If you’re like me, you can’t simply finish a book, put it back on its shelf, and move on to the next one. Instead, I think it over once, I think it over twice, and then I try to find out if this book has changed me. Some books teach me who I am, and others educate me about important matters such as politics, history, and identity. Whichever book I read, there’s always a lesson to be learned. Here you can read about what I’ve learned from the books I’ve read so far.
By the Book #37 – A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Sometimes, reading a book makes me aware how little I know about the world. Khaled Hosseini’s novel A Thousand Splendid Suns is about war-torn Afghanistan, and it shows how much I still have to learn.
By the Book #36 – Wendy, Darling by A. C. Wise
Do we ever truly grow up? Or will there always be a part of us that remains a child forever? A. C. Wise’s Peter Pan retelling Wendy, Darling tries to settle the matter once and for all.
By the Book #35 – Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami’s novel Norwegian Wood is about love, the 1960s, and The Beatles. Or so it seems.
By the Book #34 – The Fortnight in September by R. C. Sherriff
Going on holiday is a wholesome experience. Come join the Stevens family on their holiday in R. C. Sherriff’s rediscovered classic The Fortnight in September!
By the Book #33 – The Dig by John Preston
Archaeology teaches us about the past, and about ourselves. So what does a book about archaeology teach us? Let’s find out.
By the Book #32 – Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Is it possible to write a feminist novel with a male protagonist? Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffi Brodesser-Akner shows the answer is yes!
By the Book #31 – Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell
David Mitchell has written a new novel! It’s about the 1960s and its music – my favourite!
By the Book #30 – Conversations With Friends by Sally Rooney
Sally Rooney has just published a new novel! To celebrate this, let’s take a look at her debut.
By the Book #29 – Swing Time by Zadie Smith
Life is like a dance; it’s fun, it’s exhausting, it swings, but most of all it keeps moving. Zadie Smith’s Swing Time is about how dancing and finding yourself.
By the Book #28 – Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon
Olaf Stapledon’s Star Maker is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. It’s physics, it’s politics, it’s philosophy, and it’s brilliant.
By the Book #27 – Serious by John McEnroe
“You cannot be serious!” Today I’m combining tennis and books, by focusing on John McEnroes autobiography Serious.
By the Book #26 – Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen
Insane, or not insane? Susanna Kaysen’s memoir tells us how it’s all in the eye of the beholder.
By the Book #25 – The Binding by Bridget Collins
What if we could get rid of painful memories? Bridget Collins explored this notion in her novel The Binding. Want to know what it’s about? Read on!
By the Book #24 – The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld
How do you deal with life after your brother has died? Marieke Lucas Rijneveld’s novel won the International Booker Prize for her novel about this topic. Read on if you want to know what it’s about!
By the Book #23 – Later by Stephen King
I recently read Stephen King’s latest novel Later. It’s a perfect blend of his trademark horror and the story a normal boy trying to find his place in the world. Want to know more? Read on!
By the Book #22 – The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Lev Tolstoy
Lev Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich is considered one of the best novellas ever written. Want to know why? Read on!
By the Book #21 – Lost Boy by Christina Henry
Christina Henry’s Lost Boy is a retelling of Peter Pan. Want to know why such retellings are necessary? Read on!
By the Book #20 – The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale
Do you ever feel like there’s a part of you that really wants to be a child again, and to believe in magic? Then read this post about The Toymakers by Robert Dinsdale!
By the Book #19 – Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
Max Porter’s Grief is the Thing with Feathers is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. Want to know why? Read on!
By the Book #18 Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451 is a modern classic, and still a very relevant one. Want to know why? Read on!
The Open Book 