It's the time again to reflect on what I've read this year. Looking back at the reading log which I keep in my planner, it seems that earlier in the year I did not read as many notable books. Many that I read I just didn't enjoy enough to mention here. It's disappointing when that happens! But it's all part of the search for the next great book––that elusive experience that happens when all you want to do is go back to reading a certain book. This year I also took time to reread some books: a few of Jane Austen's novels (either read or listened to), also Nathaniel Hawthorne's interpretation of the Greek myths in A Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales, Treehorn Times Three by Florence Parry Heide, Look Out for the Fitzgerald-Trouts by Esta Spalding, Det osynliga barnet by Tove Jansson, A Bear Called Paddington (read in Swedish), Anne of Green Gables, and others I felt like revisiting. I follow several radio programmes and podcasts that I can listen to while knitting or doing chores; many are informational, so I consider these alongside my reading material.
1) The Invention of... Series by Misha Glenny
I'm going to start, not with a book, but a radio programme. I began the year listening to ALL the episodes from The Invention Of series, which airs on BBC 4 and is available on the BBC Sounds app. This is a well -written show about history and the development of modern nations. An interesting topic, but one that I probably wouldn't read about from a book. I certainly found it more entertaining to listen to this thoroughly researched programme presented by journalist Misha Glenny than slogging through many heavy books on the topics. I discovered that it's also available in a podcast format called How To Invent A Country.
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| Image from "The Invention of Britain" |
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| Image from How To Invent a Country Podcast |
2) The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
This is a story that transports readers back in time to the turn of the 20th century. The characters just seemed so real. I have to admit that I haven't gotten around to reading the second novel in the series, The Curious World of Calpurnia Tate, because the first book was so full! Kelly has also written several beginning chapter books around these characters which are delightful (Skunked!, Counting Sheep, Who Gives a Hoot?, The Prickly Problem, and A Squirrelly Situation). It's the kind of story that I could imagine having its own Netflix series like Enola Holmes or Anne with an E (although what they did to that story is another conversation). Would I like that as much, though? I am likely to be prejudiced against the Texas accents.
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| While away the hours with Callie Vee |
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| Why haven't I read this yet? |
3) Fika: The Art of the Swedish Coffee Break by Anna Brones and Johanna Kindvall
So many good recipes here!! I am not a coffee drinker, but enjoy my fikas with tea. I like the way the recipes are divided by category in this book, especially the festive cakes and cookies which are prepared for different holidays. For my birthday party this year I baked a variety of sweets using all recipes from this book. My favourites to use are pepparkakor (gingersnaps), finska pinnar (Finnish sticks), and kardemummakaka (cardamum cake)––partly because it's just fun to say!
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| Fika, anyone? |
4) Grasping Mysteries: Girls Who Loved Math by Jeannine Atkins
It may seem like a recent trend to highlight the work of female scientists, mathematicians, and artists, but until they are as prominent in everyone's educational upbringing as the famous men who have dominated so far, it is essential work. The poetic language Atkins uses to describe the lives of these women does not shy away from confronting the challenges they faced in the male-led scientific community, but it's also not overbearing and preachy about this. Read more about Grasping Mysteries in my review for the library. (And you can listen to me reading from it here.) After reading this book, I went back and checked out other books by Jeannine Atkins including Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science and Girls Who Looked Under Rocks: The Lives of Six Pioneering Naturalists. Novels in verse are not hard to find––though I think really excellent ones are!
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| Women in conversation |
5) Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey by Erin Entrada Kelly
I believe (and hope) this is the first book in a series by Erin Entrada Kelly! Marisol Rainey is based in part on Kelly's own childhood in Louisiana. I love the simple style and plot points of this beginning chapter book. It doesn't try to do too much, but sticks to the main thread of Marisol braving her fear of climbing the tree in her back yard. It introduces just enough other details about Marisol's life to create her world. You can read my review of Maybe Maybe Marisol Rainey for the library.
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| Oh, Peppina! |
6) Fire in the Streets by Kekla Magoon
This is the second book in a series about the Black community in Chicago in the late 1960s. I was more impressed with this sequel than the first book, The Rock and The River. Maybe I just related to its female protagonist, Maxie, more than Sam. The two books give a perspective on the Black Panther Party that I had not learned about before reading them. In school I was taught to be suspicious of the movement because of its endorsement of violence and socialist ideas. It was presented as the dark side to Martin Luther King Jr.'s light path of civil disobedience and peaceful protest. Now I know that's not the whole story. You can read more about its history in Magoon's new book, Revolution in Our Time. I was originally drawn to the series because of the setting. I love books and TV set in the '60s, though I generally prefer Britain as a setting. I had also read another book by Magoon, The Season of Styx Malone and an article she wrote for The Horn Book called "Our Modern Minstrelsy".
