Category: Book Review

The Best Books About Books

I recently reviewed ‘Dear Reader’ by Cathy Rentzenbrink (you can see the review here) and many of the comments I received were about the fact that people really love books about books!

With this in mind, I thought I’d introduce you to some of my favourites!

Links are affiliate links that I earn commission on at no extra cost to you – thank you for supporting my blog.

‘Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading’ by Lucy Mangan

As a life-long bookworm, I could not wait to get my hands on Mangan’s book about her childhood reading. I’m always keen to read about the experiences of one of my own tribe of book obsessives and was anticipating a blast from the past of my own childhood reading.

I was absolutely not disappointed. Being a similar age to Mangan, a lot of her book choices are cosily familiar and she writes with humour and passion. It was lovely to hear her take on old favourites, such as The Borrowers and Goodnight Mister Tom, as well as many books that I loved as a child and have recently shared with my own children. It was also wonderful to hear echoes of my own adult reservations about some of the books I loved as a child – growing up really does put some of them in a new and unflattering light!

I was also reminded of some books I haven’t thought about for about 20 years…for example, Love and Betrayal and Hold the Mayo (anyone?!) Of course not all of Mangan’s choices were familiar, but it’s so well written that it feels like a friend recommending you great new reads.

What I really loved was Mangan’s defence of being a bookworm as it is something a lot of people don’t understand. Bits of this made me laugh out loud as it was all so familiar.

I’d strongly recommend this to any keen readers who want a humorous, nostalgic trip through the bookcases of their childhood. I suspect it will particularly strike a chord with (probably female) bookworms of a similar age to Mangan (I think 43) who will have a great time rediscovering their love of Sweet Valley High, Judy Blume and other classics!

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

‘The Year of Reading Dangerously: How Fifty Great Books Saved My Life’ by Andy Miller

This is another one I only have a Kindle copy of and I regret that – it is definitely one that I would love to dip back in to sometimes.

I really loved this book. Andy Miller is very funny and the book really struck a chord with me. He is a Literature graduate (like me) with a young family (like me when I read this) and really missed reading, so he decided to tackle all the books he claimed to have read in the past and the ones he thinks he should have read.

I think we can all relate to this – as a Literature graduate, there are definitely books that were on my course that I ‘should’ have read or ones that I have a vague idea I might have read bits of only (*ahem* most of Charles Dickens and even a lot of Jane Austen. I know).

His ‘List of Betterment’ was really interesting and made me think about what I want to read – it actually inspired me to pick up ‘War and Peace’ again and I did get a fair way through it…OK, not all the way, but it’s a start and it turns out I like the Peace so much more than the War…

It was a shame that the book didn’t cover all 50 of the books, but I really enjoyed reading about his year as he writes so entertainingly. I heartily recommend this if you want a clever, witty and relatable jaunt through a reading challenge.

‘The Anna Karenina Fix: Life Lessons from Russian Literature’ by Viv Groskop

Another memoir-style book about books, this one follows Viv Groskop as she relates what she has learnt from Russian literature. Like Andy Miller, she is an engaging and lively narrator and this one is definitely worth a read.

I picked this up because I liked Russian literature at university (confession: all in English translation, obviously, and I didn’t like it enough to read all of ‘Crime and Punishment’. Wow, that is bleak). Groskop actually studied Russian at university and lived in Russia for a time, mistakenly believing she was getting back to her roots (it turns out she actually has Polish ancestry).

The book is a very funny trip through Groskop’s Russian adventures as told in a series of mini-essays about what we can learn from classic Russian literature. A lot of it was familiar to me from my university forays into these books, but there were also some really new (to me) and interesting ones covered too.

‘Dear Fahrenheit 451: A Librarian’s Love Letters and Break-Up Notes to Her Books’ by Annie Spence

This is a really unusual idea, but an interesting one! It’s a series of letters to books that Spence has fallen out of love with and books that she is ‘weeding’ from the library she works at to take out of circulation.

It’s really entertainingly written – there’s a lot about the library and some of its patrons as well as about the books themselves. There’s a lot of American books here (Spence is American) and more Sci-Fi than I would read, but it is so engaging – it would be especially amazing for readers who share Spence’s genre interests.

This is worth reading for the section on Judy Blume’s ‘Forever’ – a book that probably needs no introduction for anyone of my generation!

‘Books that Changed the World: The 50 Most Influential Books in Human History’ by Andrew Taylor

I loved the idea behind this one – to take 50 books that have had a huge impact on the world and write a short essay on each (5 or 6 pages each) explaining their main ideas and why they had such an impact.

Some I was familiar with already and are well-known (e.g. Homer’s ‘Iliad’ and Johnson’s Dictionary) but some choices were really unexpected and it was fascinating to read Taylor’s views on why they were so important. It also gave me more information on books that I really should know more about (for example religious texts, a personal blind spot for me!) It was also lovely to see some old favourites mentioned – a bit of nostalgia for my degree course!

‘1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die’ by Peter Boxall

From 50 books in Taylor’s view to 1001 that you MUST read before you die! I love this kind of list book, but I will never get near having read even a fraction of these books!

This is a lovely reference book for bookworms because it features so many fabulous books – some of which you will recognise and others that are new. Because it isn’t just about books published in English (although obviously English translations are available for them all), it is really interesting to read about classic and highly-regarded books from other countries. Each book also has an accompanying picture too, so this is a great book to have a browse through.

Be warned: this is a dangerous book for anyone’s TBR!

‘Read This Next…And Discover Your 500 New Favourite Books’ by Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark

This is another book that might well destroy your TBR. It has sections about some brilliant books (12 books per section, divided into themes like ‘Family’ or ‘Love’ or ‘History’) and then recommendations of other books to read if you enjoyed the focus book.

What I loved about this book was that it contained so many books I already really loved (it is always nice to spot something familiar in these books!) However, it also introduced me to many books that I hadn’t heard of, or knew the title only – the synopses are interesting and really give you a sense of whether you’d like the book. There are also some really interesting boxes of information sprinkled through the book – snippets about writers or quirky facts or context – that are a brilliant addition.

There’s also discussion points for book groups which are fascinating – some real food for thought and ways to think about the books that I’d never really considered.

‘The Novel Cure: An A to Z of Literary Remedies’ by Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin

This is another book which recommends books to readers, but this time based on a range of ailments that need a literary cure!

Arranged like a medical dictionary, you look up your ‘ailment’ and get your literary prescription (which is then explained to you so you get a flavour of the book recommended).

Is your problem ‘being fifty-something’? Look it up and there are ten novels recommended for you. Maybe you have that ‘Monday morning feeling’ – the cure is ‘Mrs Dalloway’ by Virginia Woolf! Road rage? Shame? Yearning for home? They’re all here with the perfect literary remedy.

This is a fun idea and an engaging read, but it also introduced me to some great new books!

‘Literary Landscapes: Charting the Real-Life Settings of the World’s Favourite Fiction’ edited by John Sutherland

As well as books, I also have an obsession with maps so this one is perfect for me!

It’s beautifully illustrated (sometimes with maps, often with book illustrations, book covers and author photos) and takes the reader on a trip around the worlds created in fiction. These range from the worlds of Romantic or Modernist novels to contemporary books – date-wise this means from Austen’s ‘Persuasion’ to books published in the last decade.

The focus on the places behind the novels or that shaped them is always fascinating and it is another book that – sorry – will probably add to your TBR!

‘What Matters in Jane Austen: Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved’ by John Mullan

This is a must-read for any Jane Austen fan as it explains some of the things that seem a bit puzzling for the modern reader. It is also really engagingly written by someone who really knows their stuff – I saw John Mullan speaking at the Hay Festival and can confirm he is a fascinating chap!

This is a great book if you have ever wondered about the conventions and norms of society sitting behind Austen’s stories – from proposals of marriage to money to how the characters address each other, it’s all here.

It also asks some interesting questions about Austen’s body of work such as ‘Is there any sex in Jane Austen?’ and ‘Why do her plots rely on blunders?’ The answers are always readable and often surprising! (Spoiler: there is a lot of sex in Jane Austen’s books! It might be euphemistically referred to but it is there!)

