Read about the great books, new and old, that our staff have been enjoying.
Aurelia has been reading
The Days of Abandonment
Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein
Having never read an Elena Ferrante novel before, I thought it would be safer to begin with one of her shorter novels before jumping straight into her more well-known classics. What I found in The Days of Abandonment was a poignant and dark chasm of human misery, aching loneliness, madness, and a desperation to uncover the origins of her grief. This is more than just a simple story of a man leaving his wife for a younger woman. This is a cry of fury and sorrow, about rediscovering your purpose and identity after giving yourself entirely to someone and it not being enough. What a fantastic start to begin my new reading odyssey with Ferrante's works!
Bella has been reading
Apparently, Sir Cameron Needs to Die
Greer Stothers
Fans of Terry Pratchett and Diana Wynne Jones will be delighted by this whimsical, clever and deeply silly fantasy novel. The story is unpredictable, the world-building is richly layered, and the characters are delightful in all their foolishness and foibles.
Listening to the audiobook, I was immediately enamoured by Greer Stothers’ distinctive style and sense of humour, and I’m sure lovers of classic fantasy, or newer cosy-fantasy stories, will be likewise!
Lian has been reading
The Wedding People
Alison Espach
This book begins with Phoebe arriving at a luxurious hotel with the intention of taking her own life while being surrounded with beauty. From this somewhat grim premise blossoms one of the most enjoyable, hilarious and life-affirming novels I've read in recent memory.
What Phoebe doesn't know is that the entire hotel has been booked out for a weeklong wedding extravaganza, and the bride (to whom Phoebe confesses her plan) is not going to let her ONE PERFECT DAY be spoiled by a suicidal stranger. One thing leads to another, and it's not long before Phoebe is swept into the drama of the wedding people (and there's plenty). With nothing to lose, she throws off the shackles of societal expectations and embraces this ludicrous situation and her own role in it.
The Wedding People has all the quick-fire dialogue of Gilmore Girls, the wry outsider's view of the extremely wealthy in Crazy Rich Asians, and all the heart of Schitt's Creek. It's one of my favourite books I've read for ages.
