Saturday 16 August 2014

Summer Reading

I don't really talk about books often on here, but I am an avid reader. I actually just got into an English & Creative Writing course at uni! Anyway, I thought I would share with you the books I have read over the past few weeks, while travelling and while chilling.



Invisible Monsters // Chuck Palahniuk
I absolutely adored this book, and read it in one day which I haven't done in a while! It had been on my To Read list for a long time but I finally had the chance to take it off the bookshelf recently, and fell in love with it. Chuck Palahniuk's writing style is so distinctive and I enjoy it immensely, and this dark and twisted story was so addicting. It's really hard to describe this novel without giving away the huge number of twists, but in short it is about a model who becomes disfigured, and has to battle with what her future will be, and her past catching up with her. It is very character driven and is really mysterious, with the book not following any chronological order, and the twists that keep on coming in each chapter. I've only read Fight Club before this, but I'll definitely be picking up more of Palahniuk's novels soon.

P.S. I would love to know if the Invisible Monsters: Remix is worth reading - If you've read it please let me know if it differs so much from the original that it justifies a purchase!


Everyday Sexism // Laura Bates
This book is infuriating, but also inspiring. Everyday Sexism speaks about everything encapsulated in the title; sexism in work, universities, motherhood, adolescence, childhood, sexual abuse, even sexism directed towards men - all of which are everyday occurrences. The book was strangely comforting for me, as I didn't feel so alone what with all the catcalling, sexist remarks, and general misogyny that I find myself dealing with on a regular basis. However, it isn't okay. Laura Bates wrote this book after creating a website and Twitter account in which women (and men) can write into to share their experiences. I should note that the book isn't entirely prose, a large section of each chapter is made up of those messages and tweets. However, even if you don't read the book, I thoroughly recommend looking at the Twitter account!


On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft // Stephen King
My dad bought my this for my birthday a few months ago as he thought it would be helpful for university. I finally broke it out and read it over two long train journeys. It begins a little slow, as King tells you about his life prior to writing this novel. However, I really enjoyed the teaching aspect of this book. He doesn't really tell you what to do, but notes what he thinks makes a good story and the tools you need to achieve the finished product. It feels like he is talking to you, rather than you reading a textbook about what to do and what not to do. It's also really interesting hearing about what inspired him to create some of his greatest books such as Carrie and Misery! If you're interested in writing or even just hearing about Stephen King's life, then I think you should take a look at this.

This post was fun to make, I think I shall do this again!
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