On sexual assault, feeling triggered and being jaded about men
Reacting to Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie Garmus’s bestselling novel Lessons in Chemistry is a unique story, sharply written…
Korean mums in fact and fiction
The last thing I expected was to confuse a real life person in the memoir Tell Me The…
Books I read in 2023
I got back into audiobooks in a big way in 2023, after a total break from them last…
Green martyrs and holistic faith
A little English church in Madrid When I lived in Madrid as a university exchange student, I attended…
Babel, or how not to write yourself into your novel
In many ways, R.F. Kuang’s Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History seemed a novel written…
Books I read in 2022
The best of what I read in 2022, in the order in which I read them. Gilead –…
Three transformative perspectives on hospitality
I’ve always admired people who can host a good dinner party. I’m in awe of their ability to…
Teenage girls and their bad boys
Common to many a YA novel is a male love interest who's dark and mysterious and in a position of power. At its most extreme, he's dark, mysterious and cruel. At its most tame, he's dark, mysterious and a bit of a loner. Somewhere in the middle, he's dark, mysterious and troubled. Getting the vibe?
The books that changed my life
I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm. More than a way to pass the time or learn…
Reading revolution: 5 ways I’ve upgraded my reading
I like new things but when it comes to reading, I am old school and conservative. I don’t…
Things I read in 2020
I know I sound snooty when I say I read more than I watch Netflix, but it’s true.…
Brutality and humanity: a book you won’t want to, but should, read
Early inspiration I suppose that every writer, whether professional or amateur, has work from their past that they’re…
2016: A return to reading
This year, I made a few resolutions, a couple of which revolved around writing. I committed to writing weekly for the novel I’ve wanted to write since I was 13, and for this blog.
I also realised that it had been years since I’d been much of a reader - how I used to love it! - and that my writing was struggling to flow as a result. So I committed to reading a book a month in 2016. I’ve read 30 and will probably get a couple more in before the year is out.
Setting this reading goal has helped me enjoy reading again, as well as pushing me to reflect on the kind of writer I would like to be.
So for you readers out there, here are the books that impacted me this year: