To kill a mockingbird by H. Lee

That's the classic I was talking about. I was expecting more, way more and became disapointed. I need to start appreciate books without expecting too much of them. This one was still interesting especially through the view point of a child regarding racism, but it did not reach the point where I was blown away by the writing or how the story was told.

L'enigme de la chambre 622 by J. Dicker

What a very long book to such a story. Was there even an ending? I can't tell. This book could have been better without many pages and details. It was too much for nothing and I hate when an author does that. There was suspense, yes, but too much of it for too long. It wasn't good in the end even if the story itself was good.

Les secrets de Thornwood house by A. Romer

I like to find book clubs where the books chosen are a bit different that what we normally see on bookstagram, especially when they make me discover new books I know I'll love because it's an historical fiction or a family drama. This one was one of them and I really loved it. It was just long enough with a real ending. It was not too complicated but had enough of suspense to go through the whole thing.

Un manoir en Cornouailles by E. Chase

I've listen to this one and found myself a bit lost from time to time even though it was told by two different women for the two view points. I loved the atmosphear, the setting and the whole idea of the book. Yet, something was missing. The ending was a bit odd even though highly expected and I was expecting another link between the two stories. I would still recommend it if you're looking for an easy family drama.

La chronique des Bridgerton by J. Quinn

Where to start? It felt like a was reading a very bad romance stuck between the XVIII and XXI century. Was it supposed to be modern in some ways? Why is this book so famous? I haven't passed the first episode of the tv show yet, but I can tell that it won't be that much different. It was nice to read, easy and light but nothing interesting happened. It felt more like another version of 50 shades but lighter. I just don't get it.

Here are some of the books I've read last month. If you wan't to know about the other ones I didn't mention, you can go and check my Instagram or my goodreads account.

Les Impatients par Maria Pourchet

Le pays des autres par Leïla Slimani

Les sept mariages d'Edgar et Ludmilla par Jean-Christophe Rufin

L'œil du Paon par Lilia Hassaine

Le cœur de l'Angleterre par Jonathan Coe

Dans les geôles de Sibérie par Yoann Barbereau

La fille de l'espagnole par Karina Sainz Borgo

La vie que tu t'étais imaginée par Nelly Alard

Le but pour le jury est de lire les 8 livres et de choisir parmi eux leur préféré avant mi-octobre afin d'annoncer le lauréat le 3 décembre. C'est une opportunité en or pour découvrir de nouveaux auteurs qui méritent d'être lus. Je vous ferait un retour sur les 8 livres avant la fin de l'année. En attendant, dites-moi. Par lequel souhaiteriez-vous commencer parmi la sélection ?

Before a proper reintroduction to this blog after months of almost disappearance, I wanted to talk about the book I've read in June. I didn't have that much free time to read, but I still manage to read a few really good books, thanks to lots of audiobooks, and times to read in the public transports.

The Switch by B. O'Leary

I think I've read every book from this author even though her books are not fantastic, they are just nice to read. This one was lovely. It's the sort of feel-good stories you need to read from time to time and remember that the world can be simple and beautiful. You know, in between thrillers.

Anxious People by F. Backman

This was a clear no to me. It sorts of ended well, but the beginning and ... well, most of the book is just boring. The characters were all idiots, the plot was not interesting and the story took too much time to be introduced. I was bored most of the time, but still managed to finished it. I wanted to read this one because of the title, thinking I could relate to the characters. And no. Not at all.

The Woman in the window by A. J. Finn

Can someone explain to me why this book is so popular at the moment? Seriously, it's probably the most boring thriller I have ever read. If we can call that a thriller. To me, it was mostly a depressed and alcoholic woman wandering around her appartement. End of the story. Yes, the thriller bit could have been intriguing and interesting, but it really wasn't because of the way it was introduced to the story. Nobody could trust the main characters, not even the reader. I really didn't like this book. It was just bad.

