What I've been reading

The Humans - Matt Haig 

This has been a favourite. It did 'go off on one' a bit at points towards the end and seem a little laboured out but some of the premises at the beginning made up for that.  This blunt take on humans from an alien perspective reminded me a bit of Don in the Rosie Project which made it all the more charming. I believe the alien occupation of the protagonist is also a metaphor for a mental collapse and theres a couple of philosophical notions in there.

The Girl With All The Gifts - M.R, Carey 

At first I wasn't sure about this one, I was worried it was all going to be based in the one place and couldn't see where it was going to go, but once the pace picked up and the characters got on the move I really got into it. In some ways it was similar to The Walking Dead but with the complication of there being child zombies who are still half human (although that wouldn't phase Carol) Be warned its all pretty glib being the apocalypse…and a bit gruesome. I liked it. 

If You Find Me - Emily Murdoch 

If You Find Me might be a little heavy for some as the core of it is child abuse but its very poetic and I did enjoy the story becoming clear. The characters are created really well. It reminded me a little of 'Room' by Emma Donoghue in the sense that its about growing up away from society and then the shock of being surrounded by people for the first time.

I'd recommend The Girl With All The Gifts the most out of these. I'm currently reading another post apocalyptic book The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, Yey! End of the world!

What I've been reading

I've got through about 4 books recently, its all been good, here they are in order of preference

Every Day - David Levithan

"Sometimes memory tricks you. Sometimes beauty is best when it’s distant" 

This is one of my favourites since The Rosie Project. Judging by the reviews on Good Reads some people got a little too caught up with the technical issues of 'body hopping' which would mean they were concerned with the wrong thing. Every Day is a clever Young Adult book about human experience, what negotiates identity (body or mind) and how we view gender and sexuality. It's about a character called 'A' who wakes up in a different body every day and is able utilise and experience that body but still retain his memory and mind. He falls in love with a girl and tries to maintain a relationship whilst starting each day in a new body. At first I wasn't sure but quickly got into it.

Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

“Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.” 

E & P is about a romance between two young misfits that develops on the bus to school, the characters are colourful and created really well by Rainbow and there are some great lines. Its quite a harsh story towards the end and I found it a bit slushy at points but a good bit of young fiction. I used to read Goosebumps and Sweet Valley High so its not hard to take a step up from those! 

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

“In new situations, all the trickiest rules are the ones nobody bothers to explain to you. (And the ones you can't Google.)”

I think in a way I preferred Fangirl to E&P but the story had less of a purpose. I must admit I started skipping the actual fan fiction pieces (which are loosely based on Harry Potter) but when I read the final one it came together nicely. Its easy to get into and very of the time for those who have a preference for living online and nerding it up.  

My Sister Lives On The Mantlepiece - Annabel Pitcher

“I stared up at the sky and raised my middle finger, just in case God was watching. I don't like being spied on.” 

I've only just started this one so its not fair to put it at the bottom. It has a fast paced narration due to it being based in the busy mind of 10 year old Jamie as he observes his family in the wake of his sisters death. It's very sharp, blunt and darkly comic due to his inability to feel empathy. I'm interested to see where it will go.

“Reading is a bit like hallucinating.” - N.Filer, The Shock of the Fall

I just finished 'The Shock Of The Fall' by Nathan Filer, tricky to get into at first as its from the perspective of a guy with schizophrenia, but definitely worth it in the end. It's a little depressing but very clever and I like the way the main character (Matthew) remembers his dead brother by considering his atoms in everyday objects. Might have to read it again.

I've had a run of pretty good books recently so was struggling to find something else. I asked a friend I trust on recommendations and they came up with "IT" by Stephen King. I haven't read any King yet but have seen a few movies. If you think the films aren't all that scary then the book is a different story. I've been sleeping with the light on since I started and there is a lot left to go. Not for sensitive minds and those who want to keep a watch on their electricity usage. I'm going to stick with it and keep an eye out for clowns.