Recently Read

An odd assortment of books here but I've been reading all sorts lately. I'm slowly but surely getting through my many to-read lists which you can look at HERE and HERE but I'm also balancing those books out with some slightly more random choices, as you can see below:

Minding Frankie, Maeve Binchy

The Frankie in question is the newborn daughter of Stella and Noel, the result of a one night stand between the two. Stella has terminal cancer and dies following a c-section (it's the start of the book, I'm giving nothing away), leaving Frankie with Noel, an alcoholic in a dead end job, living with his parents. Aargh. The book chronicles how he deals with this massive change in his life with the help of a vast array of characters (parents, friends, cousin, neighbours, doctors, etc. It takes a village and all that) with completely improbable names (Muttie Scarlet, anyone?!). I like Maeve Binchy's writing, this is light and an easy read.

The Gift of Fear, Gavin De Becker
The Gift of Fear is a self help book written by a US security expert that aims to teach you how to be aware of your own instincts and to respond to them appropriately in order to avoid exposure to violence and trauma from dangerous individuals. Normally this would not be my sort of book at all but it had some amazing reviews, was a number one bestseller and Oprah loves it, so, you know, it must be good...and it was! De Becker is kind of a 'Criminal Minds' sort with years of experience so the book contains detailed interviews with victims and criminals alike and is just incredibly fascinating. The advice is actually genuinely helpful and really struck a chord with me- I've always been very vigilant when out and about but I would say I am more so now after reading this than ever. I've also really taken on board how to ward off unwanted attention and the tricks con artists use to do what they do.
Interestingly, the book relates how humans are the only mammals who frequently ignore their instincts- often times we'll say to ourselves "I heard a noise in that bush, but I don't want to look like an idiot, so I won't run away down the street" etc. De Becker points out that the worst that can happen is that you'll look a little foolish if you do run but you could well be avoiding an attacker so clearly it's worth it. He does point out that he in no way blames the victim of any crime but more wants to demonstrate the importance of listening to those instincts to hopefully avoid these incidents, and sadly as that is often not fully possible, to save your own life. While this isn't the happiest book you'll read and was a little bit spine-chilling in places, I would say it's definitely worth picking up.

Macbeth, William Shakespeare
I've always had a bit of a thing for Shakespeare and I always wanted to read this, but am only getting around to it now. Shame on me. I really enjoyed it, dark and sinister, it's unputtdownable (that's a word, right?) and I had it finished in a day. It just flows so well and the prose is beautiful. A palate cleanser for the mind. Well worth reading.

Small Island, Andrea Levy

Small Island is set in the UK, India and Jamaica in 1948 and tells the story from the perspective of four characters- Hortense and Gilbert (who escape their own "small island" of Jamaica only to face all the difficulties of the UK during WW2- war, poverty and racism) and Queenie and Bernard (a married couple stuck in a loveless, strained relationship and owners of the room Hortense and Gilbert rent). While I liked this- it's well written and very different to anything else I've read recently, it's not the lightest of books and parts of it were slightly arduous to read. I really enjoyed the characters of Hortense and Gilbert though and I may try and hunt down the BBC adaptation of this...the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch was in it has nothing to do with me wanting to see it, I swear.*

*filthy lies.

Me Before You, Jojo Moyes

Don't be fooled by the chick-lit esque title and cover, Me Before You actually has a very serious subject matter and is in no way frothy- it's about Louisa, a girl-next-door type who loses her job as a waitress, struggles with unemployment and ends up taking up a position as an assistant to Will, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Although she's completely unqualified for the job and Will is understandably low in spirit, the two grow close and both of their lives are changed forever. I know it sounds a bit bleak but it actually really isn't! If I could only recommend one book in this list it'd be this one. I truly loved it and was so sad when I had finished it. Always the sign of a good'un!

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley

This has been on my to-read list since forever really so it was probably about time that I picked it up. I actually really loved it- I was worried it'd be one of those gothic classics that I'd be disappointed in (I'm looking at you, Dracula), but I was so wrong. Sure we all know the story by now, young scientist and general asshat Frankenstein decides to put all of his energies into bringing a "man" back from the dead but instead creates a monster who he abandons following his disgust at being faced with the hideousness of his work. The monster then basically goes on a revenge spree and ends up driving Frankenstein insane. Have no pity for him though, like I said, he's an asshat. I really loved this book, it draws you in and you won't be able to put it down. Super creepy too.

Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

This was actually my first foray into the world of audible (a branch of amazon.co.uk) which I've found great for going on walks to keep myself entertained. If you were going to buy any audiobook I think this is kind of the perfect option- the book has two main protagonists- Amy and Nick, both with fascinatingly messed-up characters, well suited to being read aloud as an audiobook. Amy has mysteriously gone missing from the home she shares with her husband Nick. Things were more than a bit dodgy between them so the finger of suspicion gets pointed at Nick who basically then has to put all the clues together to exonerate himself and find out what happened to his wife. As the book progresses, we find out more about their ailing relationship and the events that led up to the day Amy disappeared. The genius of the book is that the whole way through you're kept guessing- has he actually done something to her or is he in fact innocent? Thankfully, there is a proper ending to this (although not necessarily one you'll want to read), which I was grateful for as I don't think I could've kept guessing. If you enjoy a good thriller you'll love this.

The Fault In our Stars, John Green
My second audiobook purchase, The Fault in Our Stars is actually a Young Adult novel about a teenage girl (Hazel) battling lung cancer while falling in love with a fellow cancer patient (Gus) who she meets in group therapy. While I really loved this book and it was funny in parts, it was also highly emotional and several times I found myself wiping away a tear on my daily walk down by the canal..nothing more normal looking than crying by the canal, I always say. Aside from that, this really gives a brilliant insight into the life and feelings of not just a cancer patient but a young girl struggling with balancing adolescence and a chronic illness. Very well written and an enjoyable read. As a complete side note, the title of the book is a quote from Julius Caesar, which endeared me to it even more, as did the fact that one of the main characters quoted my favourite of Shakespeare's Sonnets (it's number 55, if you're interested, fact fans!)

And that's my lot for the time being. Have you read any of these?
Any other recommendations?
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