1991 by F. Thilliez

The last book of Thilliez came out earlier this year and I had the chance to read it (thanks mum). I love his stories even though they are really dark and make you think that all people out there are possible killers. And this one didn't depicted Paris into a beautiful city (at least, not the one you see in Emily in Paris). It was a bit different than his other stories, but still about women being killed in terrible conditions. What is it about women being killed with Thilliez?!

Le loup des Cordeliers by H. Loevenbruck

Here is to my favourite books of the month. The reader follows a young journalist in Paris, in the middle of the French Revolution where a mysterious murderer and his wolf are killing bad men. This book was amazing. It made me feel like I could see the 1789's Paris. I could feel the tension rising in the city, people's liberty itching and the end of the monarchy coming. I'm not used to read this part of the history but you can be sure I'm going to read the second book to know more of this story.

I'm one of those stereotype who reads all the time and did literary/history studies. And let me tell you, I love it! 

I first had my first bachelor's degree in English - languages, literature and civilization (basically, how to be fluent and know the culture of all the main English-speaking countries) then in French literature ("Lettres modernes" - which is not modern at all and not always French). Those two degrees gave me plenty of books to read and words to put together in many essays and dissertations. It was four years in total where I dreamed in English and thought about Ronsard even when I ate. Yes, it was intense and I actually enjoyed it all (mainly). 

What I loved the most was learning about other's civilization. Yep, it's sad to say when I intended to write a blog post about literature and not history. But I'm getting on that! I became obsessed with the Victorian Era and the 20th century in the US. The more I learned, the more I wanted to know.

Then comes literature. I have plenty to think about when I remember those four years. I did love it, but not all of it. Some books were amazing such as Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Others were supposed to be amazing but didn't feel so at the time like Margaret Atwood's best seller: The Handmaid's Tale (oh yes, I had bloody amazing feminist teachers!). And some were just plain boring (sorry for those of you who loves Emily Dickinson's poetry - I didn't). And between that, lots of writing about those books.

In France, we got different classes with different books and teachers every semester. That's why I had a lot of different books to read for various classes. I probably had around 3 to 6 books I had to read every semester (plus additional one for the most determined). Some I had to read three times (never did, I hate re-reading a book in order to understand it properly). And because I am a very obedient girl, I read them all. 

Before uni, I thought that those studies where about classics and boring/long books that nobody wants to read anymore. I was wrong. We did studied classics like Shakespeare, Henry James, Jane Austen and F. Scott Fitzgerald, but we also studied more modern literature like Atwood, Arthur Miller, Brian Evenson or Ben Marcus. I also discovered that some classics were far better than modern books. The whole end of the world/apocalyptic class I took was a disaster: I hated them all. Whereas I discover a passion in Great Expectations which was such a huge book to read at the time. Dickens won my heart, just like Jane Austen did. 

Then came French literature, which actually was not all French. Baudelaire, Ronsard, Racine, Euripide (really, REALLY not modern at all), Rousseau, Sartre: they weren't for me. I probably had to read 12 for this one year and I probably liked only 3 of them. It was disappointing, especially when the teachers were not captivating (expect the one who looked like John Snow). I was a lot to read for just one year as we have at least 2 books for each literary class. I didn't love "Lettres modernes" as much as I love my English degree. It was not captivating and the book were not always the best to study. We had to do those huge essays, in writing or orally (my cup of tea, as you could imagine) every other week (or what felt like it) and it just put this big weight the whole year. I really hated it when I had to speak alone for 40 minutes about literature. It actually benefited me, but the stress and anxiety it gave me was probably just too much to be okay with it in the end. And I just missed learning about history anyway. In another life, I might just do a whole History degree. Who knows?

I'm now over with literary studies as I'm doing a Master degree in web design - which I love, especially since I had zero books to read (= plenty of time to read the books I chose to read). But I'm grateful for the culture it gave me, the classics I read and the ability I have to write pages and pages of essays without dreading it anymore.

