sinnie 🍒

🍋‍🟩✨ chill sundays and my #listoffavourites ✨🍋‍🟩 happy sunday lovelies. how has your weekend been? mine has been good, after a shitty work week i had a really good friday and saturday catching up with friends. i also started the adult by brownyn fischer yesterday and so far so good. i am really curious to see how it will all go. onto the tag, thanks @booksandthingsbysabs and @readsbyannabelle for tagging me in this one. i love sharing favs so here we go! ✨(some of) my favourite authors - elena ferrante - han kang - carmen maria machado - natasha brown - angela y davis - kate manne - donna tartt 🍋‍🟩(some of) my favourites that i recommend to everyone - my work by olga ravn - pachinko by min jin lee - assembly by natasha brown - the neapolitan quartet by elena ferrante -women race & class by angela y davis - in the dream house by carmen maria machado - entitled by kate manne ✨ (some of) my favourite classics - anna karenina by leo tolstoy - jane eyre by charlotte brontë - wuthering heights by emily brontë - emma by jane austen - tess of the d’ubervilles by thomas hardy - 1984 by george orwell 🍋‍🟩 (some of) my favourite memoirs - things i don’t want to know by deborah levy - people i’ve met from the internet by stephen van dyck - being lolita by alisson wood - in the dream house by carmen maria machado - maybe you should talk to someone by lori gottlieb - crying in h mart by michelle zauner ✨ (some of) my favourite unexpected gems - what belongs to you by garth greenwell - if an egyptian cannot speak english by noor naga - liars by sarah manguso - american psycho by brett easton ellis - my year of meats by ruth ozeki - monstrilio by gerado sámano córdova - blessings by chukwuebuka ibeh do we have any favourites in common? do you have a fav that i should add to my never ending list??? #literaryfiction #booktag #bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #bookporn #igbooks #bookstagrammer #bookstoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookpics #bookpictures #theadultbronwynfischer #2024books #newfiction #flowersandbooks

✨🍋 some thoughts on the neapolitan quartet 🍋✨ elena ferrante has my heart, mind and soul. her coming of age series is a masterpiece in storytelling. raw, expansive and intimate. i felt myself emotionally attached to this literary saga. on a sentence by sentence analysis ferrante can seem somewhat simple but that is only because her writing is it’s best over paragraphs, chapters and, luckily, novels. the complexity of her writing reveals itself over the quartet in a satisfying manner. not because it answers every question, but because it answers questions in a way that imitates life without being a letdown. while each novel is a whole story in and of itself, the series as a whole is truly magnificent. living with lila and elena throughout their lives was truly a gift. each protagonist was a work of literary genius. flawed, complex and very human. and their friendship, like the characters themselves, is astoundingly well written. i didn’t devour each book in a hurry. instead i prolonged my own journey with the quartet so that i could savour every morsel of ferrante’s layered prose. the quarter traverses over the second half of the 20th century, touching on important topics like poverty, feminism, political upheaval, motherhood, capitalism and more. a few posts ago i tried to sum up what a five star read was and this series was 110% a five star series for me. i will never forget these novels and i am forever changed by them. and i will never stop thinking about them. i have joked about having ferrante fever for a couple of months. finishing this series did not cure me. if anything i’m even further infected. so if anyone wants to chat ferrante lmk i’m always down. this is my favourite book series, but i’d love to know what’s your favourite? #literature #literaryfiction #bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #bookstagrammer #bookaddiction #bookstoread #booktag #fortheloveofbooks #bookpics #bookpictures #bookstagrammer #booksbooksbooks #bookphotos #elenaferrante #neapolitanq #translatedfiction #translatedliterature #italianfiction #comingofage #mybrilliantfriend #thestoryofanewname #thosewholeaveandthosewhostay #thestoryofthelostchild

🍀 #gettoknowthebookstagrammer and 5k🍀 i honestly never thought i’d say this but this account has 5000 followers which is just so cool. i love being in the book section of insta because of the lovely people so it feels like such a cool thing. so to mark this little milestone i thought it’d be a great time to do this tag. so after being tagged a million years ago by @badgalgoodbooks (thanks lovely for the tag) i felt the time was right. 🍀 anyway here we go: - my name is actually sinakho but my nickname is sinnie so either or i’m pleased - i’m a cancer sun, capricorn rising, taurus moon - if i’m outside and alone i’m almost definitely wearing headphones - my first degree, which is in literature is also in psychology and i actually never planned on double majoring i just wanted to do psych - i moved to the netherlands for my ma - i used to taking acting classes in london when i was twelve - i love little black cats 🐈‍⬛ - fav genres: literary fiction, essays, contemporary literature and feminist nonfiction - i am a big evermore girl - i work in marketing in amsterdam - i love formula one and i definitely got into f1 because of jenson button - i love a saturday of going to the flower market, grabbing a coffee and seeing a friend - i can hardly wait till summer. i am dying to feel the sun on a regular basis anyway this was fun and i love this little account so 5k is sooo cool. thank you all for sharing your book thoughts with me and letting me share mine with you!!! i chose a set of summery pics for the post because i’ve been a little miserable this week. i needed a reminder that summer is coming. also tagged some lovelies. #literature #literaryfiction #booktag #bookstagram #instabook #bookphotography #bookporn #igbooks #bookstagrammer #bookaddiction #bookstoread #booktag #fortheloveofbooks #bookpics #bookpictures #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #instablog #bookphotos

