Archive Nostalgia: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Yesterday marked the birthday of Mary Shelley and the perfect time to bring her classic gothic tale, Frankenstein, back into the light... Victor Frankenstein is a scientist obsessed with the miracle of life. In an intricate but ghastly experiment, he endeavours to discover the nature of life itself by resurrecting a cobbled human corpse. The resulting creation haunts him from the secluded Scottish coastline to the breath-taking lakes of Switzerland, causing us to question the very nature of humanity.

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin: Intense, Rhetorically Charged Love Story

Rating: 5 stars Category: Romance Synopsis: For childhood best friends Tish and Fonny, becoming a couple in adulthood seems like the easiest, most natural thing in the world. Until Fonny is jailed for a rape he never committed, just before Tish announces she is pregnant with his baby. Two families must cling to each other in the turbulent struggle for justice that ensues against the institutional racism of America.

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley: Thought-Provoking Romance

Rating: 4 stars Category: Romance Synopsis: Sarah and her sister Ruth are among the first. The first black students to attend formerly all-white Jefferson High School. The first to endure protests by white students against integration. The first to read bitter articles in the school magazine denying them their right to be there. When the author of these articles, Linda Hairston, steps between Ruth and a group of bullies, Sarah is one of the only witnesses. Both Sarah and Linda find something has changed in them, as everything they thought they knew about each other is overturned...

The Salt Path by Raynor Winn: Candid Memoir and Enduring Force for Change

It is hard to imagine two worse things that could happen to someone, let alone happen within days of one another. Ray's husband has been diagnosed with a rare terminal illness. The couple has also lost their cherished family home and business following a financial catastrophe. With nothing left besides their independence and connection to nature, they decide to walk the South Coast Path from Minehead to Land's End. Ray tells the story of their journey in this potent, emotional memoir. Following the path becomes their only purpose, as the two prepare to face whatever it is leading them towards.

Make it through Monday!

Every Monday I post a happy or inspirational quote from one of my favourite authors – giving you the motivation needed to get through this dreary day of the week! This week's quote is a touching and lyrical reflection from Anne Bronte…