What Brings You Joy

⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW *no spoilers* : 🐇 Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is a nice story of personal growth, friendship and wellbeing. It strays towards misery, and I would not describe it as a purely uplifting read, but nonetheless it is a bolstering and hopeful story. 🐇 Eleanor Oliphant is nobody’s depiction of a well-rounded individual. She is not conventionally attractive, does not take care of herself, and is not a particularly social creature. Relatable, yes. She also has mental health difficulties, and the account of her experiences is jarringly honest. Add to that her problems at work and an extremely complicated relationship with her mother, and you have yourself a protagonist with whom every reader can relate on at least some level. 🐇 The highlight of the book is Eleanor’s uncertain and unwitting development of a new relationship. She is awkward; this in itself makes for excellent reading fodder. 🐇 Having read this book a little while ago now, retrospectively it becomes clearer that the whole story seems just a little clunky and fuzzy. The issues discussed are still as important as ever, if not more so, considering the difficult times we are currently facing. Despite this, the plot itself comes a little undone with time, and instead of recalling the story itself, I find myself only remembering a couple of the more crucial scenes as well as the ending. There is a little twist right at the end of the book, although perhaps predictable. 🐇 TLDR: I enjoyed this book comfortably. It is not cheerful, but it provides solace and warmth in an uncertain time. . #booksofig #booklover #readingnook #readers #review #threestars #friyay #novel #eleanoroliphantiscompletelyfine #lovebooks #birdsofinstagram #instaread #bunnybookandco #booksniffer #fridaymood #booklove #flatlayfriday https://www.instagram.com/p/CD3tiu3AgMG/?igshid=ktj40gs0jdxz

⭐️ REVIEW *no spoilers* : 🐇 Wolf Hall is a work of historical fiction that retells the rise of Thomas Cromwell, a right-hand man of King Henry VIII. Cromwell is a blacksmith's son, low-born and expected to remain cowed by socioeconomic class. However, he defies these expectations and betters himself rapidly and with gusto. He is intelligent, reasonable, and most importantly, likeable. Despite these positive traits in its protagonist, Wolf Hall is the hardest and most perplexing novel I have had the misfortune to digest. 🐇 Not only is the dialogue practically indecipherable from the get-go, but even where Mantel does identify the speaker, it seems 90% of the men in this book are called Thomas, rendering the entire exercise pointless. I almost lost the will to live whilst I battled through this book. I can still barely believe I finished it. 🐇 Perhaps the most infuriating part of Wolf Hall is the ending. In the final chapters, the plot lurches forward and some momentum is at last gained. This is problematic for me, primarily because I was ecstatic for it to all be over. By the end of Wolf Hall, though, I had the tiniest hook tethering me to Cromwell's story. So I now feel obliged to read the sequel, Bring up the Bodies, despite hating almost every line of its predecessor. I am sure I will also despise this book, but only time will tell. I am miserable about it, and putting it off as long as I can. I felt that I should give Wolf Hall an extra star for the brief improvement at its end, but I cannot bring myself to do that. 🐇 TLDR: Only read this book if you enjoy being entirely confused about what you are reading, who is speaking and what is going on. Even if you do, save your money and read fanfiction. I don't doubt it will be a vast improvement. . #ouch #hatedit #bookstagram #bookreview #historical #fiction #historicalfiction #reading #wolfhall #succulents #booksandreading #bunnybookandco #bunnybook #genre #tuesdaythoughts #tuesdaybluesday #onestarreview #1star #killme #ihatedthisbook #cantbelieveimgoingtoreadthesequel https://www.instagram.com/p/CDece2pp6SO/?igshid=sdwhrostf6mt

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Adults assumed I was capable because, by now, I was tall and good at exams and well behaved in class, but really I was just trying to work things out and I still barely knew myself.” REVIEW *no spoilers* : 🐇 How to Fail by Elizabeth Day offers a frank discussion about some of the major ‘failures’ we may experience over the course of our lives. As someone who struggles to accept and overcome setbacks, this book was sorely needed. I know I am not alone in my blind terror of failing, and recommend this book to anyone who has ever experienced it. So, everyone ever. 🐇 Elizabeth Day is a delight to read; her writing style is concise and conversational, so her ideas are easy to absorb while maintaining importance and honesty. She is so innately likeable as a narrator that we associate even with the failures we haven’t experienced ourselves. We can learn from the lessons of Day and her friends. . #bookstagram #bookshelf #instagrambookclub #readingtime #reads #readwithme #bookworms #bookflatlay #bookphoto #paperbacks #review #nonfiction #howtofail #elizabethday #failureispartofsuccess #selfimprovement #goodreadschallenge2020 #failureisnotfinal #booksandreading #bunnybookandco @elizabday https://www.instagram.com/p/CDb9oeTJRth/?igshid=rd86kjmi31f0

