This year I’m trying to write more about the books I’ve read. With some books I manage to come up with a full post, with others, perhaps just a few sentences – doesn’t mean that the books I write less about are any less impactful than the ones I’ve written long posts about. But these long posts do take up a lot of time to write! Sometimes that just doesn’t work.
Anyway, here are my reading notes for the week.
George – Alex Gino
This is a very brave book considering its targeted reader – I think it’s meant to be middle-grade level? I really liked its message about accepting who you are. It’s the story of a ten-year-old trans girl who wants to play Charlotte from Charlotte’s Web in the school play. It was a sweet story told with sensitivity and honesty.
The Lowland and The Clothing of Books – Jhumpa Lahiri
It’s been ages since I’ve read anything by Lahiri and here I am reading two of her books in one month, thanks to the Reading Women Challenge.
Lahiri’s writing is always gorgeous. I love her way with words. But I felt that The Lowland, while sweeping and beautiful, and well-researched (part of it is revolves around the Naxalite movement in Calcutta in the 1960s), felt rather cold. It was hard to feel hard for any of the characters, who seemed a bit one-dimensional.
The Clothing of Books was a lovely short piece about book cover design, from the writer’s perspective. It’s a really short and quick read, great for any book lover.
“We don’t live in a world in which a cover can simply reflect the sense and style of the book. Today more than ever the cover shoulders an additional weight. Its function is much more commercial than aesthetic. It succeeds or fails in the market.”
Real Life Reading 
I enjoyed your reading notes! I say that even if you have one sentence to share about a book you read, it’s still valuable and something that people will like to read to get a sense of a book.
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Thanks for the encouragement. Last year I had too many draft posts with reviews I never fully wrote!
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I felt the same about The Lowland – the writing was beautiful but I felt very removed from it
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Glad it’s not just me!
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Weird I was just about to start reading The Lowland – it’s the only book I had left on my pile, and I knew from your description that I probably wasn’t going to like it! I find it hard to get round lack of characterisation. It’s one of those books I’d describe as “the characters don’t really do anything, stuff just happens to them”. Or if they do do things, it’s hard to work out why. Eg why would a mother just leave her child for no reason and then come back so many years later? I’m sure it’s a book that works for some people, it just didn’t for me.
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Looks like I’d have to add Lahiri to our #WomenReadWomen2019 reading theme as well! Iphigene has reviewed The Clothing of Books a few years back, and she enjoyed it.
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[…] Reading notes: George; The Lowland; The Clothing of Books […]
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