May & June 2024 Books
What I've been reading...
In Memoriam by Alice Winn ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I ADORED this book. In Memoriam is about two boys at a public school in England and follows them on their journey as they enlist in the First World War and navigate a complicated love story. It is heart-breaking, brutal, suspenseful, yet charming and has made it onto my favourite books of all time list. Winn writes about the horrors of war so sensitively and in such a compelling way, I felt like I learnt so much of the practical side of things, whilst also being on a truly emotional rollercoaster. I really enjoyed the poetry weaved throughout this book, it added to the beauty of the story, which otherwise could be just purely harrowing. I honestly don’t know how else to describe how special this book is, please, just read it.
Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Our book club pick for May was Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior. This book was shortlisted (but didn’t win) for the International Booker Prize Award. Set in Brazil, three generations after slavery was abolished, Crooked Plow is about a community of farmers living and working on a plantation. It follows two sisters Bibiana and Belonisia from a young age when they discover their grandmother’s knife and whilst playing with it, one of them suffers an injury that will effect the rest of her life. The first part of the story is from Bibiana’s perspective, the second from Belonisia and the third from an ancient spirit - this book incorporates magical elements and blurs the lines between fantasy and reality. It’s a powerful story of difficult lives and violence, certainly not an easy read and to be honest, I didn’t enjoy it enormously and it didn’t blow me away, but I think it’s an important story.
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After a few pretty heavy reads and a busy month, I was in need of something easy-going and lots of you recommended this one. I have read a couple of books by this author before and they are what I would call GREAT holiday reads. I knew it wasn’t going to be particularly special or life-changing, but very readable, engaging and not trashy (I can’t enjoy trashy books, even as a guilty pleasure, they just frustrate me) and for the simple reason that this book was exactly what I needed at the time, I gave it four stars. The story is a family saga featuring a married couple in their sixties and their four adult children. The whole family have played competitive tennis at some point in their lives and the parents ended up setting up a coaching club, so if, like me, you love a bit of tennis, it’s a nice thread that runs throughout the book. However, this is not a tennis story, it’s a story of a missing person (the mother) and is a great mystery that kept me turning the page and wanting to find out where she was. I found the humour throughout the story, particularly from the mother, made the book feel cosy and this, along with the mystery set up, made for a really enjoyable read.
Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was our book club pick for June and I am beyond pleased that we ended up going for this one. Big five stars from me. A family needing to flee post-war Vietnam in search of safety and a new home decide to go to the US. However, all does not go to plan and we end up following them for about fifty years (I think! I don’t have the book infront of me right now, as a friend is reading it!) and by the end I cared about these characters so incredibly deeply. The story is told from three different perspectives and it changes between them throughout the book. The main narrative is by Anh who is travelling with her two siblings (the family splits into two, you’ll find out why when you read it). The second is by a character I won’t name, but someone who you find out early on doesn’t make it, so was written from the afterlife and this was one of my favourite narratives to read - they are short, haunting passages and were some of the most beautiful in the book. The third is a mystery narrator who is revealed at the end. I adored this book, especially the way it shone a light on the refugee crisis.
Soldier, Sailor by Claire Kilroy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I gave this book four stars, because I think Kilroy’s writing on motherhood is some of the most brave, raw and honest I have ever read. However, I did not enjoy this book and I certainly wouldn’t recommend it if you are pregnant or have recently given birth. Even now that I am 20 months postpartum, I found it uncomfortable to read and found myself rushing through it to get to the finish line. I would go as far as to label this book a psychological horror. The story is told by a mother, Soldier, speaking to her son, Sailor and she recounts in detail her struggle in the first couple of years of his life. I think it’s a really important story, but not for the faint-hearted.
Let me know in the comments what you’ve been reading recently and don’t forget to use the ‘chat’ section of this Substack to talk all things books!
Lots of love,
Tanya xx
I am really glad you reviewed “Soldier Sailor”; I read this book recently and have not been able to stop thinking about it. Yes, I, too, raced through, almost terrified of what the next page held. Claire Kilroy’s depiction of motherhood is at once alarming, darkly humorous, and more relatable than one perhaps wishes. Her passages about fear of loss — the central tragedy of motherhood, I’ve heard some say — are achingly poignant. I cried after the first page and cried again. I did not enjoy the book either (I have an 8-month son, perhaps it hit too hard!) and yet found Kilroy’s writing brave and felt a sense of urgency to share this book with my girlfriends. An important, if difficult, read. Thanks for sharing.
My daughter just turned 5 but I'm still not sure I'm ready for Soldier, Sailor. Thank you for the other recommendations though. I have Audible credits I need to make decisions on!