My Top 5 Books Of 2020

Reading is fundamental babe, and not just the shady type. 2020 was really the year of books for me, I tried my best to read more this year than any other year and while I hit that goal, unfortunately I didn't get as much read as I would have liked. My goal was to read 12 books, 1 every month... I thought that it would be pretty straightforward. Plus I had the added bonus of being locked up for half the year due to Covid, however it wasn't that simple and here we are at the end of November with 8 books read. I am going to try and catch up before the end of the year but I wouldn't put any bets on just yet. I'm sure for a lot of people 8 books is nothing, for me it was an improvement, small but steady steps! I actually love reading and was an avid reader when I was younger but for various reasons over the years I stopped. Even though you would have thought being cooped up inside would be a great incentive to pick a book up, for me it worked the opposite. I love going into physical book stores and picking up latest copies and browsing the bookshelves, my favourite place to read is at a coffee shop or finding a nice shaded spot in town and obviously I couldn't do any of that in lockdown. But hey, at least I tried! 

I would say the theme of my reading this year would be women's stories and romances, I went into my reading journey with a very open mind, not really particular about what kind of books I was looking for, but wow I really found myself getting stuck into romances like I never thought I would. I'm not too sure why but I assumed I wasn't a romantic at heart, but I don't think the tears streaming down my face while reading The Flat Share would agree with me on that one. 

I did already cover The Flat Share by Beth O'Leary and Normal People by Sally Rooney on my blog earlier in the year so you can get a more in depth review of them by visiting the categories tab at the top of my blog and clicking 'books'.

I picked up Vox by Christina Dalcher because it sounded just like The handmaid's Tale which I still don't own (I know, shame on me) but I have seen the TV series and loved it. So I thought why not give this a try, and I can tell you now I was not disappointed. This book follows Jean McCellan and how she navigates her new life as government strip away the rights of all women. It is so disturbing and a really good thriller especially for women who follow politics and are interested in women's history. It's essentially all of our worst nightmares coming to life. I never really like to go into specifics when reviewing because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might be interested in picking it up, but there was a particular moment with Jean's neighbour that shook me to my core and I actually had to put the book down for a few minutes. Even though this book was heavy in places and was a lot to think about I found it very enjoyable and easy to follow. 

I actually think I might be cheating with this one because i'm not sure if I read this the at the end of last year or the start of this year but My Thoughts Exactly by Lily Allen is a great Autobiography that gives you an interesting insight into her life, choices and mental health. This book really helped me put things into perspective and I love how much Lily opened up in this book. There's a great chapter on how she coped with life after being stalked and then burgled by a man who caused her a lot of distress over the years, a story that really hit home for me. She tells the story of how she found fame and the coping mechanisms she used to find peace, the good and the bad. I love her story because I think she tells a familiar one, there's something about her that relates to me and a lot of people I know. Obviously, minus the fame and success. 

Finally, I want to talk about The Five by Hallie Rubenhold who is a British historian and author. This book is about the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the ripper and as you can imagine it's a really sad read but I think a great and necessary one. The book is beautifully written, Hallie really got every detail that she could possibly find about all of the women. I'm sure if you're from the UK you've heard of Jack the ripper but the stories of the lives he ruined are never told. This book goes into how the media portrayed the victims, how people in their lives reacted to the news and how the police went about investigating the crimes. After reading all about the lives and stories of these women, the last chapter gives you a breakdown of what was found with the women when they were discovered, needless to say this made me ball my eyes out because as Hallie points out in this chapter the things discovered on the bodies of these women give you a insight into what they valued and how they went about their days. I am really looking forward to reading more of Hallie Rubenhold and I hope she writes more books like this in the future. 

I'm on the lookout for new books since I'm coming to the end of my TBR list. If you have any suggestions that you think I'd like feel free to comment below! 

Megan x

Book Review: Normal People by Sally Rooney

"At school Connell and Marianne pretend not to know each other. He’s popular and well-adjusted, star of the school soccer team while she is lonely, proud, and intensely private. But when Connell comes to pick his mother up from her housekeeping job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers - one they are determined to conceal.

A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other."

Normal people by Sally Rooney was the first romance I read this year, overall I loved it but really battled getting past the first two chapters, I had to open and re-start the book twice, the only book I've had to re-start, even throughout I sometimes got lost with what was happening, and not because there was too much going on, mostly because I was bored, some parts were incredibly intense then I found others lacking. 

I'd say it really picks up towards the end of the book and touches on important issues, the story has a lot of sexual scenes (crucial to the plot) and touches on some contemporary subjects around sex. The way the author writes about Marianne feelings and how they're projected into relationships is brilliant and very relatable. 

"How strange to feel herself so completely under the control of another person, but also how ordinary. No one can be independent of other people completely, so why not give up the attempt, she thought, go running in the other direction, depend on people for everything, allow them to depend on you, why not." 

I think I could have looked past the slowness of the book if the ending was more fulfilling but unfortunately, I was disappointed in the ending and I've read on Goodreads that a lot of people felt the same. I am glad I read it and can see why other people love it, I really think that this sort of main character and story probably doesn't connect to everyone hence a lot of people saying they found it a little boring, nevertheless I would recommend reading Normal People because the awkward, hard topics that the book brings up are well written about and very relevant to todays society. 

My Rating: ⭑⭑⭑ 

Megan x

Book Review: The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary

"needs cash. Their friends think they're crazy, but it's the perfect solution: Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy's at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven't met yet, they're about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window..."

