August Reads

Braiding Switchgrass - Robin Kimmerer.  Lots to think about as the world experiences horrible flooding far and wide, droughts that diminish water for people, crops and river commerce, heatwaves in areas unprepared.  Kimmerer's comparisons between the knowledge of indigenous peoples, conventional farming techniques and modern science gave me much to think about.  A bit redundant at times, but when she leans into story telling it is lovely and enlightening.

Pachinko - Min Jin Lee.  A really beautiful story of love, loyalty, parenting, family.  Taking place in the early 1900's the characters deal with the effects of World War I in both Korea and Japan - a part of world history that I was sadly uninformed about until reading The Island of Sea Women and doing some background research.  Historical fiction with powerful characters that live with you beyond the book's cover.

Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid. With no prior expectations, I was pleasantly surprised by this story! Characters are well wrought, especially loved the toddler at the center of the tale.  A young black woman is accused of kidnapping the white child for whom she is the sitter.  As you read, her life and that of the family for which she works unfolds.  A part of me couldn't help but root for a complicated love affair, but in truth, the story resolved exactly as it should.

Cloud Cuckoo Land - Anthony Doer.  A strange but compelling story.  Reminiscent of the methods employed in one of my very favorite books - Cloud Atlas - characters across time and place are connected via an imagined story by Diogenes.  Fourteen year old Konstance on an interstellar ship in the (?) 22nd century.  Anna, an orphan in 15th century Constantinople, working with her sister in an embroidery house.  Omeir, born in 1439 in a small village, shunned and feared because of his cleft lip and palate, yet his ability with his oxen team finds him in the midst of the sultan's huge army in their attack on Constantinople.  Zeno, born in 1940s middle America, realizes he is gay in his youth, but societal pressures do not allow him to live freely.  We follow him through the Korean War and into his life as an old man.  Seymour's autistic behaviors and poverty contribute to his inability to fit in with his fellow students in mid-western modern America.  He finds his calming place with the help of a librarian (a through line for all the characters) who fosters his interest in owls and nature, but "progress" leads to tragedy.  All in all - an ode to the power of stories, books, and those who share them - no matter the human condition.  

The Little Paris Bookshop - Nina George.  Monsieur Perdue has a floating bookshop on the Seine in Paris.  Despite using questionable techniques to cope with difficulties in his own life, he is gifted in choosing the perfect book for his client's lives and emotions.  When a letter he has put off reading for 20 years reveals truths he never anticipated, he pulls anchor on his barge and takes off down the Seine.  On his journey through Antibes and Avignon to the south of France, he and his fellow travelers (a cook and frustrated writer) begin to make sense of their lives.  It was a pleasure to travel along, through books and places I too have loved.

The Little French Bistro - Nina George.  After 41 years of an unhappy marriage, Marianne attempts to take her life by drowning in the Seine.  Unsuccessful, she heads to Brittany, finally creating a life of her own.  Pros - multiple characters over 50 have productive, adventurous, sexual lives while accepting changes and and embracing their past.  Cons - a bit derivative of The Little Paris Bookshop.  I would swear, one sentence was identical, but didn't have the strength to look it up.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill - Abbi Waxman.  Eleanor Oliphant lite.  Fun read.  Nina, who works in a bookshop and loves reading more than most things, has thoughts and commentary that will make you laugh out loud.  Engaging cast of characters.

Reading always surprises me with its tangential connections even when the books were not selected to do so.  This month's reading was filled with characters who are doing their best to make sense of their existence and live peaceful but fulfilling lives.  Certain themes recurred ~ the value of written words and libraries echoed throughout.  The need for us to protect the earth from ourselves if we want to continue to have a place in it.  And, a final connection to recent reads, the incredible history of Korea, impacting lives across the globe.

Read chaotically! ~ les