Eleanor Antoniou
Many of us have rebuilt our relationships with reading during the pandemic, making more time for books in our busy lives. Here are some of my favourite reads from this year which have strengthened my love of literature and helped me to grow through a difficult time.
GHOSTS – DOLLY ALDERTON
I can honestly say that Ghosts is one of that books that got me through the cold winter and third lockdown in early 2021. The story follows Nina Dean after her 32nd birthday as she navigates friendships, family and online dating. Alderton’s voice is a delight, and is so strong that at times it was hard not to picture her within the story. She perfectly captures relatable everyday moments, often making me laugh out loud. I particularly adored the hen-do depiction and best-friend Lola’s hilarious lines, which were perfectly balanced by sincere and moving passages. Overall, I loved this book so much that I had to start rationing how much I read each night, because I simply didn’t want it to end.
KNOW MY NAME – CHANEL MILLER
If there’s a book everyone should read, it’s this one. Chanel Miller, once known to the world as the Emily Doe in the Stanford sexual assault case, reclaims her identity and her story in this powerful memoir. It’s heartbreaking to read what she has gone through, and equally heartbreaking to know that so many women have had similar experiences. Miller, however, is beautiful in her prose and provides a voice of hope amidst the pain. It is a difficult read which left me shocked and tearful, but undoubtedly is one of my favourite books ever because of its deep meaning and power.
BETTY – TIFFANY MCDANIEL
Although I finished Betty a few months ago now, it’s a book that I still think about all the time. McDaniel’s novel is not an easy read, dealing with heavy topics including sexual abuse and racism, however, it is a deeply moving story, and an important one. It traces the coming-of-age of Betty, born in 1954 to a white mother and Cherokee father, and the history of her family. Originally written when McDaniel was 18, but rejected for being “too dark, too personal and too female,” Betty is a novel which will haunt you forever, being as heartbreaking as it is beautiful. I particularly loved how the sisters’ relationships remained steadfast at the heart of the book throughout, shining through the darkness which surrounded them.
PIRANESI – SUSANNA CLARKE
Since I finished Piranesi, recently crowned the winner of the Women’s Prize 2021, I’ve been telling everyone I know to read it so that I can discuss it with them! It’s hard to describe what this book is about because the premise is so unusual: Piranesi lives in a never-ending house, made up of halls and rooms that stretch on infinitely. Apart from the skeletons, and the mysterious figure of ‘the Other’, Piranesi is entirely alone. Clarke’s writing is beautiful, and extremely clever, involving incredibly subtle shifts in the story which slowly unravel more to the reader and question the nature of the fantasy genre itself.
Featured image courtesy of Gülfer ERGİN on Unsplash. Image licence can be found here. No changes were made to this image.
Eleanor Antoniou
Eleanor is an emerging freelance writer based in London. She recently graduated from Cambridge University and mostly writes about fashion, feminism, culture, and their intersections. Her published work is available at eleanorantoniou.wordpress.com.