Changing My Reading to Fit Who I am Now…

It’s a weird thing to think about – but because I’ve been so completely absorbed in my studying and academics over the past few years (with the time I haven’t been studying spent with family, friends and living new experiences etc.) – that it has meant that my reading has mainly been left for the holidays and summer months, and so consequently, long periods have passed by where I haven’t been reading any books for pleasure. This has often resulted in me coming back to reading only to find that the books I had previously been reading/eyeing – I’m no longer interested in.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Title: Never Let Me Go

Author: Kazuo Ishiguro

Genre: Literary fiction

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Because maybe, in a way, we didn’t leave it behind nearly as much as we might once have thought. Because somewhere underneath, a part of us stayed like that: fearful of the world around us, and no matter how much we despised ourselves for it–unable quite to let each other go.” 

This is one of those books that upon starting, you immediately sense that all is not as it seems – which exists as an underlying current throughout the entirety of the book, slowly heightening to the climax to which all will finally be revealed. Whilst I’ll admit I wasn’t completely surprised by the ending – and in fact slightly disappointed it wasn’t as shocking as I had anticipated it to be – the themes highlighted in the storyline make it an extremely thought-provoking read. I couldn’t help becoming attached to the characters, especially Kathy, and become increasingly invested in their fates, only making the story all the more impactful.

Reading Books Outside of YA | Reading Goals

So… if you’ve *somehow* managed to stick around for the past 1.5+ years (and if you have… you’re amazing) it’s clear that my taste in books has evolved over the past couple years. I first started this blog in October 2017, when I had just started getting into YA fiction. This blog documents my journey of exploring YA fiction, through all the highs and lows, and I absolutely loved being able to engage with the amazing amazing amazing people in this community and bond with everyone over books. But by the end of summer 2019, I came to a realisation… after having read many, many YA books that summer my brain was officially saturated, and I felt like it was time to move on (more on that here). I’ll be honest, though, I didn’t really have much time to explore other reading options beyond YA (although I had many plans) because I started my A Levels – and it’s safe to say I was completely and utterly overwhelmed, so the books I read for pleasure plummeted, and my posts on here also plummeted. But now, I think I’m finally reading to truly delve outside of YA reading and into new waters, now that I’m in lockdown and my exams are cancelled (and I hope) that I have a little more time on my hands… this was a long prelude so let’s talk about it!!!