This wonderful novel spans generations and combines the power of 12 startling voices to share the experiences of British women of color. Mainly set in London we hear the story of a proud black lesbian playwright, her sassy super-feminist daughter and a sexually fluid millennial, just to name a couple.
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The New Wilderness – The New Wilderness wasn’t quite I was expecting. I thought it would be a hard-edged survival, woven with Station Eleven-style dystopia, but it is in fact a rather calm story, with a steady pace. Yes, it is about survival and yes, it is a dystopia, but not the sort that makes you reel in shock or puts you on the edge of your seat.
The Girl With The Louding Voice – 14-year old Adunni is the star of the show in this book and Daré has truly achieved a wonderfully compelling character with a powerful voice.
As a self-confessed Japanophile it seems only fitting that me first ‘Top 5’ list is 5 of my favourite books that are translated from Japanese. I always find Japanese books have such a distinct style, often with a wonderfully calming tone and the distinctions of Japanese culture shining through.
10 Minutes and 38 Seconds in This Strange World – Evocative, thought-provoking and packed with a cast of personalities, for me this is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year.
The Song of Achilles – This book is an achingly beautiful love story. I was super excited to read this and had been meaning too for a long time after many, many recommendations and having absolutely LOVED Circe. I’m glad to say that I wasn’t disappointed!
Burnt Sugar – The story investigates the dysfunctional relationship between a mother, Tara, and daughter, Antara, living in the Indian city of Pune after Tara’s memory starts to fail.
The Booker 2020 shortlist was announced a few days ago and it’s exciting to see it is the most diverse ever.
How Much of These Hills is Gold – C Pam Zhang’s exceptional debut, How Much of These Hills is Gold, has to be one of my favorite reads of the year so for.
The Thing Around Your Neck – I was absolutely blown away by this short story collection by Adichie. She deserves every ounce of her reputation as a literary heavyweight and in The Thing Around Your Neck she documents the struggles of the clashes of different cultures with striking wisdom and flair.
Sophie & Stories 