The Best Books Of 2016

Let's just imagine Of Mice and Men and The Kite Runner are in there, because I can't find them. I will say that I've never cried so much at a book than I did at the Kite Runner.

I am a big reader. I read so much, I always have and I probably always will, because I really love it. I've read a lot of new things this year, so this is a real mix of genres, themes, fiction and non-fiction etc... I hope you enjoy this and maybe get some super last minute present ideas!

STITCHED UP: THE ANTI-CAPITALIST BOOK OF FASHION

BY TANSY E HOSKINS

• Considers the environmental, social, and psychological effects that the fashion industry inflicts upon all of us.
• Takes you into the exploitative sweatshops of child labour and pitiful pay.
• The pay of garment workers could be doubled without a noticeable impact on the price of clothing: they account for less than three per cent of the cost.
• Sees us all as victims, whether the exploited sweatshop worker, the impoverished woman suffering both the shame of poverty and that of not keeping up appearance requirements, or even the models.
• Fashion 'reinforces racism, sexism, gender stereotypes, class and unequal power relations…exploits its impoverished workers and its customers…pushes the values of wealth and greed and promotes body insecurity and dissatisfaction.’
• Revolution - she dismisses movements which resist or reform fashion, for while ‘organised campaigns can unite, engage, educate and inspire people, what they cannot do is produce clothes that are free of exploitation or environmental degradation. This is impossible under capitalism.’

EVERYTHING EVERYTHING

BY NICOLA YOON

• Will soon be a film (BUZZING).
• Complex, layered book about disability, love, human relationships, family and about ugly, troubling things that happen in unhealthy families dealing with the aftermath of traumatic events.
• You sink into the narrator's world, and the sense of isolation is explored in detail.
• Fear of the unknown.
• It’s a reflection of the real world, where people can do terrible things and you can understand their motivations but it doesn’t mean you have to like them.
• Not like most 'sick teen' books.
• Read it in 2 sittings.

FANGIRL

BY RAINBOW ROWELL

• Not as trashy as it looks.
• Coming of age story of two twins.
• Also loved Eleanor and Park (my favourite line from a book is in here actually - "She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.”)
• Fascinating, contrasting, and very realistic characters, so really easy to relate to.
• Explores many themes, such as the fear of making new friends, and the change of relationships with people as you move on in life.

GRISTLE 

(EDITED) BY MOBY

• Edited by Moby (the musician), but each chapter is written by someone else.
• Each chapter covers a different aspect of veganism.
• I learnt SO much from this book.
• Even if you've been vegan for a long time, or if you're not vegan or vegetarian, this is such a great book to read, as it's funny when it's personal, not forceful, but there's so much information, and so many things to learn.
• Completely reinforced (is that the word?) why I went vegan.

 

1984

BY GEORGE ORWELL

• You've probably already heard of/read it.
• I saw the play at the Playhouse Theatre and it blew my mind.
• Big Brother, totalitarianism, thoughtcrime.
• Shows us how dependent we are on language for our collective memory and understanding.
• Will make you check your whole house for cameras and make you scared/uneasy that you'll end up living in that world.
• The picture of the future being described as a boot stamping on a human face is all that's necessary to frighten everyone from the pessimistic misanthropes to idealistic optimists - just read it.

RAISE YOUR VIBRATION

BY KYLE GRAY

Trusting and developing, expressing yourself, giving and receiving in a way that's balanced, manifesting and creating a life you love and deserve.

Pick a vibe each day and read the few pages in the morning, and your day will instantly be better.

Not the weird hippy book it looks, but very beautiful, empowering, and inspiring. 

In terms of blogmas... I've missed out six days, in case you couldn't tell. I honestly just couldn't bring myself to blog, because a) I'm tired and sick, and have been going to bed way too late because I've been trying to finish posts, and b) I don't have any post ideas I can do quickly, and I don't want to put out poor quality, rushed posts just for the sake of it. I don't like for my blog to become stressy, because that's not how it should be. (I'm writing this on the 20th) I'm going to post on the following three days - I hope you don't mind. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself, but I was very determined and I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. I only decided to do blogmas on the last day of November, and I dove head first into it with no posts planned. I have loads of ideas for the new year, but they just need more time than one day each! And I definitely hope to do blogmas next year, and I can start planning super early.

see the rest of blogmas here

now playing: music for a found harmonium patrick street/make up lou reed/ya ya lee dorsey/the promise when in rome