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| Fire in the Streets |
7) Mabinogi: Lost Legends and Dark Magic adapted by Lucy Catherine
This is a radio drama retelling of the Welsh legends found in The Mabinogion or The Red Book of Hergest. I previously read a version of The Mabinogion translated by Lady Charlotte E. Guest, and a couple different versions of the stories are available for free on Gutenberg. The dramatised version highlights much that is comedic in the stories––also their strangeness––and Brigid is a super-important lady! It's also easier to follow the drama than the text of the original. I'm actually going to put an image here from the book version, so when you follow the link and see the ridiculously hokey picture attached with it on BBC Sounds, don't be afraid!
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| From The Mabinogion |
8) Strange Planet and Stranger Planet by Nathan Pyle
I came across these cartoons when I saw the children's book Nathan Pyle wrote called The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature. (That's a cat, by the way.) The beings in this world are drawn to look like aliens, but they mostly behave like humans––only their speech is extremely formal at times. It's a way to point out some ridiculous things people do.
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| The Original Strange Planet |
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| Stranger Planet |
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| Children's Picture Book |
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| The Rollsuck Supreme |
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| A productive diversion |
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| The core concept |
9) Linda McCartney's Family Kitchen by Linda McCartney with Paul, Mary & Stella McCartney
This book made my day when I saw it at the library! The book is full of inspiring taste combinations, even if you don't follow all the recipes to the letter. I already had been creating versions of many of the recipes, for example, the Spiced Nuts and Seeds, Pea and Spinach Pasta, Herby Mushroom Risotto, and Brown Bread––but I'm looking forward to testing the versions included here, too. Favourites so far are the Bright Moroccan Carrot Salad, Roasted Squash with Lentils, and the basic Pizza––not to mention the many desserts (including cinnamon rolls and carrot cake!). The book was prepared with help from Paul, Mary, and Stella McCartney, so I will definitely feature these recipes at future Beatles-themed celebrations!
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| "Cook of The House" |
10) The Cave by Rob Hodgson
I have read this picture book in a story time and also to my nephew. Well, he’s not even one yet, but it’s a funny story for adults to enjoy, too. The text is nice and big and the words are well-paced. I love books where the picture gives away the surprise before the text does. You can hear the author read this on Book Trust. Also take a look at his other work: The Woods, My Best Friend, and When Cloud Became a Cloud.
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| Why don't you come out and play? |
11) Shirley and Jamila's Big Fall by Gillian Goerz
The second book in this graphic novel series about Holmes-inspired Shirley Bones and Jamila Waheed is just as addicting to read as the first. This time Shirley's case involves an older boy at school who is blackmailing other students to get what he wants. Shirley, Jamila, and Jamila's friend from basketball camp, Seena, help to bring him down. Seena has a previous history with the kid. Gillian Goerz has a talent for making small-time middle school problems seem more serious and intriguing. I really hope there are more books to this series!
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| Toronto's Sleuths |
12) All That's Good by Hannah Anderson
This Bible study contains much-needed lessons on discernment. The lessons helped me understand that discernment can be practised if you want to improve. The concept is put into concrete terms using a verse from Philipians 4: 'whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable––if anything is excellent or praiseworthy––think about such things.' We can learn to see the beauty of God and experience His goodness even in this broken world.
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| The Lost Art of Discernment |
13) Athena: Goddess of Wisdom and War by Imogen and Isabel Greenberg
Stories about Greek gods and goddesses can actually be very interesting, but sometimes they are presented in such a dull way! This graphic novel format makes Athena's story simple and fun. At the beginning, it explains how Athena was born from Zeus's head. It also tells the story of Athena and Arachne's great weaving contest. Thinking of Greek gods, I'm still waiting to read, or, preferably, listen to, Stephen Fry's versions of the Greek myths (I've been on the wait list for the audio version for some time now, hmmm.). Another collaboration between sisters Imogen and Isabel this year was the book Marie Curie and Her Daughters. I enjoyed that one as well. It turns the lives of Marie and her two daughters Irène and Ève into a quick read you can get through in one sitting.
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| Ha! Now that's stuck in your head. |
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| Marie Curie and Her Daughters |
14) The Night Walk by Marie Dorléans, translated by Polly Lawson
Though this picture book is actually about the early early morning, I think of it as a good bedtime story. I imagine dreaming about walking out at night and what that might feel like. I guess what I'm saying is that the book is not about staying up super late and walking at night, it is about rising very early before it's light in order to see the very beginning of a sunrise. I loved the dim tone of the illustrations and how the yellow colour stands out so well against the blues and blacks to create the effect of a glimmer of light in a very dark place. Every detail the author introduces captures the senses. I think the original title literarily means 'we have an appointment', which puts emphasis on the idea that the family is walking to meet the sunrise.
