September 2020 Reading

September was a good month for starting and finishing books. I reread the lovely, lovely Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery), which is a favourite worth 5 of 5 stars. I mean it when I say I want to be Anne when I grow up; she finds delight in the simplest things, is unafraid of her feelings and thoughts, and shares these things easily with those around her.

I read four poetry books. Shifting Bone and The Day is Ready for You (Alison Malee), Almost Home (Madisen Kuhn), and It’s Only Words (Kristina Mahr). I gave Shifting Bone 5 of 5 stars and the others 4. Malee has the most beautiful phrasing and concepts, with cleverly crafted metaphors that convey emotion and experience. I found Kuhn and Mahr’s poetry to be more on the side of not-quite-poetry, but both were emotionally charged and beautifully stated, and I gave them high ratings because I related to their sentiments. Something I appreciated about Kuhn’s poems in particular is how they began quite sad but ended on a note of hope and warmth.

I also read three novels besides Anne of Green Gables. The Only Story (Julian Barnes) I gave 3 of 5 stars. I found it tricky to review because I liked the structure and style of writing, but I didn’t particularly ‘enjoy’ it. It also wasn’t what I was expecting. It tells the story of a nineteen-year-old boy who begins a relationship with a middle-aged woman – and this was not in the blurb! I repeat, this was not in the blurb! I thought it was a love story about two nineteen-year old’s, but apparently not. Anyway, it’s quite a tragic yet beautiful novel, though perhaps not tragic for the reasons you’d expect. Interestingly, when I was close to the end I realised I didn’t know much about the narrator, the man in the relationship. He ends the story middle-aged himself, and while we follow his life, he didn’t seem to hold much personality.

Next, An Abundance of Katherines (John Green), which I gave a generous 1 of 5 stars when I was in high school. Guess I was a bit of a savage. Though I gave it 2 stars this time, which tells me my high school self knew what was up. I didn’t like the characters, setting, or plot, so while it was well written, it really wasn’t for me.

The third novel was Cupcake Catastrophe (Yvette Poshoglian), which is a children’s book I came across by accident. I gave it a 3 of 5 stars, though I feel unequipped to properly review. It was fine…?

Now that uni is calming down (only two weeks left until a one month holiday, yeah boy) I’m definitely picking up the reading, and enjoying it too. Reading Anne of Green Gables really inspired me and has me excited for words all over again. I’ve also started writing a new novel, which is all kinds of exciting and nerve-wracking. We’ll see where it goes!

Sarah xx