my top reads of 2018
This is Going to Hurt
Adam Kay
This one was Ryan’s holiday book which he absolutely loved and passed onto me after he had finished. It’s a must read because written by an ex-doctor come comedian it highlights via a collection of hilarious diary entries written throughout his training, what it is to be a doctor and how hard they work! It had us both laughing out loud.
Also for anyone who isn’t really a bookworm, this would be a perfect book… most of the entries are so short you can leave it in your bathroom and have a read each time you do a tinkle or more. And by no means do you need medical knowledge to read this, as he explains all the medical terminology and jargon as he goes. Ryan chose this for our first bookclub of 2018, featuring a whole host of book related competitive games… it was a massive hit and we even received a tweet back from the author.
Milk and Honey
Rupi Kaur
I recently started reading the books along with Emma Watson’s bookclub ‘Our Shared Shelf’ and this was the first one I joined along with. I tab pages in poetry books on the poems I love (just like my Grandma used to), and this book is now FILLED with slips of paper and post it notes. Rupi’s debut poetry book is split into ‘the hurting’, ‘the loving’, ‘the breaking’ and ‘the healing’; dealing with themes from her life. I feel like despite the emotional heaviness of some of the poems, there is something for everyone. Boy is it empowering!
Rebecca
Daphne du Marnier
This was the second book I read with ‘Our Shared Shelf’ and I FELL IN LOVE! It was the chosen book for October, and had a perfectly spooky feel about it. In an attempt to be more minimalist I have been reading my books, then passing them on or selling them in an annual charity book sale, but this one I could not get rid of! I treated myself to a hardback edition, and shopped around for the most eye-pleasing cover art.
The Gothic story tells of a young lady’s maid who meets an upper class gentlemen, ends up being swept off her feet and spontaneously married to him. He takes her back to his ‘Manderley’ mansion and without spoiling the story the majority of the book is spent as the heroine unfolds the history of her mysteriously reclusive husband and his late wife. Let’s just say, everything may not be as it first seems.
The Secret Life of Cows
Rosamund Young
The best word I can use to describe this book is CHARMING. Again, I bought the beautiful hardback edition, and devoured this book in what can’t have been more than a couple of sittings! For any animal lover – this provides a completely new perspective on the intelligence of cows. Compiled with stories concerning not just cows, but also other animals from a farmyard in Worchester. It becomes apparent to those who didn’t already know that each creature is its own individual, and the book is filled with unique characters that make for a great read.
Life without plastic
Jay Sinha and Chantal Plamondon
This is my number one book of the year. Ryan bought me this book back in January 2018 and I’ve read through a couple of times. For anyone beginning to think about reducing their plastic consumption, it’s broken down into chapters considering the history of plastics, how to identify different plastics and their properties, and suitable alternatives and resources for the home.
It uses a wonderful spaghetti analogy to explain the toxic properties of plastic (backed up with scientific articles and references in the footnotes), and guides you through tasks to purge the plastics in your life, working through areas of the home step by step.
Frida Kahlo: ‘I paint my reality’
Christina Burrus
Such a wonderful introduction to learn about this amazing woman! This is a pocket book so fit just perfectly into my handbag. It’s glossy pages were filled with her art and a run through of her life. She must have been one of the strangest, fieriest women ever to grace the Earth, and she is well worth reading about.
Bat
Tessa Laird
Whilst we were in Byron Bay, Australia we discovered a colony of Flying Foxes right outside our rented accommodation! I was overjoyed, but Ryan quickly decided he wasn’t very sure of the bats and gave them a wide berth. Having never taken an interest in bats before, we tottered on down to the local bookstore ‘The Book Room’ in Byron and bought the best book we could find on the species to educate ourselves.
I can now say we have a new fondness for the bat, and that I feel almost as distressed as I’m sure the bats do themselves at how they have been vilified by Western culture. The book covers interesting facts about the different species, how they have been portrayed historically and are currently viewed in different cultures, and touches on the rapid decline of bat numbers worldwide. You’ll definitely be reading more from me about this misunderstood critter!
Worms eat my garbage
Mary Apelhof
My final book of 2018; and an excellent ‘how to’ for the new year. In our journey of sustainability we had every plan to spend 2019 building our own indoor worm compost bin from scratch, filling it with Redworms (Eisenia fetida), bedding for our worm family and throwing in our used eggshells and orange peels. With a pregnancy filled 2019 we didn’t exactly follow through on this one, but watch this space. Adventure twenty-twenty here we come!
Plus, I have a strange enjoyment for the texture, shape and feel of a book... and this one was just divine.