JULY BOOK HAUL | 2020

Since Waterstones and other book shops have opened in the past week here in England, of course I was itching to get browsing. I've really missed being able to go in to bookshops and just browse the shelves, it's just not the same online.

The first book I bought was When the Crawdads Sing (2018) by Delia Owens. I've heard a lot about this book on Instagram, and I thought I would give it a go, even though it isn't necessarily my typical type of read. The novel has topped the New York Times Fiction Best Sellers List of 2019 and 2020. The thing that intrigues me about the novel is that it starts with two timelines that intertwine. This unusual narrative perspective makes the characters and the whole plot more interesting to the reader in my opinion. I also like how it is set in the 1950s-1960s, and set in a small town of North Carolina. I haven't read a lot of contemporary American literature, but I think this one will surprise me.

The next book is probably on a lot of people's TBR's right now. Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People about Race (2017) by Reni Eddo-Lodge, has been a very topical read of current issues. I have read a few chapters of this before hand due to University reading. It highlights white privilege and the injustice of Black people and ethnic minorities in the UK, and around the world. In essence this book provides a handbook for the race relations in the UK, and how white privilege overshadows the lives of black people; and why this needs to change.

Another novel I picked up was actually a signed copy of Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. This book intrigued me a few months ago, because obviously Hamnet is based on the son of Shakespeare, and in its description it also focuses on the bond between twins. Since I am a twin myself, I'm interested in anything that slightly mentions the bond between twins and how that affects their life and relationships with other people. The novel has also been shortlisted for The Women's Prize in Fiction, and explores the themes of love, family and marriage, I'm really looking forward to getting to this one and seeing how O'Farrell's world is portrayed.

Another novel I picked up was If Beale Street Could Talk (1974) by James Baldwin. I've always wanted to read a novel by James Baldwin after watching a really interesting documentary, and watching his Black Lives Matter speech in 1965. This novel is a love story set in Harlem, and it explores the the morals of racism in America, and the struggle of a young Black family and the struggle against the law enforcement in America. 

The last four novels I have recently picked up are all by Isabel Allende. The first novel that I have started reading straight away is The Japanese Lover. The novel is set in San Francisco, and focuses on the journey of Alma Belasco; fleeing Nazi Germany, leaving her family to live in America. The narrative focuses on Irina, a worker in the nursing home that Alma now lives in. Together, Seth and Irina try to piece together the love story of Alma and her childhood sweetheart Ichimei Fukuda. I'm not usually one for romantic novels, but I have recently really wanted to read Allende's work since watching Jane the Virgin (I know, a bit lame). I am only about fifty pages in, and I am already really enjoying it, I love the narrative structure and the sense of mystery in the plot. 

The next novel by Allende is In the Midst of Winter. The novel focuses on an unexpected friendship between three people in a Brooklyn snowstorm. The narrative shifts from present day Brooklyn to 1970s Chile and Brazil. I can't wait to get to this one; it sounds really captivating and full of humanity. 

House of Spirits is probably the novel by Allende that I have been looking forward to read the most. Clara del Valle has powers to read fortunes and predict the future. The main character of Clara del Valle goes through a lot of trauma and grief, which effects her powers. It is set in an unnamed Latin American country over three generations. I am really excited for the narrative structure and the character development in this novel. 

The final book in my July Book Haul is The Stories of Eva Luna. In this novel Eva Luna tells stories of love, femininty and compassion. I love novels that focus on the real stories of humanity, and I think this novel will be the epitome of that. I'm excited to delve in to the imagery that Allende creates through her work and what I will take away from her work also. 

Happy Reading! 
Rose x 
Isabel Allende-
The Japanese Lover
Midst of Winter
House of Spirits