The last few months in books

Hello book lovers! It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these. What have you all been reading this month? I haven’t come across anything too mind blowing, to be honest, but some of these were lovely reads.

Kate Morton books

THE HOUSE AT RIVERTON BY KATE MORTON

Quick Summary

The House at Riverton is a gorgeous debut novel set in England between the wars. Perfect for fans of “Downton Abbey,” it’s the story of an aristocratic family, a house, a mysterious death, and a way of life that vanished forever, told in flashback by a woman who witnessed it all.

Three-line Review

If you miss Downton Abbey, this is the book for you. Seriously though, I love Kate Morton. A lot of her writing is kinda trashy, but she’s masterful at character development and I love how she weaves a story. Her endings are always so satisfying.

☆☆☆☆ / ☆☆☆☆☆

THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN BY KATE MORTON

Quick Summary

Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra’s life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.

Three-line Review

Found this one in the bookshelf of my hotel in Levanto, Italy. Really interesting read as per usual but the cheese factor nearly killed me. This one was probably my least favourite of the books I’ve read by her so far.

☆☆☆ / ☆☆☆☆☆

Camino & Flypaper

CAMINO DE SANTIAGO: CAMINO FRANCES 2015 BY LESLIE GILMOUR

Quick Summary

All the information for preparation, planning, and walking the Camino de Santiago.

Three-line Review

A really useful guide for planning your pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago — I particularly found the updated list of albergues helpful. However, the day-by-day guide didn’t match what most people were walking (in March) so I ended up disregarding a large portion of that.

☆☆☆☆ / ☆☆☆☆☆

FLYPAPER BY ROBERT MUSIL

Quick Summary

One of the very first rank of prose stylists, Robert Musil captures a scene’s every telling detail and symbolic aspect with a precise and remarkable beauty. In these nine stories and essays, he considers holidaymakers and stone monuments, tales of war and blackbirds, and the great pathos of a tiny death: a fly’s impossible fight against the grip of flypaper.

Three-line Review

I appreciate Musil’s wry humour but I kinda feel like he wrote a crapload of essays about literally NOTHING just to see how the literary critics would react. Well played, sir. This book bored me to tears, even if I could appreciate the quality of work.

☆☆☆ / ☆☆☆☆☆

China and Turkey

A CONCISE CHINESE-ENGLISH DICTIONARY FOR LOVERS BY XIAOLU GUO

Quick Summary

When a young Chinese woman, newly arrived in London, moves in with her English boyfriend, she decides it’s time to write a Chinese-English dictionary for lovers. Xiaolu’s first novel in English is an utterly original journey of self-discovery.

Three-line Review

It’s weird to me that this book has such a low rating on Goodreads because I thought it was absolutely adorable. A sweet, simple, unique love story. Sure, Z is a piece of work, but I think that’s the whole point. A light and easy read. I like that you can see Z’s process with English learning as the book progresses.

☆☆☆☆ / ☆☆☆☆☆

SNOW BY ORHAN PAMUK

Quick Summary

Dread, yearning, identity, intrigue, the lethal chemistry between secular doubt and Islamic fanaticism–these are the elements that Orhan Pamuk anneals in this masterful, disquieting novel. An exiled poet named Ka returns to Turkey and travels to the forlorn city of Kars. His ostensible purpose is to report on a wave of suicides among religious girls forbidden to wear their head-scarves. But Ka is also drawn by his memories of the radiant Ipek, now recently divorced. Amid blanketing snowfall and universal suspicion, Ka finds himself pursued by figures ranging from Ipek’s ex-husband to a charismatic terrorist.

Three-line Review

I couldn’t read this one, and I’m not really sure why not. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to dig into a political piece (I was moving back to Canada), which is a shame because I don’t think I’ve ever read a Turkish author before. I’ll try some of his other works.

0 / ☆☆☆☆☆

  • July 19 2016
    Pike M

    Sorry you couldn’t get into Pamuk. I haven’t read Snow, but he is definitely an author I admire. Istanbul and Museum of Innocence leave a very strong impression of Istanbul and, I think, are good to read before visiting the place. It was the Museum itself that led me to the books, where I found myself suddenly, unexpectedly moved, without so much as knowing the story that informs the exhibition (although the exhibition, in turn, informed the story, so perhaps the two can be approached in any order).

    That said, I wouldn’t call Pamuk an easy read.

    I have also been recommended Ahmet Umit, but cannot comment as haven’t read his stuff yet.

    • July 27 2016
      Candice

      I don’t think I was in the mind frame for such a political read — there was so much going on with me leaving Berlin and coming home. I’ll likely pick it up again at some point, although I most want to read Museum of Innocence!

  • July 22 2016

    This is fantastic! I’m always looking for more books to read, but I can never quite figure out what’s good or not.A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary For Lovers sounds fascinating and different! Keep it up for us book worms out here :)
    Miranda Risser recently posted…Colorado Summer: 16 Things To Do In Vail Beyond Skiing

  • July 25 2016

    I always love your book lists. I’ve never heard of A concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers, but it sounds really sweet – will definitely be looking into it!
    Laura recently posted…My Experience Living with a Syrian Refugee

    • July 27 2016
      Candice

      It’s a super cute read! Good for a plane journey, or something like that.

  • July 27 2016

    Candice,
    I have a book to recommend that is not what you would call a literary offering but rather a terrifying thriller set in northern Newfoundland and Labrador. It’s a fabulous book for travelers, I think, with some historical and geographic content set within a modern context.

    It’s called EATEN: A novel.

    It’s a polar bear attack thriller set in the year 2025. Think JAWS for the 21st century. It’s meant for readers who like a good scary story and would be a great companion for a long train ride, a cold rainy day or a comfy sunny beach.

    It’s available in several ebook formats as well as paperback. Have a look:https://www.amazon.com/Eaten-novel-Susan-Crockford/dp/151930255X

    I’d be happy to send a review copy in the format you’d prefer. As a treat for your readers, here is a coupon code that will get you an iTunes or NOOK or KOBO or pdf ebook for 99 cents.

    https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/592875
    Code: TU93D (not case sensitive, expires Sept.26, 2016)

    Sometimes, a good scary story fits the bill exactly. Try it!

    Susan Crockford, author

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