Treating myself during a pandemic and the postpartum season, I really cannot beat a trip to the library. Our libraries reopened halfway through June after months of just curbside pick up. Oh how I have missed strolling through the rows and rows of bookshelves!
One of the silver linings to having the library closed for so long is that the shelves are overflowing with books and almost everything I have my eye on is actually present. I had to exercise some serious self control, which ofcourse I could not do. I put A LOT of books on my housemate’s library pass.
Here is what I got:
- Early Riser by Jasper Fforde: This is the story of a world where people hibernate. Everbody is asleep in winter, except for a few people who are kind of guarding the nation. We folllow one of those guards, Charlie Worthing, who navigates the completely empty world. He starts investigating an outbreak of ‘viral dreams’.
I absolutely love Fforde’s Thursday Next series, his writing style is so witty and I absolutely look forward to continuing the series (that my library doesn’t carry). This books especially intrigues me because of the ’empty world’ element in it. Streets that are empty, everybody staying home and no social activities: I feel like I can definitely relate with the height of pandemic restrictions just behind us. But at the same time I am not sure I am quite ready to read about it. Time will tell. - The Canterbury Tales, a retelling by Peter Ackroyd: I tried reading a modern translation of the Canterbury Tales in spring but I have to humbly admit I could not follow along with the story. I think I need a little more practice reading stories in verse before endeavouring on something this hard again. That said, The Canterbury Tales is such a classic and a very important work, so I want to tackle it someday. Maybe this summer, that day will come. Peter Ackroyds retelling is in proze so that stems me very hopeful that I will enjoy, or at least finish, this one.
The book is about a group of pelgrims on pelgrimage to Canterbury. Along the way to battle boredom, they tell each other stories. We encounter a colorful bunch of characters and learn about medieval times. Definitely my thing, but I still feel the hangover from my failed attempt. - Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset: This is Undsets opus magnum about Kristin, a girl in 14th century Norway. This trilogy along with her other work earned her the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928. It consists of three books: The Wreath, The Wife and The Cross. I read The Wreath in June and will continue on with the next book, hopefully soon.
I have heard a lot of raving about this book, mainly from a Catholic perspective. I am very interested in religious costums in the medieval period (see above: The Canterbury Tales) and it’s always nice to have another Nobel Prize Winner under my belt. - Percy Jackson and the sea of monsters by Rick Riordan: This is book two in the Percy Jackson series. The series follows a teenager, Percy, after discovering he is a demi god. His father is the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. In the first book he goes on a quest to retrieve Zeus’ lightning bolt. In book two we follow him trying to obtain an antidote for a tree (?), very intruiging.
As soon as I heard about this series I knew I was going to like it, mixing modern times with Greek mythology. I really enjoyed the first one and look forward to continuing the series, eventhough I heard this is the most disappointing of the lot. - Harry Potter and goblet of fire by J.K. Rowling: The fourth in the Harry Potter series focuses on Harry’s fourth year at Hogwarts and the triwizard tournament in which Harry partakes.
I am very much looking forward to rereading this one. It is the last one I read as a teenager before I gave up on the series (I know, I know…). This will be the first time for me reading it in English and I have loved my other rereads so far. I am really anticipating a redemption here. - The mermaid and mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar: This is the story of an 18th century merchant who optains a mermaid. And quite frankly that’s all I know about it.
Just like every other month I need a book on my list that is only there for the cover. This one is so beautiful, it has me dreaming away before reading one letter. I do hope this one doesn’t disappoint me as my superficial pick tend to do from time to time (see last months Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe). But again, the title is poetic, the cover esthetically pleasing and with a name like Imogen Hermes Gowar you just know the author was born to be a writer (or am I thee only one who thinks like that). - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: This is a young adult book about a heist by a set of misfits who develop an incredible friendship along the way.
I have heard only good things about this book and about this series, mainly from people on Youtube. I hope I love it as much as they do. It seems like a perfect summer read. Young Adult book tend to be fast reads and who knows maybe I’ll discover another series I want to continue. I am so happy my library carried it in the original English version. - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: This book as become almost a sci-fi classic very quickly. The story is about a boy who lives his life mainly online playing the game OASIS. When he hears about a treasure hunt that the maker of the game has developed to appoint his heir, the hunt is open.
I have heard the movie is terrible and since sci-fi is not my genre at all I am not tempted to watch it at all. That being said, the book is said to be amazing, even for people who do not love sci-fi. I thought this could be the perfect book to give the genre a chance. It’s not very long and the story sounds very intruiging. I am expecting an action packed novel that I will finish in just a couple of days. - The City of dreaming books by Walter Moers: I have to admit I am still not really sure what this book is about but it takes place in land were books have amazing power over people, to entertain but also to harm. Also it is said to feature a dinosaur as a main character, how cool is that?
I am just so curious about this one. I thought it was going to be a quick read and very whimsical, but holding the book in my hand it is veryA lange (just over 500 pages) and the back says it reads like a thriller or horror, so yeah, I think I will be surprised whatever it turns out to be.
The synopsis makes me think of the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde about a surreal world where books literally come alive. - Uprooted and Spinning Silver by Noami Novic: Spinning Silver is a Rimpelstiltskin retelling and I really love fairy tales and their retellings. I couldn’t find this one in English but I picked it up in translation anyway. I have been looking forward to it for too long to not get it. But since I really love reading in original English I decided to try Uprooted as well. This is a bestseller by the same author and tells the story of a villages, protected by a dragon against terrible monsters in the woods. In return a woman from the village must serve the dragon for ten years. Sounds very much like a fairy tale also…
I really hope I get to these books over the summer or at least most of them. If I do you can expect reviews! Tell me which ones capture your interest the most.
Books & Babies 