Everything I Read In March and April 2020

March and April were significant reading months for two very different reasons; we started lockdown here in New Zealand, and I made the critical mistake of leaving my Kindle at my house, while I was 'sheltering' at my mum's house an hour away. Originally, my stay was supposed to be for 14 days, but six weeks later I was allowed to travel back home.

On the one hand, I had been trying to reduce the amount of money I was spending on Kindle Amazon books, but I don't think the pandemic was the best time to test how easy this would have been. Even so, I managed to read some great books over the past two months.

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck :: I absolutely fell in love with East of Eden when I read it two years ago and was excited to try a second Steinbeck novel. Overall, I didn't love the experience of reading this novel. It was driven by dialogue and written in a heavy Okalhomian dialect that required some mental gymnastics to interpret what was being said, and what was actually meant. I did like the overall themes of the novel and exploring just how abruptly lives were changed during the Great Depression. It certainly made me think, and considering I read this mere weeks before the lockdown, now have an even deeper sense of empathy for those who were forced to survive by any means necessary during this time.

Again, But Better by Christine Riccio :: This was the perfect follow up to the slog (sorry) that Grapes of Wrath felt like at times. It's a fun story about second chances that actually, unexpectedly hit me in the feels. I knew Riccio was a Youtuber and was intrigued to read her debut novel. It's a cute, funny YA novel about a college girl called Shane who has been 'doing college wrong.' Stuck in her room reading books and going to classes, Shane signs up for a year abroad and decides to put herself out there, make friends and is determined to have her first kiss. This is a really sweet read that hits on many pressures that students face about seeing their college years as the "best years of their lives." There is also a fun twist that I had to admit, I did not see coming.

The Farm by Joanne Ramos :: I wanted to love this book, but it almost became a DNF. I think part of the problem is that it's packaged as a dystopian novel which made me think it would be more like the Handmaid's Tale or The Power. Instead, the drama mainly centres around the mother, Jane, an immigrant from the Phillippines, who becomes a surrogate at The Farm. Overall I liked the premise of this book, but the way the drama was constructed was unbelievable at times. Mainly, Jane was prohibited from seeing her own daughter and was finding The Farm increasingly controlling. It just seemed weird to me that the book focused so much on surrogates living a stress-free and healthy life but then prohibited Jane from seeing her daughter, something which would be crazy-stressful for any parent. It had potential but didn't live up to the hype for me.

Know My Name by Chanel Miller :: Chanel was originally known as Emily Doe, the victim in the Brock Turner sexual assault case. I was surprised at how well Chanel writes and that the warmth and humour with which she tells her story only makes it all the more frightening. I came away from this book feeling angry that survivors like Chanel are treated more like victims, that privilege has an enormous part to play in how we treat offenders, and that Chanel spent more time fighting her case than her offender served in prison. For a dark read, it's still filled with moments of light and hope despite the subject matter.

Normal People by Sally Rooney :: Wow, what a showstopper of a read. I loved Normal People, but also kind of disliked the characters because of how realistically flawed they were. The book follows Connell and Marianne's deeply flawed on-again off-again relationship through high-school, university and into their adult lives. Messy, and realistic, it's one of the more interesting portrayals of growing up, finding love, and figuring out right from wrong.

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton :: This was a cracker of a read.Told in a uniquely Australian voice, Boy Swallows Universe follows the life of Eli Bell, a 10-year-old boy growing up in 1980s suburban Brisbane. Eli's childhood is anything but normal. His brother is mute, his father is in prison, his mum is a junkie, his step-dad deals drugs and his babysitter is a notorious criminal. Even so, Eli's life is filled with love, albeit in a flawed way. When a local drug king-pin pays his family a visit, leaving his mum in jail and his step-dad missing, Eli is determined to set things right.