Phew, that’s 10 brilliant books about books! However, I thought that there should also be some ‘honourable mentions’ – books that are also absolutely awesome but I couldn’t fit on my list here:

  1. ‘The Complete Polysyllabic Spree: The Diary of an Occasionally Exasperated but Ever Hopeful Reader’ by Nick Hornby – this is a collection of Hornby’s essays on ‘Stuff I’ve Been Reading’ that were originally published in a US magazine in the noughties. If you like Nick Hornby, you’ll like this.
  2. ‘Madresfield: The Real Brideshead’ by Jane Mulvagh – this one really stemmed from my love of Evelyn Waugh’s ‘Brideshead Revisited’. It is about the house and the family that inspired the novel and is a fascinating slice of history.
  3. ‘Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead’ – yes, OK, I have a Brideshead obsession! This is really engagingly written, and this time focused on Evelyn Waugh himself and his his relationship with the Lygon family at Madresfield. I read this when I was pregnant and gave me my daughter’s name – Evelyn Waugh was married to a lady called…Evelyn!
  4. ‘The Writer’s Map: An Atlas of Imaginary Lands’ by Huw Lewis-Jones – a gorgeous book that only doesn’t appear higher up the list because I couldn’t find my copy! Packed with maps of lands created only in writers’ imaginations from Treasure Island to the Marauders’ Map in Harry Potter, this is worth every penny.
  5. ‘The Literary Detective: 100 Puzzles in Classic Fiction’ by John Sutherland – Sutherland is always an interesting guide to literature and this book (in the vein of Mullan’s Austen book mentioned above) seeks to solve things that might not make sense to readers of classic novels.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my list – please do let me know of any books about books that you love. I’m always on the lookout!

Blog Tour: ‘Unto This Last’ by Rebecca Lipkin

I’d like to welcome you to my stop on this blog tour for Random Things Tours. This book was published on 28th August by Book Guild Publishing.

From the Publisher

London, 1858. Passionate, contradictory, and fiercely loyal to his friends, John Ruskin is an eccentric genius, famed across Britain for his writings on art and philosophy. Haunted by a scandalous past and determined never
to love again, the 39-year-old Ruskin becomes infatuated with his enigmatic young student, Rose La Touche, an obsession with profound consequences that will change the course of his life and work.


Written in a style recalling Victorian literature and spanning a period of twenty years, the story poses questions about the nature of love, the boundaries of parenthood, and compatibility in marriage.

‘Unto This Last’ is a portrait of Ruskin’s tormented psyche and reveals a complex and misunderstood soul, longing for a life just out of reach.

“This is an atmospheric and utterly convincing novel… tackling the subject with great empathy in prose that is both detailed and vivid. A considerable achievement.” Michael Crowley, writer and dramatist


“Deeply researched and charmingly written, it resurrects not only John Ruskin, one of the most influential characters of the Victorian age, but his fascinating pupil Rose La Touche, who is portrayed so sensitively that you feel as though you know her.” Daisy Dunn, author of In the Shadow of Vesuvius: A Life of Pliny


“Rebecca Lipkin’s thoughtful novel about this complicated man – and his often-confusing world – is a pleasure to
read and a very welcome addition for all lovers of Pre-Raphaelitism.” Lucinda Hawksley, biographer

My Review

I am a huge fan of any books set in the Victorian era as I love this period in history. As soon as I knew that this was a book about John Ruskin, artist and art critic linked to the Pre-Raphaelites (who I also love!) then I knew this would be a book for me.

It is a huge book that has been meticulously researched and beautifully written. In keeping with the great Victorian novels themselves, it feels substantial and weighty, retaining the writing style while also being compelling and readable.

Given the fact that Lipkin’s book is a (fictionalised) biography of a character that I thought I knew, I was surprised to read about this aspect of his life – books on Ruskin tend to focus more on his failed marriage to Effie Grey which happens before the opening of this book (although is explored later in the narrative).

This book is instead about his relationship with young Irish girl Rose La Touche, a child who (along with her sister) started as his student but later became the focus of his obsession. The fact that Ruskin is in his late thirties when he meets ten year-old Rose seems slightly uncomfortable to a modern reader (and perhaps was also odd to the Victorians) but Lipkin doesn’t shy away from the less comprehensible elements of Ruskin’s personality. The relationship – not inappropriately physical but oddly obsessive – is presented with all its ups and downs through the narrative and through letters between the key parties (including Rose’s mother, who is the one who brings Ruskin in as art tutor for her children and seems to have a soft spot for him herself).

Indeed, the presentation of John Ruskin is very well done. He is a complicated character and Lipkin presents this through all his contradictions and traits – both noble and less pleasant. There were times in the novel when I really didn’t like Ruskin, but appreciated the factors that had shaped him to be like this – for example, his problematic relationship with his father and his living situation in Denmark Hill. His own struggles with his relationship with Rose are evident in the novel and he – ultimately – seems like a complex man with conflicting emotions.

