Book of the Week: April 1 to 7

 In Defence of the Act, by Effie Black

This week I devoured the following books:

• The Knife and the Serpent, by Tim Pratt
• The Ballad of Mary Paulson and Other Sonnets, by TS S. Fulk
• How to Cook and Eat the Rich, by Sunyi Dean
• Little Free Library, by Naomi Kritzer
• In Defence of the Act, Effie Black
• Pippi Longstocking, by Astrid Lindgren
• Lady Susan, by Jane Austen

 

Pippi Longstocking is always a pleasure to read and never fails to bring a smile to my lips and How to Cook and Eat the Rich was an absolute delight (and made me fall in love with Sunyi Dean’s writing), but the title of Book of the Week has to go to In Defence of the Act, by Effie Black.

This is without a doubt one of the best books I've ever read. The subject matter (suic*de) is an incredibly difficult topic to address in any shape or form, but Effie Black manages to talk about it beautifully, with tact, facts, kindness and even humour. It's got to be the saddest funniest book I've read. Or is it the funniest saddest book? The story is captivating (and it includes a lesbian love story) and the writing is simply perfect. It's so light and pleasant that you end up easily reading through a lot more pages in one sitting than you were expecting. It's also the best informal speech I've ever read.

I cannot recommend this book enough!