Reading round-up: October

October is usually a pretty good month for me in books as it's my birthday mid-month. I had some great reads in the last few weeks, including a book that I think will be in my top 10 this year (Filth) and a surprisingly good chick-lit book (Rachel's Holiday).

Filth by Irvine Welsh

Hands-down my favourite read of the month. I actually read it twice this month, and saw the film starring James McAvoy (which was excellent- if you're a fan of Trainspotting and/or James McAvoy, it's a must see!) Welsh, famous for Trainspotting and the drug-riddled film that launched Ewan McGregor's career, writes not unsympathetically about the underbelly of Scotland, particularly Edinburgh, and the filth that lies beneath its deceptively civilised veneer. Filth is about a corrupt policeman, Bruce Robertson, who is sexist, racist, homophobic, sectarian, and addicted to sex, porn and drugs. The book, written in first person, details his descent into the filth he surrounds himself with to escape from and deny reality, and his inability to deal with his underlying mental health problems. A second narrator appears about 1/3 of the way into the book, in the form of a tapeworm living in his intestines, and it's through the tapeworm we learn Bruce's backstory. Filth definitely benefits from a second reading as we learn to make sense of Bruce's backstory and why he deals with situations the way he does, and how and why his understanding of events differs from those around him.

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

I received this book as a birthday present, and the hardcover edition is particularly pleasing. It's been a while since I experienced the new-book, hardcover Harry Potter smell. Bridget is now 50, with two young children, and, crucially, a widow. Mark Darcy has been dead for four years, and Bridget, although still mourning him, is attempting to get back on the horse...via Twitter. Some have criticised the novel for not being true to Bridget's voice, but I find it highly unlikely that Fielding would have been able to please everyone, whatever direction she chose. There are some genuinely hilarious moments, and I had to stifle laughter several times on the train. My favourite moments includes Bridget's Freudian slip when referrring to her screenplay 'The Leaves in his Hair' as 'the nits in his hair' while texting her toy-boy under the table in important meeting re: her children possibly having nits. I really enjoyed spending time with Bridget and her assorted cast of characters again, and I think any fans of her previous books will too. Look for my full review of this coming soon!

The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness

I've long heard good things about Patrick Ness, particularly with regard to his writing style being literary, which I love. I was also attracted to this novel as it is a retelling of a Japanese folktale. In the myth, a man comes across a crane, and shortly after this event, a beautiful woman enters his life who he falls in love with. She makes a number of creations (traditionally, clothing, in Ness' novel, artwork) which make money for the couple. Eventually he discovers how she makes them- by plucking feathers from her body. When he discovers this, she disappears. Ness' retelling was interesting but lacked both novelistic structure, personality, and character development. I didn't really feel for any of the characters and the writing style wasn't as literary as I had hoped. I was disappointed with this and don't feel encouraged to read more of Patrick Ness.

Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart

This was another birthday gift, as I'm a big fan of her TV series. This book is a collection of stories about her life, dealing with various topics such as music, hobbies, diets and dating, and is told with typical Miranda humour. Throughout the book she dips in and out of conversations with her 18 year old self, which takes a little getting used to, but is a fun way of delving into her life. I really enjoyed reading this and discovering more of Miranda's antics, however my favourite chapter was on the topic of beauty. For any fans of How to be a Woman by Catlin Moran, you must read this chapter! What Miranda said really resonated with me a lot more than anything in Moran's book. To give you a snippet, here's a quote:
"What [my friend] said was: 'Miranda, you've got to start taking yourself seriously as a woman.' She said this in response to the frayed, overstuffed handbag - and by handbag I obviously mean rucksack - that I've taken to carrying around with me. Is it just me who hasn't bought into the need for a £700 Mulberry handbag?"

Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes

This is actually one of the books I was most excited to review. Marian Keyes is deservedly famous in the world of Irish fiction and chick-lit, but I'd never read anything of hers nor anything about her as a writer. I read this on my iPhone/iPad as I had got it as a free download from iTunes at some stage. It was an easy book to get into as Keyes' style is very chatty, easy to read and fast-paced. Rachel's Holiday, despite the dreadful title and cover art, is more serious than its title implies (although perhaps that's the point?). Rachel is a young, successful Irish woman in New York with a perfect boyfriend and perfect roommate. Oh, and she's a drug addict. The holiday in question is Rachel's stay in an Irish drug treatment centre, and the novel is an interesting exercise in the unreliable narrator. Rachel's Holiday is the best chick-lit I've read bar Bridget Jones, and I can see why Keyes gets the praise she does.