Signal fires and a puma called Wyra: June at the Reader's Nook
Grab your favorite beverage and step into the world of books!
Dear reader,
I sent out a poll earlier this month to check if what I suspected was correct — that this monthly format is becoming a bit too long for comfort. 80% of you agreed it was and wanted shorter updates, so from next month, you will get two servings of bookish awesomeness. I hope that ups your reading pleasure and helps you find new books to fall in love with each month!
Speaking of which, I’m wondering, how often are you drawn to a book because of its cover and are you sometimes disappointed by your choices? One of the books that I read this month, Feathertide, has the most glorious cover and quite an interesting premise. It’s even got some beautiful writing. And yet, it all felt quite flat and uninteresting. There’s a secret sauce to books that you fall in love with — the structure of the story, pacing of the plot, characters you can become invested in, and also their development arcs are just a few of things that make for a compelling read, I think. Sometimes, even beautiful writing and an interesting premise fail to deliver, and it’s quite heartbreaking when that happens, don’t you think so?
On that note, tell me which was the last book that disappointed you? Drop a comment or hit reply and let’s bemoan the books we wanted to love but couldn’t.
Books I read
Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
Britt-Marie can’t stand mess. A disorganized cutlery drawer ranks high on her list of unforgivable sins. She is not one to judge others—no matter how ill-mannered, unkempt, or morally suspect they might be. It’s just that sometimes people interpret her helpful suggestions as criticisms, which is certainly not her intention. But hidden inside the socially awkward, fussy busybody is a woman who has more imagination, bigger dreams, and a warmer heart that anyone around her realizes. When Britt-Marie walks out on her cheating husband she finds work as the caretaker of a soon-to-be demolished recreation center in the miserable backwater town of Borg. The fastidious Britt-Marie soon finds herself being drawn into the daily doings of her fellow citizens, an odd assortment of miscreants, drunkards, layabouts. In this small town of misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs?
Fredrik Backman is one of my absolute favorite authors. I love his flawed, fastidious, anxious characters with their big warm hearts. His stories have a certain feel-good factor, and I reach for them when I want the guarantee of a delightful read. And he did not disappoint! If you’ve had a streak of somewhat disappointing books, or if your reading list has been somewhat heavy recently, read this — or any of his other books — now!
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno
After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. But Noemí is an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. She’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemí’s dreams with visions of blood and doom. Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. Mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, Noemí may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
Gothic horror — even horror, for that matter — isn’t my usual genre. I think I last read a horror story back in school. I have very vivid memories of reading The Exorcist {after being hugely unimpressed with the movie} late at night, in between hours of study sessions for my 10th board exams, and being spooked by every shadow that moved against my curtain! While Mexican Gothic didn’t give me sleepless nights, it was deliciously menacing all the same. The story is atmospheric and foreboding, and will wrap you up in the subtle terror and mystery of the enigmatic High Place. Definitely worth a read!
The Puma Years by Laura Coleman
Laura was in her early twenties and directionless when she quit her job to backpack in Bolivia. Fate landed her at a wildlife sanctuary on the edge of the Amazon jungle where she was assigned to a beautiful and complex puma named Wayra. Wide-eyed, inexperienced, and comically terrified, Laura made the scrappy, make-do camp her home. And in Wayra, she made a friend for life, who would ultimately teach Laura about love, healing, and the person she was capable of becoming. Set against a turbulent and poignant backdrop of deforestation, the illegal pet trade, and forest fires, The Puma Years explores what happens when two desperate creatures in need of rescue find one another.
I don’t even know how to begin talking about The Puma Years. Maybe I should start with Wyra, who stole a piece of my heart. She may be a scared Puma with her own set of complexes, but she isn’t going to let any humans cotton on to her anxieties. And certainly not the new volunteer, Laura, whose fear she can smell from a mile away. While she acts singularly unimpressed by Laura, all the while, she is watching her carefully — until the day when she finally decides she can trust her new volunteer, and rests her head against Laura’s legs. Reading about Wyra was a bit like reading about my cats, Simba and Loki. Both of them have their own unique personalities, and they’re both capable of looking at you as if they’re singularly unimpressed by your sorry ass and as if you’re the center of their world. It is a feeling that, I think, will be familiar to any cat lover. Then there was the camp where Laura volunteered. In the Amazon jungle, home to wild animals and birds rescued from hotels, circuses, captivity. The living conditions were horrendous, but volunteers stayed there for years, and many of them returned every few years for the love of the cats they looked after. And then there is the story of the ecology, of the destruction of the forest and the wildfires that the camp has to battle year after year after torturous year. Written by writer and activist Laura Coleman, who is still associated with the camp, and with Wyra, this is a must-read!
Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro
Signal Fires opens on a summer night in 1985. Three teenagers have been drinking. One of them gets behind the wheel of a car, and, in an instant, everything on Division Street changes. Each of their lives, and that of Ben Wilf, a young doctor who arrives on the scene, is shattered. On Division Street, time has moved on. When the Shenkmans arrive, it is as if the accident never happened. But when Waldo, the Shenkmans’ brilliant, lonely son who marvels at the beauty of the world and has a native ability to find connections in everything, befriends Dr. Wilf, past events come hurtling back in ways no one could ever have foreseen.
One small decision that goes terribly wrong sets the stage for this tender-hearted novel about the impact of secrets and trauma, love and loss, fear and control. Told in alternating timelines, Shapiro weaves a beautiful tapestry of a story, with characters that you cannot help but fall in love with, especially Waldo, the young boy who is anchored by his love for the constellations in the night sky.
Feathertide by Beth Cartwright (Your favourite color on the cover)
Born covered in the feathers of a bird, and kept hidden in a crumbling house full of secrets, Marea has always known she was different, but never known why. And so to find answers, she goes in search of the father she has never met. The hunt leads her to the City of Murmurs, a place of mermaids and mystery, where jars of swirling mist are carried through the streets by the broken-hearted. And Marea will never forget what she learns there.
A gorgeous cover, an interesting premise, and lyrical writing fail to make this a book worth reading. I really wanted to like this book, with its themes of family and separation, being marked out as “different” and not belonging, but it all just fell quite flat. Quite a disappointment, this!
Recommendation corner:
Have some of the bingo prompts got you scratching your head, wondering what to read or maybe even what it means? I got you covered! Every month, I will pick 2 bingo prompts and share a couple of recommendations with you. And just so you’re not here all day reading this, I’ll link you up to Goodreads so you can check out the book and add it to your Want-to-read shelf. Here we go!
A poetry collection
Poetry never really goes out of fashion, does it? It doesn’t get too much attention, I think, unless you’re Rupi Kaur, perhaps, and it can be difficult to choose interesting poetry collections, given how varied the themes and styles of poetry are. But there is something to be said for reading a poem a day, which is what I hope this prompt will encourage you to do. Here are a few of my suggestions:
Devotions by Mary Oliver: If you love Mary Oliver like I do, you can’t go wrong with this collection of 200+ poems. Featuring poems from her very first book of poetry, No Voyage and Other Poems, published in 1963 at the age of 28, through to Felicity, published in 2015, this stunning volume contains the poet’s writing from the last 50 years.
Like A Beggar by Ellen Bass: Can you turn your everyday life into poetry? Ellen Bass surely can! Her poems try to convey everyday wonder on themes ranging from contemporary experiences of sex, work, aging, and war, and musings on suicide and generosity, desire and repetition. Some poems in this collection are luminous; some not so much, but overall, it’s quite a lovely collection of poems.
Yesterday I Was The Moon by Noor Unnahar: This slim volume of poetry by Noor Unnahar explores themes of courage, self-love, culture and the struggles of making peace with your heart and art. Short poems paired with black and white photographs make it quite reminiscent of the style of poetry made popular by Rupi Kaur, though some of her short verses do pack quite the punch.
From last year’s TBR list
Do you have any books from last year that you wanted to read, but didn’t get around to? This is your chance to put a dent on your to-be-read list! I could share a few recommendations from my list, but that would defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it? ;-)
On my to-read list:
What can I say? I’m an enabler! In this section, I’ll share a couple of books from my TBR list. These will generally include a mix of upcoming releases and books that have been around for years but never made it into my orbit.
