Books Read in 2020 (so far)

My new year’s resolution was to read more and set the goal of one per month, I am slightly ahead which is great. I thought it would be a good idea to give a super brief review of the books I have read so far this year and maybe you can share your thoughts on them with me in the comments.

 

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

This book is Sally Rooney’s first and follows the main character of Frances and her best friend Bobbi. This tale is set in Dublin, Ireland where Frances and Bobbi are interviewed by a journalist called Melissa for there performance poetry.  Frances and Bobbi enter a complicated relationship with Melissa and her Husband. The book follows through many a love triangle and moral complications. I personally enjoyed the personal monologue of Frances throughout the book, which becomes harder to relate and empathise with as her behaviour shifts to something immoral. However, you still end up liking her and wanting to know how she is and what happens in the future.

This book was an enjoyable read, not too taxing and easy to follow. It took me a few weeks to read commuting into Uni and work.

Rating – 3.5 out of 5

 

Normal People by Sally Rooney

I wasn’t sure what to expect of this second book by Sally Rooney. The characters aren’t related but the same writing style is mirrored in this second book. This book follows Marianne and Connel who are at High School when this story begins. These two pretend not to know each other at school but begin a very intimate relationship. Both have major impacts on each other lives and as they embark onto University their lives change and almost switch round. I really enjoyed the societal observations of class, drugs, peer pressure, sex and relationships make the characters experience more empathetic for the reader. It’s hard to say the future for these characters but I enjoyed the ending and how it was left to the imagination of the reader.

Again this book was very enjoyable, I personally found it gripping. Another easy read and didn’t take me long at all.

Rating – 4 out of 5

 

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

This very personal memoir of Dolly learning about love, friendships, jobs and loss. Told in a funny yet heartbreaking tone, this book really did hit me with a lot of truth. I am a bit younger than Dolly so some references to her upbringing didn’t fully connect with me however timeless matters of relationships, mental health, love and loss is something anyone can relate too. Dolly’s memoir is raw and witty, which I really enjoyed. I almost felt like I had grown up with her throughout the book from her late teens to her 30’s.

I loved this book, it started off hard to get into as it felt like it had no narrative but once I fell in love with Dolly it was an easy read.

Rating – 4.5 out of 5

 

The F Word: A Personal Exploration of Modern Female Friendship by Lily Pebbles

As said in the title, this is a personal exploration by Lily Pebbles on female friendships throughout any woman’s life. She begins with her childhood friendships and how they have made her the woman she is today. I found interesting her dissection of sister friendships, she has two sisters and has different relationships with both of them but explains that they are not her best friends. This differs from my relationship with my sister in that I would say we are friends as well as sisters. She delves into the need for friends and how some people did it harder to keep friends than others and why that is ok.

I thought Lily was very open and very analytical about the importance of female friendships and definitely makes me think about past present and future friendships.

Rating – 4 out of 5

 

Maybe you don’t agree with me or maybe you do? Either way, let me know in the comments or if you have read these books and know of another book you think I would like then let me know.

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