I’m impressed with myself; here it is, only April 29th, and I have my March book review ready. Some of you say, “She thinks this is early” Well, it is for me. This is the first time in months that I have been at least within range of the timeline in which I have read these books. My goal going forward is to tighten up that gap a bit more. With spring arriving and summer right on our heels, I want you to have many good book choices in your stack. So here we go. Such a great pile this time…even a banned book in New Hampshire in its prime.
Jacqueline in Paris by ANN MAH In September 1949, Jacqueline Bouvier arrived in postwar Paris to begin her junior year abroad. She is twenty years old, precarious, and aware of her mother’s expectation to make the perfect match. Before she gets too tied up in that, she has one year to herself to explore and absorb the beauty of Paris. France is still in the aftermath of the occupation, and so she finds herself in a tenuous situation far from home. I thought the story had promise, but I found the beginning quite good, and the end was also good. I had a problem with the slowness and little direction in the middle. The writing was not fantastic either. I thought it would be rich in history and her family, but I was disappointed. It was a novel, though, so that explains part of it. Hence: three stars.
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab This one was a gift, and I hesitated to read it right out of the gate because I am not one for fantasy. Now, I’m not sure if this was the classic definition of a fantasy, but I do know that it swept me away—a delight, to say the least. “I was twenty-three, living in a garden shed. Hmm, maybe she means a “she shed” I always wanted one of those…but no. It is France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever. Would you want to do that? Instead, she is cursed and forgotten by everyone she meets…until she accidentally meets a young man in a hidden bookstore (don’t we love a good bookstore), and he remembers her name. We take on some time travel with this wonderful story—four big adventurous stars. Note, I love when I get a book I would never buy for myself and enjoy it so much.
Still Pictures on Photography and Memory by Janet Malcolm I love photography; I practice it almost every day, and lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about memory and memories. Since my brother died, I am now the keeper of all the family memories and photos. How does one sort out the memories, and why are they so important now? When I saw the title of this book, I thought it would be helpful in my crusade of blending old photos and memories together. It is a short book of only 150 pages. This is a memoir by Janet Malcolm (1932-2021). She was alive simultaneously with my Mom so that also appealed to me. What were people like in those days…they certainly were not sharing any secrets at my house, but I do have some old photos, and the book tells me that if I stare at them long enough, they will start speaking to me. I’m waiting. She was a journalist all of her life and a photographer, but her journey was so far removed from mine. The one important thing that I did take from the book, though, and I might think about, is that she would take an old photo, and if she recognized the people or person in it, she would be able to write a story about it. The photo did trigger a memory for her. I’ll keep you posted on how this works out, as I now find myself with my family’s old photos…I must admit there are not many of them, but when the time is right, I will sit with my relatives again…this time, on my terms. Interesting in parts, but it was a three-star book for me.
Wintering by Katherine May After finishing this book, I started to doubt myself and my choices…I had heard and read so much hype about this book, and because of what I felt this winter, I thought surely this book was for me…Wintering, the power of rest and retreat in difficult times. Just what I needed. It was a quick read, and although there was some good advice and a few good quotes, “Over the land freckled snow half-thawed, the speculating rooks at their nests cawed, And saw from elm-tops, delicate as flowers grass, What we below could not see, Winter pass...” Edward Tomas, most of the book was simple commonsense advice or exotic advice…going to spas in faraway places. There was not much meat in it for me. Written by the month, it felt more like a diary than a helpful book. Three stars, maybe two and a half. Sorry to all who loved it.
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious My son gave me a gift certificate to this little independent bookshop in Camden, Maine. As I walked through that little shop, this book was on an end cap and caught my eye. Shortly before my visit, I had heard about the flurry of banned books happening, and I remembered there was a lot of buzz about this book when it first came out in 1956. I wasn’t old enough to read it then, but now I am. I bought it, and I read it. Then, I wrote a blog post about this book because I thought it was important. Catch that post here: and of course, I gave it a five-star rating…
Ava Comes Home by Lesley Crewe I first heard about Lesley Crewe when I was in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, last summer. I have since read two of her books, with one more on the shelf waiting for me. She is an absolutely delightful writer along the same vein as Elizabeth Berg, but with her Canadian flair…she weaves and bobs between the mystery and comic sides of life. Ava ran away to L.A. and became a famous actress, but one day she was called home to Cape Breton because of a family crisis. She had not been home for ten years, and when she returned, her story of leaving began to unravel. Does she stay and face the music, or does she run again? This story is a winner…I think all of Lesley Crewe’s books are winners: a good old fashion, high-stakes read from a fabulous Canadian writer…five stars.
So that brings me up to date for the first time in years. I hope you find something in this group that makes you feel good when you come in from spring flower planting, mowing the lawn, perhaps even getting back to hanging some sheets on the line…catching a breeze, and smelling oh-so-good when you reset the bed. I love spring, and I think there is nothing better than sipping a cup of tea at the end of the day and getting lost in the lives of all my friends who live between the pages. I wish you the same as we break loose from winter and travel into spring.
“I have to eat books regularly like a meal: four square books a day if possible.”