The list of all the books I read in those four years: 

• The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald 
• Death of a Salesman - A. Miller
• Various poems - E. Dickinson
• The Handmaid's tale - M. Atwood
• Romeo and Juliette - W. Shakespeare
• Great Expectations - C. Dickens ♥
• The Flame Alphabet - Ben Marcus
• Immobility - Brian Evenson
• Daisy Miller / In the cage / The beast in the Jungle / The figure in the carpet / The Death of the lion  - H. James
• Pride and Prejudice - J. Austen ♥

• Britannicus - J. Racine
• Les Bacchantes - Euripide
• Macbeth - W. Shakespeare 
• Les Confessions - J-J. Rousseau
• Les fleurs du Mal - C. Baudelaire
• Les mots - J-P. Sartre
• Les amours - P. de Ronsard
• Extension du domaine de la lutte - M. Houellebecq
• Le quai de Ouistreham - F. Aubenas ♥
• Petites natures mortes au travail - Yves Pagès
• Aux animaux la guerre - Nicolas Mathieu ♥
• Les Pensées - Pascal

A Little Life seems like any other book about friendship when you start reading it. It depicts JB, Malcolm, Jude and Willem. We start their story during their twenties and follow them for decades. For the first hundred pages, we think this story will be okay, quite light and maybe funny sometimes. Four men growing up might be interesting, especially with the New-York setting. But something feels different, you try to guess what.

For those first hundred pages, you have three points of view: Malcolm, JB and Willem. We have a bit of their past, their thoughts and what they aim to be. They each give their view on their friends. Each talk about Jude. But we never have Jude’s thoughts. And yet, he is already enigmatic because of the little details his friends know and give us about him. We want to know a bit more, to finally have a sense of them all. We do have Jude’s thoughts then. We have everything until the last pages of the book. Little by little, we have bits of his life. Some of them are very detailed, some are faster because we already grasped the meaning of it.  

I was so not ready for what follows. This book needs multiple triggers warning. It is devastating, deeply. You won’t feel great while reading this story, you’ll want to cry and focus on things that make you feel better, make you love this world despite of its cruelty. You’ll cry again, stop reading because it gets too much. Way too much. And yet, you keep going. It is the most horrible story I have ever read in my life, and yet it might be one of my favourite books ever. I couldn’t even tell you why. When I talk about it, I can only talk about its atrocity and deep sadness. I wanted to finish it really quickly so that I won’t have to endure the story ever again. I will never read it again. And yet, it’s one of the best books ever written. You’ll have to read it for yourself to understand it.

This book is outrageous, yes. It is also beautiful thanks to friendship and love. Despite what we may think, this book is full of love and respect. The four friends, with Andy or even Harold, make us look at what love is for just one human being. When you’re ready to accept totally someone, no matter of what their past is or how they feel, then you’re ready to love them deeply and unconditionally. That fact that Jude understands that, little by little – even though he doesn’t feel he is worthy of that love – shows that love can almost save someone. Or a least make his life a little more bearable.

Be ready before reading this story, it might not be for you. It is really intense and might make you feel like crap for hundred and hundred of pages. Be ready.

Little Women seems to be the classic to read at the moment, especially after the last movie came out. Don't get me wrong, it's good that classics become fashionable in a world where they tend to be seen as boring or too long to even bother. So I was glad about the enjoyment, but feared that it might raise the hype and make something bigger than what it really is.

In the end, I read the book in a matter of days and ended up enjoying it, not more, not less than what I imagine. It was a really nice book to read with four lovely sisters, each with their own and well-defined personality. The character of the mother is quite incredible: she is a mother as well as the embodiment of wisdom, kindness and love. She is fair, intelligent and inspiring. I guess many young people reading this book could benefit from her advice while growing up and struggling to find themselves and be kind.

