The Beauty of a Story

I haven’t done one of these in a while, and I thought right after break, when I read much more, would be a good time. I am slowly creeping out of a reading slump I have been in. Due to what, I don’t know. It could have been stress, being overly busy, or some unknown to me reason. Books didn’t sound interesting to me, and I started lots of books, and then drifted to another one partway through. This month I was able to find, and finish, some books I really liked, and a couple of books which weren’t my favorite.

On to the books!

A Thousand Day’s in Venice by Marlena De Blasi

Five out of five stars. I have already written about this book at length in a book review up on the blog. In summary, I really enjoyed the introspective memoir about a woman who has a whirlwind romance. The descriptive details in the book were stunning, it described a place I have never been to, and now hope to visit someday.

The Pig Did It by Joseph Caldwell

Two out of five stars. I started reading the book with the expectation that it was going to be a mystery novel. With a mystery comes certain tropes and plot points that defines the genre. This book started with some of them, and verged wildly from the mystery format. I think I enjoyed the book much less because I went in with those expectations and then ended up disappointed. The book is about a man who, after being scorned in love, decides to take a vacation in Ireland to mourn his lost love and generally wallow in self pity. It doesn’t work out very well for him. First, he gets lost because he is chasing a pig. Then, the same pig digs up a skeleton in his aunts backyard, and much finger pointing, pontificating, and generally ridiculous happenings ensue.

I think if you went in with the expectation that it is a character driven novel with a cast of quirky people, it would be much more accurate than thinking it will be a mystery novel. While the characters are kind of trying to figure out who did it, they are all so set in their theories that nothing can move their opinions. Less a ‘who did it’ and more a ‘let’s prove I’m right’.

If you like satire, and tongue in cheek humor, I think you would enjoy this book. It is well written, and the characters are very well drawn. It happened to not be my cup of tea, but it might be yours!

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

One out of five stars. This book was recommended to me by someone who thought I would enjoy the literary allusions sprinkled throughout the book. And I did. I enjoyed the little side view into some authors lives. The novel was about finding and collecting rare books, a side of books I don’t know very much about. I liked learning about what comes with collecting rare editions, and the single minded search some people have for certain books.

There were a lot of things I didn’t like about the book. I felt like I was reading the book halfway through edits. Occasionally there would be lines of text alluding to something that never happened, and I assumed the scene had been cut out in an earlier edit. Once would not have bothered me, we all make mistakes and miss things. But more than once pulled me out of the story completely. I would have enjoyed it more if I had connected with the characters, but their drama frustrated me, and I could not understand their motivations and decisions most of the time. I think character wise, that was completely a personal preference. It was not my favorite book, though I know many people have liked it, and I am glad they were able to connect with the characters and enjoy it.

The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott

Four out of five stars. I thought about this book for a while after I finished it. This book is thoughtful, because it makes you think about the themes it covers and the arguments it makes.

I really, really liked the setting of the book. It is set in an unnamed country in the midst of political upheaval and startling climate change. Most of the book is set in the wilds and back country, where rain falls on empty grassland and you are the only soul for miles around. The way the author describes rain is breathtaking, and I wish I had read the story slower to let the descriptions sink it a little more. The story is magical realism, or as I like to call it, the real world with a little bit of magic mixed in. My favorite genre, actually.

Even though the country around the characters is in upheaval, that does not over power the story. It affects the story and the characters, whether they want it to or not, but it is not the focus of the story. The focus of the story is on a few characters, and the decisions they make as they either seek out or try to protect the rain heron. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and how the characters lives interwove with each other. I could go on and on about this book, but I am going to stop here, and write a full book review later.

Tactics by Gregory Koukl

Four out of five stars. This was the next non fiction book on my shelf to read. I am almost done with them all! The book was all about how to have a good discussion with people even if you don’t agree with them. How can you discuss a tricky topic without getting angry, or making other people angry? The book lays out the ‘tactics’ the author uses to get your point across, and understand the other persons perspective. The author writes in an engaging and funny way, I actually laughed out loud a couple of times. All in all, I enjoyed the book.

Provence-To Die For by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain

Four out of five stars. Has anyone ever watched ‘Murder, She Wrote’? I love that show, and when I am in need of a cozy mystery, that is what I go to. Recently, I found out a book series was written as a companion to the show! Of course, I had to go find the books. Reading one felt just like watching the show, same characters, same type of mystery, same cozy ending. Because it is a book, there were more details added in than if there was a show, which made it all the more fun for me. If you like fun, light mysteries, and especially if you like the show, I would highly recommend this book! Also, there are many other books in the series, so we won’t run out any time soon.

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Thus was my month in books. I have a few on my shelf I am looking forward to reading next month, and a few I really need to finish… All in all, I am pleased with the books I was able to read, and I hope I am able to keep climbing out of this reading slump.

Have a lovely day.

Shaina Merrick