Friday, 1 August 2025

August Reading

 I find grief really fascinating because it's so weird and so individual. So I read about it, listen about it, write about it - and almost all my published stories are on it.

This book is not the best on it, but I found it really interesting, especially my reaction to the story about the dog. I found that shocking and my emotional reaction was unexpectedly severe (compared to the loss of her husband). Some good practical things to consider in the fall out of loss too.

Worth reading if you are far enough into your grief, or if you are interested in that literary circle.

As an aside, this is one of my favourite songs of loss.


I came across this when trying to remember what the fairy story comic books were called (review here for Far Out Fairy Tales). It intrigued me after I got over my initial recoil at what I thought was an offensive slur. Anyway, it's a very interesting book of a family whose father came out in the 1980s. I learnt a bit about Canadian history (and that Margaret Atwood has been fighting the good fight since forever). She divides it into how it was for her as a kid, how it was for him, how it was for her mother and then how it is for them all now. It's an interesting insight into a complex life in a conservative society,










My bookclub is reading Goodbye to Berlin which is in part what the musical Cabaret is based on. The chapter on Sally Bowles is very familiar, including much talk of Prairie Oysters. The characters are strange and quirky and overall oblivious to the rising menace that the reader sees, beyond the talk of inflation and growing poverty. I really enjoyed it and it's worth a read. My favourite of this month, and I'll read the other book in the collection, Mr Norris Changes Train when I get the chance.






I read this so I could listen to the Stunners Bookclub podcast on it. I'd not read any Chopin and it's quite short. As a novel, it wasn't really for me, but I can see it was a very important book, and the fact that it's still relevant today means it must have been incredibly scandalous at the time - having  a wife and mother have her own desires and *gasp* being a sexual being. It raises a lot of interesting ideas, especially as it is almost all the women in the story encouraging her to stick in the role and duties of wife and mother that are drowning her. So while I wouldn't say it was a book I loved, I do think it's a book you should read, in that classic sense. (Even writing this, I think I like it more than when I was reading it).

This is a little book of poetry that plays with the themes and poetry of Shelley, Coleridge and other Romantic poets. It's a sci-fi influenced look at poetry, and thus makes it great for teachers wanting to make fun comparisons with the classic works. Ozymandias is one of my favourite poems (obviously appealing to the existentialist in me) and I couldn't help smiling when I read Forbidden City in this book. It's funny how some images or words are burnt into our memories, instantly recognisable even when the words and context are different.

I get a smile every time I walk past these little books lying all over the house at the moment. The fav booking part begins (as the money comes in).


Linking with #WWWhimsy #MondayMusicMovesMe  #AgoodBook #TalkaboutitTuesday #IMWAYR (the poetry book is suitable for YA)  #Bookdate #SundayPost #SundaySalon #StackingtheShelves #MonthlyBookworms 

20 comments:

  1. Thank you for your suggestions for late summer beach reads

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  2. I've always been curious about what it might be like to be in Germany in the 30s. This was explored a little bit in the tv series I just watched, Outrageous. I think I'll add Goodbye to Berlin to my list of books to read before I die.

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  3. Goodbye to Berlin seems like an important book for our time. Fun to see Paris travel books!

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  4. Gosh dang it, Lydia...this post has too much in it that I want to explore further so now I'm going to have to go get a few things done so that I can come back to it and take all the time I need. :-D

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    1. I'm back. I added some books to my TBR. I cried over that doggggggggggg.

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  5. Thanks for sharing some interesting books. I'm going to see if I can get Goodbye To Berlin from my library.

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  6. So many interesting books that you have mentioned in this post! Thanks for sharing.

    Have a great week!

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  7. What an interesting collection of books. The poetry sounds really intriguing.

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  8. The Fairy's Daughter book sounds so interesting!

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  9. Thank you for sharing. I will check the "memorial days".

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  10. Interesting reading material, especially the "Berlin" book. Thanks for the recommendations. Happy Music Monday to you! ☺

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  11. You have read quite a variety of literature. Your song tie in is a new discovery for me. Thanks for sharing it with the 4M gang, Lydia. Have a boogietastic week!

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  12. I enjoyed the song and Margaret Atwood is a celebrity in our Canadian land. I enjoyed listening and reading the Berlin book. The 20s was far ahead..the Studio 54 for its time but it was the city notjust the big bar

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  13. The Wish You Were Here video brought tears to my eyes. I never realized Caberet was based on a book - I checked the library and would have to put it on reserve. I just might.

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  14. I enjoyed The Awakening, Lydia but I didn't necessarily like the characters. It took me some time to get into but it was certainly worthwhile reading. I hope you hear our discussion on the podcast. #WWWhimsy

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  15. Hi Lydia, some very interesting reads here! My grief is still pretty raw - lost my Dad nearly 8 years ago now, lost my Mum only 8 months ago, lost my dog only 7 months ago. Couldn't listen to the clip or it'd have me bawling (I played about 5 seconds and though um nope better stop). Doesn't take much. Since all my losses rather than exploring grief alone, I've found my interest in spirituality has increased alot and I watch a lot of stuff related to that on YouTube and I ordered a book called The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav which I've just started reading. It gives me some comfort I think to know that there might be something more after this human life and so those that I've loved and lost may not be completely lost after all. Thanks so much for sharing with us at #WWWhimsy xo

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    1. Yes the clip is about a dog, so it would def crack you. I'm glad you are finding something to navigate it all. It's such a tricky thing.

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    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    3. I just duplicated my comment for some reason...in case the removed comment makes you curious.

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