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini is going to be my next book in the Diverse Reading Challenge! I have read the Kite Runner and found it so insightful, albeit upsetting. Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it? I would love to hear your thoughts. . #bookstagramfeature #bookclubsofinstagram #readersofinstagram #diversebooks #bookbloggers #author #bookshelf #bookchat #whattoread #bunnybookandco #booksniffersunite #sundayreads #amethyst #globe #diversereadingwithlivandsaz #diversereads #athousandsplendidsuns @khosseini https://www.instagram.com/p/CDYk9BMJGm5/?igshid=4dd9gys377m8

⭐️⭐️ REVIEW *no spoilers* : 🐇 I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream by Harlan Ellison is a modern classic best suited to audiobook format as its diverse array of characters lends it an excellent spoken quality. It is a short story about a sentient computer, AM, who has ended organic life on Earth and keeps a few select humans inside itself, torturing them but never allowing the reprieve of death. 🐇 This story is a fatalistic mixture of sci-fi and philosophy, and brings forth many deep and complex questions. Foremost, what defines humanity? The plot introduces an eclectic group of characters, each of whom AM has tailored its torture methods to. They travel together to find sustenance, and each step of the way there is pain. 🐇 Whether the protagonist succeeds in his mission to relieve the group of their suffering is open to interpretation, like much of the narrative. It is a nihilist’s dream. However, it is not mine! . #booksconnectus #booktherapy #readinglist #shelfie #review #bookblog #bookblogger #bookaholic #bibliophiles #bookgeek #bunnybookandco #booksniffers #bunnybook #bookreview #shortstory #harlanellison #ihavenomouthandimustscream #wires #philosophy #scifi https://www.instagram.com/p/CDW4K0OJDvm/?igshid=1owvlpuprbmkc

🐇 Happy August, everyone! What are your first reads going to be this month? I’m excited to begin reading Sense and Sensibility today, so it feels fitting to also preview a related book that I am equally looking forward to: Miss Austen, by Gill Hornby. I will certainly be making a video review on this novel, if only to showcase the beautiful flyleaf! 😍 . #booksconnectus #booktherapy #readinglist #shelfie #bookblog #bookblogger #bookaholic #bibliophiles #austenite #bunnybookandco #flyleaf #bunnybook #shelfiesaturday #august #tbr #janeausten #senseandsensibility #goodreadschallenge2020 #bluebooks #saturdayreads https://www.instagram.com/p/CDVuBHUpe_g/?igshid=uk58jmft7ku3

🐇 Fascinated to read this very soon! Not sure what genre The Book of Barely Imagined Beings is classified as - any suggestions? The only thing I can come up with is Weird Creature Encyclopaedia 🤷🏻‍♀️ . #booksofig #booklover #readingnook #readers #bookaddict #friyay #literaturelover #lovebooks #bookish #instaread #bunnybookandco #booksniffer #bunnybookbox #booklove #flatlayfriday #bestiary #nonfiction #ithink #tbr https://www.instagram.com/p/CDUvEgOJ5wv/?igshid=bmlyk1rqtu12

Happy National Paperback Book Day, and International Friendship Day! Two of the best things in the world, being celebrated simultaneously, and on a day I made a brand new bookstagram friend, @literarypengwyns 🙌📚👯‍♀️ Feeling very lucky today. 🐇 Speaking if paperbacks, I have heard quite a few diverging reviews on Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, and I look forward to devising my own opinion in August. Watch this space! . #nationalpaperbackbookday #internationalfriendshipday #friendships #wherethecrawdadssing #deliaowens #paperback #paperbacklove #booklist #tbr #throwbookthursday #noseriouslydontthrowbooks #theymightgetcreased #flatlaythursday #thursdayreads #bunnybookbox #bunnybookandco #bunnybook https://www.instagram.com/p/CDR9NvcpB9g/?igshid=129xnztem87p8

