The Books I've Read During Lockdown (So Far)

Hey everyone, I hope you are well and keeping safe!

During this weird time I have been trying to read as much as possible. I have still be working, both from home and going into school on the occasional days with our rota system, but during my free time I have been reaching for a book - as always!

I thought I would share some of the books I've read recently with you. I won't be doing a full review of all of them on this post, but I will tell you what I thought of them and link you to reviews if I have reviewed them previously.

So, here's what I've been reading...

Amelia Fang and the Naughty Caticorns by Laura Ellen Anderson

I started reading the Amelia Fang series last year to see if it would be something the children I work with might like to read and I enjoyed them so much that I've continued with the series myself. They are just so much fun, with great characters and easy to follow storylines that children will love. I hope that one day I can share this whole series with a class and I hope they enjoy them as much as I do!

Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell & Katie Cotugno

This was an incredible book and I actually read the entire book (apart from the first 40 pages) all in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down. This book has such an important message and I have recommended it to so many other readers. I won't talk about it in too much detail here as I wrote a full review for this book last month. You can read my full review here.

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig

This was actually a reread for me but it felt like the kind of book I needed to read at the time. I cannot recommend this - or any of Matt Haig's books - enough. I actually listened to the audiobook this time around which was fantastic as it was Matt reading it. After listening to it I decided to purchase a hardback copy online because this is a book I want to be able to physically hold and have next to my bed, not just have on my Kindle. Highly recommended!

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

I had been wanting to reread the Harry Potter series for a while but just hadn't got around to it. When the schools closed and lockdown started, my colleagues started reading chapters via video for the children to watch at home. I followed along and read or listened to a chapter each day. I also read one of the chapters on video myself. It was lovely to revisit this magical world that I loved as a child and I can't wait to continue with them.

Only You by Kate Eberlen

This was another book that I just couldn't seem to put down, as I read it over a couple of days while relaxing in the garden. I loved the characters, the setting, the writing... it was just lovely to read. I was sent this as a proof copy to review, which I did, so if you want to know more about what I thought of this book then you can read my full review here.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Now this one was so much fun! I didn't actually read the whole physical book myself, but I followed along with Andy Serkis as he read the entire book in twelve hours via a live YouTube stream, to raise money for charity. I love The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books and the films, so getting to hear the man behind Gollum read the whole book was honestly incredible. Gollum isn't in this book too much but the scene he is in is brilliant and it was definitely the best part of listening to Andy Serkis read it. Click here to listen to him read that chapter and donate (if you can) to his COVID-19 appeal.

Stuart Little by E.B. White

I found this audiobook whilst scrolling through BorrowBox. It was less than two hours long so, as I was about to start doing some baking, I decided it was the perfect book to listen to while I made some cookies. It was a nice book to listen to and I enjoyed it. It also made me want to watch the films again. Unfortunately, the cookies didn't turn out quite as well. Never mind!

All the Things We Never Said by Yasmin Rahman

This is up there with the best books I've read in 2020. This is a book that I have been wanting to read for quite a while now and I am so glad that I finally did. I remember seeing people talk about it when it first came out last year and adding it to my TBR list. This can be a hard book to read at times as it deals with suicide and depression, amongst other things, so take caution with that.

Very Nearly Normal by Hannah Sunderland

After enjoying Only You so much, I decided to reach for a book that seemed like it would have a similar feel to it and this turned out to be perfect. The main character works in a bookshop, which I loved, and the writing just had me turning the pages well into the early hours of the morning. It's definitely one I would recommend if you want to read a great love story - even if it is heartbreaking at times.

19 Love Songs by David Levithan
The most resent book that I have read - and literally only just finished - is this great collection of short stories, verse and illustrated pieces by David Levithan. There are 19 (obviously - it's in the title) works within this book and I enjoyed reading every single one of them. I actually got this book from the library about two weeks before they closed due to lockdown and they aren't due back until the end of July, so I may end up rereading some of them at some point.

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So there are ten of the books that I have read since we went into lockdown and I will continue to read more as life adjusts. It's always nice to have a good book to hand when you need a little escape for a while.

What have you been reading recently?

Do share your bookish thoughts and recommendations with me over on Twitter and Instagram.