Danica Reads

I want to use this blog to recommend books I love, share monthly wrap-ups and curate a cozy bookish vibe.

[danica-reads]

“A page, turning, is a wing lifted with no twin, and therefore no flight. And yet we are moved.” -On Earth We Are Breifly Gorgeous, Ocean Vuong

[danica-reads]

Hamnet

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recently I finished Hamnet, a book that's been on my shelf for a long time and was brought back to my attention by the release of the movie. I had to sit with it for a few days to be able to write anything about it, and I honestly still feel lost for words. Hamnet is the kind of book that makes aspiring writers like myself feel both excited to write and completely hopeless that anything we produce will be half as good. Half as magical. 

Hamnet follows the life of William Shakespeare’s family, primarily his wife Agnes, as they reckon with the death of their son Hamnet. It was a deeply moving story about grief and the way families can fall apart in the face of it, but also about how they can come back together. I genuinely loved every second of this book. Even the most simple sentences are filled with so much imagery and emotion that not only is it beautiful to read, but it is also completely transportive.

One of my favourite parts of Hamnet is the chapter in which we are told the story of Agnes’ childhood, of her fae-like mother and affinity for walking through the forest. This chapter truly does feel like a fairytale and the idle gossip of townsfolk all at once. It does a fantastic job of setting up Agnes’ character for the rest of the story, and creating an emotional connection to her that stays with you far beyond the last page. 

As soon as I finished chapter one I knew I was gonna fall in love with it. Take this excerpt for example: "Him standing here, at the back of the house, calling for the people who had fed him, swaddled him, rocked him to sleep, held his hand as he took his first steps, taught him to use a spoon, to blow on broth before he ate it, to take care crossing the street, to let sleeping dogs lie, to swill a cup out before drinking, to stay away from deep water."

I loved that line! Picturing the entire life of Hamnet, from infancy to when the story takes place makes the inevitability of his death even more painful. It is also such a treat to read, to let it roll around in your head while you marvel at O’Farrel’s craftsmanship. 

Hamnet is an incredible book, and I highly recommend it!

[danica-reads]

April Wrap up!!!

I was super disappointed with Very Impressive For Your Age because I was interested in the premise before reading it and it fell short. Thank god I had I Who Have Never Known Men to pick me back up.

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[danica-reads]

“Memories, even your most precious ones, fade surprisingly quickly."

[danica-reads]

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Literary fiction, sci-fi, and dystopian.  

Very slow paced, good read for the days you feel the crushing weight of your mortality. Kathy tells the story of her life, from her idyllic childhood in Hailsham boarding school to her much darker adulthood, with endless nostalgia. The details of her world and what it has in store for her and her closest friends are kept purposefully vague, which creates an underlining feeling on unease in the reader. Despite its slow paced and anecdotal based writing style, Never Let Me Go is one of my favourite books. The story explores the fact that we are all mortal with limited time to find love and connection.