Going back to my roots today with a good old fashioned book review! I was already familiar with Clara Parkes before starting Knitlandia; I got the Knitter's Book of Socks for my birthday and fell in love with her writing style. She effortlessly imparts huge amounts of technical information to the reader without you even… Continue reading Book Review: ‘Knitlandia’ by Clara Parkes
Tag: Books
‘Veronica’ by Nicholas Christopher
Veronica is told from the perspective of Leo, who is suddenly thrust into a world of magic and time travel after a chance encounter on the snowy streets of Manhattan. The opening few chapters of Veronica were some of the best I've read in ages, totally unlike anything I've read before. Everything was described in crystal clear detail,… Continue reading ‘Veronica’ by Nicholas Christopher
Books to retreat into
Everyone has those select books that make them feel safe. Whether it's because you read them at a particular time in your life, or associate them with something comforting, these books can have a surprisingly powerful effect. In this post, I'm going to share some of the ones I like to bury myself in when… Continue reading Books to retreat into
‘South of the Border, West of the Sun’ by Haruki Murakami
I haven't read a Murakami novel in a long time (well, actually it's only been a few months, but for me that's ages) and the relief that washed over me when I started reading this was overwhelming. Returning to his controlled yet eloquent style felt like putting on a well-worn pair of shoes. South of… Continue reading ‘South of the Border, West of the Sun’ by Haruki Murakami
‘Call Me By Your Name’ by André Aciman
Call Me By Your Name is about the romance between 17-year-old Elio and Oliver, an American scholar staying with his family. Set in Italy over the course of a summer, it follows their relationship from when it blossoms up to its inevitable end. I'd previously seen the film and absolutely loved it. With another novel… Continue reading ‘Call Me By Your Name’ by André Aciman
‘Astragal’ by Albertine Sarrazin
I wanted to read Astragal as soon as I saw the blurb- it sounded like my perfect book, particularly as for a while I've been a bit obsessed with all things '60s. Once I found out a bit about Albertine Sarrazin's life, I was even more eager to start it. My edition included an introduction by Patti… Continue reading ‘Astragal’ by Albertine Sarrazin
‘Bad Behaviour’ by Mary Gaitskill
Apologies for my long absence- I've been deep in exam season. It's almost over, though, so I should be back to regularly posting soon! In general I avoid reading short stories at all costs- the result of having to study an anthology of them for GCSEs and loathing it- but Bad Behaviour may have changed… Continue reading ‘Bad Behaviour’ by Mary Gaitskill
‘The Vegetarian’ by Han Kang
Where to start with this book? I'm not sure how I can write a review that will do it justice. The Vegetarian is set in South Korea, and it follows the story of Yeong-hye, a dutiful housewife who adopts a vegetarian diet after she starts to have violent dreams. This decision shocks everyone around her, as in Korea… Continue reading ‘The Vegetarian’ by Han Kang
‘Wind, Pinball’ by Haruki Murakami
Wind, Pinball contains Haruki Murakami's first two novels (Hear The Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973) collected into one volume. They follow an unnamed narrator and his friend, nicknamed the Rat, as they while away time in J's Bar, playing pinball and drinking. These short novels are part of the Trilogy of The Rat- the third one is A Wild Sheep… Continue reading ‘Wind, Pinball’ by Haruki Murakami
‘The Nakano Thrift Shop’ by Hiromi Kawakami
So you may (or may not, I won't be offended) have noticed the lack of a blog post last week. The reason for this is that I was busy trying and failing to read this book, which was an experience similar to wading through treacle, if treacle was boring and tasteless. The Nakano Thrift Shop isn't the… Continue reading ‘The Nakano Thrift Shop’ by Hiromi Kawakami
oolong stitches 