love notes 09: books i think you should read, part 1
five book recommendations you need to read asap, what i've been reading, other weekly recommendations and more
This week I’ve been obsessed with: the idea of starting over, hot black coffee, new sheets, being silly with someone, clearance sales, the tortured poets department (still), a full night of sleep, black boots and dancing in the kitchen.
I started “Lover of Stories” because I needed an outlet to share my love of storytelling with other book lovers and writers.
I write a lot about the books I’m currently reading and the books I want to read in the future. But I also wanted to create a little series in my Love Notes to share my unbridled thoughts and undying love for all the books I’ve read before. Some of them I’ve read recently and some I read long ago, but I definitely think that all of them are worth reading.
There’s nothing better than gushing over books that have a special place in my heart. So I hope my words entice you to pick up these reads!
The Secret History by Donna Tartt: The book that ignited my obsession with dark academia books and literary fiction, The Secret History is a masterpiece in quiet storytelling, compelling characters, claustrophobic intrigue and in writing a murder mystery even when we know who committed the gruesome deed. It follows Richard Papen as he studies greek and the classics at a prestigious college alongside a group of self-absorbed, intellectual and eccentrically rich classmates. Their professor is charismatic, their conversations drip with seductive beauty, and their lives are full of poetry and indulgence and hedonism — until everything inevitably falls apart after they all commit murder.
I really believe that there’s no other author who has such control over words like Donna Tartt — every sentence holds a purpose, no word is wasted. If you’re an aspiring author yourself, you can learn so much about storytelling and writing from this book. You’ll find the prose of The Secret History to be very descriptive and dreamlike, reading almost like romantic poetry. It also beautifully captures the obsession, corruption and betrayal that are deeply embedded into the book’s foundations. I will honestly never forget this book for as long as I’ll live.
Beartown by Fredrik Backman: I had never read a book that gave me literal goosebumps until I read Beartown. This is a story about a small and secluded town whose foundations were built on the obsession of hockey. When the junior hockey team is slated to win the grand final, it not only means a chance of glory but a reclamation of Beartown itself. Yet one horrifying altercation threatens to shatter that dream completely — and the book wonderfully captures the way an entire small town can be rocked and transformed.
I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did — to feel like I was a resident of Beartown too. I loved the social commentary, the deep-rooted anger and frustration dripping from the pages, and the beautifully written passages that have become quotes scribbled into the margins of my notebook. But it was the well-developed, life-like characters who burrowed themselves inside of me that makes this book a favourite, as I found myself caring for each of them. It also explores the interconnectedness of small towns, the good and the bad, as well as sexual assault and the toxicity of sports culture. And it asks questions like how far would you go for your family and friends? What responsibilities do we have to other human beings existing on this planet with us? What happens when nobody believes you? You won’t be able to put this book down.
Bunny by Mona Awad: For one of the most incredible books ever written, I wish I could sum up my favourite book more poetically — but, really, Bunny is absolutely bonkers. It’s the story of Samatha Mackey, a scholarship student at her prestigious college and an obvious outsider in her MFA program. Despite initially feeling repulsion for her classmates — a clique of rich, girly girls who nickname each other ‘Bunny’ — Samatha soon becomes enveloped in their strange and terrifying world. I don’t want to give too much away, because the best thing about this book is discovering the whacky weirdness for yourself. But expect ritualistic and cult-like murders, and the term ‘killing your darlings’ taken quite literally.
Like I said, this book is absolutely bonkers. It’s crazy as hell. So if you’re looking for some weird literary fiction to sink your teeth into, look no further — you’ll be lured into the clutches of this sinister world of Bunnies just like Samantha was. I have no doubt. Mona Awad is a serious literary genius with this unhinged masterpiece.
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater: This four book contemporary fantasy series is my favourite young adult series of all time. Beginning with The Raven Boys, the quartet follows a girl named Blue — a daughter of a psychic who has no psychic abilities of her own — as she becomes entangled in the lives of four boys from the prestigious private school who are on a quest to find a long-dead Welsh King. It’s a fantastical adventure story brimming with magic, but still remains incredibly grounded in the real world. And while there is romance simmering beneath the story’s surface, the book’s main focus is on the power of friendship. I mean, Maggie Stiefvater had a sticky note next to her computer as she wrote this series that said “the worst thing that could happen is if they all stopped being friends”. To her that was a fate for her characters worse than death — so be prepared for an epic and emotional adventure.
The story is fun and intriguing. The characters are so devastatingly human that I found myself wishing that I was part of their friendship group too. And the writing is also delectably luscious and descriptive, filled with beautifully crafted metaphors and quotable lines. I honestly dream of writing books as spectacular as these someday.
Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica: If you’re searching for a book that will emotionally destroy you, that will make you feel so disgustingly uncomfortable, that will make you scream and cry and throw things, all while making you question the goodness of humanity — you need to read Tender is the Flesh. I’ve never hated the world as much as I did when I was reading this book. It is set during a time where animal meat has become ‘infected’ and deemed impossible to eat, so the government turns to legalising the processing of human meat instead. The main character — a man whose wife has recently left him and whose entire life is crumbling into shambles — works for the local processing plant. He is one day given a live ‘specimen’ who he begins displaying real humanity towards. I don’t want to tell you more than that, because if you want the full and devastating impact of this book I really suggest reading it for yourself.
However, I do feel the need to stress again that this book has very heavy themes, and is incredibly dark and super unsettling — to the point it actually transformed the way I looked at humanity as a whole. Be prepared to have your heart broken and your mind tarnished beyond repair. And yet, Tender is the Flesh is a favourite of mine because it does tell an incredible, emotional story that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about since I turned the last page. I’ve never had such a strong emotional reaction to a book before. If you’re okay with feeling uncomfortable and reading something a little more morbid, I definitely recommend it.
part i: what i read this week
I finished reading Bride by Ali Hazelwood this week, and I thought it was okay. The story was entertaining and I was invested in the main couple’s romance, but unfortunately something was missing for me to feel fully connected to the book. Maybe I was expecting more in-depth descriptions of the vampire and werewolf lores? I’m not sure. It’s definitely not a bad book, I still enjoyed it — I’d just only recommend it to anyone who is looking for a paranormal romance with more emphasis on the romance rather than the supernatural themes.
I also started Frankenstein by Mary Shelley this weekend. I’ve read 53% and it’s so good. I can’t believe it took me this long to read it.
And finally I only have two article recommendations that I found particularly interesting and inspiring this week:
Why It’s So Hard to Lend a Book to a Friend, According to the Internet
Why Everyone Wants to be the Internet’s Librarian by
part ii: what i wrote this week
If you read my last piece, Let Me Be Your Cautionary Tale, you know that my old laptop was drowned in water and I lost everything that I’ve written in the past two years, including two books. I was heartbroken, obviously, but I’m hell-bent on rewriting my books and starting over. I don’t want to give up on my dreams.
So I spent this week recreating the old files I lost, writing up new in-depth character profiles and have started re-outlining my dark contemporary fantasy — the book of my heart — from scratch. I’m amazed with how much of the book I remembered, but I’m also giving myself the freedom to explore new ideas as they come.
Despite this being such a disappointing and soul-crushing experience, I’m actually enjoying the process of putting everything back together again — this time only better. I’ll be keeping you updated!
part iii: what i watched this week
Most of my nights have been spent working on re-outlining my book, so I haven’t watched much this week.
My husband and I finished watching the television series adaption of Fallout — it was so good that I’m actually a little upset we have to wait so long for season two to find out what happens next. We also started Vice Principals season two and we only have two episodes left — I don’t think I’ve laughed this hard in a while. And now that it’s June, we’re both excited to watch the premieres for The Boys season four and House of the Dragon season two.
However, I did find some time to catch-up with my favourite Booktubers, which is probably my favourite way to procrastinate lately. If you’re looking for anyone new to follow, I suggest: Dakota Warren, The Book Leo, Jack Edwards, Cameron (Slaggy Book Club), Emmie Reads, Christy Anne Jones and Darling Desi. Each of these creators provide some very different book recommendations, often outside of what is considered to be ‘popular’. This is great if you want to diversify your reading experience!
And that’s this week!
Is anyone else in total disbelief that it’s already June? I don’t like being a cliche, but this year has gone by so fast and I just want to spend the rest of it focusing on slowing down.
In the meantime, let me know if you’ve read any of the above books? Did you enjoy them as much as I did? Part 2 will probably come out in a couple of weeks.
Until next time,
- Madeline
the secret history genuinely changed the way i view literature it’s such a masterpiece!! i’ve been meaning to check out bunny and tender is the flesh
i cannot believe u lost all ur old work i’m so sorry truly,, it’s devastating but i love that ur restoring everything those stories deserve to be told!! happy june and thank u for sharing all these recs<3
I JUST heard someone mention Bear Town and I’d never heard of it before so this timing is too funny! I feel like I’ve been seeing Bunny so much lately, and I’m intrigued, but I’ve never read anything like it before so I’m unsure if I’d enjoy it or feel totally out of place. Would you say it’s still a good rec for someone who hasn’t really read any horror? (Would it classify as horror?)