annathebooksiread's reviews
50 reviews

‘Once out of sight I turn back to the distance, the wind whistles with my pining, a soft sound above water, a symphony without rain, a heart pierced without pain.’

Finished in three days. A short book and so would always expect to speed through it, as is my nature. However, this is one which must be read delicately for its contents are poetry and passion; I found myself changing the way I read, with more fluidity and rhythmic pace. Pain and love; plunging the protagonist ‘K’ into a moments of darkness and yet the power of unrelenting love fights on with a gentleness that reminds us of the intensity found in the unspeakable moments shared with those we love and the unimaginable fear with those we don’t.

There are moments within this book that are shocking. There was a necessity to stop and think about the experiences of others and I had moments of deep reflection.

I have never read a book like this in my life. It is hard to express the power behind it. Derek Owusu has such a fresh and unique talent which left me breathless. I cannot wait to read more by him.

The vulnerability of ‘K’ who, through the haze of foresight, reminisces and pieces together memories that shape the course of his life. These offer personal reminders that to judge others is shortsighted. We never truly know the pain that another human has gone through. The gift of time spent talking and supporting someone in pain is a priceless gift and can make such a difference to their lives. There are much deeper topics that came from reading this book but I always try and write with my heart and this was how I felt at the end of this beautifully written story which explores life in its all complexities: love, belonging, sexuality, violence, addiction, family, religion and family.

Be kind to yourself - there are triggers in this book which may or may not be difficult to read.

The Yellow Bird Sings by Jennifer Rosner

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I feel like this book will always have a special place in my heart. Firstly, it was the book that got me back into my love of reading after, what felt like, a ridiculously long time. Secondly, it is one of those books that has a certain power intertwined within its pages.

I received it as a present for my birthday many years ago and my only wish is that I had read it sooner - I know I am late to the party on sharing this but as a book it is timeless. I will read it again and fall in love with the characters in all their complexities.

An intense story written with so much power, love, hope, integrity and truth. It led me to learn more about the Biafran conflict and my ethos always is to enter the world and perspectives of other people so that although I can never feel the joy, sorrow and intensity of those characters I fall in love with on the page, I can take the lens away from my personal journey through this world and understand new dimensions of how others do the same.

If you haven’t read this book, do. It really is special.

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

The Revolt by Clara Dupont-Monod

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

“..the sea is demented; on all sides, the gusts’ cold blades. The storm has closed its fists.”

Set in 1173, and mainly viewed through the eyes of Richard Lionheart, this historical novel follows the rebellion to overthrow Henry Plantagent, orchestrated by his wife Eleanor Aquitaine and her three sons.

This book packs a punch. Firstly, my passion is always in learning more about the world and this was an area of history I know very little about but that from reading this book want to rectify.

I found that the plot kept me on my toes and drew me in with the writer’s astounding ability to utilize every single word in the most beautiful of ways. I like to annotate and I found myself wanting to highlight every single page; the writing is powerful, passionate and brought to life these ancient characters who lived in a world that in so many ways seems most distant to us now but with lessons learnt that are still very much relevant to the world in which we live in today.

At its heart, this book is one that speaks of the love and adoration of a mother conflicted with feelings of detachment and unravelling breaks in loyalty and trust.

As I often do when I meet new historical characters, I want to explore them more and my focus lay on the mighty Eleanor. I found her role in the rebellion, as the instigator, to be in conflict with the role of women within society at the time and there is an exciting move away from the norm in that respect. She broke the mould in many ways and it is due to Dupont-Monod’s strength in psychology with a deep knowledge of Medieval history that this character has been brought to life through the lyrical translation that keeps hold of the beautiful language in which it was originally written.

This is a must-read if your interest, like me, is in historical fiction.

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annathebooksiread's reviews 50 reviews

annathebooksiread's reviews
50 reviews