Oops, blogging has fallen by the wayside lately as other parts of life have taken up most of my time and attention, but finding a moment to share reviews of the books I read last month.

Go Gently by Bonnie Wright

I don’t usually pay much attention to celebrities but was intrigued to learn that actress Bonnie Wright best known for playing Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter films is a passionate environmentalist. Go Gently is a comprehensive and practical guide to living a more sustainable life that covers everything from bamboo toilet paper to ethical banking and getting involved in activism or protests. I really enjoyed listening to the audio book but got frustrated by repeated references to the accompanying pdf, and ended up buying a copy of the book. This is a great contrast to the climate doomism in the news and a very hopeful book, Bonnie Wright doesn’t expect everyone to do everything she suggests but if everyone does something then we can all make a difference.

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens

I loved Enid Blyton’s Mallory Towers series as a child, and this feels like such a modern and refreshing twist on the boarding school genre as two young students investigate the mysterious death of one of their teachers. Set in the 1930s, this is a cleverly plotted mystery with plenty of suspects, clues and the odd red herring to keep the reader guessing, but also explores themes such as racism, same sex relationships and children born out of wedlock in a historical context. This was lots of fun, thrilling in parts and I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

The New Age of Empire by Kehinde Andrews

A fascinating but grim history of the colonisation of Australia, the America’s, India, Africa and the genocides that European exploration and expansion involved. This really packs in huge amount of information from the inherently racist ideology of the Enlightenment and the history of the slave trade, slavery and the industrial revolution to the rise of neoliberalism, and provides context for present day conflicts such as Israel-Palestine, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is the kind of book that changed how I view the world giving me a greater awareness of the whitewashing of colonial and imperial history, and the exploitation of people and resources still going on today.

Unmasked by Ellie Middleton

A really accessible and inclusive guide to autism and ADHD by a young woman who was diagnosed with both in her early 20s. Ellie Middleton is clearly a passionate advocate for the neurodiverse community calling for kindness, patience and reasonable adjustments to help them navigate education, work and relationships. Unmasked is a really informative book with chapters providing clear explanations of the symptoms and behaviours of ASD and ADHD as well as debunking some persistent stereotypes that have lead to misdiagnosis and underdiagnosis (especially in women), as well as lots of insight into the lived experience.

Crookhaven: The Forgotten Maze by J. J. Arcanjo

I loved the first book in the series (reviewed here) and expected another fun heist during pickpocket Gabriel Avery’s second year at Crookhaven but this turned out to be such a heartwarming story about friendship and found family. Crookhaven offers such an original and fun twist on the boarding school genre of children’s fiction, but with high stakes as the students find themselves caught up in the schemes of the illusive and ruthless criminal gang, The Nameless, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

Vulture Capitalism by Grace Berkeley

I’ve become increasingly convinced that governments represent corporate interests not ordinary people’s, and Vulture Capitalism is packed with facts, figures and economic theory that confirmed my suspicions. It’s a bit dry in places but provides a thorough critique of Capitalism, debunking the myths of free markets and competition that neoliberals still use to justify privatisation and deregulation, even as smaller companies are swallowed up by huge multinational corporations and the same multinationals are bailed out by governments so they never experience the consequences of their high risk investments and lending. The last two chapters detailing how ordinary people have organised and won against corporations at local and national levels are particularly inspiring.

What have you been reading lately? X