It’s that time again. Time for me to share the books I read last month and then for us to chat in the comments below about what you’ve been reading. If we hurry, we still have time to follow up on each other’s reading suggestions and bring a newly discovered book to the hammock with us. Or, in my case, to the outdoor sectional near the fountain that shields me a bit from all the urban clamour . . . I can pretend it’s a fountain in a courtyard somewhere in a noisy French or Italian (or Croatian or Portuguese) city and that will make me feel better as I disappear into one of those cities in the pages of a book you recommend. . .
It’s not clear to me anymore that there’s any point in my posting photographs of my Reading Journal pages. When I began doing this a few years ago, I saw it as a way to maintain my book blog more efficiently with monthly posts that only required uploading photos. I also wanted to have a material (i.e. not digital) record of my reading that I could keep at hand — and I find I enjoy the practice of jotting down a quick record of each book after I read it (true confession: I don’t always manage to do that jotting immediately after I read the book; I’ve been known to take a week or two. . . ).
As well, if I’m honest, I like that the handwritten journal pages clarify the scope of my intentions here. I’m not trying to write reviews, but rather sharing titles I’ve read with the idea that some of you might be curious, might be looking for reading suggestions, or might engage in a conversation among the readers that meet here. My entries mainly comprise title, author’s name, a few notes about the book so I can remember something about content and/or style, and sometimes a brief quotation.
One more small reason, or consideration, is that sometimes the polished homogeneity of our online world troubles me, and it pleased me to disrupt, in my little corner, with my hand-written (often messy!) pages.
But since I integrated my blogs this Spring, readership of these book posts will have shifted, and consequently, last month I offered both photographs of my handwritten pages and word-processed transcriptions of same. Which meant, as you might imagine, that any time-saving the photographed pages represented (dubious anyway, given the time it takes to photograph and upload) was no longer a factor. So this month, in the spirit of experimentation, I’m going to ditch most of the journal pages and instead just give you transcriptions of each entry. And I’ll tuck those transcriptions right into the list, rather than having a point-form list at the top of the page, expanded commentary below. Let me know what you think.
Okay, with no further ado (’cause there’s been a lot of “ado,” right?) here’s July reading, numbered as entries appear in my little brown 2021 Reading Journal:
47. The Detective’s Secret. Lesley Thomson. Mystery; Female detective; Detective’s Daughter Series; Set in London.
Another mystery novel featuring the quirky team of Clean Slate cleaners/amateur detectives. (I wrote about two earlier titles in the series in this post.) Yes, this one is based on a credulity-stretching coincidence, but I enjoyed it anyway. Stella & Jack become more endearing with every human flaw they expose in themselves, whether wittingly or otherwise.
And the London setting!
48. A Month in Siena. Hisham Matar. Memoir; Travel; Art — Siena School;
A beautiful little memoir by a writer-academic who spends a month in Siena to immerse himself in the presence of the paintings by the Siena school. His ekphrasis of these “Christian” paintings is particularly interesting because his loving and well-informed gaze is a Muslim one (born in NYC, his parents Libyan, he grew up in Tripoli and Cairo. His father “disappeared” because of his opposition to Qaddifi’s regime).
An excerpt from A Month in Siena, below. I apologize for having cropped the photo of the painting, but my focus was on the bottom paragraph. In retrospect, that’s really not a good excuse. . . But the book’s back at the library now, and 9/10 of a photo is better than none at all?
49. The Sentinel. Lee Child and Andrew Child. Mystery; Jack Reacher Series.
As satisfying as any of the Reacher series–predictable, sure, but entertaining even though “action” isn’t usually what draws me. I’m somehow fascinated by the precise physics of the fight scenes although I often skim them And Reacher’s solo, untrammeled life appeals oddly as well. No sex scenes at all in this one — frankly, an improvement from my perspective as they followed such a predictable pattern.
50. Luster. Raven Leilani. Literary Fiction; Dysfunctional Love Story; Young Black Female Protagonist; Race and Racism in US; Art / Creativity.
A young black woman, working in publishing, herself a nascent artist who’s almost given up her painting in discouragement, falls in love (?) begins an affair with an older, married white man — and then somehow is drawn into his family, not quite befriended, but something like, by his wife, Rebecca — and becomes something of a mentor to their adopted black teen daughter.
Excoriating and funny and heartbreaking. Brilliant and brutal.
Hopeful? She is cast out and/or leaves them, but has begun painting again and her self-knowledge and clear view of society is, hmmmm, “heartening” is too positive a term, but still . . . The prose, though! Her bitterly apt turns of phrase, bull’s eye-hitting metaphors, definitely redemptive. Recommended!