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him. So it’s a relief when his skill on the basketball court earns him a scholarship to college, far away from his childhood home. He soon meets Julia Padavano, a spirited and ambitious young woman who surprises William with her appreciation of his quiet steadiness. With Julia comes her family; she is inseparable from her three younger sisters: Sylvie, the dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book and imagines a future different from the expected path of wife and mother; Cecelia, the family’s artist; and Emeline, who patiently takes care of all of them. But then darkness from William’s past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia’s carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters’ unshakeable loyalty to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations. Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most?
I was drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover, I stayed for the promise of the story. There’s something about the story-line that promises depth and complexity, and I’m totally here for that.
In the Woods by Tana French
As dusk approaches a small Dublin suburb in the summer of 1984, mothers begin to call their children home. But on this warm evening, three children do not return from the dark and silent woods. When the police arrive, they find only one of the children. He is gripping a tree trunk in terror, wearing blood-filled sneakers and unable to recall a single detail of the previous hours. Twenty years later, the found boy, Rob Ryan, is a detective on the Dublin Murder Squad and keeps his past a secret. But when a 12-year-old girl is found murdered in the same woods, he and Detective Cassie Maddox (his partner and closest friend) find themselves investigating a case chillingly similar to the previous unsolved mystery. Now, with only snippets of long-buried memories to guide him, Ryan has the chance to uncover both the mystery of the case before him and that of his own shadowy past.
I saw this on a friend’s Instagram stories, and a quick chat later, she convinced me to add the book to my to-read list. I’m quite a sucker for crime thrillers, and I haven’t read too many of them recently, so I’m really looking forward to this book! I may just pick this one up after I finish my current read!
Take My Hand by Doeln Perkins-Valdez
Montgomery, Alabama 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend has big plans to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she intends to help women make their own choices for their lives and bodies. But when her first week on the job takes her down a dusty country road to a worn down one-room cabin, she’s shocked to learn that her new patients are children—just 11 and 13 years old. Neither of the Williams sisters has even kissed a boy, but they are poor and Black and for those handling the family’s welfare benefits that’s reason enough to have the girls on birth control. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica and their family into her heart. Until one day, she arrives at the door to learn the unthinkable has happened and nothing will ever be the same for any of them. Decades later, with her daughter grown and a long career in her wake, Dr. Civil Townsend is ready to retire, to find her peace and to leave the past behind. But there are people and stories that refuse to be forgotten. That must not be forgotten. Because history repeats what we don’t remember.
This is another of those books that I’ve been ignoring for the longest time. But I love the cover, and the title keeps drawing me in, even though I’m pretty certain that the story itself will be rather horrifying, seeing as its based on true events in post-segregation Alabama. I know that I’m not currently in the mind-space for this, and I also know that I will, eventually, read it.
For the love of poetry
How about a poem from one of the poets whose books I recommended this month?
The Thing Is
Ellen Bass
to love life, to love it even
when you have no stomach for it
and everything you’ve held dear
crumbles like burnt paper in your hands,
your throat filled with the silt of it.
When grief sits with you, its tropical heat
thickening the air, heavy as water
more fit for gills than lungs;
when grief weights you down like your own flesh
only more of it, an obesity of grief,
you think, How can a body withstand this?
Then you hold life like a face
between your palms, a plain face,
no charming smile, no violet eyes,
and you say, yes, I will take you
I will love you, again.
Monthly round-up
Things that caught my attention this month
⫸ I came across an article titled Why Gen X Isn’t Ready To Leave The Workforce and immediately had to read since there’s hardly ever anything written about my generation.
⫸ Then I found this YouTube Short and this article on Gen Xers. “We pretty much watched “Video Killed the Radio Star” on a loop for months without blinking, and were never annoyed.” - Yeah, that sounds about right! ;-)
⫸ The husband came across a clip from A Street Cat Named Bob on Instagram and we immediately watched it on Netflix. It is a beautiful movie, based on a true story, about hope and love and addiction and family.
⫸ On the role of libraries, and books
Thank you for being here and for spending some time in my bookish world. Hit reply and tell me what you’ve been reading and enjoying this month!
Happy reading,
Shinjini