Book Number 2…

Book number 2 is this fiery-covered beauty. In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner. This book is depressing. Superbly depressing. But also rather wonderful.

It follows a young girl and her family throughout the Cambodian Civil War, detailing the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. It is ultimately the story of hope and resilience; even more powerful because much of the book is based on the author’s own experiences.

Don’t read it if you want a laugh. Do read it if you want beautiful, poignant writing about a heartbreaking and largely forgotten period in history.

2016 – A Year of Reading

Book Number 1 – Song of Solomon by Tony Morrison

2016 is going to be a year of reading. Because books are basically bloody brilliant…

I read a lot, generally, but it’s taking me longer to finish books these days and I’m not really immersing myself in them as fully as I should be. So, I’m challenging myself to read as many as I possibly can in 2016. To really READ them and think about them.

So, without further ado… book number 1 is Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. I’ve been meaning to read Toni Morrison for a long time and this was a pretty good place to start, as it turns out. A twisting, turning novel detailing African-American culture and experiences from the 1930s to the 1960s, with historical context.

It’s all about the intricacies of love and the importance of finding and knowing your roots. Great depth of character in places, although I wish she’d kept up the dreamlike quality of the first two or three chapters. I shall be ordering more of her books post-haste…