Hello and welcome to the first ‘Monthly Line’, a regular post where I will share everything I read in a month, and how I read it.
This month featured one incident of crying on the tube, thoughts about anxiety, and a healthy chunk of fantasy and greek myths.
One. Miracles and Other Reasonable Things by Sarah Bessey.
First up this month was the latest from Sarah Bessey, a Canadian author who is extremely well-known in her corner of the internet for cataloguing her thoughts about faith and God in a lyrical, some might say over-the-top style that you either love or hate. I am mostly on the love end, which is how I ended up crying on the tube as Bessey related the story of her miracle. I won’t spoil it for you, but if you’re a fan of the Pope and breaking down barriers between the different siblings of the Church family then this might be one for you.
How I read it: In a big gulp, with some crying, on the tube and at home.
Two and Eight. A Thousand Ships and The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes
I’ve clumped these together as they are both by Natalie Haynes, a new discovery for me, who is part of a pack of authors bringing original perspectives on Greek myths. I read A Thousand Ships (about the Trojan War) and The Children of Jocasta (about Oedipus - the one who married his mother). Though what was lovely about both of these books is that they don’t focus on the bits everyone else does. A Thousand Ships brings a panoramic perspective of the war through the eyes of the women who are kidnapped or left behind, while The Children of Jocasta, as suggested by the title, centres her story and that of her children - particularly her youngest who narrates half the book. If you’ve enjoyed anything by Madeleine Miller I would recommend them, and if you like old stories with a new twist you should definitely pick them up.
How I read them: Tube and bus (trying not to feel sick).
Three and Five. The Girl in the Tower and The Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden
Another double billing as I was finishing up the Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden. Set in Russia, these books are an excellent read for cosy winter nights by the fire as our heroine Vasilisa spends far too much time in snow drifts almost getting frostbite. On the one hand they’re fairly high in fantasy elements (witches, household spirits, snow princes) on the other hand, medieval Russia seems like a place of fairytales and magic to begin with so it’s easy to go along for the ride. Add in a dose of feminism and a more nuanced than expected debate about the rise of Christianity over paganism and I was sold. A very likely re-read for me!
How I read them: Too quickly, mostly when I was meant to be doing something else.
Four. The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
It’s the big one! Joint Booker Prize winner this year, and much anticipated sequel to the Handmaid’s Tale - my fourth book this month was The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. And… I enjoyed it! The plot races along and the different narrative voices are a lot of fun to go on an adventure with. It feels like a warning about just how far a failing regime will go to save itself.
How I read it: On a long-ish train journey - helpful because there’s quite a lot to get through.
Six. The Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce
A cosy re-read for me. This fantasy novel was one I read over and over in my early teens. Our heroine Alanna is pleasingly grumpy about how much work it is pretending to be a boy so she can become a Knight of the Realm. If you have a teenage girl in your life who is in need of a role model then this might make a good Christmas gift.
How I read it: Fittingly, on the train back to my childhood home.
Seven. first, we make the beast beautiful by Sarah Wilson
Having had a small brush with anxiety this year, I picked this book up hoping for a few tips on how to avoid it happening again. I found it an enlightening, but difficult read. Wilson has anxiety on a bone deep level, one where almost every interaction could leave her spiralling about having said the wrong thing. She writes incredibly honestly about it, in a conversational style that helped it all feel a bit less overwhelming. She did have some good tips on how to live with anxiety, instead of in spite of it, and I would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a new perspective on mental illness.
How I read it: In bed mostly, and in fits and starts.
That’s it for this month. I hope you enjoyed this first edition of the Monthly Line, I’ll be back next week with some thoughts on Christmas gifts for you and yours.