First, the writing in this novel is phenomenal. Williams really knows how to put words together in a simple but engaging manner. I also loved the way this book made me think about human nature and how we show up in relationships. Stoner is the main character and throughout the entire novel, you're imploring him to behave differently, to act differently, to do something. But then you realize it's such a perfect reflection of how humans behave and although it's infuriating, it also makes you think deeply about your own behaviour.
'It's the most marvellous discovery for everyone who loves literature' Ian McEwan, BBC Radio 4
Colum McCann once called Stoner one of the great forgotten novels of the past century, but it seems it is forgotten no longer - in 2013 translations of Stoner began appearing on bestseller lists across Europe. Forty-eight years after its first, quiet publication in the US, Stoner is finally finding the wide and devoted readership it deserves. Have you read it yet?
William Stoner enters the University of Missouri at nineteen to study agriculture. A seminar on English literature…
The plot of this book was so intriguing. Kuang takes her time to set you up for what ends up being one heck of a ride. So much of this story is a statement of society and although those statements sometimes felt too obvious, the story itself was too invigorating for me to put down.
Now this book was a total surprise for me. I listened to it as an audiobook because that's how I consume all non-fiction books, but this story smacked me in the face in the best way possible. The way Gagne reflects on her life as a sociopath, from childhood to becoming an therapist, was so interesting that I think I'm going to actually read this book (not just listen to it). And you learn so much about sociopathy, things you would never know.
'A surprising, thoughtful and deeply personal exploration of what it means to be a sociopath.' - Pandora Sykes
'Addictively page-turning' - The Telegraph
Sociopath: A Memoir is a true story of a life lived on the edge of the law and an account of one woman's battle to gain a deeper understanding of people who, like her, are sociopaths. Jaw-dropping and moving in equal measure, you will be thinking about this story for a long time to come.
'Your friends would probably describe me as nice. But guess what? I can't stand your friends. I'm a liar. I'm a thief.…
After years of physical and verbal abuse from her mother, fourteen-year-old Coi moved in with her father, and together they created a peaceful life. But now, four years later, that peace is shattered when her mother dies.
While Coi struggles to find kindness in her heart for the woman who did nothing but hurt her, her mother’s passing does help reopen the door to her mother’s side of the family. It’s only through reconnecting with her estranged family members, especially her younger half-sister Kayla, that Coi’s long-held views about her mother are challenged.
And when Coi begins to see visions of her mother in her dreams, she is forced to ask herself what it means to forgive and be forgiven, and, most importantly, what it means to be family.
