her description and the title, is gonna make me cry. That’s all I know about it, but I can’t wait to read it and discover why she thought this is a book I should read.

As I mentioned earlier, I went to Prague with friends recently and books were bought!! Who would’ve thought Prague has some incredible English book shops? I limited myself to three books because of limited luggage space (and financial resources, ahem). Considering the absolute gems I spotted while in Prague, it’s a miracle I managed to walk away with only three books, honestly. I chose I Served The King Of England by Bohumil Hrabal, because he’s considered one of the most important Czech authors of the 20th century. I don’t think I’ve ever read a Czech book, so that needs to change as soon as possible. Also, the title of the book intrigued me and I’m excited to find out what it’s about.

As soon as I saw This Is Shakespeare by Emma Smith, I knew this book was coming home with me. Did they have a paperback edition that was only half the price but only half as pretty? Yes, they did. Do I regret getting this beauty instead?? No, I don’t. Each chapter is dedicated to one of Shakespeare’s plays, aiming to give context and making his work more accessible. I’m all for that, so I simply had to get it. It was a no brainer, really.

Kala by Colin Walsh was a purchase based on gut feeling and the cover. Then I learned it’s set in Ireland, written by an Irish author, and I was completely sold. It’s a murder mystery, so a bit different from what I usually read, but I was in the mood for something a bit dark and hopefully immersive. I started it on the train home from Prague and it’s safe to say it made the journey go by quickly! Its Irishness is an essential part of the novel and the characters are incredibly convincable and well fleshed out. I didn’t love the book, something was missing for me that is hard to put my finger on. But it was a nice quick read that was exactly the right amount of disturbing (I swear I’m okay lol).

Thank you to everyone who got me a book (or anything else, for that matter), you know the way to my heart!!! ❤