Tag Archives: reading blog

Weekly Reading: 21/3/21

We interrupt your usual weekly posting with an unexpected reading slump.

Unfortunately, this has been a disappointing week when it comes to reading, I haven’t made it through a single book. I’ve hit a wall this week and my brain just won’t focus, not on a book, not on an audiobook, not even on a newsletter.

It’s been incredibly frustrating and I’ve really missed being able to sit down with a book but I’m trying to accept that my brain just needs a break. I’ve been busy, and a little stressed, so if that means my brain needs to rest then so be it. And hopefuly, I’ll be back to reading asap!

In the meantime, I’m hoping to throw myself into other things, currently it’s baking. And I’m still getting my literary fix through booktube, The Bookseller and bookstagram so I’m fully up to date on all the latest news and can still read plenty of reviews.

I hope to return to your usual weekly viewing next week, happy reading!

Weekly Reading: 14th March 2021

We’ve reached the end of another week which means it’s time for another review of my weekly reading. This has been a good week for reading as I read 2 excellent books, several newsletters and a textbook for my MA.

This week there was no doubt about what would take the top spot:

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo!

This book was a birthday gift which turned out to be just what I needed this week.  The book is written in narrative verse which makes it both beatiful and easy-to-read. It is told from the perspective of Xiomara, a 15-year-old girl dealing with her family conflict by writing slam poetry.

This is beautiful story that takes on what it is to be a teenager with no control, trying to figure out who you are whilst you are forced into the wrong box.

This Week’s Runner Up….Memorial by Bryan Washington

This week I’ve also read Memorial by Bryan Washington. I read it to write a reader report for a freelance literary reader position that I’ve applied for. This means I read this very attentively, really considering my thoughts and feelings as I’m reading. I have a much better understanding of my opinion of the book after reading this way so I hope to approach books like this more often.

Honourable Mention: Leena Norm’s Newsletter

I recently signed up to Lenna Norm’s weekly newsletter and I’ve been really enjoying it. She’s worked in publishing and makes content about the industry and books, so subscribing to her newsletter has been a real joy. Check out her youtube channel here and her instagram here

I hope you enjoyed having a look at my weekly reading, follow my blog to get updates every time I post.

Audiobooks Count and this is why.

Whether listening to an audiobook counts as reading is a big point of contention within the book community. I wanted to throw in my 2 pence as someone who has days when I rely on audiobooks.

I have a chronic illness called Functional Neurological Disorder that can leave me in bed for full days, barely able to process full sentences or open my eyes. As you can imagine, days like these aren’t the best; enter an audiobook. On my worst days my only saving grace can be a good audiobook.

I can’t concentrate on reading or even hold a book sometimes, but I can’t keep my eyes open long enough to watch tv. This leaves no better solution than an audiobook. Audiobooks distracts me from any chronic pain, but require next to no energy from me. I love to read more than anything else, it’s my favourite thing to do, and being able to when I am my most ill means everything. Audiobooks can be the only way for me to pass the time.

When someone says that an audiobook doesn’t count they are taking away something that gets me through my worst health days. They are diminishing what little I can do on and undermining my choice to read in whatever way best suits my needs.

The refusal of some people to recognise audiobooks as reading is a fundamentally ableist belief. It is excluding people by saying that if they struggle to read a physical book they aren’t reading. Telling people with learning disabilities that audiobooks don’t count is nothing but gatekeeping. They may have struggled with reading for years and found audiobooks to be their only option.

An able-bodied person may not realise just how heavy a book can be, but sometimes even a kindle can be too much. I regularly experience a tremor in my hands and holding a book simply isn’t an option, but that doesn’t need to stop me reading.

It should not matter what your personal capabilities are, you can still read if you want to. Audiobooks are just another way for more people to find joy in books and that’s never a bad thing.

The Shelf by Helly Acton: 3.5/5

If you love reality tv and are looking for a fun, easy-read then The Shelf is for you. Told from the perspective of Amy, the book follows 6 women who are dumped on the new reality show ‘The Shelf’ and then compete in different challenges to be named The Keeper (and winner of £1 million) whilst living together in a house for 4 weeks.