I did love the way that Rose was portrayed. From the immature petulance of a slightly over-indulged ten year-old, I felt that she grew into someone with so much depth and richness to her personality. I could have happily read more about her in this book.

The real strength in this book is that Lipkin has taken a figure from the Victorian era and breathed life into him. Ruskin isn’t someone that widely known now outside of history and art buffs, so this is a lovely book to reintroduce him to a modern readership. You may not find his situation relatable, but I think most readers would recognise the portrait of a man struggling with his own emotions and desires.

I would recommend this to any fans of the Victorian era and anyone who enjoys reading about interesting characters from the past. In ‘Unto This Last’, Lipkin has produced a gloriously lavish, engaging and immersive book.

About the Author

Rebecca Lipkin has had a passion for Victorian art and literature from a young age. She first discovered John Ruskin through E.M. Forster’s novel, A Room with a View, and later joined the Ruskin Society at the age of seventeen to learn more about Ruskin’s work. Rebecca pursued a career in journalism, specialising in arts writing
and theatre reviews, and has worked for a number of national publications. Rebecca says, “Most accounts of John Ruskin’s complex personal life focus on his brief marriage to Effie Gray, but his twenty-year relationship with Rose La Touche was of huge importance to the evolution of his thinking; it is a captivating and tragic story of two people whose loving friendship transcended boundaries and conventions to the very end.”

With thanks to Random Things Tours for my copy of this book for review.

‘Keeper’ by Jessica Moor

In all the excitement of setting up my blog and all the new releases, I feel that I’ve not shared my reviews on some absolutely outstanding (but slightly older) books.

This book was released in March 2020 and was one of my five star ARCs of 2019.

I really didn’t know what to expect from this, but wow! This is a well-written and pacy thriller that will not be forgotten easily. It’s shocking, sad, tragic…but more than anything made me feel so angry. Just as the writer intended, I think.

The story begins with the body of a young woman, Katie Straw, being recovered from a river in a small town somewhere outside Manchester. The police recognise that it’s probably a suicide, but they just need to check out a few things to close the case. The narrative then splits between the investigation in the ‘Now’ sections of the book and Katie’s life leading up to her death (‘Then’). In this strand, a much darker theme of domestic abuse rears its head and the novel becomes almost unbearable in its inevitability.

However, this is so much more than your average thriller. It is unflinching and quite unsettling in its portrayal of the trauma suffered by the women in the novel. The women’s refuge featured is at once a safe space but also precarious and underfunded. The women residents are flawed and realistic, their decisions often poor and their thinking blurred by their suffering.

It made me angry, I think, because it was so believable; this does happen every day and the statistics about women being killed by their domestic partners speak for themselves. But how do you help or understand women who repeatedly return to or excuse their abusers?

I raced through this book and recommend it highly. It will make you absolutely furious that this happens, but it’s a clever and an engaging read too and recognises some important issues. It’s much darker than my usual reads, but I am so glad I chose it give it a try.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you would like your own copy of ‘Keeper’, please use my affiliate link below. This supports my blog at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Sydney Sims for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Life in Pieces’ by Dawn O’Porter

This book, to be published on 1st October, is a non-fiction journal of the lockdown period in spring/summer 2020 by the journalist, writer and television presenter, Dawn O’Porter.

I really like Dawn O’Porter. Having watched several of her documentaries and read a couple of her novels, I’d say I was pretty much sold on her work and so was very much looking forward to reading this book, a diary of her lockdown experiences. She lives in LA with her actor husband and two small sons so I was fairly confident that her experiences of lockdown wouldn’t be anything like mine!

Saying that though, O’Porter’s experiences are pretty relatable for anyone who has lived with small children. The potty training, the sleep deprivation, the repetitive questions about favourite dinosaurs…I think most people would recognise something there! Add into this pet ownership, navigating the weird new world of lockdown, preparing for a house move, cooking, and the ups and downs of marriage and I expect that something in this book will strike a chord with everyone.

Other reviewers have mentioned that it is a bit soon to be reading about lockdown. As we seem poised on the edge of a second wave of coronavirus, I can totally understand that this book might be a bit too much for some people. As it was, I didn’t particularly focus on the lockdown theme as O’Porter writes engagingly about things not connected to the virus.

Yes, it was lockdown that meant she had to spend more time with her kids, but the anecdotes about family life are funny and entertaining. Indeed, there’s plenty here that’s not corona-themed, such as O’Porter’s grief about the death of her friend, Caroline Flack, or her musings on the death of George Floyd from the centre of LA’s protest-zone (where she lives).

