what i’ve been reading this week.

So like, literally nothing.

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Hi friends! Today’s post is slightly spontaneous! I was going to publish my third episode in the 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 that I’ve been doing but I underestimated how much time I would need to write it, so instead today’s post is just going to be a little chit chat where I talk about what I’ve been reading this week.

Sorry!

So this week has been so strange in terms of my reading?? I currently have three books going right now, two are classics and one is a random historical fantasy that I decided to pick up. But the problem is that I keep turning to fanfiction for some quick serotonin and then not picking up any of the books that I’m actually reading. It’s a problem!

I watched Dr Strange and the Multiverse of Madness last week, and everytime I consume anything by Marvel, I turn to Marvel fanfiction and I literally cannot stop. That’s not to say that I am not loving what I’m reading, I am! But my brain needs quick and easy, not dense and big brain energy.

The three books I am reading (when I decide to pick them up) are 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑶𝒍𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒑 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝑫𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒔, 𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒃𝒚 𝑮𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒕 and 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 & 𝑴𝒓 𝑵𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆. All are pretty hefty books, over 500 pages. WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELF?

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑶𝒍𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒑 𝒃𝒚 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝑫𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒔 is the next book for the 𝑫𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒔 or 𝑻𝒐𝒍𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒚 bookclub hosted by *emmie* and CarolynMarieReads. I’ve been taking part in this bookclub for the past year and I do love it! I love working through 𝑻𝒐𝒍𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒚’s and 𝑫𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒔’ works, I find it so fascinating to track the trends in their writing and how they develop over time. 𝑫𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒔’ early works, however, I am not having the best of luck with. My favourite 𝑫𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒔 book is stil 𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅 𝑪𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒊𝒆𝒍𝒅 and I read that a few years ago prior to this bookclub.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑶𝒍𝒅 𝑪𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒑 is fine. I’m only 100 pages into it so I’m hoping that my feelings change! It reminds me slightly of 𝑶𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕, in that we have a child character named Nell and she just has such a trying time. I think I was spoiled about the ending of her character and if that’s the truth, then what is the point of this entire book?! 𝑫𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏𝒔’ writing is fine – the more melancholy he is, the more beautiful the writing so there is that!

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𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒄𝒉 𝒃𝒚 𝑮𝒆𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒕 is honestly one of the best classics I have ever read. Even though it is taking me far longer than I anticipated to read it, every time I decide to pick it up I am immediately immersed in the lives of these different people.

I have to say that Dorothea is my absolute favourite character. I love her. She is just such a complex and wonderful character to follow – she is flawed and makes so many mistakes but I love her character and the way that she slowly grows into herself and realises that she deserves more. Let’s not talk about Casaubon because I’m hoping that that motherfucker dies a slow and painful death. HE IS THE BEST CHARACTER TO HATE!!! I am only 360ish pages in, so please don’t spoil anything! I haven’t been spoiled at all and I don’t know how I have maintained that!

But yes, I adore this novel and it will most likely become one of my favourite classics of all time – possibly in my top 3. Should I do a blog post about my favourite classics? Let me know!

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The last book that I’m slowly making my way through is 𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 & 𝑴𝒓 𝑵𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆. I randomly decided to pick this up and I still don’t quite know why. I read𝑷𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒊 𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆 in 2021 and loved it. I found it to be one of the most unique stories I had read, especially in the way that it was written. Truly, it was fascinating! I spent most of the book trying to figure out what the fuck was going on. Amazing!

𝑱𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 & 𝑴𝒓 𝑵𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒚 𝑺𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆’s debut, I believe, and her writing is beautiful, immersive and incredibly engaging. I’m literally only 50 pages in, so I haven’t really read much in terms of how the story is developing or how the characters are going to grow. All I know is that I am captivated enough to continue on reading this 1000+ page book.

I can’t even tell you what this book is about? Because I don’t yet quite know. There are british magicians, but the practice of magic has died out (and is also seen as inferior?) where most ‘magicians’ are actually scholars of magic. There are elements of elitism and classim tied into how magic and the study and practice of it is spoken about which is incredibly interesting, but I’ve only just been introduced to Mr Norrell so I AM EXCITED.

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And that’s it! I apologise for not having a super interesting post for you all today!

I hope you are all having a wonderful day! What are you reading this weekend?

Until next time, happy reading!

All the love,

allie

xx

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