Hello, dear readers, and happy Tuesday! As the weather turns colder and the days become shorter, and as stick season (do you get the reference?) is upon us, my desire to curl up with books in soft light is now overbearing.
But first, a hot take on Spotify’s new audiobooks add-on. In short, I’m not keen. The selection of audiobooks is great, and I think offering this option to people who aren’t normally that invested in reading is a good initiative. But this is definitely not the best option for those of us who listen to more than one audiobook per month.
When I saw that I could listen to audiobooks with my Spotify Premium subscription, I immediately went and paused my Scribd subscription (which is now called Everand — don’t even get me started). Imagine my surprise when I got to the tense part of a thriller and my audiobook stopped altogether, telling me I had used up my time and would have to wait another week or pay extra to keep listening. This is how I discovered the 15-hour listening limit for audiobooks on Spotify Premium.
If you’re not majorly into audiobooks, this is fine, and you can, technically, buy more listening time. But it’s just not the most sustainable or cost-effective option for avid readers, so I’ll be returning to Scribd.
In other news, I have lots of bookish updates, from some recent reads I can’t quite make my mind up about, to a new reading routine I’m trialling, so let’s dig in.
Reading Wrap-Up
I’ve been reading more poetry this year, and the highlight of late has been Jen Campbell’s Please Do Not Touch This Exhibit, a wonderful collection on disability, motherhood, and fairy tales. This was a sure-fire five-star read, and I almost had to slow myself down and take in the poems while also wanting to read more and more.
Now, this hasn’t really been the case with my other reads this month. I have two titles I can’t make my mind up on, because I kind of liked them but they also kind of awakened a sort of anger or annoyance, and I simply can’t decide.
Firstly, it’s Ghosts, by Dolly Alderton, a popular contemporary fiction from the beloved author of Everything I Know About Love. Ever since her first title hit the shelves, through a combination of fresh, cutthroat, excellent writing, and flawless marketing, Dolly Alderton has now become one of the most notable names in contemporary literature, at least here in the UK.
So, Ghosts. This novel follows 32-year-old Nina Dean through a full year of her life, as she contemplates, deals with, or learns to live with being single, her friends having children and getting married, her dad becoming terminally ill, and other real adult troubles, like a potentially dangerous and very disruptive neighbour, and some career downfalls.
I gave this book four stars because, from a strictly critical point of view, it’s great. The writing is sharp and witty, the characters are complex and have a strong development, the relationships are relatable and well-rounded. And yet, there was this sense of irritation that loomed over me every time I picked the book up.
It could be the fact that Nina is only a few years older than me and even so, I’ve felt a few of her emotions. From the confusion of being content in your situation while also wanting what your friends have (marriage, kids, settling down), to the need to call your parents out for everything instead of trying to understand them, it’s all part of being an adult woman reaching a certain point in life.
Or it could be that Nina made quite a few mistakes that irked me, and although the mistakes were perfectly human and realistic, something about them, at times, made me physically squirm. Who knows, maybe I’ll revisit this in seven years and see how I relate to Nina then. Also — we share a birthday.
Keeping up with my poetry endeavours, the other book I want to talk about is Ted Hughes’s Crow, a true modern classic. The challenge with classics (or titles you hear about all your life) is that, if you don’t see the appeal, you end up doubting yourself.
I’m not only a dedicated bookworm, but I’m also a poet. Crow should be a point of reference for me. But much like Ghosts, while I could see the literary value, I was also haunted by an impending eye-roll every time I picked up this book.
It could be that some of the poems could, in my humble opinion, use a second edit, as some of the wording really messed with the rhythm and impact of the imagery. Or it could be that Ted Hughes resorts too many times to referencing female genitalia in his metaphors. Something about every other poem in Crow gave me the ick.
How can you like and dislike a book at the same time? The only other time this has happened to me so far was when reading 1984 by George Orwell. I remember vividly how uncomfortable and revolted I was throughout the whole thing, while also in awe of what Orwell managed to create and how he succeeded in awakening such strong reactions in me.
But with Ghosts and Crow, the feelings aren’t as black and white.
Have you ever felt anything similar about a certain book?
Trialling a New Reading Routine
For a few years now, I’ve been obsessed with the booktuber Regan from Peruse Project, who does very cosy and comprehensive reading vlogs. Whenever I’m in a reading slump, watching one of her videos gets me excited about books again.
She doesn’t even read the genres I enjoy, for the most part, but something about the structure of her videos, her aesthetic, and her commitment to books always draws me in.
I’ve become inspired to adopt her strategy for reading in a somewhat structured fashion, as currently I’m a bit of a chaotic reader. Regan’s vlogs usually span over weeks or weekends, and at the beginning of each one, she introduces a TBR — usually two or three books she aims to read during that time. At the end, she gives an overview of how many pages she has completed and of course her thoughts on the books.
So, for as long as my attention span allows, I’ll be doing the same. I’m now setting a TBR at the beginning of each week, and trying to stick to it before I move on. This week, my aim is to finish my current read, The Raven Spell, a witchy tale of adventure and mystery written by Luanne G. Smith (spoiler alert — I’m not a fan).
Then, I’ll pick up Ithaca by Claire North and, for my audiobook of choice, Paula Hawkins’s A Slow Fire Burning is next.
Coffee Time Reviews 