I Should Read That

I’ve been neglecting this blog in the month of June – I’ve been so busy with other life things! In order to get myself back on track with reviews, here’s a round-up of the non fiction books I’ve recently read. While not my usual genre of choice, I’ve found myself reaching for non fiction titles a lot recently, and they’ve all been fabulous reads!

In this bold, page-turning new history, former police officer and historian Blessin Adams tells stories of women whose violent crimes shattered the narrow confines of their gender – and whose notoriety revealed a society that was at once repulsed by and attracted to murderous female rebellion. Based on detailed research in court archives, each chapter explores murders that thrilled and terrified the British public; the crimes that caused the most concern and provoked the most debate. Women in this period killed rarely, and when they did it was usually within the context of extreme provocation or domestic violence. Adams has the ability of the best crime novelists in recreating the setting in which each case occurred as well as the motivations of each perpetrator.

Having read Great and Horrible News earlier this year, Adams’ new book caught my eye. I really enjoy her stories of crime in early modern Britain and this new title focuses on female killers, and accused killers, of the era and how society reacted to their crimes.I really enjoy the way she puts these crimes, criminals, and victims into societal context, allowing us to understand why early modern British society was obsessed with the crimes of women in a time when men were committing far more violent crimes. Adams is a strong writer and a compelling storyteller – I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking for historic true crime tales or a social history of the time.¹

What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join-and more importantly, stay in-extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . .

I usually void podcast books like the plague, but Cultish is a little different. Rather than the usual popular-podcast-turned-book situation, Cultish is the inspiration for Montell’s podcast Sounds like a Cult, rather than the other way around. In this book, Montell explores the language of cults and cult leaders, and how that language is often appropriated by modern brands and companies. She also digs into why people fall under cultish influence, cults both past and present, and the ability to recognise both. I really enjoyed her writing style – it feels like chatting with your bestie over brunch, which makes it incredibly accessible and easy to read. You might not pick up much new insight into the cults of the past but her insight into new cultish organisations (SoulCycle, anyone?) is incredibly interesting.

In 1953, the bodies of three young women are found by a tenant in the walls of a Notting Hill house. He tells the police that he chanced upon them while trying to put up a shelf for his transistor radio.

As a series of further horrors are discovered, 10 Rillington Place becomes an address synonymous with murder.

A riveting tale of violence, misogyny and tabloid frenzy, The Peepshow lifts the veil on what really happened inside Britain’s most notorious house – and suggests a new solution to the case that transfixed a nation.

I’ve read a number of Summerscale’s books by now, and she really knows how to pick a subject! The Peepshow is one of her best, chronicling the crimes of the foul John Christie, as well as Harry Proctor – a newspaper man that is convinced Christie allowed an innocent man to hang for one of his many murders. I particularly liked the perspective of Proctor and his own fascinating story and the insights into crime reporting of the time and the public’s voracious appetites for bloody stories. One of the things Summerscale does best is exploring the current events surrounding such as Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation , and the general attitudes toward women, sex workers, pre-marital sex and pregnancy, and other issues that led to the public perspective of Christie and his victims. The Peepshow is a fantastic work of true crime and social history – if you’ve not read any of Summerscale’s books, I’d highly recommend it!²

From her first day at Westwind Cremation & Burial, twenty-three-year-old Caitlin Doughty threw herself into her curious new profession. Coming face-to-face with the very thing we go to great lengths to avoid thinking about, she started to wonder about the lives of those she cremated and the mourning families they left behind, and found herself confounded by people’s erratic reactions to death. Exploring our death rituals – and those of other cultures – she pleads the case for healthier attitudes around death and dying. Full of bizarre encounters, gallows humour and vivid characters (both living and very dead), this illuminating account makes this otherwise terrifying subject inviting and fascinating.

Who would have thought a book about the death industry would be so charming? Caitlin Doughty’s memoir was a delightful audiobook listen, and I whipped through it in a couple evenings. She manages to take the incredibly dark content and make it highly readable, but still respectful. From stories of her time working at a crematorium in California and her time in mortuary school, to her personal struggles and triumphs, Doughty explores our Western rituals around and reaction to death and dispels some of the fear around death and dying. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes is a really fascinating read for those of us who have a morbid side.

1. Many thanks to William Collins for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley ↩︎
2. Many thanks to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley ↩︎