Also posted about this book on Instagram here and here
51. Slough House Mick Herron. Thriller; Slough House series; Spy Novel; Political Satire; Set in (post-Brexit) London.
There are some pretty clear signs that this might be the end of the Slough House series, although I dearly hope not. It’s so clever and so laugh-out-loud funny. But the machinations of M15 seem to be aimed directly at the “Slow Horses” we’ve come to know and even care for by this 7th volume, and even Jackson Lamb may not be able to weather the consequences. A particularly grievous loss to the number of his charges. . .
I wrote about earlier books in the Slough House series here and here, and here. If you enjoy topical thrillers and London settings with a large dose of wit, begin with Slow Horses and I suspect you’ll want more. . .
52. Rainbow Milk. Paul Mendez. Literary Fiction; Coming of Age Narrative; Second-Generation Jamaican-British; Set in England, mostly London; Black Gay Male; Exploration of Sexuality.
Second-generation Jamaican-British teen escapes his Jehovah Witness home where his white step-dad tolerates him and his mother seems to hate him (for what he represents about her past). So he moves to London and begins exploring (with abandon! and often at considerable risk, especially as he earns his living as a “rent boy.”) his attraction to men.
Beautiful, graphic, precise erotic passages where poetics and politics mix it up — reminding me of Carmen Machado’s memoir In the Dream House (which I wrote a bit about here) and also of Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous (part of my December ’20 post). The narrative itself — setting, generational sweep, queer characters, artistic milieu (and attention to role of artist, to nurturing creativity, etc.) seems to me a fine complement to Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other (mentioned in this post).
53. Letters to Camondo. Edmund de Waal. Creative Non-Fiction; Epistolary; Paris; Belle Epoque; anti-Semitism; architecture; design; decor.
Delightful book despite haunting and disturbing quality of many of the letters deWaal addresses to Count Moïse de Camondo, who was a neighbour (in Paris) of deWaal’s forebears during the Belle Epoque. Hmmm, “delightful” is a sloppily chosen adjective here, given the horrific antisemitism de Waal writes of as he explores the archives of Camondo’s house (a Musé2 ever since he willed it to the State. But the way he unpacks and extrapolates architecture and decor, artifacts, letters. . . .And it’s such a beautiful, slim book — as book, never mind content. The quality of the paper, the illustrative photographs. . . My Instagram post gives you a peek between the covers.
Some of you will already have read de Waal’s wonderful The Hare with the Golden Eyes, which I wrote about almost a decade ago (!). If you haven’t read it yet, you might consider ignoring all my other recommendations here and get yourself a copy of this rich and important and entertaining memoir. Stat!)
Now I really must get this posted. Yesterday was Ferragosto in Italy, and I’d thought I might follow the Italian custom of taking a vacation from mid-August — and then be back at la rentrée (Why, yes I do like to mix up my languages and cultural traditions!). . . Instead, I’ll probably just post spottily over the next few weeks (some small getaways planned) and then see what rhythms September shifts us back to.
Meanwhile, though, I’m hoping we might talk books a bit. I’ve done my part, above, and now I’m just waiting for you. Chat away, please. . . .
I too recommend The Hare with Amber Eyes; engrossing and very interesting book.
Thanks for the book suggestions; I’m always interested in what other women read and through their descriptions have made discoveries that have entertained and informed/educated.
As an aside, will you have an Archive section? I want to continue reading your past posts but have
not been able to do so with your new format.
Thanks again, Frances, for sharing yourself with your followers.
Nadia (from Montreal)
Author
You’re very welcome, Nadia — and thanks for the feedback.
As for an Archive section: I hadn’t really thought of the difference for accessing that on this platform, but I’m currently working my way through a few thousand posts (14 years’ worth!!) and Categorizing them. If you look down the right margin, you’ll find a box that asks you to Select Category, and from the drop-down menu you can click on any category to see posts that, so far, go pack to 2015, I believe. I’ve been distracted from that task lately but will get back to it soon so that you can go back more years in any category. Meanwhile, of course, you can just go backwards by clicking on the See Previous Post link at the bottom of any post (although that means that you’ll need to have clicked the title of a particular post rather than simply scrolling down through the main page, if that makes sense. Let me know if you need a clearer explanation. And thanks for the question — perhaps I should put that info somewhere that more readers can see it!
You are so prolific in all you do! I love everything you post, the art work, reviews, clothing pics, travel.
I did really like this format for the books. You do what makes you happy and we will follow❤️
Author
Thanks so much for the encouraging words, Gayle. Much appreciated!
