It’s been a long January of reading pretty much everything Primo Levi wrote and other Holocaust literature and memoirs – hence my lack of reviews, I don’t particularly want to review such harrowing and personal stuff.
But while I’m here to plug, I wrote a review of a book by a second generation Holocaust survivor which has now been published by the Institute of Historical Research http://www.history.ac.uk/reviews/review/2215
Anyway, I digress. The point of this post is I had an amazing little book haul courtesy of a £50 Waterstones voucher for filling in a training survey for the lovely people that fund my PhD. So I thought I’d post about the books I’ve bought, why I bought them and how I will 100% be reviewing all of them once I’ve read them.
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
This looks to be an interesting time travelling/identity crisis read with hints of loneliness. I also love the fact that the main character uses his long life and experiences to teach History at a school – yes I’m biased and swayed by the whole history link.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl
This has been on my to-read list for a long time, but it wasn’t a Holocaust read that could be found in the University Library. My thesis dabbles in the ideas of psychology and how they link to the post-war experience of Holocaust survivors, and the idea that Frankl attempted to create a psychotherapeutic method based on his Auschwitz experience just feels like a fascinating thing to engage with.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
I had a friend who really adored this book, and despite the perils of friendship with this person, we had similar taste in books. I mean come on, dystopia, book hating, burning, banning intrigue? Count me in.
This Is Going To Hurt by Adam Kay
I’ve always been really interested in the practice of medicine and the history of it, but also dismayed to see how much pressure staff in our NHS are under. These secret diaries of a junior doctor feels like something everyone should read – the people who treat us when we go to hospital are only human, humans under incredible amounts of pressure.
Wayward Girls and Wicked Women by Angela Carter
I know people who are so obsessed and in love with Angela Carter’s works, and I have read a grand total of zero. Time to change this, also the title sounds feminist and epic.
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
See above remarks how I am so ridiculously late to the Angela Carter party.
Desire by Haruki Murakami
I’ve heard so many good things about Murakami just in general, and this little mini book seemed really interesting in its premise and to be honest I don’t really read enough short stories. I should get to the point where I do read more short stories and poetry, for tiny little pick me ups for the time constraints of modern life.