Library

Reading is a hobby that is dear to my heart. I read books to travel to other time periods, countries and bodies.

ੈ✩‧₊˚ I have read 18 out of 50 books this year ੈ✩‧₊˚

What I like to read

* There are always exceptions, of course!

Let's ★ read!

I track my reading history on TheStorygraph & Goodreads. Below are some highlights of what I've read lately.

Circe by Madeline Miller
Tags: mythology gorgeous literary
Rating: ★★★★★

A re-telling of the witch-goddess Circe's life, which crosses over heavily with the events in The Odyssey.

Beautiful and descriptive writing that paints a vivid picture of greek mythology.

The cover of the book Circe by Madeline Miller
Affinity by Sarah Waters
Tags: gothic lesbian plot twist
Rating: ★★★★

A woman recovering from a suicide attempt begins visiting a ward in the women's prison. She becomes fascinated with a prisoner there who is a spiritual medium. Set in Victorian-era London.

Very gothic, very gay.

The cover of the book Affinity by Sarah Waters
My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews
Tags: gothic women family trauma
Rating: ★★★★★

A young girl grows up with dysfunctional and abusive family in a secluded, rundown mansion and feels pressured to live up to the legacy of her dead sister.

Couldn't stop reading, one of my favorites.

The cover of the book My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Tags: women generational saga magical realism
Rating: ★★★★★

A generational family saga set in South America spanning 60 years with a dash of magical realism and political unrest.

Writing style took a little getting used to but it was 1000% worth it.

The cover of the book The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

Bookshelf

The cover of the book The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison The cover of the book Circe by Madeline Miller The cover of the book Disturb Not The Dream by Paula Trachtman The cover of the book The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan The cover of the book Night Vision by Butch Lee and Red Rover The cover of the book Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews The cover of the book The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips The cover of the book The Vegetarian by Han Kang The cover of the book Affinity by Sarah Waters The cover of the book Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden The cover of the book Violets by Kyung-Sook Shin The cover of the book Dark Angel by V.C. Andrews The cover of the book Heaven by V.C. Andrews The cover of the book We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson The cover of the book My Sweet Audrina by V.C. Andrews The cover of the book The Woman Beyond the Attic: The V.C. Andrews Story by Andrew Neidermann The cover of the book We by Yevgeny Zamyatin The cover of the book The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for True Self by Alice Miller The cover of the book Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami The cover of the book The Woman in Me by Britney Spears The cover of the book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg The cover of the book Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa The cover of the book Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin The cover of the book The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice The cover of the book Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis The cover of the book Severance by Ling Ma The cover of the book Animal Farm by George Orwell The cover of the book Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata The cover of the book The Secret History by Donna Tartt The cover of the book Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice The cover of the book Foe by Iain Reid The cover of the book I'm Glad my Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy The cover of the book The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende The cover of the book Dreams of Joy by Lisa See The cover of the book Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

A note on unfinished books

Sometimes, I start a book that I don't end up finishing. My first reaction is to feel bad about it, like I've failed. I have to remind myself that I don't need to push myself to read out of obligation. I think forcing yourself to read something you're not in the mood to read, or not enjoying, is a good way to build bad associations with reading in general.

There are a lot of different reasons why I may not finish a book. Maybe right off the bat I dislike it. Maybe it's just not the right time to be reading it. Sometimes I intend to pick it up at a later date. Here is a running list of books I did not finish (DNF). TheStorygraph allows you to write a brief explanation as for why you did not finish them, which is nice when deciding if I ever want to return to one.

I can tell that I'm not enjoying a book if: I dread continuing to read it, I'm reading it very slowly compared to my normal reading speed, I'm not looking forward to reading more, it feels like a slog, I notice that I wouldn't really care if I set down the book and never picked it up again.

Sometimes I realize I can't continue after I've read about 10% of the book, but other times it's after I've read 50% or more. I just do what feels right to me.