✨🌕 goodbye to the year that was with my (very delayed) 2024 bookstagram wrapped 🌕✨ happy 2025 everyone. i hope that you have had a lovely start to the year and with that in mind it’s the perfect time to finally reflect on my year of reading that was. i know that it is almost feb so this is quite delayed but i love doing these and i have loved seeing everyone’s reflections on their reading year. 🍒 anyway my 2024 reading year was a lovely one with very few slumps. i discovered books that i will never forget, books that i tell everyone about, ones that frustrated me to no end and ones that i don't really remember reading. overall the year was not perfect but i am grateful for the year that was. so, let’s take a look back!! 2024 bookstagram wrapped: ✨ reading goal: 30 (originally and changed to 52 in october) 🌕 books read: 59 ✨ top moods: reflective, emotional, dark (lol this never changes tbh) 🌕 fiction/nonfiction: 76% fiction and 24% nonfiction ✨ top genres: literary fiction, contemporary, lgbtqia+, memoir, essays 🌕 most read authors: olga ravn and jo hamya ✨ top five fiction books of the year: liars by sarah rose etter, enter ghost by isabelle hammad, my work by olga ravn, monstrilio by gerardo, blessings by chukwuebuka ibeh 🌕 top non- fiction books of the year: the hundred year's war on palestine by rashid khalidi, down girl by kate manne, freedom is a constant struggle by angela y. davis, stay true by hua hsu i really hope to have more time to read this year but i don’t like to be overwhelmed by needing to read to meet a goal so i’ll just take it as it goes and enjoy reading. what were some of your favourite reads of the year? i know that a lot of people looked back at their reading year throughout december so i think i am a bit late on this trend, but honestly you never know if your last read of the year will be your best. #bookstagramwrapped #literature #literaryfiction #booktag # #instabook #bookphotography #bookporn #igbooks #bookaddiction #bookstoread #booktag #fortheloveofbooks #booksbooksbooks #bookreview #bookphotos #readingaesthetic

🍒✨ happy sunday and a #booklifeupdate 🍒✨ hey, hi, hello lovely bookish people. what's occurring??? i am spending my last few days in south africa trying to get some sun and swim as much as possible while seeing as many old friends as possible before i go back to the netherlands. i am also reading quite a bit so i thought it'd be fun to do a little #booklifeupdate while showing off my last official read of 2024, bad feminist by roxane gay. here we go: 🍒last three reads: - housemates by emma copley eisenburg - how beautiful we were by imbolo mbue - caste: the origins of our discontents by isabel wilkerson ✨ current read (s): - an autobiography by angela y. davis - our evenings by alan hollinghurst 🍒 little life update it has been really nice to be home for the last couple of weeks, i've been able to reconnect with old friends and family while also getting my vitamin d up by chilling in the sun. but it's also been a hard trip because i've lost one of my closest friends and that happened pretty early on in my trip and i am still grieving that. so, if you have any good book recs for dealing with the death of a friend lmk. anyway, how is your reading life atm?? are you enjoying it? in a bit of a weird spot? i’m curious, how has jan been so far. #literaryfiction #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #bookstoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookpics #bookpictures #bookreccommendations

