July Wrap-Up & August TBR

Well, this wrap-up is going to be a bit of an embarrassing one, to be honest. Turns out, moving to London actually makes your life pretty busy. Who knew? Although, looking back at my TBR, I didn’t do as badly as I thought I had, but I still definitely didn’t read as much as I thought I would this month.

June TBR: 6
Books read in June: 4
Books left on the TBR: 2

1. The Time Machine – HG Wells. 4 stars.
   So, the Time Traveller was probably one of the most insufferable characters I’ve ever read, but the concept and the plot were just so good. I love that none of the characters have names, and are instead almost archetypes, and the portrait Wells paints of the future of the human race was really intriguing, and was surprisingly thought-provoking. You can find my full review here.
2. The Heart of the Race – Beverley Bryan. 4.5 stars.
   I found this book really interesting, as it focused on the experiences of Black British women. Many of the books about race and racism I’ve read have been by American authors, and while that is educational and interesting to read about, I personally found it more useful to be reading about British experiences, and how the past of Britain shaped Black experiences of today.
3. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox – Maggie O’Farrell.
   I got this book in one of the Feminist Book Boxes, and I’m really glad that I had the chance to pick it up! I might eventually have discovered it on my own, given that I was aware of Maggie O’Farrell thanks to Hamnet, but who knows. It’s a great cross-generational story, exploring ideas around mental illness and family values. You can find my full review here.
4. The Discomfort of Evening – Marieke Lucas Rjineveld.
   OK, now this one was uncomfortable to say the least! This book explores boundaries of the body in some very disturbing ways, and paints a really grim image of the life of the family the book follows. I don’t recommend this for the particularly squeamish, but for me it was a very interesting book to read, and worth the cringing!

I’ve also almost finished Mansfield Park, which was the 5th book on my TBR, so at least I’m getting there. I am hoping that now I’ve settled in I can get into a better reading routine down in London. Keep your fingers crossed for me! As well as finishing Mansfield Park, I have a whole list of additional books I want to read this month…

August TBR

1. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall – Anne Bronte (Let’s Get Classical Book Club)
2. Futures of Black Radicalism – Gaye Theresa Johnson
3. Actress – Anne Enright
4. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock – Imogen Hermes Gowar
5. I Capture the Castle – Dodie Smith
6. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton
7. Square Haunting – Francesca Wade