Although this book wouldn’t have been my first choice in a bookshop, I got it through a book subscription service and it was the perfect book for a busy week. It was light-hearted, funny and I couldn’t put it down. It was truly as addictive as any good reality tv show is and that is the genius behind it. It is not trying to be anything but fun.

I’ll admit there are a few heavy-handed comments on sexism and less than subtle commentary on the more toxic aspects of reality tv, but it all comes from the right place. You are not being told to give up binging love island or stop talking about love is blind, instead this book fully appreciates the joy those shows can bring you. The Shelf knows that at the end of a long day, vegging on the sofa to some mindless episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians is exactly what you need, it just also shows how quickly things can escalate for those more directly involved in some of the shows being aired.

At the times the book also leaned a bit further into being cheesy than I usually go for, particularly in the final few chapters, but that didn’t surprise me. I knew what I was getting with this book and it definitely delivered.

For me this book was a solid 3.5/5 stars because I enjoyed it and that’s all. Was it one of the best books I’ve ever read? No. But did I have fun reading it? Yes. I couldn’t put this book down, reading it in just a couple of days, and would definitely recommend it.

Defeating a Reading Slump

As 2020 was coming to the end, I was looking back on what I’d read over the year and I noticed a few reading slumps I went through No matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t get myself to read, no matter the day, no matter the book. As a result, I thought I would post a list of tips for dealing with a reading slump.

1: Don’t force yourself to read.

This is the big one because if you keep telling yourself that you will read adn reluctantly picking up a book it will only make you feel worse for not reading. Instead you’re much better just taking a break and waiting until you want to read again. Giving yourself a break will allow you to miss reading and eventually bring back your desire to read. Sometimes a reading slump is the result of an overloaded brain.

2: Try out different books.

If you’ve hit a wall with a book and can’t seem to make yourself read it just stop trying to. There is no reason you have to finish this book before reading another one. I often find that if I’m stuggling with motivation to read, trying out a slightly shorter book or an easier read. By trying to force my way through a book, you will only reduce any desire to read. So put the book down, find a much easier/shorter read and try that instead.

3: Try out different formats.

If you’re struggling to concentrate on a physical book, maybe try out something different. I particularly like an audiobook in these situations because it lets me do other things. I can keep my brain busy enough to still enjoy some good books without being restless and unable to concentrate. Have a read of my post on audiobooks for why I love them.

NaNoWriMo

As I’m writing this, it’s the 26th October and there’s one week until November, which means there’s one week until the start of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). For those who don’t know, NaNoWriMo is an annual, online, creative writing poject that takes place throughout November, during which participants attempt to write a novel in a month. More specifically, they attempt to write a 50,000 word first draft.

NaNoWriMo is hosted and organised by the non-profit organization of the same name that provides all the tools, structure, community and encouragement to help people achieve their creative goals here. This very ambitious annual event has been running for 21 years, after starting in 1999, and has led to many highly successful novels, including The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (See my review here) and Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen.

It is at this point, that I should mention that I have never personally participated in this annual push for literary creativity. However, this has never been for lack of desire, as I would love to be able to sit down and write a novel in a month. As a child I loved writing narrative fiction, dreaming of being a writer when I grew up, but then as I got older I fell out of the habit and it has now been many years since I’ve put pen to paper. This has resulted in me wishing I could participate in NaNoWriMo each year but having no idea where to begin and ultimately letting it pass once more.

However, this year I am going for a different approach. Although I will definitely not be writing a novel, I will be trying to do some writing. I’ve decided to take advantage of NaNoWriMo and use it to try and build up a habit for writing and write something everyday. Naturally, I have no expectations for the quality of what I will be writing but I am hoping that if I start writing something frequently, be it long or short, it will help me to at least get a feel for the process.

Therefore, from the 1st November, I will aim to sit down and write something everyday (or at least most days, everyday might be a little overly ambitious). I am planning to try and write lots of different things, from poetry to essays to narrative fiction so that by November 30th, I will hopefully have an idea of what and how I like to write.

Wish me luck, and let me know if you’ll be participating and if you’d like to see updates on my progress!