I also loved that the story took place on many years. I was scared the book might be too long or too detailed, but it gives exactly what we need to understand everything and get a good sense of each character in the book. I personally loved Jo and Amy. They were the two I related the most: they are strong, passionate, love deeply and care very much to become better people. Meg was lovely, but a bit old school - even though the book was written in the 19th century. She gave too much of herself to others that I didn't see any real personality or ambition in this character. She could have been more. As for Beth, well (SPOILER) the writer killed her way before her actual death. What I mean by that is that we see so little of her throughout the book since she starts being sick that her death doesn't surprise anybody, or change anything for us reader. She seemed like such a kind and selfless child, taking very little space and being very quiet. She could have turned into a really interesting character if she wasn't so left behind, sick or not.

At the beginning of the year, I challenged myself to read 80 books in 2020. It did not seem impossible to manage that two years in a row and I wanted to read just the same. I know that reading is not about the number of books you read, but about the quality of the books you chose, blab bla bla. Still. I like to challenge myself and discover as many books as possible. However, by the end of August I realized that I only had four more months to read around 35 books to reach that goal. I freaked out, then I try to be organized for those few months to read them all. That’s probably why you’ll see more books on those posts for the months to come.

The Twilight saga – S. Meyer 

Outlander 3, Voyager – D. Gabaldon 

Queenie – C. Carty-Williams

The accident season - M. Fowley-Doyle

We have always lived in the castle - S. Jackson

Juste avant le bonheur by A. Ledig

What I love the most about a lot of French contemporary books is how poetic, simple and beautiful they can be. This one is probably one of my favorite book I've read in July. The story is beautiful, devastating, ordinary and extraordinary by the beauty of the characters. Agnès Ledig gives a real life story with beautiful characters. They are unique, "normal" and human. Yes, what strikes you the most in this book is humanity. You don't see the bad side of the human race, you see the good. And that sometimes is the only thing you want to see because you can't just have bad and unkind people. You have to have faith in others in order to be happy and be surrounded by good people. This book shows that in a tragic and beautiful way.

 

  

In order to live by Y. Park

Another of Polly Florence's book club. I was not disappointed by this choice for the month of July, it was such an interesting book! We follow the journey of Yeonmi in North Korea, her childhood there and how she fleed her country to try and find a better home to grow up and simply be free and happy. Her road was bumpy and terrifying. It was so hard to imagine someone your age living in the same years as you experiencing such a different lifestyle (might not be the right word...). I thought I was reading about the end of the XIXth century, and not our century. This book is important to understand a bit more of what's going on in North Korea, but we have to keep in mind that it's one testimony and there are plenty more to read and see to understand the bigger picture. 

Little fires everywhere by C. Ng

I started this book before watching the show. I disliked it, stopped it and watch the show (because Reese Witherspoon people!). The show was great and had so many interesting topic that I wanted to have more, so I started the book again. I won't say that I still dislike it, but it was not great compare to the show. The show was different but also showed more things, especially about the characters. In this book, they are not developed and are just passing in the story. They are simply not interesting and not "used" enough. I wanted more depth, more complexity and not dull characters. For once, the show is better than the book in my opinion.

The girl with the dragoon tattoo by S. Larsson

Don't read this book if you want something light and easy. This thriller is amazing and pretty hard to read sometimes. Not in the complex way but in the violences. I had to put the book aside from time to time because it can be really, well, violent. But above all, this book is great. You have an interesting story with lots of digging, investigating and an intriguing plot (even though some twist at the end can be easily guessed). I was not a fan of the other part of the story with the scandal of the journalist, I was more interested in the Harriet case. 

Boomerang by T. de Rosnay

Family mysteries can be my favorite type of story, especially to read. So many unsaid things, so many discoveries and suspense. This one was simple yet beautiful in its own way. The way it was written added so much to this book. I know I say it quite often but French writers have such a beautiful way to write. I'm probably more mindful of that because it's easier to see as it's my native language but I love it. It adds a poetic side to the story. 

Tell me what you've been reading lately!