While trying to complete my degree I've found my beloved hobby cast aside. Some days I just can't fit any more words into my brain, and on those days I find myself dropping to sleep scrolling on TikTok (terrible habit, must do better). I have managed to do some reading though, so without further ado, here's the 5 best books I've read so far in 2021:
More Than A Woman - Caitlin Moran
Earlier in the year I read Moran's first autobiography, which details her life up until the birth of her children. I knew going into More Than A Woman that the book's tackling of middle age and motherhood is not something I can personally relate to. Surprisingly though, I resonated more with this one! It's so refreshing that Moran is unafraid to tackle her previous opinions and why they've changed.
Mayflies - Andrew O'Hagan
O'Hagan writes so beautifully of a coming-of-age in the 1980s Manchester music scene. Split into two parts, the book revisits the main characters in adulthood as they navigate separate lives. No spoilers, but this book left me in and out of tears for days.
The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett
Despite taking me an unusually long time to read, this book was the most fantastic piece of fiction I've read in a long time. The novel follows two sisters who are white-passing. When they run away from home, they lead entirely different lives heavily influenced by the race they choose to adopt. Bennett introduces complex themes in a way which is accessible for the average fiction reader, and I think that's great!
Quite - Claudia Winkleman
Let me preface this by saying I have little interest in the life of this woman. I don't dislike her by any stretch of the imagination, but I equally didn't anticipate reading her autobiography. After multiple recommendations, I'm so glad I did. A lot of the time, we (myself included) see television personalities like Winkleman as superficial and lacking in any real credibility. Winkleman actually has an Art History degree from Cambridge amongst other recognitions, and as an art lover I found this section particularly fascinating. The book just read like a dream; she is not pretentious or preachy, and the way she talks about the women in her life is just *chef's kiss*.
Hot Little Hands - Abigail Ulman
And last but not least, this one brings me up to date as the last book I finished. I've only ever dabbled in the world of short stories before, so Hot Little Hands was a challenge! Once I'd accepted the fact that I was only getting a snippet into a character's life, I relished each one as a memento of girlhood. A story titled 'Warm Ups' in particular knocked me for six!