At its best, this book is hilarious and fresh – a funny and lively take on a time that challenged most of us. However, for me, the political elements of the book were slightly less successful and a bit discordant after the candid, confessional style of the rest. It was interesting to hear O’Porter’s views on racism and anti-racism, but it did move the book from something fairly light and entertaining to something more didactic, which wasn’t really what I was after.

Overall. if you like Dawn O’Porter’s writing then there is a lot you will like here. Some of the things she writes about are relatable, some are a bit banal and some are a bit odd (she lost me at the crystals). Some things are very funny and others sad. What isn’t in doubt is O’Porter’s ability to entertain with her writing and it is for this reason that I’d recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you’d like to pre-order this book (released 1st October), please use my affiliate link below – I’ll earn commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Header photo with thanks to engin akyurt for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Dear Reader’ by Cathy Rentzenbrink

This lovely book is out this week – it really is one to savour and return to repeatedly!

I love books and I love books about books! This one is partially a series of book recommendations, part autobiography of Rentzenbrink’s life around books and part meditation on the function of books in our lives.

Rentzenbrink intersperses elements of her own life story with discussion of the books that helped her to get through or make sense of it all. Some of that life story is sad, especially the event of her brother’s death which became the focus of her own book. However, it’s also uplifting as she finds meaning and support and inspiration from the pages of the books she reads which, ultimately, sees her rising through the ranks at Waterstone’s and into a writing career.

The books she discusses are varied and interesting, from the childhood comfort of an Enid Blyton book to the Julian Barnes books that inspired her to take a new path in life.

Overall, if you love reading then there is much to enjoy here. Reminders of books that you have read and enjoyed. An interesting autobiography. Recommendations on books by genre. Lots of bits that will make you nod in recognition. The sense that you have found one of your book tribe! Personally, I found this a comforting and engaging read that made me reflect on the books in my own life.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you’d like your own copy of this, please use the link below – it is an affiliate link so I may receive commission at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Aung Soe Min for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Just Like You’ by Nick Hornby

Released this week – a new book from Nick Hornby is always an event in my diary!

I feel like I should declare my love of Nick Hornby books at the start of this review – I usually love the dialogue and the insight into people and the humour of Hornby’s writing. Indeed, ‘High Fidelity’ is up there with my absolute favourite novels and I think I’ve read pretty much all his work.

This book had so much promise – essentially an age gap romance between a 42 year-old white woman (Lucy) and a 22 year-old black man (Joseph) set against the Brexit referendum. There’s loads of scope for exploration of people’s attitudes to race, class, age, 21st century British society…so far, so good!

And indeed, a lot of this is delivered upon very well by Hornby – he perfectly captures, for example, the rage caused by Brexit on both sides of the Leave/Remain debate. Lucy’s job as a teacher also struck a chord with me as reflecting my own life.

However, it’s not a perfect novel. While it’s enjoyable and interesting, it doesn’t quite hit the spot for a romance as it’s too messy and makes you wonder what the appeal is in the relationship, especially for Lucy who tolerates some pretty poor behaviour from Joseph. It felt a bit more like social commentary than a fully absorbing novel in places.

Overall, I would say this is an engaging and light read with some interesting points about British culture in the age of Brexit and Black Lives Matter. Whether it works as a romance is more up for debate – it didn’t for me. If you like Hornby’s writing (as I do) then you’ll probably like this, but for everyone else then I’d start with ‘High Fidelity’ or ‘About a Boy’ as Hornby’s real masterpieces.

I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You can buy this book using the link below – I may earn commission on purchases at no extra cost to you.

Header photo with thanks to Jude Beck for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘And Now For The Good News’ by Ruby Wax

I really like Ruby Wax and – to be honest – felt like I needed to read some good news in 2020, so this seemed like a good book for me right now.

This book is packed with ‘good news’ – ways in which humanity is making steps forward in various fields that are often unreported by the doom-and-gloom mass media.

It was really heartening to read of some really positive projects and people really making a difference, from a global project setting up ecovillages to those individuals helping refugees on the front line in camps in Greece. There are some really worrying and harrowing stories alongside the cheeriness – it is useful (but sad) to see the extent of the problem before Wax shows us the people and projects trying to fix the issues.

