Here we go!

27th November 2022; I finished reading Memento Mori by Muriel Spark. It was a truly lovely book, it centres around a group of over 70s, looking back on life during their final years. They get mysterious phone calls that simply say “remember you must die.” It was a very intriguing mystery to kick off and keep a thread going throughout the book even though it mostly focuses on the lives of these people more than the mystery presented. Reading about their lives and interactions made me feel quite old in the soul myself even though I’m only in my twenties, it just gets you that wrapped in their world. Overall it has a very good statement about the philosophy of life itself and how many people as they reach an old age refuse to acknowledge that the end of life will come out of a denial and a fear whereas in reality, we must all live with the knowledge of death. Memento Mori. Remembrance of death is what intensifies life. I really enjoyed the read, a beautiful beautiful book. I found myself quite drawn in by Muriel Spark and her writing style, I've already decided to pick up a couple more books by her.

11th July 2023; I've read a few Franz Kafka stories!! Metamorphosis, The Penal Colony and The Judgement. They are all very interesting yet bizarre stories! I find that the last lines always leave me confused and shocked at the sudden change of pace in the ending to the point that I end up flicking back and rereading to get a better grasp on things with fresh eyes. The stories really do capture you though! There's nothing quite like them.

18th July 2023; On recommendation from my little sister, I began reading the ocean at the end of the lane, by Neil gaiman. And my goodness!! Every chapter I have to put it down and take a moment to collect myself. It can be so dark and depressing!! But it is fascinating, all about remembering a long gone childhood. The prologue hooked me so hard with its beauty. I was so fascinated and desperate to read on. I took this book with me while travelling, however it didn't make a very good travel book because the heavier moments of the book require me to pause after each chapter. Things can just get so overwhelmingly sad sometimes, it's a real shock to my system! But it is so well written, Neil Gaiman is a wonderful author. It has beautiful ending and I loved how things developed! I love Gaiman's stories and the magic of them. It is such an interesting story because it is in such a mix of adulthood and childhood that it isn't really aimed at either demographic, it's just a book for human beings! I really admire the way it went. I'm still so surprised that my younger sister recommended it to me. Reading something like that at her age is pretty serious!

22nd November 2023; I have finished Frankenstein. I am so deeply stunned by the idea that the book can be called a thrilling tale at all and from the early views of it detailed in the book to modern interpretations, I don’t see this as a story about Frankenstein and his hubris and the danger of pursuing knowledge blindly. Sure the story is from Frankenstein's perspective, but how can anyone see Frankenstein’s creation as this monster destroying things and a terrible evil he has unleashed. I have so much sympathy for his creation. It speaks to a direct human feeling, the desire to connect and be one with others. It isn’t some abstract suffering of an otherworldly being, I think many people today could see themselves through the eyes of the creation. Yearning for love and connection but feeling spurned and like it’s unobtainable. Turning bitter. Perhaps there’s something I’m not quite getting but I feel like no one has portrayed this story to me properly, it wasn’t what I expected at all and now I’m mad at all the modern interpretations I see of the Frankenstein story. You do feel sympathy for Victor Frankenstein himself. For the events he finds himself entangled in, his fall from grace. Even in the very end he remains noble, it speaks to how wonderful a person he was. But I see him as cruel and blinded. But would I respond kindly to the creation? I can’t say I would, despite my sympathy for his struggles I’m sure that I would end up another of the terrified people who do not understand. Anyway, very good book. Remarkable

is this format a little too crazy?

28th January 2024; The next book I have been reading through is a collection of Isaac Asimov’s stories. The first in the book is The Dead Past. A story about scientists in a future society where government dictates what gets researched. It surprised me. I enjoy the writing style of Asimov very much. Science fiction is fun. The next story I found notable is profession. A story set in a future where all learning is done by tapes that are uploaded to your brain. It was slightly longer than some of the other ones. Some are only a few pages long. One story was only 2 pages! But the ones that stretch on for a while are nice. You get a lot more invested and they are wonderful stories. I love his writing so much, I’m glad I got the whole book full of stories. The world building you get in these short stories is so interesting. You get a tiny glimpse into the sci-fi world just for a moment. One I really enjoyed was All The Troubles of The World, it was a short one, another story centring around multivac, god bless lovey multivac. Finally, at the very end of the book we have the reason I picked it up, to get a phyical copy of The Last Question. I am so in love with this story. It's just perfect. I love Asimov’s writing, very good author

Now, my thoughts on Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. For most the book I didn’t particularly like it, I wasn’t captured by it. But determined to get on, I kept reading. The writing style kept confusing me, I think it was changing per character. But the writing was still in the 3rd person. The way it jumped about through time was good but too disconnected. It felt like it wasn’t doing what it wanted to do properly. however, there was one chapter that really took me by surprise. It was fantastic. It properly encapsulated what I thought the book was going to be like. It was first person, it jumped through memories in a beautiful poetic way, it was beautiful. It was unlike anything else in the book. I’m mad at how unlike anything else it was. All in all, it was decent. But it was just odd in so many places

23rd April 2024; On a discussion of books with a bartender, he lent me this, The Familiar, I have to say what a remarkable book!! It is fascinating, enthralling, everything I have ever wanted. It’s beautiful. I am so intrigued. There are more books and I have only read the first but it has blown me away. The writing style, the collection of stories; the way they intermingle so fast, the way the book speaks to the reader. It’s remarkable. I am amazed. I am stunned. Such a beautiful book with a beautiful structure, taking reading above reading. I am thrilled to have been lent this book and having this story brought into my life

14th May 2024; Today I finished reading Before the Coffee Gets Cold. A story about a cafe which lets you travel through time, but you have to finish your coffee before it gets cold! It’s a series of little chapters of different peoples lives. It’s very sweet. The writing style is easygoing, comfortable and consistent. I like all the themes and the characters and I cried at the very end. It’s a great story, explaining why it got so much praise and my friend bought it for me saying “it’s the best book I’ve read all year” (they got it for me in December, before the new year, so that saying holds more weight) There are 2 more books following on I believe, one of them Before your memory fades and another I don’t know the name of, but I saw them both in the bookshop and will likely get them ! (Hopefully after I whittle down the massive pile of books I have to read)

12th June 2024; I finished the book She and her cat. A short book that is a collection of 4 stories about a woman and her cat, all tying in together very closely. It was bought for me by a friend over Christmas because one of the illustrations reminded her of me. It was very lovely!! I love the way the writing switches from perspective of the human to the perspective of the cat. It’s very well done. I really enjoyed the characters and their connected world and the way it all comes together as you read. Plus, nothing beats stories involving cats!!!

1st July 2024; I decided to read a small and classic book next, Jules Verne, Around the World in Eighty Days. I finished it while travelling, which is very fun to do. An old fashioned, pleasant story of the great gentleman Phileas Fogg and his wager to make it around the world in 80 days.

7th July 2024; Today I finished the book by Stewart Lee. A sort of auto biography. How I Escaped My Certain Fate. I picked this book up after going to see one of his shows. I adore Stewart Lee’s comedy stylings. I think he’s brilliant and really masters the art of telling a joke, he knows this and will even explain and break it down and it still makes you laugh. The book was a delight, from the way he writes to the things he discusses. Truly a lovely dive into the depths of comedy over the years as well as a wonderful personal telling of the trials and tribulations he has been through. Despite his claim in the book that his work does not translate to paper, due to the rhythm and timing required in telling a joke, I found myself laughing often at the book and the jokes within it. I love Stewart Lee and I hope I get to see him live again and potentially read more of his books.

meow this message was written by a funny cat! just kidding it's me