20 Books of Summer: The Tsarina's Daughter and More

 I find it's a challenging juggling act to manage the reading for my Twenty Books of Summer. First of all, I must say I'm definitely enjoying myself as I plow through my fourth and fifth book from the list simultaneously. But I also have two other books on the list, borrowed from the library and sitting on my book pile, and I've got to pace myself or hurry up or something. One thing I won't do is plow through a book so fast that I don't care what I'm reading. I draw the line there. So what if a book is overdue for three or four days? So be it. 

Okay. My second read for the List was The Tsarina's Daughter by Ellen Alpsten (2022). Here's my take:

Elizabeth Petrovna Romanova, the second daughter of Peter the Great and his second wife (who ruled as Catherine I after her husband’s death), is the focus of this sweeping historical saga. Elizabeth (Elizaveta), by her 22nd birthday, is the only surviving child of Peter the Great, who, after a lifetime of family tragedies and challenges to her survival, managed to become Tsarina of all the Russias. But this book is not about her life as the ruler of Russia. It is about her childhood and young adult years amidst the riches and extraordinarily perilous and tumultuous Russian court that makes the story. What I enjoyed most about this 477-page book was all that I learned about the early 1700s in Russia: the latter half of Peter the Great’s reign, about Catherine I, and all the struggles waged after her death, as one relation after another fought amongst themselves, sometimes to the death, as to who will become tsar or tsarina.

For me, what’s valuable about reading good historical fiction, is the way it leads me to dig into learning more about the history of an era. In 2018, I bought The Romanovs by Simon Montefiore, which is a scrupulously detailed history of the Romanov Dynasty from 1613-1918. I’m finding I’m really interested to read the actual history of the difficult era following Peter the Great’s death and the power struggles that ensued.

If you like reading absorbing, vast historical novels about Russian history, you will really enjoy this book. The story line is strong, and the intricate descriptions of life during this time period are very well done.

Next up:  The Midcoast by Adam White. 

Classics Club Spin #30

It's been a long time since I participated in a Classics Club Spin. My #20 Slot for The Twenty Books of Summer is empty, so I'll fill it with whichever book rolls around for me on Sunday. Of course, I will not be reading the Classics Club Spin book at the end of the summer. I'll read it in the time specifically allotted. Lots of my 20 Books of Summer List will be read out of order due to the state of My Library Holds List. 

So here's my Classics Club Spin List of Twenty Books:

1. Barchester Towers by Trollope

2. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

3. Short Stories by Shirley Jackson

4. Snow by Orhan Pamuk

5. In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden

6. Walden by Henry David Thoreau (reread)

7. Another Nature title by Henry David Thoreau

8. The Doll: The Lost Short Stories by Daphne du Maurier

9. The House on the Strand by Daphne Du Maurier

10. And Quiet Flows the Don by  Mikhail Sholokhov  

11. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

12. Home of the Gentry by Ivan Turgenev

13. Rose in Bloom by Louisa May Alcott

14. An Old-Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott

15. The Things They Carried and Other Stories  Tim O’Brien

16. Pilgrim at Tinker’s Creek by Annie Dillard

17. Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

18. The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

19. The Razor’s Edge  by W.S. Maugham

20. Sanditon by Jane Austen, with essays.

Good luck to everyone with the SPIN!

 

 

First of 20: All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami

This is my first book I've read for The Twenty Books of Summer.

I’m really glad that I happened upon a positive, very brief review of Japanese author Mieko Kawakami’s recently translated novel, All the Lovers in the Night, which was published in a Europa edition in 2022. I knew nothing about Kawakami prior to discovering this book, but after reading it, I’ve searched for more information about her and her work. Kawakami’s most well-known novel is Breast and Eggs.

     Before I describe my wonderful experience with this book, I want to say that the title utterly baffles me, based on my reading of the book and what it is about. So I wonder: Is this a translation of the original Japanese title of the novel? Really? Or, is it, as happens all too frequently, a title slapped on by the publisher, all because a strict Japanese translation of the title would mean nothing to English language readers?

     So, no, I feel I can say with purpose, that this is most assuredly not a book about lovers in the night.