🌸✨ 25 reads for 2025 and a 2024 bonus stat✨🌸 happy monday, and because i haven't posted since last year, happy new year lovelies. anyway, it’s a new year, and you know what that means! it’s time to make a list of the 25 books i’m prioritising in 2025. i should preface the list by admitting that i am a mood reader so i don’t always get to all the books i plan to, but i didn’t do too badly last year (you can see that on the second pic), so it’ll be fun to see how this year goes. i also have already finished caste, it was my first read of the year and undoubtably is a five star read. anywho, here is the list, and yes there are some 24 reads for 2024 that have been moved to the 2025 list: 1. small rain by garth greenwell 2. universality by natasha brown 3. our evenings by allen hollinghurst* 4. the lamb by lucy rose 5. hidden valley road by robert kolker 6. an autobiography: angela y davis by angela y davis* 7. the new age of empire by kehinde andrews 8. unwell women by elinor cleghorn 9. african psycho by alain mabanckou* 10. we do not part by han kang 11. rejection by tony tulathimutte 12. stone yard devotional by charlotte wood 13. sula by toni morrison 14. james by percival everette 15. maurice by em foster 16. julia by sandra newman* 17. ordinary love by marie rutkosi* 18. caste: the origins of our discontent by isabel wilkerson* 19. the years by annie ernaux 20. recognising the stranger by isabella hammad 21. daughter by claudia dey 22. the safe keep by yael van der wouden 23. strangers to ourselves by rachel aviv 24. rebecca by daphne du maurier 25. the right to sex by amina srinivasan how similar are our lists for the year? or do you see one that you loved that i should absolutely prioritise, do let me know. also, what's at the top of your list for the year?? *the asterisks are books that i already own. #literaryfiction #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #bookstoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookpics #bookpictures #bookreccommendations

🌞✨ happy sunday and thoughts on the shards by bret easton ellis ✨🌞 'ello, 'ello sweetests. how are you doing??? have you had a lovely week and weekend? i am good, still at home in south africa just trying to spend as much time in the sun, by the pool and with family and friends as possible. i'n currently reading bad feminist by roxane gay and i think i might finish it today. the essays are good so curious to get through all of them. but this post is about the book i finished last week, the shards by bret easton. so here we go. the shards is a completely absorbing horror/thriller novel about an entitled group of beautiful, rich teenagers. it runs over 600 pages and it was, for the most part, bewildering, shocking and absorbing. we spend the book with bret (yes!!! that is the same name as the author, there is a pseudo-auto fictional through line in the book). he is an unreliable narrator who spends most of his time thinking about himself, sex and drugs. the writing is cinematic, and sometimes mundane, as bret brings us into his life it goes from the mundane to become bewildering and terrifying true crime adjacent story. i did find the first hundred pages a bit slow but it really builds up to an absorbing space. it is a visceral, disgusting, scary and rage inducing novel that commanded me to read over two hundred pages after midnight just so i would know how it would end but there are a lot of things i didn't like. i didn't need bret to describe every street of la, it did add to the overall experience of the novel but at some points it was gratingly boring. i think one of the strengths and weaknesses of the novel is its length. it's definitely too long and could have been edited down and yet i loved the heft of it. while i dont think it's as good as american psycho I did still find it so entertaining and i do still think of it, so i have to give it ★★★★/★★★★★. have you read this one??? what did you think?? if not, what read are you ending 2025 with? #literaryfiction #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #bookstoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookpics #bookpictures #bookreccommendations #bookreviews #theshardsbreteastonellis #breteastonellis

✨🦋 my top ten books of 2024!! ✨🦋 hey, hi, hello my lovely bookish people. how are you?? are you having a good run up to christmas??? and if you don't celebrate it i hope you're having a good run up to the end of the year!!! i know that this is a little bit of a presumptuous list as there is still time to find another favourite for 2024 but i plan to do a full 2024 report so if i do find a new fav it will be on that post. for now though i wanted to share the books that i read and loved in 2024. these books changed my perspective, they challenged my thinking and made me feel something!!! have you read any of these??? what did you think?? if not, what book is on your top list for 2024??? books pictured: ✨ liars by sarah manguso 🦋 enter ghost by isabella hammad ✨ blackouts by justin torres 🦋 down girl by kate manne ✨ stay true by hua hsu 🦋 forest of noise by mosab abu toha ✨ blessings by chukwuebuka ibeh 🦋 monstrilio by gerado sámano córdova ✨ my work by olga ravn 🦋 betty by tiffany mcdaniel (also this list isn't in order but i can't lie and say that liars isn't my top top read of 2024, because it is) #bookstagramwrapped #literature #literaryfiction #booktag #instabook #bookphotography #bookporn #igbooks #bookaddiction #bookstoread #booktag #bookphotos #readingaesthetic

