I may be getting married now so wedding content is taking up most of my time but I haven't forgotten my roots and I figured I'd pop back on with a new reading recap - I haven't been reading a ton lately but in honour of National Book Lovers Day here are a few that I've particularly enjoyed lately (in the last year or so).
How High We Go In The Dark
Sequoia Nagamatsu
Tales of life after a deadly virus devastates life on Earth as humanity learns to adjust to a new way of life. Tales of interconnecting stories weave a narrative over centuries, continents and constellations.
This book is everything to me and became an instant fave of all time. There were moments where all I could do was stare into space. It's maybe one of the best things I've ever read. Some personal stand outs for me were City of Laughter, The Used to be Party and Melancholy Nights in a Tokyo Virtual Cafe.
Braised Pork
An Yu
When Jia Jia discovers her husband dead with a crumpled up drawing on a fish man in his hand it sets her on a path to uncover its secrets and now freed from the constraints of her marriage she embarks on a journey of discovery that takes her from the bar across the street all the way to Tibet in search of the answers that lie behind the mystery of the fish man.
We read this one as part of my book club, where we read our way around the tennis tour so this was our book for Beijing, and it was definitely my fave. I'm a sucker for magical realism and this book is packed with it.
The White Book
Han Kang
A story told in vignettes. In an attempt to grapple with loss and grief, the unnamed female main character sets about listing things that are white and builds a narrative around each one on how it relates to grief and the human spirit.
After reading The Vegetarian previously, I spotted this in the same airport bookshop I had picked up The Vegetarian and it seemed like a perfect choice to keep my company for a few hours on a flight - I ultimately ended up reading it later on the train, but I inhaled it in one sitting and the prose was so beautiful in how it portrayed grief and rebuilding after a loss.
The Other Valley
Scott Alexander Howard
The valley lies beside two other valleys - the same valley but 20 years in the future and 20 years in the past. The borders are heavily guarded and only the esteemed Conseil approve who passes on organised mourning tours. Odile dreams of having a seat on the Conseil but when she accidentally recognises people on a mourning tour she begins to question and potentially puts her own future in jeopardy.
This book wrecked me I loved it so much. Such a unique concept and told so beautifully through the eyes of someone who's discovering it in real time. I will always be a sucker for literary sci-fi, and this is no exception!
What have you been reading lately? My TBR pile is looking a little dry so I could really do with some inspiration!
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