August reads

apparently, now I'm someone who DNFs with wild abandon

September is galloping madly off in all directions - more than halfway through the month and I haven’t done my August reading wrap-up. I know. Especially since August was a bit of a watershed moment for me, in regards to my reading habits. Read on for details…

At some point over the course of the month, I decided I was going to stop reading stuff I wasn’t really enjoying. I suppose that seems like an obvious decision to some people, but to my completionist brain, it’s a bit of a pivot. Additionally, I was feeling distinctly malnourished in my reading life — if reading and book choices were a meal, I felt like I’d been consuming too much fast-food and ready-made meals. Not that many of them weren’t delicious, but they were often empty calories. Satisfying in the moment, but not sustaining in the long run. I’ve written before that I’m something of a gobbler when it comes to books - which is fine. Until it isn’t. There are seasons of life where all you need is some brain-candy and plenty of it. I think the last few years have been a bit of that for me.

But, I feel like there’s a point where mindless consumption becomes a very real issue and I’m at that point. There are A LOT of books out in the world (and aren’t we so fortunate that’s the case?) and there’s just no possible way I can read (and appreciate) everything that catches my eye. With that in mind, I intend to be far more intentional with my choices over the next while, to see what kinds of shifts that might produce. I’m not necessarily targeting High Literature (what even is that, anyway, and who gets to decide?) but what I am looking for is something that will, quite literally, slow me down - beautiful, lyrical language, exquisite settings, clever plots, thoughtful characters and interesting ideas.

Most of what I read in August is what made me realize it was time to make a change, even if I had to DNF one of the more likely candidates.

Let’s get on, shall we?

The first book I finished in August was The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry. This was a truly lovely read, though not without its flaws.

I loved being immersed in 1940s wartime England, particularly the beautiful country village of Binsey and the life described by Hazel (excellent name choice!) that she and Flora experienced as evacuees. Bridie and Harry are perfect hosts for the two displaced girls. It really was purely idyllic - firesides and hot cocoa, picnics and cream teas…just gorgeous and, if you’ve read my Hazel’s story, you’ll know that’s right up my alley. Beautifully atmospheric, the setting was a character all on its own.

The story skips between the 1940s timeline and that of the 1960s, with a grown-up Hazel, still struggling with the unresolved disappearance of her sister from that too-good-to-be-true time. The 1960s setting was less than lovely, though there were some pleasant touchstones in an inherited flat in Bloomsbury and Hazel’s work at a rare book store. The plot centers around Flora’s disappearance, after a surprising discovery by Hazel on her last day at her job at the book shop.

There’s lots of character-arc, trauma-infused action - the mystery surrounding Flora’s disappearance was cleverly done and I didn’t guess at the resolution…but there was a bit too much “exposed clockwork” for me. That could be me reading as a writer, but I felt that too much was spelled out for the reader so far as character motivations and behaviour which either offended my intelligence or pulled me out of the story, or both. In the end, everyone ended up as they should so that was satisfying though my final impression was that something didn’t quite jive with me, though I very much wanted it to. Again, that’s probably just me and, overall, it was a very pleasant read and I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy stories set in WWII-era England and love a bit of cottagecore escapism.

Next came a selection of Elly Griffiths mysteries. I’ve read a smattering of her books in the past and was reminded by something (can’t remember what) about her Harbinder Kaur series, of which I’d read the first two and enjoyed. Perusing the digital shelves of the library, I found another series of hers (The Magic Men) set in Brighton and then the Ruth Galloway series of which I’d read only a few of the earlier books.

The Zig Zag Girl is the first in the Magic Men series and it didn’t do much for me at all. I struggled to connect with any of the main characters and the story was just okay. No plans to continue on.

Then there was A Room Full of Bones, which I soon realized I’d already read but couldn’t really remember the outcome so I kept going. I also soon remembered why I stopped reading the Ruth Galloway series and that’s because of the way the author tends to focus so much on Ruth, the main character’s weight. She’s either referencing how much she weighs or how much she eats. I can’t decide if she’s trying to be inclusive or fat-phobic, but either way, it doesn’t land well and is enough to jar the reading experience. I won’t be carrying on with these either.

Lastly, Bleeding Heart Yard. Of all Elly Griffiths detectives, I like DI Harbinder Kaur the best. I enjoyed this one, though again, it was just ‘okay’. Likeable characters and a standard sort of plot. I wonder if, after writing so many books, Ms. Griffiths is just phoning it in at this point. Or again, that’s just me feeling a bit jaded and ungenerous.