Wax also looks at technological advances and the ways in which businesses are embracing more sustainable models and developments in education so that schools become more than exam factories. In order to do all this, she travels widely and meets lots of interesting people. This all makes for engaging reading as Wax relates all this with her trademark humour and self-deprecation.

One of the slightly odder things about the book is that it was written pre-pandemic so it doesn’t grapple with that at all. However, Wax has added some footnotes and a little bit of an introduction to explain this so it is not a problem – just strange to read the optimism with the hindsight of what has actually happened!

All in all, this is an uplifting and hopeful book and one that I would recommend to anyone who feels that the world is headed in the wrong direction. I can’t quite embrace the mindfulness that Wax endorses so enthusiastically, but I’m totally on board with all the other messages in this engaging and positive book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to Jon Tyson for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘Their Silent Graves’ by Carla Kovach

Happy publication day to this excellent police procedural!

This is the seventh book in the DI Gina Harte series and it is one of the best. I picked up the series at Book 3 and am never disappointed with any of the novels, but this book is excellent – just the right mix of tension and terror!

This one really isn’t ideal for the claustrophobic – a killer is on the loose in Cleevesford who is burying people alive in coffins. The victims are left with three matches and a string attached to a bell with no clapper so the victim will never be heard while thinking they have a lifeline – fiendish! It’s a terrifying idea and one that DI Gina Harte is personally horrified by as it reminds her of being incarcerated during her abusive marriage to Terry, mentioned in previous books. When a second body is found, Harte and her team have to race against time to identify the links between the victims; this will, ultimately, lead to more potential victims that need protecting, as well as the killer themselves.

What makes this book stand out for me is the way that Cleevesford is starting to feel like a familiar and developed community – Harte’s team, the various locations and the geography of the town are all coming together in my head and becoming much more real. This is especially true in this book as the settings are perhaps more varied than previously – we whisk between the police station, the graveyard, woods and plenty of other places (no spoilers!) with real pace and purpose.

The other strength to this novel is the tension that Kovach creates as we experience the terror of the serial killer’s victims (and Harte herself). This isn’t new to the series, but seems ramped up here as victims have time to realise their fate before their death. This is truly sinister and creepy and the stuff of nightmares – perfect for a novel written about Halloween and during our shared confinement of lockdown.

I think this book could easily be read as a standalone, although I’d really recommend that you start at the beginning to fully understand Harte’s situation with her abusive husband and tentative relationship with her colleague Briggs. However, this is one book in the series where the personal lives of the police team are more in the background than some of the previous books so it’s not essential.

Overall, this is a strong police procedural with real menace. I’d recommend this to fans of crime writers such as Cara Hunter, Rachel Lynch and MJ Arlidge. It will keep you turning the pages and isn’t one you will forget for quite a while!

I received a free copy of the novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Header photo with thanks to David Menidrey for sharing their work on Unsplash.

Fantastic Non-Fiction: Female Focus!

I read a lot of non-fiction which tends to fall into several sub-categories – Victorians, social history, historical biography, women’s history, feminism.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk about some of the best in non-fiction books specifically about women and their lives – from historical perspectives to the modern day. These are the my top 5 picks from an awful lot of books so I hope you find something that catches your eye!

‘How Was It For You?’ by Virginia Nicholson

I love social history and anything with a feminist perspective, but I’ll admit that I knew very little about the 1960s before reading this book.

I think I’d bought into the vague modern notion of the ‘Swinging Sixties’, a time when societal expectations changed after the restrictive 1950s, a time of permissiveness and free love and hippies and Biba. The sixties as revolutionary but in a good way.

Nicholson goes some way to explode this myth about the decade often recalled with a sense of nostalgia by those who experienced it (my dad being a prime example!) She reveals the truth behind the ‘free love’ headline: this was not a great time for women. From illegal abortions to sexism at all levels of society, the 1960s were not always kind to the sisterhood. While seeming to be an age of opportunity and freedom (the pill, the opening of the job market to women, recreational drugs, the possibility of finding your ‘tribe’ of mods/rockers/hippies, and an exciting shift in popular music), the reality was that gender equality was not part of the deal.

Despite this overall message, the book is not pessimistic or depressing. Nicholson cleverly charts the decade chronologically, interspersing an account of the historical events with interviews with a range of women who lived through the 1960s. These range from the mother of a thalidomide baby to a campaigning feminist to a women who experienced teen pregnancy to Patricia Quinn (Magenta in ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ and a personal heroine of mine!) These women show that the sixties were an era of contradictions and complexities, of great change, of fun but also huge challenges.

