I haven’t shared any books I’ve read lately because I haven’t actually read anything in the last 3 months or so. I use to set myself these targets to read at least 1-2 books a month and found that my anxiety levels would peak horrendously when I wouldn’t meet these targets. I mean, let’s face it, if you’re anything like me with 3 kids in tow and just trying to get by each day with your sanity intact, reading two pages at bedtime and promptly falling off to sleep is a thing. So now I take it easy on the unrealistic targets I set myself and just read a book as and when I can, simply because I know I will enjoy them. I’ve robbed myself of numerous joyous moments over the years stressing out over ridiculous things and now that I’m closer to my 40s than to my 20s, I've decided to just focus more on enjoying the “being in the moment” and accepting that some things are not made to fit into my ridiculous schedules and routines.
So here’s my latest read, one of the long listed titles for the 2020 Booker Prize - Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi. I absolutely fell in-love with the descriptions of the characters, the relationships and places that she sets you up as a reader with. It’s a book that will make you use all five of your senses just by how brilliantly she describes intimate moments between mother and daughter which has a toxicity about it that they both can’t seem to escape but revisit throughout. The relationship with her American husband and his family is described in a way where she seems to tolerate them and then you have the minor characters that are just as important as the main ones. The colours that are so vividly described alongside with the flavours of the food, the weather, the surroundings of each scene she narrates the story from transports you to the place she wants you to be. The kicker is, that you will find yourself going to those places so willingly. You’ll find yourself fully invested from the get-go especially as the themes are very confronting and will leave you feeling some kind of way at the end.
I guess it’s safe to say, that has been my weekend sorted... that is until my children decided to hijack it as my husband made the brilliant decision to get them walkie-talkies and my bedroom is currently the Green Zone that they keep coming back to, to regroup ... whatever that means. It’s almost 8pm and we are in no way ready for bedtime at all. Send help, maybe wine too. Lots of it.
Bella x
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