BOOKS OF 2017
I've been trying to read more in the last few months and I think I have made some progress considering my A level books and studies usually override my leisurely reading time. I thought I might show some of the novels, poems and plays I have read and enjoyed in 2017.
A column of fire - Ken Follett
I have been enjoying this book by Ken Follett and I am currently still reading it. It is a hardback which is actually still in the book charts at the moment. I picked it up a while ago whilst waiting for a train and I have been wanting to finish it. It is set in the period of the Tudor dynasty and the end of Queen Mary I's reign and the conflict between Catholic and Protestant England.
IT by Stephen King
I have started this famous novel by Stephen King but sadly it is so hefty and complex I haven't had time to read it properly as it is most certainly a sit down and read novel that you have to focus on. I don't find it particularly scary, it is a bit disturbing in some places but I do like the detail King clearly puts into his work. I am enjoying it although it is very confusing at some points as there are lots of stories woven together so you do have to stay on your toes to try and remember everything.
The picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wilde
I love Oscar Wilde, he is one of my idols in both wit and intelligence and his ability to make things come to life on paper. This particular novel, his only novel at that, was actually something I picked for my English Literature coursework where I assessed literary value of the novel in a prose essay. I bought the novel in the special Penguin cover as you can see, to go with a Pride and Prejudice version I bought for my mum. I think the novel is intricate and detailed and explains the surroundings so precisely, showing you the era it has come from. I think Wilde would have been hailed if he had been alive today as his work is still extremely valued and still exists in the literary canon for a good reason.
Black Butler / Kuroshitsuji - Yana Toboso
My boyfriend Luke actually bought me these manga's for christmas, can you believe it!! I couldn't haha. Luke really doesn't like anything like anime or manga but he knows how much I love black butler. I watch the DVDs all the time. I am hopeful to buy more of the books and more of the series on DVD. Obviously this manga is Japanese and you read it backwards compared to other books. I really love these and was introduced to the series by a friend years ago and now it's my favourite anime of all time.
A doll's house - Henrik Ibsen
I am studying this play for my English Literature A level as one of the plays we are being assessed on. At first I felt it was boring and there was no climax or good ending and the whole thing made me feel indifferent. However, after rereading it, I see now more of how commendable it is that Ibsen would write such a play considering the time he was writing and the society he lived in. The novel itself has a very feminist background and really shows up the patriarchal system of society which cannot have been easy for Ibsen to write about considering after it was published the play was banned from production as it would 'inspire rebellion in women against their husbands'. If only he could see now the society women live in!
A column of fire - Ken Follett
I have been enjoying this book by Ken Follett and I am currently still reading it. It is a hardback which is actually still in the book charts at the moment. I picked it up a while ago whilst waiting for a train and I have been wanting to finish it. It is set in the period of the Tudor dynasty and the end of Queen Mary I's reign and the conflict between Catholic and Protestant England.
IT by Stephen King
I have started this famous novel by Stephen King but sadly it is so hefty and complex I haven't had time to read it properly as it is most certainly a sit down and read novel that you have to focus on. I don't find it particularly scary, it is a bit disturbing in some places but I do like the detail King clearly puts into his work. I am enjoying it although it is very confusing at some points as there are lots of stories woven together so you do have to stay on your toes to try and remember everything.
I love Oscar Wilde, he is one of my idols in both wit and intelligence and his ability to make things come to life on paper. This particular novel, his only novel at that, was actually something I picked for my English Literature coursework where I assessed literary value of the novel in a prose essay. I bought the novel in the special Penguin cover as you can see, to go with a Pride and Prejudice version I bought for my mum. I think the novel is intricate and detailed and explains the surroundings so precisely, showing you the era it has come from. I think Wilde would have been hailed if he had been alive today as his work is still extremely valued and still exists in the literary canon for a good reason.
The secret life of cows - Rosemary Young
I raved about this book to my parents for ages and they did buy it me for christmas. It is a little book all about cows and their intelligence and how they are not commodities and actually are valuable to earth and our lives. Alan Bennett actually praised it which my mum found to be the stamp of approval. I think it's a great size and a way to spread awareness on animal welfare and encourage people to look into their diets.
Milk and honey - Rupi Kaur
I actually have conflicting thoughts on this poetry book. It hit the internet like a bomb and went off in the book charts and now she has released another which I think is called The sun and her flowers? I bought this book out of curiosity but mainly because, along with my prose essay above, this is the poetry I am using in my poetry essay for my English Literature coursework. I am using feminist theory and will be analysing Kaur and the way she uses her female standpoint in her work. I did like many of the poems but I also really disliked a lot. I think it is something you should look at, you could read the whole thing in a book shop as the poems are tiny.
My boyfriend Luke actually bought me these manga's for christmas, can you believe it!! I couldn't haha. Luke really doesn't like anything like anime or manga but he knows how much I love black butler. I watch the DVDs all the time. I am hopeful to buy more of the books and more of the series on DVD. Obviously this manga is Japanese and you read it backwards compared to other books. I really love these and was introduced to the series by a friend years ago and now it's my favourite anime of all time.
Serial killers - igloobooks
This may be a bit weird, but I really find things such as prison documentaries and books on psychology really interesting. I have this book, which my mum really hated buying for me, but it is just a fact file of serial killers...bit grim but I find their psychology really intriguing. I wouldn't, however, read it to my 7 year old cousins...
A doll's house - Henrik Ibsen
I am studying this play for my English Literature A level as one of the plays we are being assessed on. At first I felt it was boring and there was no climax or good ending and the whole thing made me feel indifferent. However, after rereading it, I see now more of how commendable it is that Ibsen would write such a play considering the time he was writing and the society he lived in. The novel itself has a very feminist background and really shows up the patriarchal system of society which cannot have been easy for Ibsen to write about considering after it was published the play was banned from production as it would 'inspire rebellion in women against their husbands'. If only he could see now the society women live in!
The kite runner - Khaled Hosseini
I am actually updating this post as I do this last novel, as I totally forgot it! It is actually one of my new favourite books. It is one of the books I am studying for my English course, and so I had to read it anyway but I read it in 2 sittings it was so intriguing. I really really love this novel. If you want to read it I highly recommend doing so now! Although there is a graphic chapter which contains rape just as a warning.
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