World book day!

Hey Readers!

Who says world book day is just for children? NOT ME!
I've been at work in the library ALL DAY and not read a single book today! That is so so sad 
:(

But as it's world book day, and I do LOVE books. Today people have been talking on twitter about their favourite books. I can never do that. I find it impossible to list my "all time favourite" things. My favourite things change all the time, depending on what mood I'm in. Also I find it really difficult to rate things in order, especially when some things are so different- how do you compare books of completely different genres or writing styles? And how can you measure your level of enjoyment? Impossible and not worth worrying about. 

So instead I thought I would share with you 3 books I can read again and again. I don't frequently read books twice. I rarely buy books as I work in a library and am saving up money at the moment, and I also try to read as many books as possible, as there are SO MANY books I want to read and so little time. So it seems illogical to read a book I've already read when I could be reading another one. HOWEVER, there are some books which are SO GOOD, which I enjoy so much, and which never seem to get boring, that I can read them over and over again. Here they are:

1. Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding
Oh. My. GOODNESS I LOVE THIS BOOK. This book, for me, is the equivalent of a mug of hot chocolate with marshmallows on top- fun, comforting, like a big hug EXACTLY when you need it. Jones is HUMAN and HILARIOUS and has the ability to always make me feel better at times in life when I feel like I have majorly messed up or embarrassed myself.  If you haven't read it yet, seriously, do yourself a favour and READ IT. I don't even know why you haven't already.

2. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Someone at school recommended this to me whilst we were studying Atwood's better-known, The Handmaid's Tale as part of our English Literature A-Level. I borrowed it from the library the next day, and in two days I had finished it. Now it usually takes me a few weeks to finish a book, one week if I REALLY like it and have a lot of train journeys that week [I mostly read on public transport]. But I've never read anything that quickly. This book is compelling. It is structured in such a way that it flits between two narratives- the "present" which appears to be in a post-apocalyptic wasteland version of earth, and "past" which gradually unravels the series of events which lead up to the disaster which caused earth to transform into the world the protagonist inhabits in the present. Like The Handmaid's Tale it is a dystopian novel, a genre which I quite enjoy, like science-fiction but seemingly more grounded in reality- as if it had the potential to happen- you can see clear parallels in the world we live in. It's scary, but it makes you think, and I think a good book should do just that.

3. Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan
Ok. I have to confess. I have only read this once. BUT, it was so so good, that I know it is one I will revisit! Ian McEwan is one of my favourite authors and I have read almost all of his books that are available to borrow from the Library consortium. With Sweet Tooth, I really enjoyed his creation of the sense of time and place. I haven't read many books [possibly any!] set in London during the Cold War, and I think McEwan captured the greyness and sense of thick tension perfectly in this. What I really love about reading a McEwan novel is that you really get to inhabit the head-space of the protagonist and this intimacy means you gain a very in-depth view of their interactions and relationships with other characters, something I find fascinating. However, what REALLY struck me with Sweet Tooth was the utter PERFECTION of the ending. That may sound like an exaggeration, but I can tell you, I am rarely fully satisfied with the ending of a novel. Many are lazy, many are rushed, many leave me with several unanswered questions, leaving me frustrated or wanting more. But the ending to this novel is AMAZING and definitely the best, or at least most satisfying I've read so far. If you haven't read it yet, I urge you to give it a go. It's worth it for the ending alone.

And with that I shall end this World Book Day edition of A Life in Arts!

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer