As we approach the middle of June and the middle of winter (not that long until the the shortest day), it is time once again for what’s on my bookshelf, a monthly round up of books read – enjoyed or otherwise hosted by hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb.
It is a bit of a mixed bag this month, both in terms of what I enjoyed and in terms of the types of books I have read. First up, Louise Erdrich’s The Sentence, which I absolutely loved. The blurb on the back of the book says it is “a wickedly funny ghost story, a tale of passion, of a complex marriage and of a woman’s relentless errors” which doesn’t really do it justice. A beautifully written book with spiky characters, humour and a lot of social commentary woven in to the every day lives of its characters living through the pandemic in 2020 in Minneapolis, this may end up as a strong contender for favourite of the year. Tookie, the main character, works in a bookshop after being released from prison. One of the shop’s most annoying customers dies on All Souls’ Day 2019, and then haunts the store, during the year that saw the people dealing with the pandemic, isolation and the protests following the death of George Floyd. I also felt I learned a lot from this book, and can see me at some point re-reading it. Highly recommended.
Now to a book that everyone who has read seems to have loved. However, I was not bowled over by Pip Williams’ The Dictionary of Lost Words. Putting aside that historical fiction is not normally my first choice (though having said that I loved The Crimson Petal and White by Michael Faber), I found this book, which sounded so promising, dull and full of far too many plot devices. The main character was unlovable, and it seemed like every possible relevant historical event or societal attitude got slotted in for no reason, leading to a jumbled book with just too much in it. I know my view is in the minority, but it just wasn’t a book for me.
Now to something very different, two collected works of Joyce Dennis: Henrietta’s War and Henrietta Sees It Through. The books are made up of comedy fictional letters first published in The Sketch during World War II. The first book takes us from 1939 through to December 1941, and the second the remaining years of the war, and follow the lives of a doctor’s wife and other residents in a small town in Devon. While the books cover issues of daily life at the time (rationing, evacuees and so on) they are really funny, with larger than life characters in everyday situations. Dennys was first and foremost an illustrator and cartoonist, and her drawings are an essential part of the books. They are the perfect things to pick up when you feel a little down, in need of a pick me up and want to smile. You can read more about the author here.
So to two quite different books with a focus on food. First up is Ella Risbridger’s Midnight Chicken, a combination of memoirs and recipes (including the chicken that opens the book). It is a book of food, of the author’s struggle with her mental health and the illness of her partner. It is the sort of book you can read in an afternoon, maybe cook from, but certainly enjoy the sentiments in the writing (see below a short extract). My main criticism is – yet again – poor editing.
The world is so hard, and life is so short you must make things lovely where you can. You have to make mundane things like packed lunches into something glorious and important and worth having. You have to make ordinary days worth having, is the thing – and investing a bit of time in what you eat and where you eat it (which is really investing a bit of time in looking after yourself) is one of the easiest ways to do it. (Risbridger 2020: 106)
Finally, Sophie Hansen’s lates book, this time written in collaboration with her mother, Around the Kitchen Table. Full of recipes and craft projects, this is a lovely book to dip into and plan what to cook or pick up other ideas. I had some left over stalks from some rainbow chard today, so made her quick pickle. I have yet to try it, but it sounds like a great idea to use up the colourful stalks.
As I mentioned last month, the book club I am part of uses a three ‘star’ system to rate books but instead of stars, we pick something associated with the book. So for this month:
- Louise Erdrich ‘The Sentence’ – 3 ghosts
- Pip Williams ‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’ – 1.5 words
- Joyce Denny ‘Henrietta’s War’ and ‘Henrietta Sees It Through’ – 3 ration books each
- Ella Risbridger ‘Midnight Chicken’ – 2.5 chickens
- Sophie Hansen & Annie Herron ‘Around the Kitchen Table’ – 3 cakes
So that is my reading for this month. Have you read anything good, or any of the books I have read? Join in the blog party challenge here.
You can find Thistles and Kiwis on Facebook, and also on Instagram @thistlesandkiwis. As for Twitter….am totally inactive these days. If you want to get in touch, email me on thistlesandkiwis@gmail.com
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That’s a really good rating system. I’m going to read Henrietta’s war.
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It’s quite a fun way to rate the books I think.
