lou's library

Time for a fun little tag! I first stumbled upon this on @bookandchapter Instagram account, so head over there and make sure to check out their version of this tag, too!

5 Favourite Books

Am I allowed only 5?? Okay, so the obvious one is All Quiet On The Western Front by Remarque, because that is my all time favourite book. It is literal perfection and will leave you SOBBING, and you can thank me later. Normal People by Sally Rooney must be on this list for obvious reasons, namely her ability to perfectly capture feelings and thoughts I didn’t even know I was feeling and having, until she put them into words. Also, Connell. I’m also gonna go with Peter Pan, because although it is a children’s book, it has layers and resonates with me as an adult much more than it ever did as a kid. It’s also so fun and whimsical, while also being utterly heartbreaking and that’s a combination I’m always down for. Fantasy wise, Rubinrot by Kerstin Gier (the English title is Ruby Red) will always be an absolute favourite. I’ve reread it close to ten times and love it every single time. It features some of the funniest characters you will ever come across and the plot is adventurous and complex and yet just so much fun?!? (Just don’t ever watch the movie adaptation!!). The final book on this list will have to be Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare. Do I really need to explain why? I feel like that one should be obvious. In case it isn’t: its themes are still so relevant today, the language is gorgeous and I would argue you don’t need a degree in English to be able to understand (most of) it and every time I reread it, I dive deeper into its world and find new things to think about and it’s just so damn good?!

4 Books On My TBR

Ahem, I could easily make that 40. Alas, I’ll go for the ones that have been on my to read-pile for longer than I care to admit. The Lord of the Rings by Tolkien is an obvious one. I AM JUST SO INTIMIDATED BY IT, OKAY? I feel like I’m gonna be confused the whole time and overwhelmed, but I also realise I might be depriving myself of an absolutely mind-boggingly awesome book?? So maybe I should just stop whining about it and get on with it? Another book I’ve been meaning to get around to is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. This is one of those classics I feel a little ashamed to admit I still haven’t read. I feel like I’ll love it?? It’s also not that big of a book so I don’t know why I’m putting it off. Oliver Twist,on the other hand, I have multiple reasons to avoid. I started it LITERALLY ten years ago, got twenty pages into it and decided to read something else. Since then, I’ve been telling myself I should pick it back up. Ooops. I’ve read a few of Charles Dickens’ other books since, and what can I say? I didn’t love them. I can appreciate them for what they are, but I’m not on a quest to read his entire canon. Oliver Twist feels like such an essential classic though that I can’t bring myself to give it up. A book that I still wanna get to this year (might be a bit of a stretch as time is running out) is Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. I’ve heard nothing but AMAZING things about this book but also know nothing about its plot? I believe it’s historical fiction? It’s also bloody long so wish me luck!

3 Books That I Would Recommend

Okay, I’ll try to go with books I don’t recommend all the time anyway (watch me fail). Harry’s Last Stand by Harry Leslie Smith is an empathic and urgent call for more kindness and compassion in our world. It’s non-fiction and was published ten years ago. While LOTS has changed since then, its message is more relevant than ever. The author was British and grew up as the British welfare state post-war was being built, so was among the first to enjoy the perks of social security through the state. He has passed away a few years ago, but during his lifetime he still had to experience the decline of the welfare state and the rise of selfishness and hate towards others. So this book is his heartfelt appeal for more tolerance and community and it will make you feel hopeful despite the state of the world. Highly recommend!! One of the best books I read this year was Boys Don’t Cry by Fiona Scarlett. It revolves around themes of poverty and crime in modern day Ireland, but is also about love, family and grief. It’s a relatively short book but it packs a punch!! It will turn you into a complete mess, though. And the last book I’d recommend is Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett, probably my favourite historical fiction writer! It was pubished in the seventies, and was a massive bestseller and I can totally see why. It’s a spy story set in World War 2 and I won’t say much more because it’s best to just let the story sweep you OFF YOUR FEET!! I couldn’t put this down and am desperate to reread it, it’s so good and addictive and CLEVER!

2 Last Five Star Reads

Women Living Deliciously by Florence Given I would’ve given six stars to if I could have!! It’s written so accessibly, all the while disecting the boundaries women still face in our societies. It dives deep into how a lot of us tend to self-sabotage because we believe we’re not good enough the way we are (because that is what society has made us believe). The book is also illustrated by Florence and it’s absolutely beautiful! I took away so much wisdom from this gem and I really do hope it will find a large audience of girls and women who will then feel empowered and glorious!! All Among The Barleyby Melissa Harrison is a novel I decided to read because my favourite BookTuber (is that a word or did I just make it up?) Leena Norms (if you don’t know her, you should!) recommended it on her channel and it sounded right up my street. AND IT IS! It’s set in Britain during WWII and the writing is tender and gorgeous and the protagonist is innocent and lovely and you just want everything to be okay but will it be???? WHO KNOWS. I won’t spoil anything, but I suggest you go and find out for yourself, hehe.

1 Current Read

When I was in Cambridge a month ago, I saw A Voyage Around The Queen by Craig Brown in a bookshop. It’s a biography about the late Queen Elizabeth II and had already been on my TBR, so I decided to get it. It was expensive as heck, because it’s a big book and in hardcover, so I decided to read it now, before the paperback version comes out and I will hate myself for having paid so much more for a hardback book I didn’t read anytime soon. I’m only a hundred pages in, but so far it’s very entertaining! It’s a bit unlike other biographies in that it draws from a large amount of sources and sometimes deviates from the Queen’s life to make a point about her. I’ll let you know my thoughts once I’m done with it!

So, there you have it! Feel free to make your own version of this tag, or to let me know some of your answers ❤