Hi there, bookworms! It has been a while since I last published a blog post and have been active in the book community, and I have been missing it so incredibly much. I started my first year of university a few months back and a lot of things in the real world kept me busy, so you can imagine the whirlwind of craziness these past few months have been.
Due to my lack of free time, and daily reading I have to do for my university work, I did not get to many books these past three months. To be honest, I think I have only gotten to two books; none being read in March, a new all-time favourite in April and a prescribed book for one of my courses at the beginning of May. I am currently switching between two books because I honestly do not know what I am in the mood for. So, my reading has been at a slow pace these past few months.
Also, I do not know if I am the only one, but I feel guilty for reading and working on something other than my work for university. As it is my first year, everything is new and so unbelievably overwhelming at times and it is so easy to fall behind. I am a bit behind on my readings and would like to get a bigger head start on my assignments but I am reminding myself to take it day by day. So, if any of you have some university tips for me, they would be greatly appreciated :)
I have been away from White Rose Stories for too long and I miss being able to talk about books and Netflix shows (yes, I am talking about Shadow and Bone) with you all. I need a creative outlet and even if I won’t be as active as I would like to be, I still want to pop in every now and then with a blog post and bookstagram photo when I have the chance.
Anyway, let us look at the (two) books I have read this autumn and what I am currently reading!
The Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
R A T I N G :
Let me start of by saying that it has been a while since a book made me cry as much as I cried after reading this one. This book found such a deep place inside my heart and it ended up on my all-time favourites list. I do not think I will ever truly get over this book.
It grabbed my attention from start to finish and even if the story is told by Death’s perspective, the words were so magically woven and it was even humours at times. However, the plot of this story was incredibly heavy, as it is with any book about World War II and what all those people had to go through.
I loved reading Liesel’s story and think it was written so heartbreakingly beautiful. The characters became my best friends and it felt as if I was there with them, witnessing the few beautiful movements they experienced, as well as the darkness that swept over Himmel Street. It is a book that will always be in my heart and it is one I wish for everyone to read.
Small Things
by Nthikeng Mohlele
R A T I N G :
As this was a prescribed book for one of my modules for my English major this year, I had to pick it up as soon as possible. It took me a while to get through it, as it always does when it comes to the books I need to read for school.
Spoilers ahead! The protagonist, whose name the reader was never given, lived a tragic life to state it simply. He fell in love with a girl when he was young, married her later on in life only to find out she was abusive, was imprisoned during the apartheid era in South Africa, got shot, fell in love with another woman who left him in the end, was homeless for a while and the list goes on. He never really found his path in life and when he left the toxicity of everything behind in Johannesburg, he finally found somewhat peace of mind, only to die in the most unexpected and tragic way possible.
The book was not mind-numbingly boring but it just was not a memorable book for me. I found a few aspects of it a bit silly and it just was not the best book I have read for school.
As for the books I am currently reading, I have been switching between Dracula by Bram Stoker and Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (which I have heard nothing but amazing things about). I am really excited to read more of each and to really get into the stories as they are two books I have had on my TBR for a while now.
If you would like to see what my thoughts are on the books I will be reading as I read them during the month, be sure to follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
Keep reading, stay safe and never stop telling stories.
White Rose Stories 