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I count myself among those who thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Dictionary of Lost Words’. The enjoyment of novels such as this one depend so much one circumstances, mood and the time one has for reading. All fell into line with this one for me. I have noted your comment on ‘The Sentence’ and will look out for it. I always enjoy your book reviews 🙂
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I know exactly what you mean about one’s mood and the time when reading a book. I also find there are some things I could read in my 20s that I can’t now! I kept putting off reading ‘The Sentence’ but am so glad I picked it up now.
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i also added “the sentence” and “the dictionary of lost words” to my want-to-read list based on this post. i am currently reading, “the house on the street” by diane chamberlain, and “the book of joy” by the dalai lama and the late desmond tutu. enjoying both! thank you for sharing (3 kiwis)!
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🙂
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Interesting mix of books! I am struggling to get through Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. After having loved All the light We Cannot See, this one is not easy to get into. More than halfway through, I am still not sure what the point is. It is a book that once put down is hard to pick back up again. Too bad. I should probably just return it to the library, since I just started a new class and may not have much time to read for enjoyment for the next eight weeks or so. The Henrietta books sound lovely – I will look for them!
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It is hard when you have read good reviews or friends recommend a book but you just can’t get into it. Maybe put it down and try again at a later date?
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Maybe – It is true that sometimes a book will work better later
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I found this very interesting because The Sentence is on my list. It was up for the Women’s Fiction Prize (didn’t win) and was the shortlisted title which most appealed to me. However, I loved Dictionary of Lost Words so maybe the opposite will happen and I won’t like The Sentence! What I liked about DofLW was the way a fictional character was inserted into real history, and also the theme that words to do with women are less valued. I thought it was very clever.
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I think one of the problems I had with DofLW was the central character who I didn’t particularly like. I also thought the author tried to cram in too much into the story, a sort of ‘oh here is another historical event’ way. I had put off reading ‘The Sentence’, but once I got into it I really enjoyed it – really opened my eyes to all sorts of issues.
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I’ll keep it on my list then!
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I adored Midnight Chicken – got so absorbed I completely forgot about the editing…(but then I have a totally crap attention to detail…). I’ve just finished reading her latest – A Year of Miracles. Again it’s more the stories and the rambling lyricism than the recipes. I also really enjoyed Dictionary – possibly more so because it was the first time my daughter (who has always been a non reader) read something and recommended it to me. I did, however, find the ending less than satisfactory. A lovely eclectic bunch you’ve brought to the bookshelf this month…
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I read Midnight Chicken in an afternoon – also got completely absorbed and really looking forward to reading her latest. Dictionary – I am in a minority I know 🙂
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Aaah but it’s our differences that make life interesting 🙂
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Oh my goodness; I haven’t heard of any of these! Though The Sentence sounds like a fun read.
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I enjoyed The Sentence as much as you did. Spiky characters, indeed, with so many mistakes and so much vulnerability and kindness. Fantastic prose, too!
I’m reading Her Body and Other Parties, a collection of inventive, piercing short stories by Carmen Maria Machado. It may be one of my top five best books of the year.
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I so agree re The Sentence – such a good book. I Googled the Machado – that does sound interesting – must keep my eyes open for it.
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I really tried to like the Lost Words listening via Audible but felt less than interested to continue. Those two WW11 books sound great!!
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I think Lost Words divides us into those who like it and those who don’t! The WWII books are lots of fun with over the top characters.
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Thank you so much for these reviews. The Sentence sounds fascinating.
I just finished reading Annika Perry’s review of The Dictionary of Lost Words. She absolutely loved it. That is one of my favourite things about books – there’s something for everyone but every book is not for all! 🙂
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I agree! There are so many books out there – something for everyone!
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I love the variety of your books read this month and how you rate them gives me a smile each time I read them! Thanks for joining us for WOYBS again this month, it’s always great to see what others are enjoying. I liked The Dictionary of Lost Words but understand it’s not everyone’s cup of tea – we’re all different and come to reading books with our own unique views which is good!
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It’s time I think, I will be adding The Sentence to my list of books to read. This is the third time I’ve seen it in a review in just the past few days.
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I really enjoyed it.
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I would interested in “Midnight Chicken” because I enjoy how their story weaves with the food. A cookbook memoir I’ve enjoyed a lot is “Amboy” by Alvin Cailan.
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Oh I must look out for that!
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