Through this month I've continued (and finished) my re-read of the Anne of Green Gables series, as well as a variety of other books. I seem to have been too tired to read much non-fiction – hopefully my energy will return as the evenings slowly start to brighten! I'm rather surprised at how little cosy crime I've read too – that's usually my go-to nowadays.
I'm also starting the 52-book challenge for 2024 – for those who don't know, this is a challenge to read at least 52 books over a year, which between them cover 52 specific prompts. Where I've matched a book to a prompt, I'll just note that under the brief review unless I feel there's anything particularly noteworthy about it. Given that the past few months I've managed at least 6 books per month, the total number shouldn't be a challenge – the difficulty will come from making sure I cover all the categories. Some of them will be very easy (#4 Lowercase letters on the spine; #18 An apostrophe in the title; #46 Featuring indigienous culture), but others will take a bit more thought and are likely to push me somewhat out of my comfort zone (#13 An academic thriller; #21 Written by a ghostwriter; #47 Self-insert by an author), but of course that's the whole point of it really. I'm looking forward to seeing what new literary discoveries I make this year!
The Bookshop of the Broken-hearted by Robert Hillman
A rather odd book, I felt, and one that I found it rather difficult to get into. An introverted Australian farmer and a Hungarian Jewish woman, traumatised by her experiences of Nazi concentration camps, may not be an obvious pairing, but somehow their stories are woven together. I can't put my finger on why I found this one so heavy-going, but it's not one I'll read again.
[24. A cover without people on it]
The Royal Rebel by Bali Rai
This is a simple, child-friendly biography of suffragette princess Sophia Duleep Singh. It is easy to read, and gives a straightforward and accessible summary of the effects of British colonisation of India, the movement for Indian independence, and the campaign for women to be given the vote in Britain. The tragedies and losses of Sophia's life are clearly presented but without sentimentality or embellishment, and her struggle to find her own place and identity may well resonate with those who feek similarly that they don't belong fully in either the place they have grown up, or in the place of their heritage.
Strongly recommended, especially for children or anyone wanting a brief overview of a complex time and interrelated issues.
Anne of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Continuing the story of Anne's adult life; I love following along as she matures and settles into family life. Oh how I wish I could be as patient a mother as she! (But I suppose it's easy to be so good at it when you're not actually real and dealing with daily frustrations and exhaustion...) I'm feeling quite sad that I only have two more books to go to finish the series - and knowing what's coming makes some of it quite melancholic. The occasional touch of foreshadowing is just a sad reminder of what's to come...
Julen enligt Julia by Kristin Emilsson
Julia hates Christmas, so decides to avoid it by escaping the city and spending the break catsitting for a friend on Gotland. Petter wants to reunite with his wife Carolina, so invites himself to Gotland to spend Christmas with her family, under the guise of being able to be with their daughter; unsurprisingly all the hotels are fully booked, but he is persuaded to catsit for a friend. You can see exactly where this is going, right? Well, you're not wrong, but it's a lovely enjoyable read. Nothing particularly challenging, the necessary happy ending - although later than you might think - perfect reading for cold winter evenings.
Garfield: Here We Go Again by Jim Davis
It's a book, so it's getting listed! It's many years since I've sat and read Garfield cartoons. They seem to have aged pretty well - Jon is as inept as ever, and Garfield and Odie are their irrepressible selves. A nice way to pass half an hour or so.
The Cat Who Caught A Killer by L T Shearer
This was something of an impulse purchase, but I'm absolutely delighted. The combination of a talking cat, person living on a narrow boat, and a suspicious death could not have been more tailor-made for me if it had tried! An absolutely delightful book, combining fun, poignancy, and mystery to create an original story. Strongly recommended for any cat-lovers who enjoy cosy crime.
[14. A grieving character]
Rainbow Valley by Lucy Maud Montgomery
Seventh of the eight Anne books, although this one is mostly focussed on the next generation of children in the Glen - particularly the Meredith children who live at the Manse with their widowed father and aged aunt, as well as the Blythe offspring. We share their trials and tribulations, the joys and difficulties of growing up under the watchful (and judgemental) eye of the village, with all their unspoken expectations. Funny, poignant, and always fun of friendship - and the unsettling shadow of the First World War on the distant horizon. Although it's set clearly a few years prewar, it wasn't actually written and published until 1919, and the reader's knowledge of the horrors to come lie like a dark cloud waiting to unleash a storm on the idyll.
Rilla of Ingleside by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The final Anne book, which covers the time from just before the outbreak of WW1 through to its end. Every time I read this, I find it fascinating and touching to see how the events in far-off Europe which first seemed irrelevant to people living in a small village half way round the world gradually took on greater significance and indeed became events of utmost importance in their daily lives. Rilla is no longer a baby, and wants to be seen as the (almost-)grown-up she considers herself to be; the outbreak of war presents her with challenges and difficulties which force adulthood and maturity on her. Despite the awfulness of the time, this is one of my favourite books of the set, and is the one I most looked forward to re-reading.
[9. A character-driven novel]
Not Another Hapy Ending by David Solomon
I've absolutely no idea when I picked this up or how long it's been at the bottom of the pile on my bedside table, but im glad I noticed it again - it's taken me just two evenings to read! The premise of an author-publisher relationship is a new setting for me, and I enjoyed the self-conscious descriptions of this, and the interplay of the autobiographical and fictional in Jane's writing - and the questions this gave rise to about the real author's life and work too! Far more fun than most general fiction/touch of romance.
[41. A sticker on the cover]
Wild Kingdom by Stephen Moss
In this book, published in 2015, the aptly-named Moss examines what is meant by 'the countryside', and considers different British habitats - farmland, rivers, the coast etc. Published in 2015, it's a rather older book than I'd realised, and it's a shame that where he comments on wildlife population changes up to 2013, it would be interesting to know whether the trends have continued or changed since then. It's clear that in many areas there have been some changes since its publication, both for better and worse, so an updated edition would be helpful. The tone is somewhat preachy at times, but overall it's well written and highly informative. And it's reminded me to start a list of places in the UK I'd love to visit this year - the Eden Project, Brownsea Island, and Salisbury Plain all high on that list.
[51. Related to the word 'Wild']
Death Comes to Pemberley by P D James [audiobook]
I had a lot of driving to do on my own this weekend, so decided that this could be the best opportunity to try an audio book - this should keep me awake and alert, and remove all the hassle of trying to set up a playlist of podcasts and hope that they played the way I wanted them to. And what a great idea it was! It's many years since I read Pride & Prejudice, but the story is familiar enough that the setting for this follow-on made perfect sense. I appreciated the attempt to write in an Austen-esque style; even if there were a few occasional choices of word or phrase which I felt could have been slightly smoother, on the whole it felt comfortable enough to my non-expert ear. I greatly enjoyed the story, and actually found myself hoping for some slow traffic on the way back down the M6 and M40 so that I could get to the end of the book! (That didn't happen, so I finished it in my lunch break on Monday.) The story follows the rules of crime writing nicely - a few red herrings, enough clues and misdiretions to keep it interesting, and a denouement which makes it all make sense.
All in all, a fun and interesting listen which has persuaded me that perhaps audiobooks do have a place in my life. I shall definitely look for others to keep me company on future solitary trips Up North and back!
[16. An omniscient narrator]
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