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#12Booksof2024 December

For most of December I was reading fluffy, light books that weren't too taxing. But there were a few exceptions, and all were stand out reads. In Defence of the Act is an easy pick for best of the month. Unique, thoughtful, memorable.

Honorable mentions: Strong Female Character by Fern Brady, and Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett

@Andrew65

Wow, what an incredibly affecting, original piece of fiction. Through her narrator Jess, Black explores the effect of trauma on an individual's life, and the role of suicide in society. But also relationships, family, love, grief, and joy. It is a dark book, but balanced enough to avoid total despair. Black does an incredible job of balancing a book that looks so deeply at trauma without falling into “trauma-porn.“

TW: suicide, abuse

"Perhaps this is how good parenting always happens; you middle through in desperate terror and then attempt to apply logic afterwards to justify your choices."

Sounds accurate to me!

A very good book that‘s been hard to review. Fiction that reads like a memoir and heavy subjects. But I did really enjoy it. The narrative style is matter of fact as Jessica recounts painful life experiences - as it seems a scientist would do. I think this is what makes the book so creatively interesting despite the tough subject matter.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I had no idea how to rate this because I thought it was nonfiction, it had me so believing the storyline.

What a gut punch.

Jess is a lesbian and a scientist, studying altruistic suicidal behaviours in spiders (of all things). The novel discusses her personal relationships - touching on mental illness, trauma, queer love, and family dynamics.

Overall a moving and captivating story that will stay with me for a long time.

Weekend book haul. 😁 Lots of my holds came in at the library at the same time (as they do) and I found a couple of books on my TBR at at used bookstore. And I splurged on a copy of the tagged book since I can‘t get it at the library yet.

A well very written book. A very difficult subject. I would find this hard to recommend. If suicide has touched your life you probably won‘t want to read. It was hard.

This is one of those books that you feel you can‘t say you loved, because of the subject matter (suicide). But I did love it.

It‘s very dark but also darkly humorous in places. Looking back on it now I can also see a sense of hope there too.

I can‘t wait to what this author writes next.

#womensprize

Surprisingly funny and entertaining for a book that's also pretty sad. Also very life-affirming for a story that deals with suicide, eating disorders, domestic abuse, depression, generational trauma and more in a completely non-moralising way.

#WomensPrize2024 #WomensPrize

This book slapped me across the face and grabbed me by the lapels at the start, yanking me along with its intensity. It loses some of that in the middle, but the intensity certainly returns by the end. Because of the heaviness of this book, I wouldn‘t say I “liked” it, but it‘s powerful and will stick with me. I definitely appreciated it.

It really should come as no surprise that "In Defence of the Act", by Effie Black is my Book of the Week, although "How to Cook and Eat the Rich" by Sunyi Dean came as a close second: https://tardisgrades.blogspot.com/2024/04/book-of-week-april-1-to-7.html?m=1

#BookOfTheWeek

4⭐
I found this to be fairly powerful in topic and writing. Jess was a relatable and realistic main character. The story is multi-layered and heartfelt. This is one of the better Women's Prize Fiction long list books this year.

Without a doubt one of the best books I've ever read. The subject matter (suic*de) is an incredibly difficult topic to address in any shape or form, but Effie Black manages to talk about it beautifully, with tact, facts, kindness and even humour. The story is captivating and the writing is so light and pleasant that you end up easily reading through a lot more pages in one sitting than you were expecting.

#LGBTQ+ #lesbianlove

"But if it's all bullshit anyway, I'm choosing the bullshit that will get me through the day."

This has been my motto for a while now. I used to try to form the most accurate, the most correct, the most informed opinions as possible on everything, but some things are just not that simple or even important. Now I just look for what makes me happy and gets me through the day. Because, in the end, most of it is just all bullshit anyway.

"I forgot to bring my book today, so instead I pick up one of the magazines the carer tends to leave lying around. I rarely read women's magazines anymore, and I'm surprised anew by the number of ways it is possible for a woman's body to be wrong."

Not really the very first line, but

“ 'Feel free to shout out.' Everyone feels free. No one shouts out.“

is possibly one of my favourite passages.

This first page was the page that made me want to read this book and I'm so glad I did so, because I haven't been able to put it down! So, a bit more than a first line but I'm hoping it'll get others to read it too.

#FirstLineFridays

"I hurled it with such incensed vigour that it bounced back and onto the lap of the person next to me, to whom I apologized. Which I probably wouldn't have had to do had they read the book, because they would've surely understood the point I must have reached, and, remembering it, they would quite rightly have thrown the book on the floor in renewed rage themselves."

We've all read a book like that and I just love how she describes this ?

I have always thought those pages at the end of books that are all "a note about the type" we're a bit weird I have never much noticed the font in a book, but I absolutely hate what was chosen here? I really hope it doesn't cloud my judgement of the book.

Tough subject matter but I loved this book so much. I loved how it spoke to chaos and trauma in your growing up years. I loved the journey to growth the MC made. It will stay with me. 5 🌟

#WomensPrizeLonglist

TW: Suicide, Disordered eating

Her book collection is astounding. It covers two of the living room walls from floor to ceiling, running across the top of two doorways, and is organised entirely by colour.
----

How does anyone find anything when they do this with a big book collection? 🤯

#BookReport 12/24

It seems like I selected my books for their color, well, I didn‘t 😉. I LOVED the tagged one. It won‘t be for everyone (tw suicide ⚠️ ) but I think it will be one of this year‘s favorites for me. I also loved Ordinary Human Failures. Vengeance is Mine was just so-so.

So far I am very pleased about the #womenPrize longlist with already two winners for me out of the three I read 😀

... people who grow up surrounded by chaos and fear are more likely to..... suffer cancer, heart disease, and auto-immune disorders. Maybe you think of course they're more likely to be unhealthy if they're more depressed and they're drinking more? Well no. Because these scientists have shown that when you stress out young mice, they go on to have screwed up minds and bodies, and that certainly isn't because they spend too much time in the pub.

I have never been happier or felt more at home than in this grubby underground world full of people like me, and I experience genuine and instant love for the girl who takes my entrance money and stamps my hand, the girl who checks my coat and bag, the girls who keep my plastic cups filled, girls who touch their fingertips to dripping ceiling as they dance, the girls in the endless queue for the horrible toilets...The girls, the girls, the girls.

The evolutionary benefit of something as dark as suicide. That‘s what this book is about and where Jess is convinced of.
In the book we get to know Jess and learn why she thinks this way. It‘s a short book but it packs a punch. I am left shattered and in awe. My favorite of the #womenprize longlist so far. I‘ve only read three but I am sure this will remain a favorite!

(Photo: Robbie Williams exhibition)