I am delighted to see your mention of deWaal’s ‘Letters to Camondo’. Loved The Hare with the Amber Eyes’, so much so that we walked by his Paris house and then found the small Musee Nissim de Camondo just down the same street and were really interested in it. Did not know of this book. Thanks so much for posting ( also the Lemons / Italy book was an exceptional read!). I enjoy your posts! Thx! CM
Author
Brilliant, Celia! Now I’m wondering why I never took the initiative to make my way to Musee Nissim de Camondo the numerous times I’ve been in Paris since reading The Hare. You will surely love this latest book.
Wasn’t the Lemons book good?! So glad you liked it and thanks for the encouraging comment.
I also read Letters to Camondo, and The Hare, years ago. The house in Paris is stunning, and just as evocative as the book of Letters suggests. And I visited years ago, before reading either book, so that’s how haunting the house really is!
Author
I’m so pleased to hear from new readers here — and two in a row who have visited that Paris house. Ooh, I can’t wait until I can make up for my failure to have done so. . .
Well, let’s see…(shuffles through stacks of books sitting here and there)…still reading Proust before sleep (this might take the rest of my life to complete)….still hanging out with Montalbano in the afternoons…rereading A Country Road, A Tree in between (by Jo Baker, a previous favourite-of-the-year of mine, finally bought a copy). Requested from the library: Heaven and Earth and The Solitude of Prime Numbers (both Paolo Giordano; yes your post on Insta hooked me!)
When I start listing I don’t want to stop, so: watching I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone, listening to Backlisted podcast (still laughing at Mannsplaining from several months back during a discussion of The Magic Mountain) and Leon Bridges’ River is playing on repeat. Ha ha oh yes eating: still living on rice bowls with that Glory Bowl dressing you mentioned a few years back, now adapted of course…
My reading this Summer has been more eclectic than usual and I have been dabbling in more than one book at a time, highly unusual for me. I had mentioned last month that I was about to take Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno Garcia on vacation. Horror is not usually my genre but it was well written and you could not help but like the spunky heroine. over the top but a good beach read. at the book store on the island I purchased a book by Matt Haig , The Comfort Book. I have been dipping into it, small pieces of advice, philosophy, whatever. I have found it, well, comforting. while walking with my daughter and her husband to get coffee at the local cafe on vacation we passed ant art gallery. curious, we went in. the artist is originally from Wales. He works in pastels and watercolor and we very much liked his work. My kids purchased a painting and after chatting with him for nearly an hour I left with two memoirs he had written. I am nearly finished with one of them. and we never got the coffee. and speaking of memoirs I also just read Horse Crazy by Sarah Maslin Nir, a NY times reporter about her life with the various horses she has known. I have been described myself as a horse addict so of course I found this interesting. Also reading a novel in poetry, Mutiny Gallery, by BK Fischer, who my daughter recently interviewed for a zoom presentation. I do like a good crime novel and recently read One By One, by Ruth Ware. I had heard her called a modern Agatha Christie but I was disappointed. I did like Dear Child by Romy Hausmann, a German writer . compelling and perhaps since much of it takes place in Regensburg where family and I explored the city for a day about three years ago. . It is about a disappearance of a young woman 13 years ago and the reopening of the case. I won’t say more. finally for our book club we read The Downstairs girl by Stacy Lee. I believe this may be classified as a YA novel but it was interesting and I learned about the treatment of the Chinese in the southern US after the civil war. there may be more but that’s enough for now.
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. Quietly, hauntingly beautiful.
I have a huge stack of books to read, but have dipped back into Monty Don’s A French Garden Journey (lovely vocabulary, which sounds odd, but it’s an appealing aspect of this book, which is reflective travel writing in the best sense…and gets me to slow down and turn the words over and over in my mind, i.e. enriches the slow fading of summer). I also seem to need to reread Proust in the summertime, so there’s that (I see another reader above is also reading Proust! I flip back and forth between the French and English, depending on my mood!). Mostly though I have been reading watercolour painting books and purchased a beautiful book recently of John Singer Sargent’s Venetian watercolours. Finally, I’m whipping through Mary McCarthy’s The Stones of Florence for the umpteenth time. Something about her perspective and her somewhat belligerent tone from the 1950s always puts me back in touch with my more contemporary perspective on the city, which I am missing deeply at the moment of course.
I loved The Hare with Amber Eyes and you have intrigued me with your description of Luster, so I’ll take a look at the de Waal and the latter. Thanks!
What is the Italian lemons book mentioned above? It is vaguely ringing a bell but I am curious! (The Land where Lemons Grow?)
