The Monthly Line: April 2023
Hello dear reader. I hope you're enjoying the Coronation weekend. I've spent it wishing it were a little bit sunnier. But it's still lovely to have the time together as a family. And of course, get some reading done!
This month, I've got a couple of romances for you, a Vietnamese epic, and an Icelandic gloom-fest. Let's dive in.
One. Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola
After releasing a short story collection a couple of years ago, this is Babalola's debut novel. It's set on a British university campus and it felt so real that I was transported back to my uni in a flash. It's very funny and witty, with some great chemistry between the characters. Definitely one to pick up if you enjoy a romance with a bit more bite to it.
How I read it: raced through it at home.
Two. The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
I have read this crazy caper of a book numerous times, but not for a long time, and my impressions of it did suffer slightly after such a long gap. This was one of Fforde's first books and I think it was his best idea for a fantastical world - one where people can read themselves into a book, and meet the characters from the story - in this case, the characters of Jane Eyre (though not Jane herself, for reasons which are explained in the book). Other people obviously agree because it's his longest series, with 7 books following Thursday Next, the main character. On the other hand, I don't think it's his strongest writing. On re-reading Next appears more 2D than I remembered, a cookie cutter version of a Strong Female Character. It's still a lot of fun though, and if you enjoy comedic novels and plots with lots of twists and turns then definitely give Fforde a go.
How I read it: at my parents' house, mining their bookshelves for nostalgia
Three. In the teeth of the evidence by Dorothy L. Sayers
This book was annoyingly mis-sold to me as a short story collection featuring Sayers' best character: Lord Peter Wimsey. In reality there were 1 or 2 stories featuring him and the rest were common garden crime stories. Sayers is an excellent crime writer so they were still enjoyable, but I prefer my crime fiction to be character rather than crime-led so it didn't really work for me.
How I read it: a couple of stories a night, as a bedtime book
Four. We all want impossible things by Catherine Newman
I think I wanted too much from this book. I've read a few of Newman's essays - here's one on raising gracious kids - and really liked them, but this didn't quite click for me. It's a fictionalised account of something that actually happened - her best friend dying of cancer in her early 40s and how she cared for her. I'm not sure what it was, maybe the characters were a bit too self-consciously quirky? It's so difficult to write quirky characters without being twee and I don't think she quite pulled it off. That being said there were some beautiful passages, where I stopped and went back and read them again to luxuriate in them more. So perhaps if I read it again in a different mood I would connect with it more.
How I read it: Commuting and a bit at home (didn't want to cry on the tube!)
Five. The mountains sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
The span of this generational novel about the history of Vietnam is pretty extraordinary. Through the stories of a girl and her grandmother, she attempts to cover huge swathes of the 20th century. I learnt more about Vietnam than I expected to, though the tragic events that puncture the story can make it a difficult read. The two narrative voices of Huong and her grandmother felt different; Huong’s voice was very childlike, which I found a bit annoying to begin with, but once I was into the story I noticed it less.
How I read it: I started and abandoned it in Australia, and then came back to it as my commuting book and managed to plough through.
Six. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
When I was about a third of the way through this my husband asked me if I was enjoying it, and all I said was 'it's very depressing'. And it didn't get any better! An imagined account of a true crime in 18th century Iceland, it follows a woman who is condemned to death for a murder which she may or may not have committed. You could tell Kent had done a lot of research into Iceland in that era, but the story was just so unrelentingly sad and gloomy that I was glad when I finally reached the end.
How I read it: It started out as a bedtime book then I decided to just power through it one evening because I was sick of the gloom!
Seven. You deserve each other by Sarah Hogle
This romance novel was a lovely palate cleanser. It was funny, had great characters and realistic and practical relationship advice! Very rare for a romance novel which are normally all about the grand gestures. A lovely light read.
How I read it: in the evenings after a day at work
Book of the month: in the battle of the romances, Honey and Spice wins for me this month.
See you next month friends, and as always my inbox is open to your thoughts on any of these, and whatever is on your reading list this month.