September Reads Wrap-Up
How are we in October already? We are officially into the last quarter of 2017. It feels like every year goes quicker than the last. This September saw South Africa celebrate Heritage Day and saw me reading 5 books. I am now well ahead of my Goodreads challenge and as a result, I am reading both Anna Karenina and Mansfield Park this month – both long and challenging reads. Comment below and tell me what the most challenging book is that you’ve read recently!
1. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
My rating: 4 stars
My thoughts: as you know, I absolutely loved The Northern Lights, so, as soon as I’d finished that, I bought The Subtle Knife. I am not a big fan of series, but I thought this one would be good—and it is. However, The Subtle Knife isn’t as good as The Northern Lights, although, I must say, there are some very cool concepts in the book and Pullman’s imagination is incredible.
2. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
My rating: 5 starts
My thoughts: If I could give this book ten stars, I would. It is by far the best book I have read this year. I absolutely LOVED it! I wanted to tear through it, but I also wanted to savour it. The novel starts in Ghana and tells the story of Maame, her two daughters, half-sisters, Effia and Esi, and their descendants. Each descendant gets one chapter to tell their part of the story, however, you do get insights into the previous descendants through anecdotes in the later chapters. Effia marries a British slave trader, while Esi is captured and sold into slavery. This is a spectacular novel that is an outstanding achievement, especially for a debut novel.
3. Secrets of Six Figure Women by Barbara Stanny
My rating: 3 stars
My thoughts: I have a weakness for books that have titles like this one. I like to know the ‘secrets’ of successful people and learn new ways of doing things. I felt that this book over-promised and under-delivered unfortunately. It felt like a series of anecdotes, rather than a compilation of actual tips and strategies to pursue.
4. A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami
My rating: 3.5 stars
My thoughts: I love Murakami and have enjoyed the majority of his books that I have read. This one started slowly, and I was a little bored in the beginning. It follows an unnamed narrator who receives a picture of a sheep from his friend, the Rat, and is asked to place the photograph in a conspicuous place. Thereafter, quite literally, a wild sheep chase ensues. This book is complete with all the weirdness and magical realism in all Murakami’s novels, but it wasn’t my favourite and the story felt lacking.
5. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
My rating: 4 stars
My thoughts: I have seen a lot written about this novel and many people have raved about it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It follows the story of Cora, a slave, who attempts to escape via the Underground Railroad that assisted in helping many escaped slaves to safety. The story is rich in detail and the characters are full and complex. It is a sad and heart-wrenching story that shows a different side to the life of slaves as well as those who tried to help people who were enslaved. It is an amazing story and one that I certainly recommend.
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Happy reading!
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