I never thought I was someone who wanted to read romance books, but somehow, somewhere I stumbled upon The Flatshre. To be honest before this year I didn't even know that there was a whole genre of contemporary romances that were just waiting to be read. As someone who hadn't picked up a book in years before 2020, I was honestly shocked to find I genuinely enjoy romances. It started with Normal People by Sally Rooney which I had to read the first few chapters twice to get into, but I'm sure it was after that I was recommended The Flatshare.

Within the first chapter I already knew I was going to love this book, The main character Tiffy is just so relatable to me, having worked in similar office environments as her and knowing people in my real life who remind me of her close friends it just made the whole book come to life for me. The way  the author has the main characters communicate between notes for the majority of the first half of the book really allows you to get to know the characters well just by the way they respond to each other.

I really liked Leon's character because he had a lot of baggage, something that I love about contemporary romances is that they often reflect the reality of love, and deflect the traditional 'knight in shining armour' romance trope, although at some points Leon is without question a knight in shining armour, it's nice that Tiffy can also help him work through a lot of his issues! I also liked the inclusion of Leon's brother in the story, his character had a really interesting backstory and brung good humour from the offset.

I think this is a really hard book to review in a sense because I don't want to let onto anything as I don't want to spoil it, but I can honestly say I never stopped smiling throughout this whole book, and nearly cried in several parts. I think this book really moved me because I can see so many similarities between myself and Tiffy, more so the past relationships Tiffy has had are similar to my own, so for Tiffy to get some sort of resolve made me thankful.

My Rating: ⭑⭑⭑⭑⭑

If you're after a beautiful contemporary romance with relatable characters The Flatshare is the next book you should pick up!

Megan x

5 Books I Want To Purchase This Year

I really never thought of myself as a book person, yet here I am 5 books into 2020 only three months into the year. I've really been loving picking up a book and being transported to another world. Here's a list of books I really want to pick up!

The Flat share by Beth O'Leary 

"Leon occupies the one-bed flat while Tiffy's at work in the day, and she has the run of the place the rest of the time.

But with obsessive ex-boyfriends, demanding clients at work, wrongly imprisoned brothers and, of course, the fact that they still haven't met yet, they're about to discover that if you want the perfect home you need to throw the rulebook out the window..."

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

"When Korede's dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what's expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This'll be the third boyfriend Ayoola's dispatched in "self-defence" and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede's long been in love with him, and isn't prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other..."

The Five Hallie Rubenhold 

"year of their murders: 1888.

The person responsible was never identified, but the character created by the press to fill that gap has become far more famous than any of these five women. For more than a century, newspapers have been keen to tell us that 'the Ripper' preyed on prostitutes. Not only is this untrue, as historian Hallie Rubenhold has discovered, it has prevented the real stories of these fascinating women from being told.

Now, in this devastating narrative of five lives, Rubenhold finally sets the record straight, revealing a world not just of Dickens and Queen Victoria, but of poverty, homelessness and rampant misogyny. They died because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time - but their greatest misfortune was to be born a woman."

Before The Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

"the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.

But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the cafe, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .

Toshikazu Kawaguchi's beautiful, moving story - translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot - explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?"

Motherwell Deborah Orr 

"Attending university wasn't for the likes of the Orr family. Worse still, it would mean leaving Win behind - and Win wanted Deborah with her at all times, rather like she wanted her arm with her at all times. But while she managed to escape, Deborah's severing from her family was only superficial. She continued to travel back to Motherwell, fantasizing about the day that Win might come to accept her as good enough. Though of course it was never meant to be.

Motherwell is a sharp, unflinching and often humorous memoir about the long shadow that can be cast when the core relationship in your life compromises every effort you make to become an individual. It is about what we inherit - the good and the very bad - and how a deeper understanding of the place and people you have come from can bring you towards redemption."

                                                                          Megan x

Book Review: Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

"When it comes to the trials and triumphs of becoming an adult, journalist and former Sunday Times columnist Dolly Alderton has seen and tried it all. In her memoir, she vividly recounts falling in love, finding a job, getting drunk, getting dumped, realizing that Ivan from the corner shop might just be the only reliable man in her life, and that absolutely no one can ever compare to her best girlfriends. Everything I Know About Love is about bad dates, good friends and—above all else— realizing that you are enough.

Glittering with wit and insight, heart and humor, Dolly Alderton’s unforgettable debut weaves together personal stories, satirical observations, a series of lists, recipes, and other vignettes that will strike a chord of recognition with women of every age—making you want to pick up the phone and tell your best friends all about it. Like Bridget Jones’ Diary but all true, Everything I Know About Love is about the struggles of early adulthood in all its terrifying and hopeful uncertainty."

This book truly changed my life. This was one of the two books I read in 2019 (I did try to read more but it just didn't happen), but oh my god I am so glad that I picked this one up!

I kept seeing this book all over Instagram, seeing everyone talk about how amazing it was made me follow Dolly on twitter, and I found her instantly hilarious so I thought y'know what, I'm going to pick up a book for the first time in forever and it's going to be hers.

You really get to walk through her life with her, making you feel you were right there with her at the Rod Stewart themed house parties. This book really resonated with me, the process of growing up, feeling a bit lost but always knowing you have other women to lean on. 

One of my favourite lines from this book that will always stick with me is "Is this all life is? Tottenham Court Road and ordering shit off Amazon?". 

My Rating: ★★★★