Oh I forgot! I was going to comment on A Month in Siena. That has been on my reading list for a while, as I also had a memorable, reflective time in Siena, studying the paintings in the Pinacoteca when I was studying art in Florence years ago and thinking about the Sienese school. I was immediately intrigued, although I think the book is more about loss and grief than about the paintings! It appeals nevertheless. If you are interested, there was a nice interview of him by Eleanor Wachtel that I listened to maybe a year or two ago. It may be available online.
Author
Thanks! I’ll try to listen to that interview. Haven’t been to Siena yet; someday, I hope.
I heard of Matar’s best from an Instagram friend who had read and loved his memoir, The Return. While that book was unquestionably about grief and loss, the Siena book is only faintly coloured with that and really does focus beautifully on the paintings. . . and on the phenomenon of solo travel, and on language. . . .
Thank you. I will move it up the reading list. That sounds perfect.
Author
Between you and Georgia, I may have to pull my Proust off the book shelf and have at it! Or at least move it to the nightstand . . .
I’ve never read anything by Mary McCarthy (but have been reading Barbara Grizzuti Harrison’s Italian Days and she speaks of Florence in the ’80s . . .
Yes, The Land Where Lemons Grow by Helena Attlee (I mentioned it in this post:
Thanks for the link.
I was again at Adriatic in a much more engaging situation,so…..
1. I love following stories where one thing leads to another like your’s Italian Chef to Contemporary……I’d like to-later!
2. Turtle and dress-fabulous! Fingers crossed for italian holidays later in autumn
3. A lot of wonderful books to be read,I’ve checked some of them in a hurry (sorry for my style here as well) and even unintentionally (I’ve meant to buy it anyway,but,later and slowly :)) bought The Hare….. the fingers were too quick while browsing….
So was my reading this summer,on my phone,stealing moments,nothing to think too much about,but nevertheless I was happy to find that I didn’t read C. Kent’s The Viper, the new M. Adolfsson’s Wild Shores (I love her style) and I’ve discovered Kristina Kuzmic’s book Hold On,But Don’t Hold Still and her short You Tube videos. She is a Croat living in US,her book is short and funny ( mostly), but still gives some food for thoughts-I think you’d like it
Enjoy your babysitting holidays
<3
Dottoressa
Author
I’m glad this seaside visit went better — I know you love your beach time! 😉
Thanks for comments for these three last posts. And you know I’m always keen to know what you’ve been reading. So have you read The Viper now? I’m still trying to stretch out the earlier books. I like this series so much — I wish she’d give us more, but I know her “domestic thrillers” probably ring up better at the cash registers. Ka-ching, ka-ching! 😉
Our library doesn’t seem to have the Adolfsson Doggerland books, but I’ve made a note. And I’ve got Kristina Kuzmic’s book on hold now. Thanks for the recommendation. xo
Thank you Frances,for all your recommendations. See,you write,I click at once,without thinking 😉
Yes,I’ve read Viper two or three weeks ago,I don’t know how I’ve missed it,there were different titles for same books and it simpy went under my radar-it’s a wonderful series indeed,I would like it to be continued and love it much,much more than her other books
D.
Oh my, as usual books I want to read (some existing on my stack, others on my library hold request list). The latter include the Lee Child, although I am slowly working my way up through the Slough House series and have one volume yet before the one named Slough House. Rainbow Milk has been on my stack and just got bumped up by your review, especially the reference to Girl, Woman, Other, although I have this year’s entire Booker longest to get through as well. As usual, more books to add to my list.
I have recently discovered Ann Cleeves and am currently wrapped up in her various series, although at the moment I am more deeply imbedded in the Shetland series than Vera Stanhope. Interesting how sometimes I get drawn into something. That happened initially with Mick Herron, and yet at the same time I need to fight my impulse to race through all the volumes at once, as I inevitably loose focus and intention. A break is occasionally mentioned.
Just finished The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed, which I think is very very good. A murder in Cardiff in the early 1950s, the way the author captures the shabby cosmopolitan setting, the development of the characters and the way she handles the complex relationships of racism, relationships, religion, and struggle combined with a deeply abiding sense of faith in the British justice system. All of this made for a deeply satisfying read.
Author
Oh, Brava for your commitment to work through the Booker longlist!
I’m also relatively new to reading Ann Cleeves, but so far only two or three of the Vera Stanhope. I’m almost ready for another, but like you, wary of getting too stuck in and then finding myself finished a series I’d have preferred to stretch out.
Making a note of The Fortune Men, thank you!