✨🫐 happy wednesday and some thoughts on stag dance by torrey peters 🫐✨ hey, hi, hello lovelies. happy wednesday!! how are you doing? i am alright, happy that christmas 🎄 is just around the corner and i am currently following a six hour excel tutorial to build a huge budget spreadsheet for 2025. so, as you might be able to guess my mind is weird atm. i'm currently reading the shards by bret easton ellis and bad feminist by roxane gay; both are honestly great. but they're likes for now so hoping they turn into loves. but this post is about stag dance by torrey peters! stag dance is actually four stories in one, three short stories and one novel. and honestly the breadth of the stories was impressive. i honestly never knew what to expect and i walked away from each positively pondering what i'd just read. the stories were each quite different from each other with contrasting characters, periods and genres but they were all incredibly immersive. and it peters' ability to write each was masterful. my favourite story was definitely the chaser, which was preoccupied with the relationship between two students at a quaker boarding school. i don't think this will be for everyone, it's visceral, very queer and weird at times but i think it's a fantastic collection. a ★★★★.25/★★★★★ for me. this collection comes out in march 2025 but i was lucky to get an arc from @serpentstail, honestly so grateful. is this collection on your 2025 tbr??? if not what is??? i am building my 25 for 2025 so i am curious. #literaryfiction #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #bookstoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookpics #bookpictures #bookreccommendations #bookreviews #stagdancetorreypeters #queerfiction #2025books #arcbooks

🌞✨ happy sunday and the books i brought on holiday ✨🌞 'ello, 'ello lovelies!! how has your weekend been??? mine has been nice, i am back home in the southern hemisphere for christmas and a general holiday home so i have seen the sun and it has been so needed. as you might be able to tell from this account, i love books and i am a mood reader. usually these two things aren't problematic, well that is until i need to go on holiday because then i feel compelled to bring a million books with me while also buying new books on the trip. but as the trip has just begun i haven't bought any new books yet. so i thought it'd be fun to share the books i am starting the trip with. here we go: 🌞 the shards by bret easton ellis (currently reading this one) ✨ julia by sandra newman 🌞 housemates by emma copley eisenburg (picking it up again) ✨ stag dance by torrey peters (just finished this and wow - review coming) 🌞 sleep by honor james (gifted) ✨ having and being had by eula bliss 🌞 the journals of sylvia plath by sylvia plath ✨ bad feminist by roxane gay (my current nonfiction read) 🌞 sedated by james davis ✨ an autobiography by angela y. davis 🌞 how beautiful we were by imbolo mbue ✨ fates and furies by lauren groff 🌞 caste by isabel wilkerson (gifted) so in total i brought thirteen books for a month long trip. i almost definitely won't read all of these but i honestly don't hate overpacking books. what do you think??? how many books do you bring on holiday?? and have you read any of these??? what did you think? #literaryfiction #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #bookstoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookpics #bookpictures #bookreccommendations #holidayreads #summerreads #newbooks

🎁✨ happy tuesday and a gift guide for the thought daughter in your life 🎁✨ 'ello 'ello bookish babes, how are you on this december tuesday??? i am good, a little anxious but excited because soon i will leave the moodiness that is a northern hemisphere winter to return to the southern hemisphere summer. but as i await my twenty hour travel day i have been thinking of presents, which is how we get to this post. i am not an expert gift giver but i am a thought daughter and so for that persona type i do have some advice. this is the first time i've ever done this style post and i'm not the best of canva so do be kind if you have critiques. but let me know what you think!!! and what's on your christmas list?? i honestly didn't have a clue until i did this list. 😅😅 *also i know i made a typo but i cant edit it now 🥲 #literaryfiction #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #bookstoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookpics #bookpictures #bookreccommendations #giftguide #thoughtdaughter

✨ some thoughts about black cake and my #currentread ✨ hey, hi, hello lovely people. how is your week going? how are you feeling??? i am feeling quite over the lack of sunshine so i am counting the hours until i go home to south africa for christmas and new year. as you can tell from the headline of this post i recently finished black cake by charmaine wilkerson and i have some thoughts. i also just started stag dance by torrey peters (thank you so much @picadorbooks for the arc!! this is one of my most anticipated 2025 reads) so will share more on that in time. but before we get there a mini review of black cake by charmaine wilkerson! black cake is an expansive portrait of a family from the carribean. i turned each page curious about what would happen next as wilkerson weaved a unique story that used food as an anchor. there was a lot to love, the characters were interesting as was the plot and i couldn't really tell where it was going next. but there was something missing for me and that was depth. there were almost too many characters for the box that held the story. also at times it did seem like wilkerson was trying to touch almost every single issue possible without really going into them enough. overall i think the story was emotional and touching. it is a story of the unsaid coming to light and that's beautiful but something was missing for me personally. i'd give it a ★★★.75/★★★★★. have you read this one? what did you think??? and if you haven't what are you reading? i'm curious. #literaryfiction #instabook #bookphotography #igbooks #bookstoread #fortheloveofbooks #bookpics #bookpictures #bookreccommendations #bookreviews #blackcakecharmainewilkerson #stagdancetorreypeters