     It is, however, a book about a single woman in her mid-thirties, who lives an incredibly solitary life in the midst of a large city. She works as a copy-editor/proofreader. Her work hours are long and are spent scrutinizing manuscripts for errors, a job that occupies her for 10-14 hours a day, depending. She has no true friends, no family or social life, nor does she have any leisure time activities. She has a television, but never watches because she hates the noise. She appears to be an empty shell. Actually, I was spellbound that this was the sum total of her existence. How can a person live like this and survive?

     What’s fascinating is to observe her slow, plodding, and messy efforts to break out, which creates all the dramatic tension. I was wholly absorbed by everything she tried and her flawed attempts. Brilliantly portrayed by Kawakami.

     She does meet a nice man, in his late fifties, who becomes a catalyst. I loved how this entire relationship was handled.

     I highly recommend this novel.

Summer Reading, and Replies to Readers

 On June 1st I picked up from Crandall Library the first book on my Twenty Books of Summer List, and as of late this afternoon, am over halfway through this fascinating novel by Mieko Kawakami. 

I don't know why I started with this news, because the issue most pressing on my brain is that Blogger is not letting me reply to comments. No biggie, but I've got to be able to reply! So, while I try to figure out the issue, I'll reply to each blogger who left comments at the end of this post. 

In fact, why don't I do this right now? Just to let you know, I have missed all of you so much.

Tracy, I have not read any of the books in The Alexandria Quartet by Durrell. I must check your blog posts about them to see what you thought. And jury duty, no less! I hope your summer will give you more time for reading, without interruption, except for your garden and summer fun, that is. 

Cath, I'm fascinated that you have read The Serpent Pool by Martin Edwards. Did you enjoy Martin Edwards's The Lake District mysteries? I have simply marveled over the first three. I love the fact that one of the main "sleuths" is an historian and I really like his character, and love his detective counterpoint as well. A great match. Great stories! And an incomparable setting! Gosh--have got to look up your list of 20!

Diane, Yes, indeedy, I envision that more than one or two books will have to be substituted. Very tricky! Ragnar Jonasson's book was scheduled to be released in April, now pushed forward to June 28th. In any case, I've been following your reading and we seem to always be intrigued by many of the same authors and titles. I will look forward to your summer reading adventure. Too bad there's not a Joyce Maynard book on the roster this summer. She's on the cusp just like us!! (Celebrating mine tomorrow with a trip to the only bookstore within 60 miles of me--Barnes and Noble in Saratoga Springs.) 

Cleo, I've been meaning to read The God of Small Things for at least 3 years now--time to get on with it, and will be a great counterpoint to the others I'm reading. I must check out your list now. Have a great reading adventure this summer!

 

Twenty Books of Summer

 Once again I’m working toward trying to get back to blogging! I don’t have lots going on this summer, so I’m planning (and hoping) to write posts on a regular basis. Twice a week would be ideal, but I’ll set one entry a week as an absolute must-do goal.

Thanks so much to Katrina of Pining for the West for giving me a friendly nudge to participate in The Twenty Books of Summer. I’ve decided to go full throttle, from June 1^st to September 1^st. If I fall a bit behind, I’ll give myself until Labor Day, Monday, September 5, as an absolute deadline to finish the twenty. 

As I think I mentioned in my last post, these days I’ve been having fun reading recently published books, particularly those published this year. As a result, you’ll notice that many books on my list are not available yet, but will be in the weeks and months to come. I’ll be high-flying and crossing my fingers with the HOLDS list at the library and, yes, perhaps buying a few books. And what if some of the books that have received rave reviews turn out to be duds? I’ll announce that I’ve had to make a substitution, while also detailing why I retired a book I intended to read.

So, here goes: (All but two published in 2022.)

