AUGUST WRAP UP & SEPTEMBER TBR

AUGUST WRAP UP AND SEPTEMBER TBR 

I always read more in the summer months, because I'm off school and don't have much to do, so I read about four this month, all from different genres. 
The first book I read was a crime thriller by Swedish author Kjell Eriksson. I believe that the book I read is part of the Inspector Ann Lindell series, and this was book 7. But I don't think it matters what order or if you should read them in an order, because Eriksson provides a backstory to the romantic outline of Ann and Edvard. But the genre is crime thriller, I don't normally read crime thrillers, but as the novel is set in Sweden there's different aspects of Swedish humour, values and culture in the novel which is different to any other crime novel I've read, which are more based in Britain or America. The plot, overall was quite slow through the middle of the book, where the author based the plot more around the issues of Inspector Ann Lindell, whereas the story of the crime was quite predictable also. But, I did enjoy the different style of genre that was put forward in the plot and the way the author intertwined the personal life of Ann Lindell in too, making it more personal to the character, and the audience gets to know that character much more, despite it being book 7 in the series. 

The next book was a classic, Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier. I have already written a review previously on my blog, so search above to see it. It is now one of my favourite classic books, and if you like the gothic features of classic books, especially if you enjoyed Wuthering Heights I think you'll enjoy it. 

The Godfather by Mario Puzo has finally reached my bookshelf. I have been a fan of the film trilogy for a few years, and have finally got round to reading it, since it's been on my bookshelf since Christmas. Obviously this is primarily about the Mafia and the Corleone Family, but there are also social, political and economic themes throughout that Puzo brings together to show the power of Italian Families in America, and the power of family. Again this novel highlights the importance of family and the patriarchal familistic structure that is en-grained through their culture. It's especially a novel that's set in a specific era, from the start it's dealing with post-war problems from Italian deportation and Michael Corleone fighting for the Allies, despite his fathers request for him not to. Violence is a massive theme in the novel, and violence also partners with the theme of revenge. If you enjoy action thrillers, and especially the films you'll enjoy it because this is a novel that fits with the novel nearly perfectly, maybe because Puzo wrote the screenplays for the films, and there are almost all the scenes shown in the book, that are in the films. But as always the books are ALWAYS better. 

The last book that I read in August, (well to the end of August, going in to September) was The Good Immigrant by Nikesh Shukla. The Good Immigrant is essentially 21 essays from black, asian and minority ethnic British people, it covers their struggle for identity, racism, white privilege and humanity itself. I admire this book because as I live in an extremely white area, it gave me an essence of their lives and the racism within the UK, especially in today's society and the backlash of the EU referendum. One of my favourite quotes and essays from the books was by Salena Godden, called Shade- 'There is no need for a passport. There are no borders. We are all citizens of the world. Whatever shade you are, bring your light, bring your colour, bring your music and your books, your stories and your histories, and climb aboard. United as a people we are a million majestic colours, together we are a glorious stain-glass window. That's the most important message from the book, that if we come together as a community, more than separate in to separate groups we can do a lot more to help the world, and to be kind to each other. 

My September TBR so far is Dunkirk by Joshua Levine, I loved the film as I saw it three times in the cinema so I picked up the book. The next book is the sequel Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari; Homo Deus, essentially telling the future of our species and the final book so far is a book by James Barlow called The Patriots. I picked it up in a secondhand bookshop and I can't find much on it, but I believe that it is a war novel, and it is a clothbound edition which I loovvveee.