Reading Wrap-up | August 2018

TL;DR

In this video, the content creator shares their reading wrap-up for the month of August, discussing various books including retellings of Greek myths, poetry collections, fantasy novels, and autobiographies.

Transcript

hi guys so I'm here today to do my oddest reading wrap-up now I read quite a lot in August more than my average and part of that I think is because I did the booktubeathon which I read four books in the space of a week which is quite a lot for me but then I obviously maintain some sort of like reading momentum throughout the month now I did do a se... Read More

Key Insights

• 👩 "The Silence of the Girls" offers a unique perspective on the Trojan War, focusing on the experiences of enslaved women.
• 🪜 Liz Lochhead's retelling of "Medea" incorporates the Scots language and adds a fresh perspective to the story.
• 👻 "Ghost, Still Waiting" explores the impact of war on Vietnam and its people, with flower imagery and themes of the natural world prevalent throughout.
• 🧔 "Born" by Yrsa Daley-Ward tackles various themes, with mental health being a powerful and empowering aspect of the collection.
• 📙 The content creator enjoyed a diverse range of books in August, including retellings, poetry collections, and autobiographies.
• 🖤 Personal reading experiences varied, with some books being highly enjoyable while others were mixed or lacked personal connection.
• 😀 Audiobooks, such as "My Cousin Rachel" and "Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?" provided different reading experiences, with mixed opinions on the overall enjoyment.
• 🖐️ The content creator recommends giving Daphne du Maurier and Jeanette Winterson a chance but acknowledges individual reading preferences play a role in enjoyment.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is "The Silence of the Girls" by Pat Barker about?

"The Silence of the Girls" is a retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of a Trojan woman named Briseis who is enslaved by the Greek hero Achilles. It explores the impact of the war on women and delves into their experiences as slaves.

Q: How does Liz Lochhead put her own stamp on the retelling of "Medea"?

Liz Lochhead incorporates the Scots language and mixes different speech styles to distinguish between characters in her retelling of "Medea". This adds a unique element to the story while staying true to the original.

Q: What are the main themes explored in "Ghost, Still Waiting" by Dog Leah and Me?

"Ghost, Still Waiting" is a collection of Vietnamese poetry that explores the impact of war on Vietnam and its people. It delves into the memories, experiences, and families affected by the war, with themes of the natural world and flower imagery running throughout.

Q: How does "Born" by Yrsa Daley-Ward address the theme of mental health?

"Born" deals with themes of mental health, including a particularly empowering poem that struck a chord with the content creator. The collection explores various themes such as being a black British woman, women's bodies, desire, abuse, and more.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The content creator read more books in August than usual, partly due to participating in the BookTubeAThon and shares their wrap-up of the books read during the month.

• The books mentioned include "The Silence of the Girls" by Pat Barker, a retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of a Trojan woman who becomes a slave; "Medea" by Liz Lochhead, a retelling of the Greek mythology story; "Ghost, Still Waiting" by Dog Leah and Me, a collection of Vietnamese poetry; "Born" by Yrsa Daley-Ward, a poetry collection that explores themes of mental health; and more.