Delia

‘The dangers of smoking in bed' is among the least conventional collections of short stories I have read in a long time: its macabre setting and horror-like plot always ends up being linked to sociopolitical external agents that characterise society. It is a book that openly blames power and politics for its apocalyptic scenarios and has every reason to do so.

‘Breasts and Eggs' is a novel that every woman should read: it is inspiring and hopeful in some ways, but also extremely scary and depressing in others. It made me want to reclaim my body by refusing to be influenced by the media who successfully promote unachievable and unhealthy female body images. It makes you reflect on issues such as body dismorphia, mental illness, body shaming and eating disorders. It is a feminist book directed to women, that should be read by all - no matter what gender you identify with.

Crudo was a very emotional and eye-opening read on love and on the contemporary art world. I have found it extremely relatable, as more and more people are struggling to develop meaningful and deep relationships with each other and prioritise money and a stable career instead. Laing's raw and bittersweet tone is characterised by a surprising vulnerability and transparency which makes the reader feel even more understood

a very relatable book for all those who have felt misunderstood and lost in life, but in this case the author takes those experiences to the extremes. the main character is severely impaired by trauma, resulting in very poor social skills that he tries to hide with faked humour and drunk cheerfulness. in reality, he has been disqualified as a human being. what is he then?
i have loved this book for two reasons: some sentences were so well written to make me cry and the description of the sexual assault//cheating scene made me feel such an empathy and sadness never felt before. it is the ultimate betrayal. it made me realise i am a human being, even though sometimes i feel detached from my sense of self. it made me appreciate life in all its forms and it made me feel not alone in this world.

i just can't shake off the feeling that Mailer is extremely narcissistic (why does he talk so much about himself when the book is supposed to be an account of such an iconic fight?) and definitely racist. i don't understand how it's considered ‘one of the greatest books written about boxing'. okay, it's okay and well written in some parts but it often tends to go off topic and doesn't address many important social issues
on the other hand, there were few interesting bits that revealed from a first person perspective how Ali and Foreman acted and experienced the fight so that was intriguing