A Lockdown Library
Losing yourself in a good book may be considered the original staycation; an extremely low budget get away from your everyday life without the boarding pass or the sandy bikini bottoms. You could say this year has been the year for reading; with lockdowns and travel bans, our abilities to escape reality for even a few hours have been drastically restricted, to say the least. When the first lockdown came about I thought I’d spend my time in the garden reading my way through the pandemic, and although that’s not the case I did read a handful of incredible books that are worth reading.
by Rhiannon Jones
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Since seeing the film at the start of the year I was keen to give Little Women a read. It has definitely earned its place as one of the ultimate classics, although you might raise an eyebrow on some of it’s questionable and dated views of a woman. That being said it is refreshing to be reminded of simpler times; patriarchy aside. If you’re able to excuse the problematic romanticism it is a very well written novel with some really strong characters. There is one plot line towards the end that I am not particularly sold on (if you know, you know), however overall it is a great read.
Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton
The whole way through I felt as though I was reading the diary of a friend, which was incredibly comforting considering the circumstances. I thought Dolly was relatable and candid in the way she spoke about her experiences. I really felt a sense of relief reading it, seeing her speak about things that I have thought about before myself. I felt she was very honest about her expectations in life and how they changed as she grew older which was refreshing. It was effortlessly very funny. An incredibly easy yet entertaining read.
Perfume by Patrick Süskind
Of the fiction books I read over lockdown, or this year even, this is one that stood out for me. For those of you who aren’t familiar - just as I wasn’t before Miss Blue Chip herself recommended the book - it is a story about a French man (Jean Baptiste) who has an unparalleled sense of smell and is also a murderer. With the tag line ‘A story of a murderer, there’s a surprisingly low number of murders’ even so, it is a brilliant book. It is incredibly entertaining and to some extent mystifying. This style of writing is incredible, I feel like Süskind has captured the nuance and explicitness necessary to describe smell the way he does. I did feel like it was quite gimmicky at some points, especially with the descriptions of the young women in the story. Having said that, the descriptions and choice of words do correlate with how the protagonist views the characters and captures the raw and almost animal-like perspective of Baptiste. I do really recommend this book, especially for a spooky season read!
Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence Given
This is a very raw and candid expression of what it is to be a woman within today’s society. It is an eye-opening and at some points uncomfortable look at what is expected of women from others as well as from themselves and their peers. This book makes you question everything in your life, but in the best way - self-evaluation and accountability are unavoidable results of reading. It is articulate without being condescending which is a difficult balance to reach. I have a new-found confidence since reading which is something I’ve not experienced before. It is explicit and unapologetic - a MUST read.
Why I’m No Longer Speaking To White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
This book is an incredible foundation for reading about racism within the UK. It explores a variety of aspects in regards to racism and its origins and how it exists today. With the Black Lives Matter movement being such a strong presence over lockdown I felt as though I needed to do some long-overdue reading into it. Reni Eddo-Lodge writes well informed, researched and evidence-based points. This book showed me how to understand and appreciate the importance of intersectionality, specifically in reference to race and feminism. I was naive to the severity of racism within this country and this book made me recognise how I have to hold myself accountable for the role I play and have benefitted from the systematic racism in this country. Of all the books, this is the one I recommend most, specifically because of its very real and current implications in today’s society.
I am currently reading Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo which I also highly recommend although I’m not quite finished with it yet. I feel I have had a nice mix of fiction and non-fiction for a change. Lockdown has allowed me to appreciate non-fiction and its ability to be just as much an escape as any other book on the shelf.