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| The Night Walk, translated from French |
15) Temple Alley Summer by Sachiko Kashiwaba translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa
I enjoy reading books in translation and I think we generally don't get enough of literature from other countries being translated into English. So many books from Canada, the British Isles, and Australia are originally written in English, not to mention the many other countries where English is spoken and authors publish in English. But there is a richness, too, in taking from another language ideas not originally expressed in English. As a silly example, One of the Kazu's teachers is nicknamed 'Broad Bean'! I don't read Japanese manga or watch anime, but I imagine some of them could similarly contain allusions to Shintoism or Buddhism and plot twists involving people returned from the dead. The publisher, Restless Books, has a Readers Club you can join to get new books delivered right to you! As of this year, they don't offer it specifically for their kids books (Yonder), but it may become available in the future.
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| Who is Akari really? |
16) Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga
I'd heard good things about this book when it came out, but did not read it at the time. I decided to listen to it instead once I found out that Jasmine Warga had another book out this year. I thought that it was a sequel to this one––well, it actually isn't, but I'm glad I read Other Words for Home anyway. Not all novels that use the verse format really work that way in my opinion. I think when I tried to read it that threw me off, but when I listened to the story I was impressed by Jude's character––her attitude towards making a new home in America while also not leaving behind her old life in Syria.
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| I recommend the audio version. |
17) The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
Like many of Kate DiCamillo's books, the text here is spare. It says all it needs to say and leaves room for reader interpretation, much like poetry. As I read the story, I thought about what it would be like not to be able to read. The written form of language is so established in my mind. Would I even think about the letters that make up a word if I only used spoken language? What would it be like to only be able to communicate with those immediately around me? This book also brings back memories of The Search for Delicious by Natalie Babbitt and The Door in the Wall by Marguerite DeAngeli that I remember from childhood. Kate DiCamillo and Sophie Blackall discussed The Beatryce Prophecy at The National Book Festival this year. Watch their book talk here.
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| Soon to be a classic |
18) How to Find What You're Not Looking For by Veera Hiranandani
I enjoyed visiting Conneticut in the late 1960s with Ariel Goldberg. Ari's Jewish family navigates cultural and economic challenges as her older sister elopes with an Indian man and her parents' bakery nearly fails. Ariel is also diagnosed with dysgraphia in middle school. She has a hard time with handwriting, and having to write by hand slows down her thinking. Ariel keeps up her spirits by composing poems. Writing is made easier for her by using a typewriter. The interesting twist in this book is that it's all in second person. It was perhaps a little too lengthy to sustain this perspective, and I don't know that it worked any better than a first or third person perspective would have. I liked that the chapter titles all began with 'How to...': "How to Keep a Secret", "How to Make Soup", "How Not to Wear Lipstick".
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| The summer of Sgt. Pepper's |
19) Skandi Strick: Babys & Kids by Marte Hasselø
I cannot stop looking at this book! Every time I see it I am inspired to begin one of the projects. However, I should probably translate it first. I don't know if it exists in English yet. I found it in a bookshop in Germany, but it was originally in Norwegian (ironically, I could probably read it better in Norwegian). The Clara Knitwear website is still in the works. It looks like it might eventually have English versions of these patterns, and some are available on Ravelry. I love that so many of these patterns are not only for infants, but go up in size to six or seven years. The little collars are so sweet! As I said, I haven't gotten to knit any of these yet––still just looking!
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| Original title: Tidlos––Barnestrikk fra Clara Knitwear |
20) Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall
In this picture book, a boy wants so much to have a pet cat that his parents finally let him adopt one from the shelter––if he'll promise to feed it, keep the litter clean, keep his room tidy, write to his grandma, and read for twenty minutes a day. After adopting the cat, things don't go so well at first. The cat doesn't want to play or cuddle and it's either leaving a mess or staring at the wall. But the sweet part is at the end when the boy discovers that when he reads to his 'negative' cat, the cat sits with him and listens. As a regular reader to cats myself, I can definitely identify with this!
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| What does this cat like? |
21) The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
I know that I will still have this haunting futuristic story on my mind long after finishing it! It was eery enough to make me feel uncomfortable reading it, but I couldn't stop. I caught onto the foreboding tone in the beginning and could tell something was bound to go terribly wrong on the ship (how could it not?)! It's supposedly for middle grade readers, but I think everyone should read it. I hope it gets adapted somehow as a Doctor Who special or that Higuera will write another story for Doctor Who. If you are interested in hearing more stories like the ones Petra tells, you should check out The Sea-Ringed World: Sacred Stories of the Americas by María García Esperón translated by David Bowles.
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| The Last Cuentista |
That's all for now. Thank you for reading!
