March Book List

March is always a hectic month for us students, so most of the books I've managed to read this time around may appeal to those looking for shorter/quick reads:-

(1) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - This is another of those classics on my enormous to-read list, that I'm slowly working my way through. It's famed as one of the first American Tragedies and is a book that was way ahead of its time when it was written. The prose is beautiful (if a little grating at times due to the archaic language but that's more to do with my own patience more than anything else), the characters lively and colourful and the story is riveting. Like many women, I found the main character, Hester, to be such a strong figure. It's essentially her story, that of a woman who is shamed and punished in her Puritan community for having an affair and giving birth to an illegitimate daughter, and how she seeks to carry on living. [4/5]

(2) Warm Bodies by Issac Marion - A funny YA written from the point of view of a male zombie who falls in love with a female human and desperately wants to feel alive again. Cleverly written, it's the first book to ever make me feel some sort of empathy for a zombie character. So surreal and amusing! [4/5]

(3) As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner - I have wanted to read something by Faulkner for a while and was recommended this as a good book to begin with. The novel is pretty miserable in context (the title may have already given that away for you!), but I found the writing itself largely enjoyable in a poetic, pretentiously arty kinda way. You kind of just have to go along with it and not stop to question why Faulkner chooses not to explain or give reason for anything that he does with the characters. I found that the book was largely open to interpretation, especially the ending which just stops everything in its tracks. [3/5]

(4) Mr Nice by Howard Marks - What can I say about Howard Marks that hasn't already been said? Even if you frown upon his dope smuggling antics, it's hard not to get sucked into this book. It's filled with his intelligent charisma that just oozes from every page and makes for utterly addictive reading. Easily one of the most interesting and entertaining autobiographies I've ever read and certainly worthy of being put onto my 'all time favourites' shelf without a doubt. [5/5]

(5) Delicate Edible Birds and Other Stories by Lauren Groff - Wonderful collection of short stories that you can really get your teeth into and enjoy. The writing is excellent, and I'd recommend this collection to anyone who thinks short stories aren't for them. This should change your mind. [4/5]

(6) Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay - A lot more different than the TV series, but still a darkly humorous and quick read. [3/5]

(7) Perfect Lives by Polly Samson - I can see what the author was trying to do by linking together all of the short stories in this collection, but can't help but wonder why she chose to keep them as short stories and not turn this into a novel/novella? The stories are OK, though a little predictable here and there. Good for a quick summer/holiday read. [3/5]

What are you currently reading?