1.     All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami  (trans. fr. Japanese)  ck

2.     Outside by Ragnar Jonasson  (trans fr. Icelandic)  ck

3.     Trailed: One Woman’s Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles (NF) ck

4.     The Tsarina’s Daughter by Ellen Alpsten  ck

5.     Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer  ck

6.     This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub  ck

7.     The Midcoast by Adam White  ck

8.     Flying Solo by Linda Holmes  Replaced by: The House across the Lake by Riley Sager  ck

9.     The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill  ck

10.  The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy  Replaced by The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley  ck

11.  Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark ck

12.  Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney  Replaced by Writers and Lovers by Lily King  ck

13.  The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel  Replaced by  A History of Present Illness by Anna DeForest

14.  I Will Die in a Foreign Land by Kalani Pickhart (2021) Replaced by Rumer Godden: A Storyteller's Life by Alice Chisholm  ck

15.  The Disinvited Guest by Carol Goodman  ck

16.  The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer  Replaced by:  Elizabeth Finch by Julian Barnes ck

17.  Atomic Anna by Rachel Barenbaum   Replaced by: The House at Riverton by Kate Morton  ck

18.  After the Romanovs: Russian Exiles in Paris by Helen Rappaport (NF) Replaced by: The Uninhabitable Earth: Life after Warming by David Wallace-Wells  ck

19.  The Serpent Pool by Martin Edwards  (Lake District #4)  ck

20.   In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden  ck (Classics Club Spin)

2022 Roared into My World with Books

 Over the past 5 months, I haven't managed to squeeze blogging into my week. I have certainly been reading with gusto, though. 

I've really been enjoying this winter--it's been wonderful for hiking with snowshoes and also on snowmobile trails. I loved how cold it has been--a real winter. I hate to see it rush by.

My reading path for 2021 was to indulge in recently published books. I have been continuing to do the same this year for the most part. One difference this year, and a big change for me, is that I am borrowing almost all books from the library. 

My favorite book this year was Nancy Thayer's An Act of Love, a republished book of hers from 1998. It was a superb novel about a step-family of four--two adults, two teen-aged children--the adults living with  their child from a previous marriage. I believe that this novel is now my favorite of Thayer's. It was flawlessly executed--pitch-perfect. I am so in awe of her grasp of her material. I listened to it in audio, and the production was so well done.  I believe I've mentioned before that I much prefer Thayer's novels from the 1990s when compared with her more recent novels--the earlier books have so much more depth, deeper characterizations as well. I feel her more recent books just skim the surface of family relationships and emotional issues.

Captivating reads from books published this year include Vladimir by Julia May Jonas, The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis (set in the Frick Collection in NYC), Silverview by John Le Carre. Another notable is Last September by Nina de Gramont (set in Massachusetts, in Amherst and Cape Cod). De Gramont has a new book out, The Christie Affair, which I've decided to skip. I really liked The Mysterious Mrs. Christie, which came out early last year, but one fictionalized version of Agatha Christie's 11-day disappearance is more than enough for me.

Just Kept Turning the Pages on Labor Day Weekend

 Thunder and lightning and heavy rain pounding on the roof as I begin this post. An atmosphere for murder! 

I was laid low by a germ (not Covid) over the long weekend, and all I could do was read for three days, and all I wanted was crime and murder tales, which I indulged in completely. There's nothing like a good murder mystery to make a person forget their discomfort.

I know that many of you must have read at least some of the Lake District Mysteries by Martin Edwards. I read the first in the series, The Coffin Trail, and liked it very much. Really liked the primary police detective Hannah Scarlett and the newbie to the Lake District, historian Daniel Kind. Loved it. Just what I needed. I will eventually read on in this series. 

I also loved the debut cozy mystery, The Unkindness of Ravens, by M.E. Hilliard (2021). Almost all of the action is set in a three-story nineteenth-century manse, which is the town library. Set in a community near Albany, New York, though frankly, the elaborate library setting is paramount here, rather than the upstate New York setting. Greer Hogan is a former cosmetics executive who saw the light after the murder of her husband and got her degree in library science. This novel was very entertaining, and frankly, though I find cozies boring at times, this one kept me going. I must admit I'm looking forward to the second in the series, due to appear in April 2022. Read this in less than a day. 

And I had plenty of time to finish up a chunkster I started earlier in the week--the new novel by Joyce Maynard, Count the Ways. (Rated 4.35 on Goodreads.) It was very, very good, though sad in many ways and redeeming in others. It's about a family, and a husband and wife, and everything that happens to them on their farm in New Hampshire. I love Joyce Maynard's novels. 

Ann Cleeves's second novel in her new Matthew Venn series was published yesterday, The Heron's Cry. I loved the first offering and am looking forward to getting my copy in the mail soon.