Reading Lately – The Lido, Eleanor & Park and Drums of Autumn

Looming school holidays and a huge to-do list mean that this month’s reading update is going to be a quick one. Conveniently, the size of September’s reading pile – in common with this week’s blogging window – was small, due in part to my marathon reading efforts in finishing War and Peace and Les Miserables over the summer break. In fact, my first book for September was one I actually read for a bit of light relief between these two literary giants in August, but just didn’t seem to sit well in my summer reading round up. So I’ll include it here if that’s okay with you reading fans.

Bookish confessions attended to. Preamble over.

All present and correct bookworms?

Let’s go for a wander through the shelves 🙂 .

THE LIDO

That first book of Autumn – or last book of summer, depending on which way you look at it – was The Lido, by Libby Page, a lovely story about a journalist tasked with reporting on the potential closure of an outdoor swimming pool. Along the way, she finds herself drawn into the lido experience – and the lives of those affected by its closure in ways that have a huge impact on her, and everyone else involved. It’s a wonderful story of female friendship (with the novel angle of a relationship between an elderly woman and a younger counterpart). It’s a testament to the power of community, collaboration and fighting for things that matter.

Also great if you happen to be an outdoor swimming fan like me!

ELEANOR & PARK

My next book for this round up was Eleanor and Park, a quirky teen romance by Rainbow Rowell (who, not content with being a brilliant writer, also wins the award for best author name ever to grace the front cover of a novel). It’s the story of two misfits (said Eleanor and Park) who sit next to each other on the school bus and start a tender love affair. If you liked Fangirl you’ll enjoy this – it’s well written, tackles serious issues, and feels romantic without ever being syrupy. I generally love books written for the young adult market – that intense adolescent period always really resonates for me. If you ever felt (or feel) like an outsider in High School, firstly, high five from a fellow outsider. And secondly, all the nicest people were nerds in High School, so don’t feel bad, okay? Eleanor and Park is a big, lovely high five to the young, and the young at heart content with beating their own path in the world. Read it, and remember how it felt to be young and in love with someone. Plus, it has mix tapes. Being on the outside never felt so in.

DRUMS OF AUTUMN

My final book for the month – whose 1200 pages took me most of the month to read, incidentally – was Drums of Autumn, the fourth outing of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander saga. If you follow my blog regularly, you’ll know I’m a huge Outlander fan (you can read about that here and here…..and here). The fourth series of the TV show, adapted from the novel, was my favourite series since the first one, so I had high hopes for this. And as usual Ms. Gabaldon didn’t disappoint. There’s so much going on here, not least the growing presence of Roger and Brianna as major characters, which breathes new life into the whole experience. It’s a slow burn, but a good one – speaking of which, when is the show back on TV again?…..

Time to get back to that to-do list though.

Until next month…..

Happy reading, bookish friends.

Gx

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