Book Haul – September / October 2019

I was not expecting to buy as many books as I did during September and this month. However, after deciding not to finish four novels in the latest months, I was running out of books to read. I usually keep a relatively small number of unread books on my shelves. I tend to only buy new ones once I’ve finished a few of those that I already owned.

So, I acquired nine new books!

 

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Set in Paris and in London, it was described by Dickens as his best story. A French aristocrat and a dissolute English lawyer face chaos and fall in love with the same woman. I’m expecting it to delve into a variety of social issues that characterised the 19th century.

 

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

This book by Emily Brontë seems to be divisive. Many readers love it, others not so much. I’m both eager and nervous to find out what I’ll think of it. This is the story of the passion between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw and how she betrayed him in some way.

 

Mar Novo by Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen

I haven’t read poetry in a while, so it is more than time to change that with a collection by one of my favourite Portuguese poets. I expect it to be full of references to nature, more precisely the sea, as a symbol for more abstract concepts, such as feelings and freedom.

 

The Devil’s Footprints by John Burnside

Set in a Scottish fishing town, this book promises to be full of twisted and dark events. Moira Birnie is convinced that her husband is the devil. So, she kills herself and her two young sons. After that, Michael Gardiner becomes infatuated with her daughter.

 

The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier

Since loving Rebecca, I’ve read other four of Daphne du Maurier’s novels. I still haven’t read her short story collections, though. As The Birds and Other Stories is constantly praised, I have high expectations.

 

Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievich

After watching Chernobyl earlier this year, I’ve been wanting to read a non-fiction book about this specific nuclear disaster. Chernobyl Prayer features testimonies from various survivors, including residents, firefighters and clean-up workers.

 

We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

This is an essay adapted from the TEDx talk that Adichie delivered in 2012 about what it means to be a feminist. I’ve been meaning to read it for ages.

 

The Parentations by Kate Mayfield

This story about three sisters is used to explore the perils of immortality. Set in 2015 and the 18th century, it is a mix of historical fiction and magical realism. I’m intrigued!

 

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

Many readers say that this is their favourite Atwood novel, so my expectations are high. It seems to comprise various strands revolving around Iris. She reflects on her life, particularly the tragic death of her sister, Laura Chase.

 

Have you read any of these books? Tell me in the comments!