Skip to content

memoir

The Madness of Grief

The Madness of Grief (by Richard Coles)

While I was indulging in one of my favourite activities, wandering in a bookshop, my attention was caught by this book. When I realised it was written by a priest who is gay and in a love relationship, I had to read it. Coming from a Catholic background where the traditional religion doesn’t accept homosexuality or allow priests to have partners, I was immediately intrigued by the unique perspective this book could offer. I started to build my expectations, by assuming it would offer self-help… Read More »The Madness of Grief (by Richard Coles)

Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West: Love Letters

Virginia and Vita loved their husbands, and they also loved each other. This book is a selection of letters that they exchanged, and some extracts from their diaries which offered some additional interesting insights. Their correspondence was highly intellectual, yet also so intimate that at times I felt like I was intruding. I learned lots of new English words; with almost every sentence containing one I had never heard of before. I was pleasantly surprised to find pictures of both of them on the inside… Read More »Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West: Love Letters

Eat, Drink, Run (by Bryony Gordon)

Bryony’s honesty and vulnerability in discussing her own struggles with mental health and body image make this a powerful read. Her courageous decision to open up about her experiences is inspiring and serves as a reminder that we are not alone in our struggles and that it’s normal to have low feelings. The book is incredibly fun to read. From the first page, I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. It’s also easily accessible, yet it packs a punch in terms of its message… Read More »Eat, Drink, Run (by Bryony Gordon)

My Stroke of Insights (by Jill Bolte Taylor)

You’re 37 years old and one morning, all of a sudden and without any prior warning, you notice that you cannot walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of your life. You’re a brain scientist and while you observe yourself and this situation that is unfolding, you recognise that you’re having a stroke. As you may have guessed, “My Stroke of Insights” is a memoir written by a neuroscientist, Jill Bolte Taylor, who experienced a stroke at the age of 37. She is also actively… Read More »My Stroke of Insights (by Jill Bolte Taylor)

Into the Wild (by Jon Krakauer)

A few years ago, I watched the film that was the adaptation of this book. The film was inspiring and emotional – I expected the same from the book. Perhaps, I even expected more given that a book is always richer than a film in details. WARNING – THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE FILM so if you want to watch it, which I’d highly recommend, stop reading here and come back once you’ve watched the film :-). However, the book was only a bit… Read More »Into the Wild (by Jon Krakauer)

A Wartime Memoir: Hungary 1944-1945 (by Alaine Polcz)

This is an autobiographical and historical account of the terrible experiences that the author went through during the Second World War in Hungary. It’s narrated in retrospective which I particularly appreciated as I could get to know the author’s thoughts from a point of view after the fact as well. It’s a raw, sad and often overwhelming read. It was difficult not to pause every few pages to take a break, breath and reflect on how horrifying war is. At a certain point, when I… Read More »A Wartime Memoir: Hungary 1944-1945 (by Alaine Polcz)

The Diary of a Bookseller

The Diary of a Bookseller

As happens most of the time, I had some expectations when I started to read this book – I was expecting an engaging story to develop throughout the daily life of a bookseller. I don’t know, something like the film “Notting Hill” :-). However, it’s a work of non-fiction and I only realised this after having read the first few pages. Had I not had any such expectations, I’d have probably enjoyed it more. So, it’s not the author that disappoints, rather, it’s just that… Read More »The Diary of a Bookseller

Mudlarking

Mudlarking

I loved this book even before I bought it. I fell in love with the cover, to start with. It’s so attractive I’m thinking of framing it and hanging it on the wall. It’s the choice of the colours, their combination, the font used and how the text is distributed that is just smart. When I started reading it, I was immediately hooked. The writing is clever and passionate. The author says she’s a daydreamer and manages to pull you into her daydreams. It felt… Read More »Mudlarking

Everything I Know About Love

Everything I Know About Love

I confess. I judged this book by its cover. It was early on a rainy Sunday morning and I was wandering in an empty shop when I saw some books stacked on a table. I went closer and was attracted by this cover, indeed, I liked it so much that I wanted to read the book regardless of what it was about. However, upon reading it, I didn’t relate to the author at all, so I immediately started to feel bored and remained as such… Read More »Everything I Know About Love