Reading Wrap Up | December 2020

[@TheKayleighsHQ]

Great wrap up! I read Frying Plantain this month and also loved it. A couple of these I’ve now added to my tbr, the new Carys Bray I hadn’t even heard of so that’s exciting and Sabrina and Corina also sounds great. 😊

[@Gagging4Lit]

Have a few books from Maggie O'Farrell's back log to read so it's nice to hear about an older one that isn't known as much. And your olive green jumper is gorge.

[@splitreads]

Loved Sabrina and Corina! I loved so much the sense of place in the book. I live less than half an hour from where most of the stories are set. I recommend the Nevermoor series at the library all the time.

[@helenhickey3479]

I'm so glad you liked the Carys Bray book. I have it on my shelf and will definitely get to it soon now.

[@myreadinglife8816]

I so agree about Hollowpox ! I read it last week and it is my favorite so far.

[@soniajohnson8878]

Glad you liked Frying Plantain - planning on reading it for my Reading Women Challenge.

[@reading_with_k]

I'm so happy to have found your channel! I feel like we have very similar book tastes, especially in regards to non-fiction .

[@redpandareads9300]

I adored Hollowpox, it made me feel hopeful in this pandemic that it will come to an end. It brought me so much joy too

[@booluther]

I enjoyed Ronan Farrow’s book about Weinstein much more than She Said. Especially the audiobook

[@zs4673]

Are you doing a 2020 favorites? Thanks! Love your channel. :)

[@jacquelinemcmenamin8204]

Have you read Instructions for a Heatwave? The Hand That First Held Time? Love Maggie O’Farrells writing

[@glenntoplis8872]

Very entertaining and informative Mercedes

[@sarahk1695]

Great wrap up. So many of the books you show I have never heard of, I always end up adding to my TBR lol. Where do you mostly get your recommendations?

[@readingwithlaurane2490]

Oh Gosh, Grass is beautiful, the cover at least. Tea dragons :o

[@homolibrariensis8132]

I am about 20% in to House of Correction and was wavering on whether to continue so thanks! DNF'd

[@pastorytime2683]

Tea dragons and princess princess are just absolute classics.

[@mps5934]

Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow is an excellent book about Weinstein, and the horrible ways men in power suppress their victims.

[@FHMS97]

Definitely agree!! - i was wondering if maybe, Mercedes, youd like Catch and Kill better than She Said; i havent read She Said but I thought Catch and Kill was an incredible book

[@louibeans]

I loved that there's a couple of books by Korean authors/about Korea on that list. Definitely adding all of those to my TBR! I recently read and loved "Life of the party" by Olivia Gatwood. A true crime-inspired poetry collection that combines the authors own experiences growing up with the way society looks at murders/hate crimes of women and sort of glamourizes them. I found that fascinating.

[@KittyAndTheBooks]

I just finished Hollowpox yesterday and it was a bit too real for 2020/2021. But gave it 5 stars still. :D

[@hannahmay11]

I agree this was my only issue 😂

[@pernillehesselbjerg7926]

I have almost read all Maggie O'Farrell and like you enjoyed her memoir, Hamnet, after you'd gone and I also really loved This must be the place, but the rest - not so much unfortunately. Just ordered If I had your face 😊😊

[@FHMS97]

I just found out that Keum Suk Gendry-Kim has a new graphic novel called The Waiting thats coming out in September this year! Super excited for it, as I also read and loved Grass last year ☺

[@annajo6576]

Why are UK covers so gorgeous in comparison to US!? Great wrap up, as usual. You always spark my love for reading when I feel a slump coming on.

[@427ang]

Your discussion on ‚Grass’ reminded me an incredible book by Jing-Jing Lee ‚How we disappeared’ . Similar topic- Japanese occupation of Singapore. Worth reading, btw.

[@rosegreensummer]

you've sold me the frances cha

[@Wolfhailstorm]

I loved the worst witch tv show haha

[@BooksUnstitched]

I'd be interested to hear what college Afua Hirsch was at/what the 'elite college society' that the university is charging is, as I've never heard of that before and it definitely doesn't exist at my college

[@CUBS83]

Fun(ny) fact. Caribbean folks say plan-tan but Africans tend to pronounce it plan-tain. It’s a running joke/debate, even here in Toronto. :) So you’re not saying it wrong, just one of two ways.

[@cass465]

I haven’t read it and I appreciate your points about “I Hate Men” but I have to say I’m glad to see a form of modern feminist writing that doesn’t try to coddle a potential male audience. I’m very tired of hearing women explain and sweeten feminism by assuring everyone “we don’t hate men!! It’s okay, men are okay sometimes” when the point of movement was the cater to women and their oppression and needs.

[@crazybooklady8682]

I read Brit(ish) too and it really opened my eyes! I'm Dutch and I don't know a lot about British slavery history, so the book taught me a lot and it made me so angry! Blah privilleged white men... I want to buy my own copy and annotate it! :)

[@PostBlueHaze]

I felt exactly what you said about "She Said", the writing felt so cold and detached, as a rape survivor I found it hard to connect.

[@hollygressier8760]

Do you have a good reads account ? x

[@hannahmay11]

I also got I hate men, and thought her scope was very interesting, regarding the idea of ‘raising men’ and the failures of mothers in having man children. But yes it was very short and not fully fleshed out

[@hannahmay11]

I loved she said! I didn’t pay much attention to the writing particularly to be honest but I was certainly pulled in by the wider issues like the paying of the security forces abroad. It reminded me I need to read rose McGowan’s memoir!

[@MercysBookishMusings]

Agreed, I liked that bit too. One other thing I struggled with was that she was married to a man. Obviously I have no issue with who she's attracted to and I cant talk because I'm in a relationship with a man. But to bring out a book called I Hate Men when you chose to marry a man when marriage to me is such a historical symbol of the patriarchy is a bit disappointing.

[@hannahmay11]

@@MercysBookishMusings yea I can see that perspective, I would have liked more on her bisexuality. Really interesting to read about it in context of France and the minister for gender equality who wanted to sue her?!

[@Wolfhailstorm]

Haha I say "plan-tin", how my grand parents (jamacian) pronounce it

[@sandrazuks9017]

So glad you liked Carys Bray new book. I haven't heard anyone review it yet, keen to pick it up now.