lou's library

There are books I love but rarely talk about, because they don’t tend to fit into the usual categories, or because it’s been a while since I have read them, or for no sound reason at all, really. But they still deserve shoutouts and love, which is why this blog post is dedicated to some of those books. May you find them worthy of your attention!

The Green Road by Anne Enright

The Green Road is a novel concerned with family dynamics, as it follows the Madigan family as they all return home to their mother in the Irish countryside. It’s one of the most truthful and believable depictions of the complicated relationships between family members I have ever come across in literature. What I loved about The Green Road is its structure: In the first part, we get to meet these people as individuals, and it isn’t until the second part that we get to witness them as part of their family and see how that changes the dynamic and our perception of the characters. Above all, this is a beautifully written book, in the quietly devastating way Irish authors excel at. Anne Enright clearly is a great observer of people, and The Green Road is one of those books that make you shake your head while reading because it is just so good at what it does.

The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

Time to shout from the rooftops about my favourite Bronte sister, the always-forgotten Anne Bronte. I will never understand why everyone and their mother always goes on about Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights when The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall is right there, being the perfect novel that it is. It centres on a young widow called Helen Graham, who has a young son and moves into the previously empty Victorian mansion Wildfell Hall. But something is clearly off, as the local farmer Gilbert soon finds out. It might not sound like much, but trust me, there is so much to this story! The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall is nowadays being hailed as one of the first feminist novels, and I loved its discussion of female agency and the hurdles women had to face back in the 19th century. It’s one of those classics that completely deserve to still be read today, and I wish more people would give it a chance. So, if you’ve always wanted to read it or have never heard of it before: Do consider this your sign to give The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall a go.

Harry’s Last Stand by Harry Leslie Smith

Here comes one of my favourite non-fiction books about modern Britain! If you’ve already started yawning, hear me out: I am certain that no one with a shred of humanity within them could read Harry’s Last Stand without being deeply touched by it. It has been published over a decade ago, and as that hasn’t exactly been a quiet ten years in Britain, I shudder to think what Harry Leslie Smith would make of today’s Britain (he has sadly passed away since the publication of this book). Smith was a political commentator who witnessed the creation of the British welfare state as a child (and greatly benefited from it) and then the dismantling of it towards the end of his life. He is a big advocate for social security, for making sure everyone has the chance to thrive and for accessible education for everyone. There are a lot of personal anecdotes in Harry’s Last Stand, and it is a passionate plea for more empathy towards those who need help and against sacrificing long-sought-for achievements when times get tough. Smith criticises the growing economic divide between the rich and the poor, a problem that has become ever more evident in modern Britain. I wish politicans read his book, because I simply can’t believe we would be where we are today if they did.

Feminists Don’t Wear Pink And Other Lies by Scarlett Curtis

This is a collection of essays, edited by Scarlett Curtis and written by a wide range of public figures, such as Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan (Queen!) and Dolly Alderton. Feminists Don’t Wear Pink And Other Lies was published quite a few years ago now and one would hope that we had made lots of progress on the feminism front since then, but one look at the US and you know that the reverse is the case. So, if anyone needs a refresher as to why equal rights for all genders is a non-negotiable, these essays by incredibly smart and talented people is the book for you. There are so many different and refreshing perspectives in this book that you are sure to learn something, even if you think you already know everything there is to know about feminism. It’s an essential read, and in times like these, sometimes it can be helpful to go back to the basics. It’s high time I gave this book a shoutout. So read it and then let me know which one was your favourite essay!

There you go, some books I love and yet hardly ever talk about! I hope you found these inspiring, but if you want more recommendations, I have a post all about underhyped books right here. Happy reading!