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW *no spoilers* : 🐇 Following my recent review on Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, it seems fitting to also say my piece on the gothic novel it satirises. It is clear Austen was influenced by Radcliffe’s writing style even in her non-satirical works, so Northanger reads as more of a tongue-in-cheek love letter to the genre than a mockery of it. 🐇 Udolpho, a seminal gothic novel, plays a powerful role in establishing what is now recognised as the classic gothic stereotypes - a tortured heroine and a dastardly yet suave male antagonist, facing off within the confines of a shadowy arching mansion, itself set in the middle of a sprawling wilderness. These clichés persist even in contemporary writing for good reason. They are engaging set pieces for a narrative to be centred around, especially when the focus of the plot is of dark familial mystery and stolen inheritance. 🐇 As with many classic works, the wind-up to the main events of the plot is prolonged. Whilst it pays off, many readers fall to the wayside when faced with a 200-page foundation to cover before much happens. However, as with most things in life, if you stick to it the rewards are rich and well-deserved. 🐇 The characters, particularly the protagonist Emily and her father M. St. Aubert, are emotional creatures and frequently weep, faint, and press hands at the slightest provocation. It is perhaps a little too saccharine, but is effective in emphasising the contrast between St. Aubert and cold, calculating Montoni. 🐇 TLDR: A cornerstone of gothic literature, with all the accoutrements - tremulous damsels, devilish captors, valiant rescuers and looming castles in the middle of nowhere. Slow to progress but rewarding in the long run. . #gothicliterature #udolpho #reading #anneradcliffe #janeausten #gothicbook #literature #flatlaystyle #bibliophile #bookishfeatures #goodreadschallenge2020 #bunnybookandco #bookofthemonth #bunnybox #bookbox #throwbookthursday #review #gothicheroine #montoni https://www.instagram.com/p/CDRAaHdJFcr/?igshid=1jov8d7w22n1a

👻 Gather around the campfire my pretties, it’s time for a ghost story! 🐇I’m looking forward to reading some of these short stories; I haven’t read any since college and I have been missing the format. They are like canapés - you can consume them in one go and are full of flavour, and if one doesn’t satisfy you then just keep on devouring them one after another. 🐇🐇🐇 #shortstories #shortstorycollection #ghost #ghoststories #bookclub #reading #bluebooks #literature #catstatues #bibliophile #bookishfeatures #spookybooks #bunnybookandco #bookofthemonth #bunnybox #bookbox #throwbookthursday #tbr #shortstoriesarelikecanapes #what https://www.instagram.com/p/CDPvgcepCbE/?igshid=1qunrnqaje4lj

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW *no spoilers* : 🐇 One of my favourite books of all time, a definite must-read. The hype is real, and well-deserved! @britrbennett raises and explores racism and colourism in a painfully honest and heartfelt way. The plot grows through these important issues, rather than feeling like the story is eclipsed by, or else overshadows, the problems themselves. You cannot have one without the other, and the novel stands strongly as a unit to educate as well as touch the reader with its story of family. 🐇 The main cast, Desiree, Stella, Jude, and Kennedy, bring unique, engaging and equally impactful characters to the tale. They are flawed, hurt, wanting and endlessly hopeful in their own ways, and are innately likeable. The reader wants them to succeed, to do better, to break barriers and build new bonds. Even the little-mentioned characters feel like they are carrying a meaningful backstory. The almost-town of Mallard itself, too, resounds with an inexplicable truth and welcomes us home. This is a novel I will fall into again and again. 🐇 The imagery conjured is varied and immersive, but formed with brevity and does not detract at all from the fast-feeling progression of the plot. Time moves rapidly in The Vanishing Half, but during the climactic events at the book’s conclusion there is an eerie stillness, like coming to a standstill on a motorway. 🐇 TLDR: The Vanishing Half is a deeply moving and engaging story about familial love, racism, colourism, and honesty. It is concise, blunt to the point of brutality in places, and an absolute treasure of a story. . #booksofinstagram #wednesdaybooks #flatlayoftheday #readpinkwednesdays #currentlyreading #goodreadschallenge2020 #readmorebooks #vanishinghalf #blm #blackauthorsmatter #blacklivesmatter #colourism #importantbooks #mustread #review #bookreview #5starreview #bunnybookandco #bookclubbox #fiction #britbennett #favouritebooks https://www.instagram.com/p/CDPgE7_JTBo/?igshid=1udzj0etd3qxi

🐇 Pretending, by @hollybourneya, was one of the few books I pre-ordered this year from @waterstones. Sadly, due to the pandemic my collect in-store order was cancelled so I didn’t receive my signed copy 😭 Better luck next time! . #bookstagramfail #author #signedbooks #pretending #hollybourne #waterstones #preorder #covid #lockdown #birdbackground #flatlay #wednesdaymood #onwednesdayswereadpink #tbr #bookstagrammer https://www.instagram.com/p/CDPMi14pOsJ/?igshid=2knmkcv5cwcw

