End of July reading roundup!!

I know it's a couple of days late, but I thought I would do a quick roundup of the books I've read over July to share with you!!

1. L'Étranger - Albert Camus: this was a really interesting read, educating me about the philosophical idea of absurdism (the belief that human beings exist in a purposeless, chaotic universe). I loved the way Camus presented this idea through the protagonist, Mersault, who was a detached, unfeeling character, as his almost depressing nature really conveyed the main belief of absurdism - that is that human life is futile. As the story unravels, you see how Mersault's nature hurts others, but also how he is a good friend to those he is closest to, even if he does have a strange way of displaying this. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an intriguing, informative read!

2. White Teeth - Zadie Smith: I absolutely adored this novel from Zadie Smith and it was definitely my favourite read of July!! It is the first of her novels that I have read but I will definitely be going back for more! Her witty writing style in this novel keeps the pages turning, and I love how the subject matter makes you question your own beliefs concerning morals and ethics. The book describes the stories of three different families across three races and two generations (although the happenings of the past do play a big role as well) so it proves to be a very insightful and memorable read. There is a slight hilarity at the extent of some of the stereotypes she uses which makes the book even better as it creates a sense of familiarity at the same time. This book is one that everyone should read and is also one that I think most people would enjoy reading due to the diverse range of subject matter and the juxtaposing characters, so go and enjoy it!!

3. Réquiem por un campesino español - Ramón J. Sender: so while I only read a shortened version of this book in preparation for analyzing it for my Spanish A-level, it was still a lovely little novella with a sad and nostalgic tone. It follows the intertwined stories of a Catholic priest, Mosén Millán, and a boy from the village, Paco, exploring their lives through the memories of the priest as he waits for people to attend the requiem mass for Paco who had been killed a year earlier by the

Nationalists at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. The book has a unique style, following three distinct methods of narration: the present, Mosén Millán's memories of his relationship with Paco, and the gentle hummings of the altar boy who sings a ballad recounting Paco's life. It is narrated by an omniscient narrator which gives the book an added tone of nostalgia but also creates the sense of loss that Mosén Millán feels by almost forming a gap between reality and Millán's thoughts and feelings. The book is a sorrowful story that is laced with symbols of a greater cultural poignancy.

4. Tender Is The Night - F. Scott. Fitzgerald: unfortunately, this book was a bit of a disappointment. While the blurb made it seem attractive as a nice romantic story to kick back with on a warm summer's day, the actual book was not nearly as good as I thought it could be, and about two-thirds of it didn't really relate to the blurb at all! It was depicted to be a romantic story set on the French Riviera where an American actress swoops in and creates trouble for a married couple and, although the first third of it was just that, the rest of the story jumped around a lot and was very bitty. Everyone just kept popping back up in random cities in Europe, a problem would occur, everybody would leave, and the same cycle continued. Yes, there was a plot twist, but it wasn't as good as it could have been had the chapters not jumped about all over the place. Also, I found the character development pretty poor as well;

they all remained very much the same as when you were first introduced to them; even the character who was at the centre of the main plot twist!! I'm very sorry to any fans of the book, but it just wasn't for me!

I hope you have all enjoyed your reads over July and, as ever, please leave comments in the comment section below - I'd love to hear about the books you did/didn't enjoy - and feel free to share the blog link with anyone you think would be interested! Also, if you have Instagram, please go and check out my new account for this blog: @xxthebookloverxx