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Welcome to Bookmarked! I’m so glad to have you here. Ever since I took a break from my blog and bookstagram a few years ago, I’ve felt a growing urge to return to them and share my ramblings about books and other bits I’ve enjoyed.
Writing about books helps me understand my taste. What themes am I drawn to? Do I prefer more character or plot-driven novels? What do I want to get out of reading? So, Bookmarked is a digital reading journal of sorts; you’ll find thoughts on books I’ve read, am currently reading, and those next on my list. I’ll also log the music, podcasts, and TV shows that have sparked something within me, as well as the occasional café or foodie recommendation.
By way of introduction, I want to share a few books that have shaped me as a reader, inspired by
from the Daisybutter Book Café. While I’m still discovering my taste and learning what really sparks that light within me, certain books solidified my love of reading. In this first part, I’m going to run through the formative books from my first two decades on this planet. Now 25, my perspective has evolved since moving to London for the 9-5, and so has what I crave in books. However, some will forever stick with me.Everything Jacqueline Wilson
Like many British twenty and thirty-somethings, ask me anything about Jacqueline Wilson and I will be able to talk at length about her books. From whispering about The Girls series with my fellow bookish tweens as if it were a Love Island debrief to tracing Nick Sharratt’s iconic front cover illustrations with paper and pen, Wilson’s books captured my imagination.
But as well as being compulsively page-turning, Wilson touches on a myriad of difficult themes like homelessness, illness, and grief with grace. These were relatable, but often new-to-me stories about real social issues that followed girls from all walks of life. The first book to bring me to tears was My Sister Jodie. Oh, my ten-year-old heart nearly pounded out of my chest when that plot twist happened. But mourning with Jodie’s sister Pearl is just one example of how Wilson opened my eyes to the world beyond my fairly sheltered upbringing. From then on, I was on a mission to read every one of her books. Scouring charity shop shelves, my collection quickly grew and I would read and reread them intensely.
I remember reading Little Darlings on my first holiday abroad; listening to the only album I had downloaded on my iPod Touch, Now That’s What I Call Music 77, on the sun lounger, toes pointed and sunglasses on, thinking I was Sharpay Evans.
The last Wilson book I added to my collection was The Longest Whale Song. That’s not to say my adoration for Wilson ended there. Not at all. I let out an audible gasp in front of my managers when I heard that Think Again, an adult novel following the main characters from The Girls series comes out in September.
In an era where book recommendations from Instagram or TikTok often dictate our reading choices, it’s rare to immerse oneself so thoroughly in one author's works.
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
As I entered my early teens, I attempted more ‘grown-up’ fiction, borrowing my mum’s copy of Anne of Green Gables. Written in 1908, the prospect of reading an old-fashioned book was daunting and the idea of classic literature was unbeknownst to me. Similar to Wilson, Montgomery distils important themes in a way that’s accessible and empowering for younger readers. Through lyrical prose, she explored friendship, to always embrace and learn from our mistakes and to seek joy in the big and small.
‘Life is worth living as long as there's a laugh in it.’
The themes would undoubtedly resonate with me just as much today. Anne Shirley remains an exemplary bold female character in children’s literature, making this book an enduring and endearing classic.
Jane Eyre by Jane Austen
From child to adult classics, Jane Eyre was the first to make it to my all-time favourites. In Year 12, we had to write a poem encapsulating the sentiment of a book of our choice. I thought tackling a chunky classic I’d never read before was a good idea, but I ended up adoring it. Watching the 2011 film adaptation starring Mia Wasikowska might have helped, but it was the depth and resilience of Jane Eyre’s character that got me.
Jane Eyre is a story of self-discovery and moral growth, centring on a woman who demands respect and equality in a society that offers neither. Its gothic atmosphere and the intense relationship between Jane and Mr. Rochester gripped me, shattering any preconceptions I had about classics being dull. It spurred me to read her sisters’ works with The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë sitting at the top of my recommended classics list — don’t tell Emily. Anne’s portrayal of Helen Graham, a woman who defies societal norms to protect her son from an abusive marriage, was groundbreaking for its time. Those Brontë sisters sure know how to hook you with their brooding characters with mysterious pasts.
University Years
Attending university to study English Literature and Spanish, a lot of my reading was dictated by my module reading lists. During my year abroad, however, I rekindled my joy for reading for pleasure. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón introduced me to a trope that never fails to awe me — books about books — and I would love to reread it in Spanish one day. Meanwhile, for its sheer length, The Stand by Stephen King is one of my proudest reading achievements to date. Yep, my first Stephen King novel also happened to be his longest. At a hefty 1325 pages, I must have been gripped given my determination to lug this brick to and from work every day. In my initial review 5 years ago, I wrote ’What gives this novel the edge over your conventional horror story with ghosts and vampires, is that this story is plausible.’ And oh how I wish I was wrong. Just a year later, we were struck with a pandemic not dissimilar from the one King describes. He is a legend of horror for a reason and this book overflows with great characters and intensity.
Finally, the poetic scenic descriptions from The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden are imprinted in my memory. Although I tend to prefer to read about strong characters, the snowy scenery and beguiling yet frosty atmosphere in this trilogy are bewitching. The beautiful, almost fairy-tale-like descriptions of the Alaskan landscape in The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah also sticks with me for the same reason — in fact, Kristin Hannah is deft in writing transportative historical fiction, and for that she is one of my favourite authors.
Having written and reminded myself about these books, I would love to read them all again (besides the tome that is The Stand, that is).
What are some of the books that you loved and always think about?