Hotel Du Lac by Anita Brookner
This is a book that I had caught a glimpse of on BookTube and became available on book swap not too long after. It is only a little thing, but won the Booker Prize in 1984. It follows a romance writer on holiday in Switzerland as she comes across some interesting characters. The book I received in my swap was a first edition which I an excited to have. I have reserved this book for a rainy weekend afternoon.
Women in history is something we hear very little about and so this anthology is something that I really appreciate for dispelling the myth that there simply were not any female writers of that time. The eighteenth century is a time period that I became very interested in after reading my biography of Mary Wollstonecraft and am thrilled to see a collection of her contemporaries. I have also watched The Duchess recently and was surprised to see her featured in this anthology. I have to admit that she is in fact quite talented. I was thankful to have found it on readitswapit.
The Fear of Freedom by Erich Fromm
This was a gift from my wonderful partner who spotted it in a charity shop and knew that it would be something that I am interested in. With all my research recently into greener lifestyles I have begun to notice that cutting back seems to mean that the people that embark upon these journeys feel much more relaxed, in control and ultimately free.
This book is a look into the needs of people and their seemingly contradictory need for both community and freedom. As a socialist I whole-heartedly believe that those two things are not only not a contradiction but in fact are necessities for being able to enable the other to happen. I am interested to see what the psychoanalyst Fromm concludes and am looking forward to the exploration of human nature.
Beauty by Robin McKinley
Beauty by Robin McKinley
A retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this book is another of my readitswapit gains. This is a book that I saw on a BookTube channel and instantly thought would be a good addition to my wish list. Beauty and the Beast has always been my favourite of the princess stories when I was growing up. There is just something about it that screams redemption to me which in my mind is always a good plot-line.
I'm not entirely sure, but I think that this is a YA novel and so will be a relatively easy read. Plus, I am fairly certain that this story will end with a happy ending and as result put a big smile on my face. That's exactly what I need in the summer sunshine.
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
This is a book that I got in a book swap and it was a trade for another Kinsella book that I had read a few years ago. The premise sounded very interesting and I was very happy to receive it in the post so close to the summer holidays.
I had heard a lot about this book from a channel on BookTube and knowing that and knowing how much I enjoyed some of Kinsella's others, this is the one I jumped for. I have already read and reviewed this book and gave it three out of five stars. My review can be found here.
Twenty Something by Iain Hollingshead
This is another book swap find. I was attracted to this book mostly because I'm in my twenties and so I thought that it would be very relatable. The story follows a 25-year-old who finds that he is so dissatisfied with his life that he walks out of it in pursuit of a happier, more fulfilling life. I think that's something that everyone can strive for no matter how old they are.
The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty by Sebastian Barry
I found this in a second hand bookshop in Sheffield and was amazed to come across it. Until I found this book I had no idea that The Secret Scripture was not a stand alone novel. Eneas McNulty has a cameo in Barry's second of the McNulty family series and I was instantly drawn to Eneas and his story. In The Secret Scripture Eneas is the black sheep, the outcast brother and I jumped at the chance to read more about him. A third book in the McNulty series comes out this year about Eneas' brother Jack and so I am hoping to pick this instalment up before Jack's story makes it's way into my local library. My review of The Secret Scripture can be found here.
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella
This is a book that I got in a book swap and it was a trade for another Kinsella book that I had read a few years ago. The premise sounded very interesting and I was very happy to receive it in the post so close to the summer holidays.
I had heard a lot about this book from a channel on BookTube and knowing that and knowing how much I enjoyed some of Kinsella's others, this is the one I jumped for. I have already read and reviewed this book and gave it three out of five stars. My review can be found here.
Twenty Something by Iain Hollingshead
This is another book swap find. I was attracted to this book mostly because I'm in my twenties and so I thought that it would be very relatable. The story follows a 25-year-old who finds that he is so dissatisfied with his life that he walks out of it in pursuit of a happier, more fulfilling life. I think that's something that everyone can strive for no matter how old they are.
The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty by Sebastian Barry
I found this in a second hand bookshop in Sheffield and was amazed to come across it. Until I found this book I had no idea that The Secret Scripture was not a stand alone novel. Eneas McNulty has a cameo in Barry's second of the McNulty family series and I was instantly drawn to Eneas and his story. In The Secret Scripture Eneas is the black sheep, the outcast brother and I jumped at the chance to read more about him. A third book in the McNulty series comes out this year about Eneas' brother Jack and so I am hoping to pick this instalment up before Jack's story makes it's way into my local library. My review of The Secret Scripture can be found here. 
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