(Images are taken from the Goodreads website link attached to the title of the book)
(Included are my ratings and my personal descriptors of the book.)
May 2018:
1) Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda ~ Becky Albertalli (303 of 303 pages)
(4/5 Stars) (LGBT+ Romance, Comedically Crafted, A Page-Turner)
2) Hamlet ~ William Shakespeare (50 pages) (Used to keep up with film study)
3) The Handmaid’s Tale ~ Margaret Atwood (358 of 358 pages) (5/5 Stars) (Dystopian, Chilling, A Must-Read)
4) The Ghost of Buxton Manor ~ Jonathan Ferrara (400 of 400 pages) (4/5 Stars) (LGBT+, Paranormal Romance, Intricate Story From an Emerging Author)
5) The Joy Luck Club ~ Amy Tan (In Progress: 96 of 332 pages)
Total Pages Read: 1207 pages (39 pages/day)
This month has been a very eventful month for my reading, where I have found the time to indulge in the world of literature.
The first novel I read this month was Becky Albertalli’s novel, Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I heard about the film, which led me to read the novel first. I must say that Ms. Albertalli is a phenomenal writer, in terms of having thorough character development and creating a genuine and relevant plotline that is relatable for many young adults in this current world. I certainly LOVED the comedic aspects that Ms. Albertalli incorporated, such as the one-liners that made me laugh out loud, and the implicit details that allowed readers to identify what Simon’s thoughts and motivations were. This is a romance novel, but I do think that it does justice for the LGBT+ community through a humourous and enjoyable lens.
Shifting genres, The Handmaid’s Tale certainly has lived up to its acclaim, in terms of providing us a stark dystopian society where society has clear gender roles, and the emphasis on creating a “new” society. We follow Offred, where her main role is for breeding purposes, and we see how her character develops with her adjustment from our current society into the society Ms. Atwood creates in this novel. I did find that this novel did not have much action, but I believe that the small, everyday actions tell a bigger story. By having a relatively constant setting, we are able to delve deep into other details, such as Offred’s character development, and her experiences before being placed into this dystopian society. Ms. Atwood does a phenomenal job switching between time periods during the narration. Sometimes switching twice on one page, this adds a richness to this novel unlike others I have read, illustrating Ms. Atwood’s skillful writing. She also does a fantastic job of exploring the human condition, where it left me breathless at her insight.
The Ghost of Buxton Manor is a novel that I decided to read because I wanted to support Aaron and Jon (who have a Youtube channel called HusbandandHusband). Although this novel has some editing issues, it is one of the few that has a place in my heart. There were many things that I loved about this novel, such as the exploration of paranormal romance, the use of characters as catalysts for the plotline, and his ability to create realistic characters that, but what I loved the most was his contrast between the past and present perceptions of the topic of sexual orientation. By juxtaposing homosexuality in two different time eras side-by-side, this was my most valuable takeaway from this novel. I encourage Mr. Ferrara to continue his journey through writing because his ability to craft a story for young adults will continue to impact many more individuals in the future.
My goal for June is to finish The Joy Luck Club and another novel.
