A Day in Bookland

Writers & Lovers by Lily King . I ended up enjoying this novel although at the beginning I had issues with the writing style and wasn't particularly keen on the main character. However, page by page she got under my skin and I learnt to care for her. She is not only dealing with grief but also trying to find her place in the world alongside navigating life, making mistakes and being unable to understand fully your own self. It's not a book for everybody but I am glad I read it. Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr . This is the first in the Penguin Modern boxset - I am attempting to make my way through all 50 titles - and contains as well the sermon 'The Three Dimensions of Complete Life'. I will say I enjoyed the first one more than the second one mainly because is more religious-focused which is not something I connect with. However, the issues he raised in both essays are very important and I do recommend reading this one. SLAY by Brittney Morr

Summerwater by Sarah Moss . Okay, so here is what I liked: one, the interior monologue; it was so interesting to read what each character was thinking and how we are all morally compromised one way or another. We follow quite a few characters and each and every one of them had a distinctive voice. This is probably the most impressive element of the story in my opinion as there is so much to unpack throughout and two, the dark atmosphere accomplished. Now onto my main problem: the rushed ending; what was the point of it all? Not just the rushing per se but what the actual ending was. It was such a big contrast to how the story was being built and how atmospheric everything was to then boom, done... and I don't know, it felt flat for me and not at all impactful. I am pretty sure Moss intended the ending to be as it is but whereas it might work for some readers, it didn't for me. As a whole it reads more like a connected short story collection than a novel. The Year of the Witchi

happy weekend & happy reading!  Follow