During the past few weeks, I’ve bought a few books – which I haven’t properly done so in a while, and I’ve having the feeling of buying new books back again. I’ve bought these in a variety of different places, from an independent bookshop in West Cork, Ireland (The Time Traveller) to Foyles, London, Waterstones and Shakespeare & Company in Paris.
1. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
Elizabeth Gaskell is a classic author I have been meaning to read for a while now. The political elements of the novel really interest me, especially as I find Dickens’ narratives so engaging.
2. Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Edith Wharton is another writing who’s been on my to-read list for a while, since one of her novels was mentioned during an English Extension class. I loved the way she presented her characters and their depth, so I can’t wait to get stuck into this one!
3. Politics and Social Science by W. J. M. Mackenzie
I picked this one up with the first two I mentioned. The subject matter is kind of what you can guess from the title, so I thought it would be useful as something which could be potentially a chill read before I start studying politics at uni. This book was published in 1967, so it may not be up to date with current political thought, but I’m always looking for more perspectives.
4. Refuge: Transforming a Broken Refugee System by Alexander Betts and Paul Collier
One of my biggest interests in in the refugee crisis and one area I want to spend a lot of time and effort in my life doing is trying to improve refugee welfare and government policy in this area. I want to improve my knowledge around this subject area as it means my activism can be more efficient and focused.
5. Jane Austen at home by Lucy Worsley
I love Jane Austen – most people that I’m acquaintances with or even if you’ve read my blog you’ll probably know that. She is one of my favourite writers and I love her books so much, so I love getting to know more details about her as a person and her life. I am also a fan of Lucy Worsley – I really enjoy watching her documentaries and the perspectives she brings.
6. The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Anne Barrows
Like many, the film adaptation of this novel mace me aware of the book. The title immediately grabbed my eye (and, of course, if Lily James is in it, I’m already inclined to think it’s going to be good), and I’m not going to lie I’m still a little confused about what it’s actually about but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see!
7. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Great Gatsby is an American modern classic – perhaps even the ‘Great American Novel’ – and I think it’s absolutely beautifully written. Whilst researching Fitzgerald’s life as a means of procrastination for my exam on Gatsby (I was kidding myself that any of it would be helpful to be honest), I read a lot about the other books he had written during the different stages of life, and this one in particular caught my eye. So, when in Paris at the end of July and I saw a copy in the bookshop Shakespeare & Company (where Fitzgerald was a regular), I had to pick it up.
I can’t wait to read these books! Have you read any of them? Let me know what you thought.
If you liked this post you might like: 5 Books to Help You Improve Your Feminist Understanding
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