For context I love fashion, art, music and biographies. Also poetry, women's stories and laughing.
I want to start 2025 with a fun but creatively written book. Im not a big fantasy person, or mystery. I like true stories but also fiction that relates to real life art and beauty. Something that makes you go, wow and makes you sit and think about it. Something to appreciate.
I enjoyed little weirds by Jenny slate for context.
by pepperandplatinum
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Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
A Short Walk Through a Wide World by Douglas Westerbeke. Male author but the protagonist is female and it’s an excellent, unique novel that I couldn’t put down.
Circe by Madeline Miller.
Though it’s in translation, you might like Like Water for Chocolate. For beautiful prose style, EM Forster’s Maurice can’t be beat.
I recently read Kaveh Akbar’s *Martyr*! It’s his first novel, but he’s published poetry collections, and the novel contains some poems. It’s about an Iranian-American poet/writer and recovering alcoholic/addict who is fascinated with the meaning and meaninglessness of death and martyrdom. And it has a bit about life, language, communication, and relationships.
It has some funny moments, but it’s not a comedy, and some sections are beautifully written, particularly the ending which is also vague. (I’m still thinking about what really happened).
The museum of modern love by Heather Rose – artsy and quite literally about art (and creativity, and how they are part of us)
The Offing by Benjamin Myers (poetry plays a key role)
Night circus
*Chronicle in Stone* by Ismail Kadare.
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I highly recommend “The Goldfinch” by Donna Tartt
Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Granted it’s superficially about seagulls, but it’s clearly not actually. Newest version includes a bonus chapter that I unfortunately feel was better left out.
Said the shotgun to the head – Saul Williams
She – Saul Williams
Cheap ticket to heaven – Charlie smith
Just kids – Patti smith
Moonage Daydream: The Life & Times of Ziggy Stardust