The Book Club: September Edition

The months are just speeding by - and getting colder as they go - stay warm and cosy with a good book! Here are our autumnal recommendations:

Arya’s recommendation:

‘If all else perished, and he remained, I should still continue to be; and if all else remained, and he were annihilated, the universe would turn to a mighty stranger: I should not seem a part of it. - My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods: time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees. My love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath: a source of little visible delight, but necessary. Nelly, I am Heathcliff! He’s always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure to myself, but as my own being. So don’t talk of our separation again: it is impracticable’

- Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte

I cannot begin to describe how much I love this twisted story and its horrible characters. I talk about it far too much but it’s with good reason, I promise. The same reasons I love it are why many hate it. You think you know toxic relationships? Think again! This book is such a visceral journey, all about the kind of love that is all-destructive and sickening.

Brontë’s prose is rich and vivid, often deliberately dense as you get trapped in the thick roots of gothic melodrama. Full of ghosts, vicious women, and wolfish men, Wuthering Heights is the perfect autumn read and my favourite classic. I cannot recommend it enough!

‘He’s not a rough diamond - a pearl-containing oyster of a rustic - he’s a fierce, pitiless, wolfish man’ …

‘Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same’

Jiya’s recommendation:

This month, I chose to write my book review on Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers, a book that truly resonates with my current journey. I first came across it during my second year of university but didn’t finish it at the time. However, I rediscovered it last autumn, during a challenging period in 2023, when I was feeling lost and at a crossroads in my life. I was overwhelmed with fear, too scared to embark on something new, and feeling like it was too late to make a change.

The book became a source of much needed positivity, helping me shift into a new mindset. It teaches you to push past those little moments of panic and self-doubt, offering reassurance when you're unsure about taking the leap. I would highly recommend this book to anyone feeling stuck, afraid, or uncertain about which direction to take.

This book feels especially relevant to me this month because I recently made a major career change, one that I was initially terrified of. Leaving behind a field I had invested so much time and effort into was daunting. Yet, this decision has brought about a shift in my life, leading me toward a career that truly feels right and fulfilling. While I don’t credit Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway entirely for this transformation, it played a crucial role in keeping me grounded during those moments of fear and uncertainty.

I think this book is perfect for anyone standing at the edge of a decision, unsure where it might lead. It reminds us that the only thing standing in our way is fear and once we face it, the possibilities are endless.