Angela Carter’s Book of Wayward Girls and Wicked Women by Angela Carter
As my book club ventured forth with the rest of womankind to see Barbie together, we wanted to choose a book that was on theme. So, naturally, we landed on this collection of short stories that were chosen by Angela Carter as a a love letter to all the bad girls out there who won’t get in their box and do as they’re told. Highlights for me were Elizabeth Jolley’s ‘The Last Crop’, in which a con-artist matriarch secures comfort for her family through various dodgy means, Leonora Carrington’s ‘The Debutante’, an extremely fun vignette in which a hyena and a young debutante switch places before a ball, Bessie Head’s ‘Life’ in which a woman’s independent streak clashes with the harsh, patriarchal values of her village and, of course, Carter’s own ‘The Loves of Lady Purple’ in which a sexually voracious and much-maligned puppet cuts her strings. Some of the stories dragged a bit but the highs of the collection were suitably high to keep me engaged and eager to see what came next.
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
I am deeply cynical about books that claim to have twists that will blow your mind but goddamn did this deliver. Every time I thought I had a sense of where the story was going, everything I thought I knew got completely flipped on its head but without throwing believability and common sense out the window. It’s incredibly hard to summarise this story without giving things away, but suffice to say that there are secrets lurking in the last house of Needless Street and none of our narrators can be trusted to tell the whole truth. This would be a perfect Halloween read, so if you like things spooky, add this to your list.
What About Men?: A Feminist Answers the Question by Caitlin Moran
I’ll be candid, when I first heard Caitlin Moran was writing a book about men’s issues, my first thought was ‘Why?’. I had loved her previous books on feminism and womanhood but was a bit confused about why she was now focusing on men. Aren’t enough things about men? Can’t male authors cover this stuff? But funnily enough, my husband, who isn’t usually a huge reader, was very excited about it and whizzed through it in two days. He loved it and so I then felt like I had to give it a chance. Safe to say that I felt a bit red in the face once I read Moran’s intro, in which she points out that feminists not getting involved in men’s issues and insisting that men sort things out for themselves, while valid, leaves gaping holes to be filled by toxic nutters like Andrew Tate who want to tell men that all of their problems are due to feminism and the ‘woke agenda’. Moran speaks to her male friends and loved ones to explore the difficulties faced by men such as struggling with friendships, discussing their emotions, going to the doctor and the terrifying world of the internet. Moran tackles all of these topics with her trademark humour and empathy and it is a testament to her prowess as a writer that while this is a very easy read it packs a hell of an emotional punch. I have been recommending this book to everyone I know all month and have had so many interesting conversations with my husband and other men in my life off the back of it. Once again, Moran has written a must-read for feminists of all genders.
My sister-in-law lives in New Zealand and so I have her to thank for gifting me this gorgeous novel and introducing me to Maori fiction. Auē is a Maori expression that can be an expression of both astonishment or distress and both apply to this achingly beautiful family saga which deals with blissful highs but more often crushing lows. Our main characters are a set of brothers, Taukiri and Ārama, who have been left orphaned after their parents were involved in a tragic accident. Traumatised and mired in guilt, Taukiri strikes out on his own, leaving Ārama with their aunt and abusive uncle. As both boys struggle to make their way in a world that seems set against them, snippets of the past are interwoven with their story, revealing the tragedy and violence that has brought the brothers to where they are now. This is ultimately a story about family and love, but it is dramatically underscored by the ferocious struggle that all of the characters have to face to get these things. This book is a punch to the stomach but one that is well worth experiencing.
Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
Continuing along the ’emotionally devastating intergenerational family sagas’ track, my next read was Of Women and Salt. This historical fiction novel tracks a Cuban family through it’s female line, from 19th century cigar factories to modern day Miami. While the settings change, a common thread across these stories is the impossible choices that women are forced to make and the speed with which others will judge them for them, even the children they made the choices for. While the women of this novel very often don’t understand each other, there is also a strong theme of love, even in the face of violence, addiction, separation and displacement. This book is very short, but if packs a hell of a punch in just a couple of hundred pages.
The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh
A strange and soporific novel, centred around a cult-like family, The Water Cure felt as difficult to get a grip on as water sliding through my fingers. Our main characters are three sisters who have been raised in total isolation on an island cut off from humanity, with only each other and their parents for company. Their father speaks of a mysterious toxicity that has spread through humanity that makes this isolation necessary and the girls are forbidden to ever set foot off the island for fear of being infected. But one day their father doesn’t return from a supply run and the girls and their mother are left to fend for themselves. Very shortly after, three strange men wash up on their shores and suddenly the sheltered lives of the sisters are thrown into a dark and disturbing disarray. Ultimately I didn’t really enjoy this, although the stakes were high, the languid tone killed any elements of suspense and left me feeling as if the whole novel was one odd fever dream.
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
I hope to god Pete Davidson is getting some kind of payout from this book because Sittenfeld has shamelessly ripped off his life. Our protagonist here is Sally Milz, a writer for an iconic late-night comedy show (*cough*SNL*cough*) who finds herself noticing that while her male colleagues often find themselves swept up in whirlwind romances with supermodels, no A-List celebrity men are queuing up to date normal-looking female comedy writers. She pitches a sketch making fun of this phenomenon to this week’s host, incredibly handsome pop-star Noah Brewster ,and finds herself really hitting it off with him as they collaborate on sketches. But as we’ve just discussed, surely there’s no male superstar willing to date a normal woman his own age? Right? What’s fascinating about this book is how grounded in the mundane it is in spite of the glitzy background. In spite of the drama and the glamour of the world of celebrity, the only real obstacle to Sally’s happiness is herself and her own insecurity. While it is physically painful at times to watch her self-sabotage, it makes her eventual coming together with Noah all the sweeter. This is a perfect holiday read.
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
I have finally embarked on my journey to read the whole of the Discworld series, more or less in order ,and The Colour of Magic is step one on this journey of a thousand miles. Our protagonist is Rincewind, a cowardly wizard who got himself expelled from the Unseen University with one catastrophically powerful spell lodged in his brain. He finds himself playing tour guide to a fabulously wealthy and dangerously naive visitor to the great city of Ankh-Morpork, who is pursued everywhere he goes by a piece of sentient luggage. The various nefarious factions of the Discworld are coming together to fleece this trusting tourist and Rincewind finds himself going to the ends of the earth (literally) to save himself and his new companion. While this doesn’t feel like Pratchett at the height of his powers (ONLY ONE FOOTNOTE????), his trademark humour and charm is still firmly on display as the reader is introduced to this very special fantasy world (which happens to rest on top of four elephants, standing on a turtle).
Kindled Spirits 