⭐️⭐️ REVIEW *no spoilers* : 🐇 Firmin is a novel by Sam Savage about a sentient and literature-loving rat who lives in a dilapidated city bookshop. It follows the tragic course of Firmin’s life from just a newborn rat pup. Enriched by the knowledge surrounding him, he grows steadily wiser in the ways of humans, and in some ways identifies as one. But gentrification of his city is unstoppable, and his bookshop home is threatened. 🐇 Firmin himself is somewhat an arrogant pipsqueak, although fully aware of that fact. He shares many traits with the humans he observes, including his poor self-esteem and overwhelming impoverished hopelessness. He can be witty, and sarcastic, and sometimes likeable. Overall, though, the tone of the book is of the aforesaid hopelessness, and that does not change throughout the plot. 🐇 The character list is very small, and we only really meet Firmin properly. The remainder of the cast feel a mile away, hidden behind gritty, grime-streaked glass. This makes sense in the grand scheme of the plot, but this book ends up feeling like a lonely trek uphill without company to improve upon it. 🐇 The novel is a clever commentary on the social upheaval caused by the gentrification of poor city areas. However, it feels oppressive and there is little to relieve this heavy mood. I believe this topic could have been handled with equal honesty but without the hopelessness which made it such a difficult read. 🐇 TLDR: Firmin is a witty but unengaging protagonist stranded alone in his bleak city, and it only goes rapidly downhill from there. . #booksofinstagram #wednesdaybooks #book #readpinkwednesdays #review #bookreview #firmin #rat #urban #readmorebooks #bookcollection #booksofinsta #alwaysreading #bunnybookandco #bookinabox #citybook #fiction #noseinabook #urbanbook https://www.instagram.com/p/CDOrlJKpYIo/?igshid=1sn48siytwzhr

⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW *no spoilers* : 🐇 This novel is one of Austen’s most popular, and the reasons for this are evident. Each of her characters are flawed yet endearingly so; we see ourselves in the chatterbox Miss Bates, the cynical Mr Knightley, the overly cautious Mr Woodhouse, and judgemental Emma. The reader is able to observe at once the mistakes made my each party, primarily Emma herself, and to watch frustratedly on as misunderstandings occur - which is very often in this novel. 🐇 The language used in this book is classic Austen. Her use of frivolously long descriptions and attention to minutiae persist throughout, which can be off-putting to many un-initiated readers. It may even be off-putting to Austenites themselves, as the frippery included in Emma is perhaps one of the most overt. Early on, Mr Woodhouse spends a meandering paragraph commenting on the health implications of various foodstuffs; this sets the tone for the remainder of the novel. If you prefer succinct and/or dramatic prose, I suggest you pass on this book. If you enjoyed Pride and Prejudice, then Emma is a promising next foray into Austen territory. 🐇 The imagery in this novel is not rich, but detailed and entirely functional. At times, the scene setting comes across as something to simply get out of the way so the plot may progress. Occasionally, the clinical depictions are appreciated as the reader is eager to discover what will ensue in the next exchange between characters. 🐇 Despite the somewhat-overlooked visuals and overdone trivialities, the story itself is sweet and the ending is a satisfying one. Say what you will about Austen, but she certainly knows how to tie up her loose ends. 🐇 TLDR: Emma is what I would call an ‘intermediate Austen’. It is endearing, understated, and edged with a broderie anglaise trim. . #booksofinstagram #wednesdaybooks #emma #janeausten #readpinkwednesdays #goodreadschallenge2020 #picnicbasket #readmorebooks #bookcollection #emmajaneausten #alwaysreading #bunnybookandco #bookclubbox #fiction #classicliterature #booksandflowers #devon #parasol #review #anothergreatbookreview https://www.instagram.com/p/CDOWyGnpU5Y/?igshid=w839mz0mxr3t

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW *no spoilers* : 🐇 Nicholas Nickleby was my first Dickens work, and I was very fortunate that it was the one I chose to start with. The characters are utterly textbook Dickensian (I now know understand what that means!) and the plot multifaceted, roguish and whimsical in equal measure. I smiled throughout at Dickens’ classic turns of phrase, ground my teeth at the nefarious deeds of the antagonists, and genuinely wept at the novel’s conclusion. 🐇This book is long, although packed with so many twists and misdirections that it hardly seems to go on long enough. I listened to the @audible original audiobook narrated wonderfully by @kobnaholdbrooksmith which added even more character and whimsy than I previously thought achievable. Having not had the privilege of hearing of Holdbrook-Smith until now, I was delighted and embarrassed when, recounting his masterful narration to a friend, I exclaimed “this man should be an actor - he is so expressive!” only to be told that yes, he is indeed an actor, and yes, he is very well known. Whoops 😳😅😂 🐇 I could go on for hours about the vivacity of the characters, the rich and evocative imagery, and the witty phrases and Dickens-isms, but my blustering is a bit much already. 🐇 TLDR: Read this book. Better yet, listen to the Audible Original Audiobook. You won’t regret it. . #bookstagrammer #dickens #read #charlesdickens #kobnaholdbrooksmith #dickensian #headphones🎧 #drdrebeats #bookoftheday #booknookstagram #review #audible #bunnybookandco #bunnybookbox #bunnybook #classiclit #audiobook https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMx-drJc0l/?igshid=1q4ejwakcynm9