Reading Lately – October 2017

October was a fab month for me on the reading front, mainly because our half term holiday to Mallorca gave me lots of opportunities to lounge about indulging my favourite hobby 🙂 Reading really is one of my ‘happy things’ in life and I love writing these monthly posts and passing on some literary inspiration. So sit back, grab a cuppa and enjoy some me-time – I’m just sorry I can’t provide you with the sun! 🙂

My first book for October was Wonder by R.J Palacio, a story about a little boy called August who suffers from a rare condition which makes him look very different to other kids. When August starts middle school after years of home schooling and operations, he has to deal with the reality of being different, making friends and overcoming challenges – while teaching others a lot about resilience, empathy and just being yourself along the way. Like many of the best books aimed at young adults, Wonder has a message that’s loud and clear for everyone. I challenge you not to cheer August on (while reaching for the tissues) as the final scenes unfold.

My second read for October was equally powerful, and I sang the praises of A Mother’s Love by Deborah Zeigler in my Little Loves post just a week or so ago. The book recounts the story of Brittany Maynard, who made headlines all over the world when, in 2014, she moved from the US state of California to Oregon in order to die peacefully from a fatal brain tumour. From her mother’s perspective, the book tells the story of the harrowing months following Brittany’s diagnosis, and the earlier years of her life growing up with her loving Mum. It’s a heartbreaking read but one that also shines a lot of light on the issue of medical assistance in dying. And Zeigler writes her story so beautifully that this book has to be up there with one of the best I’ve read so far in 2017.

My next read for the month of October was a bit of a departure for me – a book of poetry called Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. Despite writing a bit of poetry I don’t actually read very much of it, but at a new writer’s group I’ve been attending, we’ve been encouraged to get the creative juices going by delving into poetry a whole lot more! I picked this book because I’d seen it on a few other blogger updates and was looking for something quite contemporary. It includes poems on abuse, loss, love and femininity and I have to say that the combination makes for a powerful and altogether heady mix. I read it in an afternoon and it’s certainly worth trying if you’d like to dip your toes into something a bit different – with 1.7 million followers on Instagram, Kaur’s simple, unapologetic style seems to have tapped into a mainstream consciousness poetry can often struggle to ignite.

My final book before I head off into November was The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan, a lovely read about a man who spends half his life collecting lost items and then entrusts his assistant, Laura, to reunite them with their owners after he dies. Cue new friendships – and a bit of romance – for Laura, and a host of lovely tales about lost treasures and the lives with which they intersect. It’s a feel-good read about loss, new beginnings and happy endings, and most importantly – it’s one that’s sure to leave you with a smile.

That’s it for October’s reading update folks. With all that talk of happy endings, I’m off to seek out another book!

Gx

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