Do you feel the sense of the disenchantment beginning?

On a completely different note is Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I’d been waiting months for this on hold at the library so apparently it’s very popular. I’d been waiting so long, I’d forgotten why I wanted to read it in the first place. Someone, somewhere must have recommended it.

Anyway.

It has a beautiful and strange writing style - thoroughly captivating language and almost poetic in its lyricism. Very deserving of its accolades.

I DNF’d it.

The violence. My word. Plus a clearly irredeemable main character. Life is short, too many books. Moving on. Let us speak no more of it.

Things began to improve from here.

The Maid - Nita Prose

I enjoyed this book. Mostly. The setting (a grand old hotel), the mystery, the colouful cast of characters - all very well done and engaging, but there was something about the main character that didn’t quite sit well with me.

Molly (the MC) is clearly autism-coded and, to be quite honest, the author does a really good job with it. Still, there’s a reliance on stereotype here that feels…uncomfortable? It’s a Sheldon Cooper stereotype of an emotionless robot who’s largely oblivious to everyone around them — which, in fairness, some autistic people may very well seem to be to a neurotypical observer. (It’s called masking and also, in the case of overstimulation, some may present with a blank face if experiencing a ‘shut-down’ due to aforementioned overstimulation). Molly does reference her huge emotions which she works hard to tamp down, so…I don’t know. I guess I’m still processing. Maybe it hits too close to home? The naïveté, the innocence and how people take advantage of our trusting nature, why would anyone lie? These are all part of my experience and so I give the author kudos for that…I just wish she’d steered away from the robot stereotype. Neurodivergence is far more nuanced than that. Take all this with a handful of salt, I may be a bit too sensitive - autism hasn’t, historically, been portrayed well in media.

Still, a really good read and I can recommend it.

Three Apples Fell from the Sky - Narine Abgaryan

This book was a gift from a friend and oh, what a gift it is! An absolute treasure! How do I even describe it? I’m not sure that I can! Set in a tiny, remote mountain village in Armenia, it reads like a folktale, a fable - it meanders and sidesteps and spirals back on itself in a thoroughly enchanting and immersive way. It’s a village of ‘old people’, that has suffered so much loss and tragedy over the years - earthquakes, famine, war - all have robbed the village of its young people, even entire families and yet, it perseveres. The simplicity of the villagers lives, the stoicism and philosophical acceptance is thoroughly beguiling.

“It must be meant to be this way because that’s how it is”

A cast of truly brilliant, memorable characters and the thread of hope that runs through it all made this an absolute delight to read and to savour. I can see myself re-reading this, where I’m sure I’ll pick up on things that I missed the first time around.

I finished the month with another gem - Miss Mole by EH Young.

This, I think, is the book responsible for my decision to choose my books more intentionally from now on. I know what I want from my reading life right now and this one sets the example.

I adored everything about this book: the mile-long sentences that tripped me up and made me go back and read them again so I could absorb every word, the unlikeable supporting cast that I tried to like because Miss Mole found them redeemable, the clever and funny and obvious to everyone but her romance…all of it. Just all of it.

Hannah Mole is a wonderfully relatable character - so much of her experience felt so beautifully and heartbreakingly real that you just can’t help but champion her. I loved how she’s so fond of her country roots and that she aches to go back there…there are some lovely passages that spoke to me on a cellular level. That she’s always playing a role, while quietly subduing the true breadth and scope of her nature….a nature that she only lets Mr. Blenkinsop sometimes glimpse, except when it sneaks out in other company…feels very recognizable. I also adored how she uses her imagination to elevate herself above intolerable situations - I think she might be an early adopter of the ‘romanticize your life” philosophy!

This is a book that I will definitely re-read, probably on a regular basis because it was easy to get caught up in the beautiful phrases (those long, meandering sentences!), so much so that I would miss the point because I was basking in the glow of the writing. It’s the kind of writing, the kind of story that I want to dwell in for a while.

Right, that’s it for another month. September has got off to a ripping start and Gothtober is looming on the horizon….my TBR pile is treasure trove just now. The time to build the autumn book-fort is definitely here.

As always, feel free to share your TBR or your current reads in the comments…I may be getting choosier, but I still love a recommendation. 😎

~m. xo

ps. Don’t forget the Silent Scribble! The first session went swimmingly! I wasn’t a Billy No-Mates and the attendees reported later that it was superbly helpful and productive. You can find out more about it here.