Since moving to Milan and starting a working life, dealing with bureaucracy and settling in, I have found that it's been almost impossible to travel. I have so many plans and so many destinations on my list but for now to fill this void of travelling I stuck with my love of books. Below I've listed my last 5 books and mini reviews of each, they aren't new books and aren't travel related either but great reads, for the most part.
Sapiens
Yuval Noah Harari
Sapiens is a journey from the inception of mankind through the ages until present day, and is preceded by Homo Deus which I haven't read. This book is a eclectic mix of anthropology, evolutionary biology and psychology, history, sociology, politics and religion to give the average reader a seemingly complete view of the history of humanity. I found myself constantly awe-struck and fascinated at every turn in this book and it ignited a curiosity in me which has lead me in search of other books like this one. The writing is flawlessly structured and although at some points uses difficult, or technical, language for an average reader, it is an essential sight in to the past and the possible future. This is a 2-3 week read and not one for the holiday but definitely one to get the cogs turning.
The Handmaid's Tale
Margaret Atwood
Although not new and known by almost everyone, this book slid it's way in to my book basket. It's a dystopian novel, the narrates the life of a 'handmaid' in a totalitarian Christian state that has engulfed America. It details her personal struggles, the new structure of society, her relationships with friend and foe and the dynamics of power in this skewed world. This book is compelling and emotional; exploring the subjugation of women in a patriarchal and misogynistic society, detailing their secretive and decisive search for independence by all means; above all it is nerve-wracking and keeps you on the edge of your seat as your heart races side-by-side with the protagonist. This book sent shivers down my spine and at points tears welled in my eyes, although written in 1985 this classic is a well-deserved read. The Handmaid's Tale is a 1-1.5 week read.
Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep?
Philip K. Dick
This science fiction novel was the inspiration behind the Blade Runner film and was later retitled to include Blade Runner. I read this book because of a new found love in sci-fi films and was partially thrilled and partially disappointed, I didn't know what to expect as I'd fallen asleep in Blade Runner and actually, I was kind of glad I did. This book follows Rick Deckard, a bounty-hunter, who retires androids, while a parallel plot-line follows Isidore who naïvely provides refuge for androids. This book questions what it is to be human and whether our empathy is our humanity, although this message is not glaringly clear. At some points I got lost and at some points I was immersed in this world but I was never fully convinced about this book. It's a novella so it should be a 5 day read.
The First Word: The Search for the Origins of Language
Christine Kenneally
This book is an 'all-encompassing' look at the new field of evolutionary linguistics and combines anthropology, psychology, linguistics and a small dose of biology. I was hoping this book to be a similar experience to Sapiens but found myself somewhat disappointed. This book is still interesting and definitely educational but it is a hard-read for someone with no knowledge of psychology or linguistics because of the technical terms used throughout. It's a great introduction to this new field of research, but at some points it can feel more like a textbook or formative essay. I found myself struggling through this as it lost my attention at some points, but nonetheless it is a book that raises questions and leaves you wondering whether our language is synonymous with our individuality as a species or if we aren't that special at all. For me this book took 3 weeks but because it wasn't my kind of page-turner.
Power
Naomi Alderman
This 2 year old novel caught my attention as a fictional chronicle, of ten years, in which the world's patriarchy is flipped on it's head and a new matriarchy emerges. This feministic and often at points idealistic novel is a combination of both speculation and insight at how different the world could be. It's credited as 'electrifying' by Margaret Atwood and is undeniably captivating. Following multiple characters and their roles in a new world where women discover an underlying 'power' this book is a incredible piece of feminist literature that will go down in history. So far I have read half of this book and my only struggle is personal, because I don't like books that are split between multiple characters, but regardless of this issue I find the concept and writing to be one of a kind, modern and thought provoking. As for the read-time I have no idea because I haven't finished it yet!