Something a little different for you today.
My online feeds have been increasingly populated with videos on the art of conducting a mid-year life audit, and I’ve decided it’s time to put my (utterly predictable) spin on it: a mid-year reading audit.
So, here’s a micro review of each of the 15 books I’ve read so far this year, paired with a quick-and-ready rating out of 5.
Enjoy.
My Sister, The Serial Killer - Oyinkan Braithwate
Started the year on a cheery note, didn’t we? Based in Nigeria, this satirical novel is your not-so-typical tale of two sisters, one of whom has the (frankly, pretty inconvenient) habit of killing all her ex-boyfriends. I actually picked this up from my favourite bookstore in Bombay after a particularly challenging day at work, and its tiny, snappy chapters and fast pace made it exactly the page-turning read I was after. Don’t expect anything overly emotive or groundbreaking, though. 3.5*
The Perfect Nanny - Leïla Slimani
Another dark one (it gets better soon, I promise). A very clever, astute social commentary weaves its way through this story, which follows a French-Moroccan woman and the seemingly perfect au pair she hires to look after her children. This novel is compulsively readable which, when I first started reading again, used to be synonymous with a 5* rating. But alas, my standards seem to have skyrocketed considerably since then. This was certainly gripping, but not great. 3.5*
Everything is Figureoutable - Marie Forleo
I was definitely going through the classic, inevitable, ‘New Year, New Me’ phase of the year when I ordered this. Forleo wants to help us realise our dreams through her philosophy that you can figure out a way to achieve pretty much anything. At first, this definitely got me geared up and motivated - my colleagues watched in amusement as I’d spend lunchtimes completing the little end-of-chapter tasks - but after a while it just became overly repetitive and, ultimately, fell flat. 3*
This is Going to Hurt - Adam Kay
Pretty much gobbled this up on one train ride to Sula. Adam Kay is a doctor-turned-comedian who tells us his simultaneously hilarious and shocking stories of life as a junior doctor in the UK. It’s an eye-opening look into the lives of NHS healthcare workers and the sacrifices we see - and don’t see - them make daily. A very easy read - its bite-sized diary entry format makes it a breeze to dip in and out of. 4*
My Year of Rest and Relaxation - Ottessa Moshfegh
My first Moshfegh, and most certainly not the last. I really enjoyed getting lost in this dreamy, eccentric story. A detailed review of this one can be found on my Self-Isolation Reads line-up, so head on over there if you’re keen to know more. 4*
How to Fail - Elizabeth Day
I desperately wanted to love this; I’d ordered it in the hopes that it would be along the lines of Dolly Alderton’s memoir, but it just wasn’t up to the mark. Day released this memoir/self-help book as a spin-off to her successful podcast of the same name. The premise? Failures have the power to make you stronger, and, eventually, much better placed to succeed - a belief I firmly stand behind. While this was relatable and reassuring in parts, I definitely struggled through its final chapters. 3.5*
Sour Heart - Jenny Zhang
My favourite thing about this book is how it was recommended to me: serendipity. In 2018, I was lazily wandering the streets of Singapore when I was lucky to bump into one of my all-time favourite bloggers, Jemma Wei. She told me about this beautiful collection of stories, narrated by young Chinese American girls coming of age in - and coming to terms with - life in NYC. The narratives can be a little unsettling at times, but they’re very, very unique - I’ve never quite read anything like this before. 3*
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This had been on my TBR for far too long. 2020 was the year I finally picked it up, ready to follow the story of Ifemelu and Obinze, a couple leaving their life together in Nigeria to pursue separate paths abroad. I liked this book for its insights on race and immigration, and loved how I could taste and feel the hustle of Lagos through Adichie’s writing. At times, the novel does feel a little more like a heavy-handed non-fiction commentary, but it’s nevertheless an important and enjoyable read. 4*
Bad Blood - John Carreyrou
Yes - one of my favourite reads so far this year. This non-fiction account of the Theranos scam, and its ill-fated founder Elizabeth Holmes, reads like jaw-dropping, enthralling fiction. Penned by the NYT investigative reporter who initially exposed the fraud at what was once the multibillion-dollar darling of Silicon Valley, this was simply fascinating. Go read it. 4.5*
Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert
I reluctantly reached for this one in the midst of a nationwide lockdown that left me pretty book-less. And (to my surprise) Liz Gilbert’s memoir of her adventures across Italy, India, and Indonesia started off really well. Between the delectable food descriptions and ultra-relatable stories of loves lived and lost, I was completely hooked. And then I was completely lost, as it quickly became far too self-indulgent, with cultural stereotypes that were far too problematic. 2*
Ghachar Ghochar - Vivek Shanbhag
Quickly, breathlessly, flew through this on the very Sunday it arrived. The novella, originally written in Kannada, focuses on a Bangalore-based family as they struggle to adapt to the complexities of sudden, newfound wealth. For me, this painted a beautiful portrait of domesticity and family dynamics in modern India, and is one book I can’t stop thinking about. 4.5*
The Woman in the Window - A. J. Finn
On one fateful night in NYC, our (unreliable) narrator witnesses something she shouldn’t have - something very strange, and very disturbing. That’s all you need to know. This thriller started off slow - real slow - but the carefully-crafted descriptions throughout the story will undoubtedly make it worth your while. And once it gets going (and those gut-wrenching twists start flying in), you’ll find yourself cancelling all your weekend plans and racing to the finish line with it. 4*
One Day - David Nicholls
You know that feeling when you’ve been hopelessly looking forward to a trip, fantasising about how perfect it’ll be, but then you get there and it just…doesn’t turn out as expected? That’s exactly what reading this book felt like. It had been recommended to me countless times, so I was understandably excited to get into it. But no. I found the novel’s protagonists - star-crossed lovers Emma and Dexter - to be fairly unlikeable and frustrating. However, the prose is undeniably beautiful - it flows like poetry in parts. 2.5*
Shoe Dog - Phil Knight
I don’t have enough superlatives for this one. Just Read It (sorry, too tempting). The founder of Nike takes us on his extraordinary journey of building the athletic giant from scratch, right from its humble beginnings as a one-man car boot shoe shop in Oregon. I know ‘inspiring’ is often overused, but this was the first piece of writing I’d read in a long time that didn’t just tell a great story, but truly inspired me to continue putting in the hours on my side projects, on the mini manifestations of my dreams. 5*
Less - Andrew Sean Greer
In a bid to avoid his ex-boyfriend’s wedding, little-known writer Arthur Less jets off on a multi-country voyage of escapism. This Pulitzer Prize-winner was superbly written, with some magical quotes that will make themselves at home in my mind for a long time to come. Although I did find the plot to be a little disjointed and confusing at times, overall, this was a beautiful read. 4*
Phew. And that’s a wrap.
What’s been your favourite book so far this year?
Until next time,
S
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Cover image captured at Wonderfruit Festival, Thailand.