The scope of the book is mind-boggling. It manages to cover personal stories from the interviewees and also the big news events of the day. In a fast paced narrative, we are whisked through huge cultural revolutions and major news stories: Beatlemania, Profumo, Playboy bunny girls, LSD, groupies, Mary Whitehouse, racism, Lady Chatterley, the moon landings, Carnaby Street, feminism…the list goes on.

There is so much packed into the book, yet the flow of the text never seems forced or unnatural; it is an absolutely engrossing read.

I recommend this to anyone interested in social history, feminism or women’s lives. Whether you remember the sixties or not, there is so much to learn from this engaging and thought provoking book.

‘Difficult Women’ by Helen Lewis

Thanks to Jen Theodore for sharing their work on Unsplash.

This is a book that I’ve talked about before on this blog, but it bears repeating. I have told everyone who will listen about this one!

I thought I was pretty good on my history of women’s rights and feminism, but found plenty in this eye-opening, thought-provoking and engaging book that was new to me. In the book, Lewis charts key moments in women’s history through 11 ‘fights’ – key moments in history when the titular ‘Difficult Women’ have stood up and made change happen in society.

These changes range from divorce laws protecting women’s rights to have access to their children and property, the availability of safe and legal abortions, gaining votes for women after World War 1, establishing refuges for victims of domestic violence, achieving equal access to education and the changing roles of the female workforce. Each of these struggles is a separate chapter, with Lewis introducing us to some of the ‘difficult women’ who led the various movements.

What I loved about this book was that the stories told weren’t the usual ones. For every Pankhurst in the chapter on votes for women, there were a whole host of lesser known but still fascinating women who played important roles in achieving the women’s vote in 1918. I felt that I’d learnt about a whole new cast of feminists and so many different perspectives on feminist ideology.

Lewis doesn’t try to convince us that these women were perfect – she tackles head on some of the contradictions of feminism and the internal disagreements, for example not shying away from Marie Stopes interest in eugenics or the suffragettes willingness to do violent and terrible things to achieve their aims.

I’d wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in women’s history or changing place in society. The book isn’t – and doesn’t claim to be – an exhaustive history of feminism, but it is lively and entertaining, well-researched and engrossing. The topics covered are fascinating and Lewis is a witty, perceptive and clear-sighted guide through some tricky subjects.

‘The Trouble with Women’ by Jacky Fleming

This is a book that seems to be a light read – it’s mainly illustrations – but the weight of the messages is immense!

I have a background in studying feminist literature and admit I was intrigued when I saw this book with it’s woman in a bubble (actually the Domestic Sphere – capitalisation essential – as we soon find out) on the cover and ironic title.

It’s an absolute gem! Lovely illustrations accompany an acerbic narrative of female history; traditional ideas about women aren’t criticised directly, but more shown to be ludicrous through the wording and illustrations (I especially loved the idea that women couldn’t stand up without corsets, alongside illustrated lolling women!) Men are Geniuses (with a capital letter, obviously), while women aren’t suited to anything that might damage their marriage prospects (including, but not limited to, art, science, writing, riding bicycles).

This book is an obvious choice for anyone interested in women’s history and feminism., and is one I’ll be sharing with my daughter when she is old enough.

However, it has much wider appeal than us card-carrying feminists! Indeed, this book should also be read by anyone who thinks that the fight for equality is over; there’s plenty of food for thought here about the messages we are still given about women’s role in history.

‘Moranifesto’ by Caitlin Moran

Regular visitors to the blog may have already spotted my love for Caitlin Moran who – I think – has one of the most original, funny and relatable voices in modern journalism.

She writes regularly for ‘The Times’ and ‘The Sunday Times’ but also has a number of books (both fiction and non-fiction) under her belt. Her new book, ‘More Than A Woman’ has just been released, but I’d like to point you towards ‘Moranifesto’ as being the book that perfectly encapsulates her quirky and humorous take on life.

Although I really don’t agree with her on some things (for example, her Beatles obsession), on the important things we are aligned. She writes engagingly and persuasively, whether it is about feminism, the Paralympics, the need for libraries or the wonderousness of Benedict Cumberbatch!

Although her writing is fundamentally feminist, she covers a massive amount of ground on some extremely wide-ranging topics and is always readable. She is also notoriously ‘over-sharey’ so there’s some hilarious and eye-opening content.

