August Reading

Did a little better with reading than the last few months. Currently 3/4 through this book club book, To the Sea, with 100 pages to go. I have to say I'm enjoying it, though this week have had little time to read. It starts out as a fairly traditional crime novel set in rural Tasmania, told from different characters points of view - the policeman, the family members. It shifts into mythical legend in one of the stories, and as I'm not at the end, I can't say if it's magical realism or not. It is interesting thoough, and an easy & enjoyable read.

I listened to Cunk on Everything. It's so funny. I can't tell you how many times I laughed out loud. It's silly and not a story, so great for dropping in and out of in between other books. Listen to it for her voice reading it, as the delivery is half the humour. She's so clever. Loved it.

I enjoyed the second in the Snowpiercer series more than the first. I need to track down the next one...It worked the characters better, I thought so you were more engaged and the corrupted power was discovered from the characters point of view so you felt it more.

I enjoyed this Tales from the cafe after a break from the other two. So my advice, don't read them back to back. I've worked out they are written in themes. and this one is on loss. It has this wonderful idea that because our loved person loved us, and lived their life trying to make us happy, then in their honour, we should try to be happy when they are gone. There is a really wonderful quote that sums up the idea that weaves through the stories "If I had led a sad life as a result of my sister's death, then it would have been her death that caused it...I swore to myself that I would make sure that I was happy. My joy would be the legacy of my sister's life." It really got me thinking about how we've sort of twisted up the way we grieve and got it wrong. One of the stories is about a mother's death, and how she'd spent her whole life loving her child and doing things for his happiness, so she wouldn't want her death to change that. And I thought about my kids and I'd hate for them to be pained at my loss, when I'd really had so much fulfilment just from having shared their lives for so long. One trigger warning, there is a story on the loss of an infant child. It's not distressing but I imagine if you've experienced that it might be.

I really enjoyed this book! While I would call it a holiday read, it's not junk and it really got me thinking.A month before their marriage, the fiance ends up on a twitter list of violent men and sex abusers. There are all degrees of 'crimes' on the list. He denies it all. The story is told in alternate points of view between the couple. She is a feminst journalist who has accused other women of being enablers when in the same situation and now she is wondering what to do. I spent a lot of time thinking aobut if I'd do the same as her at times or what I'd do. Really interesting book.

My husband came back from New York with two books that a friend of ours wrote. Ghost Ship is a collection of poems and I can't wait to start the stories.

I don't really understand what this means but I liked it all the same. And I've no idea what the devil Elvis is about....

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