Blair’s Books

these are the things that i’ve read

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

So much to think about. Taking place in the Troubles, conflict ensues on a remote Irish island when an English artist and a French linguist visit for the summer, with conflicting views of colonisation. It raises questions of the autonomy of the colonised. Poor James

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

How did they do that? An insane story of survival, downplayed by Shackleton at every step. Will be eating penguin steaks cooked in blubber tonight. Hard to get into but even harder to put down once it got good. This calls for your handshakes

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

Few things I’ve read have made me feel as understood as this. Filled with reflections on creativity and nature, Oliver sparks life into everything. A homage to even the smallest lives, I’ll be revisiting this again and again (and again)

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

Over the course of a church sermon, a family’s truths are revealed and past lives are reflected on. Based on Baldwin’s on life, it’s a coming to terms of the struggles of being brought up by people considered ‘holy’, yet really have ‘sinned’. JBs first book but you couldn’t tell

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

Woah, amazing stuff. The truths of the army attacking Midkemia are revealed. Characters grow a lot, the story goes in crazy directions and the fantasy is out the gate. Best book in the series, really tied together everything I thought the 2nd missed. Absolutely elite

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

After the rift was closed, evil remained as plots to kill Arutha became clear. A journey to learn the source of this evil and find a cure for the poisoned Princess Anita, it lacked the depth of the first book. Felt more like a spinoff than a sequel. And I hate the cover.

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

As Pug, an orphaned magic apprentice is learning his craft, a rift opens, bringing war from another planet. The story that follows is filled with loveable characters and great development. The jumping forward in time was frustrating at first but it’s a top 3 fantasy read for me

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

Wow. Is it about basketball? Yes. But it’s also about loss, growing up, finding oneself, and time. It’s about everything. And the way that Abdurraqib finds a way to talk about everything through basketball is amazing (especially in the last minute).

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

Plain and simple, he is the GOAT. No one could dream to live a better life and he has the perfect voice to tell stories of which I’m insanely jealous. My top guest at a dinner party

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

Repetitive in parts, it ended up having a lot to say. The suffering of war is horrible and the mind processes it in different ways. It is this suffering which is pivotal in Alfa and Mademba’s relationship. Friendship goes deeper than this life, it’s a promise to always keep space

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

hard to put this one in to words but i know i’ll read it again (and probably again)

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

When you’re young, it feels like nights with your mates will never end. While they do, the bonds made and stories shared always last. A beautiful book, it could split the freedom of youth with the restriction of death, but it doesn’t. As long as there are mates, there’s freedom

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

Jumping across the page, Coates strings ideas together in a way that can’t be replicated. Moving from the USA to Senegal to Palestine, he tells stories of power and tragedy, through the lens of what has become race. Provocative, no one does it like Ta-Nehisi

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

The final of this trilogy finds another Ohmsford journeying to save the world from evil. Probably my favourite of the 3, the tales of Brin and Jair are each fantastic, both having strong development. One of the few books with parallel stories where both are good. RIP Allanon

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

Not at all what I expected. A reflection on love and loss, through the colour with which loss is all too well known. Yet by exploring the beauty of blue and the individual association, it’s clear that our experiences are as much our own as the way in which we see the world is.

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

A story where the corruption of desire runs parallel to the corruption of post-colonialism. It touches deeply on how the need for validation is felt across all levels. I was supposed to read this for a paper at uni but I didn’t then. I’m glad, I don’t think I’d have understood.

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

Again, there are lots of similarities to LOTR but also so many differences. The tree which protected elves from demons is dying and it must be replanted to keep them safe. Filled with twists, it’s fast paced and a fantastic escape. RIP Dilph

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

While it’s easy to compare it to LOTR, this book has so much going for it. Twists and turns, loveable characters, and masterful changes in perspective as the gang come together to find the only weapon which can protect them from evil. Felt smug at first but then got so so into it

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

Seeking to capture eternal beauty, Dorian Gray makes a plea with a painter. Yet living a life without visible sin, he’s driven mad and goes to wilder extremes to find value. Life is only beautiful because it’s also ugly (I’m sick of paradoxes @oscar wilde)

[Blair’s Books @Blairs_Books]

There’s so much I’d like to say about this but I don’t have the words. Taking place across generations of families in America, there is cyclical anger and despair. But there is also hope. I’ll sit on thoughts from this book for a long time.