The other thing that’s great about this book is that Moran is a thinker. Although a lot of her musings may seem amusing or dealing with trivialities, she absolutely nails society’s problems (often to do with inequality and injustices) and offers a hopeful way forward – her ‘Moranifesto’.

I wish they’d put her in charge now!

‘Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners‘ by Therese ONeill

Those who know me know that I love funny books and anything about Victorians. This is both and yet gives an engaging social history on how women lived in the Victorian era.

I do tend towards a romantic view of the Victorian era whilst also knowing that this is ridiculous – the statistics on child mortality, life expectancy and poverty should dispel that myth. However, I was keen to know about the reality of being a Victorian woman which is why I picked up this book.

The key thing to note is that this is about being a Victorian lady – a very small percentage of the population, as most women did not have the disposable income or time to meet the exacting standards of the etiquette guides (that ONeill uses as the basis for her fascinating book).

The book includes some really interesting social history on women’s clothing, bathing options, treatments for ‘hysteria’ (a condition only experienced by white, upper class women!) and contraception, among other things.

It is also really very funny and so makes my list easily!

Here are some others from my (to be honest – terrifyingly huge) TBR…

‘The Five’ by Hallie Rubenhold

‘Rise Up, Women!’ by Diane Atkinson

‘Bloody Brilliant Women’ by Cathy Newman

‘She-Merchants, Buccaneers and Gentlewomen: British Women in India 1600-1900’ by Katie Hickman

‘Square Haunting: Five Women, Freedom and London Between the Wars’ by Francesca Wade

‘Outsiders: Five Women Writers Who Changed the World’ by Lyndall Gordon

‘Maiden Voyages’ by Sian Evans

Header photo with thanks to Gabrielle Rocha Rios for sharing their work on Unsplash.

‘A Theatre for Dreamers’ by Polly Samson (AUDIOBOOK)

Something a bit different for me today – an audiobook!

I’ll admit to not always getting on brilliantly with audiobooks at times in the past, but I really couldn’t resist the sound of this one after I saw Polly Samson read sections of it during a Hay Festival online event. I found she had a really soothing voice and I was intrigued by the story that she described, plus the fact that she had written music to accompany the novel with her husband, Dave Gilmour.

The story is told by a fictional character, Erica, who arrives on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960. Her mother has died and she is visiting her mother’s friend, Charmian Clift, who lives on the island with her husband, George Johnston (a writer) and their children. Erica arrives with her boyfriend, Jimmy, and what follows is a glorious time in which Erica learns about love, loss, her mother’s past, art and writing.

Erica’s time on Hydra introduces us to a massive cast of characters, some of whom were real people – including Charmian and George, Leonard Cohen, Axel Jensen and Marianne Ihlen. This is one book where you will be constantly googling the people to find out the reality behind the fiction! The only issue I had was the fact that the novel serves us with a massive cast and I couldn’t always remember who was who!

Thanks to Nemanja .O. for sharing their work on Unsplash.

One of the main stars of the novel is Hydra itself and the reader is treated to the sun-soaked, heady, irresistible charms of the island throughout. It sounds like a beautiful place and absolutely perfect for this tale of 1960s free spirits in what was essentially a big artistic community of expats.

Another draw for the novel is Charmian Clift herself who becomes a mother-figure to Erica but is hiding her own secrets. Indeed, it is Erica’s relationship with Charmian that drives a lot of the narrative, so it was no surprise to learn that it was Charmian’s own writing that led Polly Samson to write this book.

I think this is a novel definitely enhanced by the audiobook format. It was lovely to hear Polly Samson read the book as I got a real sense of how she imagined the characters to speak. I also thought that the little musical interludes between chapters and the song at the end enhanced the narrative – it gave more of a taste of the time and music and added depth to the novel. As already mentioned, Polly Samson’s voice is extremely relaxing to listen to and I really enjoyed being caught up in her world of artists, poets and novelists on Hydra as related to me in her hypnotic voice! Although I found the narrative a bit sprawling and long in places, I found I enjoyed the way it was presented.

I would highly recommend this audiobook – it really does offer more than just an audio recording of the novel and I liked the story of the intertwined lives and the lasting impact of the events of 1960.

With thanks to NetGalley who gave me a copy of the audiobook in return for an honest review.

If you’d like to buy a copy, the Amazon link is below – I may receive commission on any purchases at no extra cost to you (excellent!)

Header image with thanks to Dominik Gawlik for sharing their work on Unsplash.