More Japanese translations and French cuisine mixed with crime

Sorry. It has been too long again, but at least I have new books to write about...may there be many more!

I have continued my discovery of Japanese translations, and I am still loving that genre. "The Cat Who Saved Books" by Sosuke Natsukawa is so beautiful and magical. It is about a small second-hand bookshop on the edge of a town, jam-packed with wonderful books from floor to ceiling. Rintaro Natsuki is the main character of this story, a young man, whose grandfather owned the bookshop but has recently passed away. Rintaro has no-one else, except for an aunt who lives far away. He wants to stay at the bookshop, and skips school to tend to it, but realises that he will have to close it. Suddenly, a talking cat called Tiger comes up to Rintaro and asks him for help. The cat needs someone who loves books to join him on three adventures to save books from people who have either kept them hidden away or damaged them or betrayed them. This book was so creative and unique, gentle, sympathetic, tender, thought-provoking....just lovely to read.

"The Goodbye Cat" is written by Hiro Arikawa, and it is the follow-up to "The Travelling Cat Chronicles", which I posted about in my last blog. This is a compilation of short stories, filled with love and warmth, about seven cats and the impact they have on the people they live with/visit, exploring the cycle of life from birth to death, and the afterlife, and emphasising the loyalty of a well-loved cat. 

The translations of both these books are brilliant, and I assume they capture the original intentions. I would love to be able to read and understand Japanese, just to see how they are in their mother tongue.

My husband has decided to randomly choose books, but picking a letter, going into a bookshop, and picking an author whose surname begins with that letter. This time, he chose R for James Runcie, who wrote the Grantchester Mysteries. My husband hasn't seen the television series, so this was completely new to him. I had watched it, and now having read some of the books, I think that they were well-cast. I am in the midst of the series, and I am still enjoying them, although the earlier ones are the best, in my opinion. "Sidney Chambers and The Shadow of Death" is the first in the Grantchester Mysteries, and introduces Sydney as an unconventional clergyman, who has the ability to solve crimes that the police cannot. He works closely with his friend Inspector Geordie Keating, where they discuss cases over a pint and a game of backgammon. In the first book, we are introduced to his best friend Amanda, where you wonder if there will be some romance, and this is teased throughout the earlier books. It covers his love of jazz music and his attendance at a jazz club, where there is an unexplained death. There are several, well-thought out mysteries in each book, and combined with the religious aspects of his work, it provides a good mystery with interesting back stories too. On the whole, it is quite gentle, but there are some shocking moments, particulary the story of the art forgery.

My next book "Let It Snow" is a clever collaboration between John Green, who I have posted about before, and two other authors - Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, who I haven't read before. I like books like this because you know for sure that you are going to like one of the stories, but you have the prospect of discovering two new (to me) authors. This book is made up of three holiday romances, which feature three different teenagers who's lives are somewhat intertwined. Each story follows their lives as they end up in Gracetown, at Christmas, during a huge snow storm. The first story features a young girl who has been forced to leave her boyfriend on Christmas Eve, because her parents have been arrested in a very comical scene. On the train she meets a young man who is trying to call his girlfriend, but has no phone signal. On the train, there is a group of very excitable cheerleaders, and when the train gets stuck in Gracetown because of a snowstorm, the first girl ventures out to find some food, and gradually the others follow. It is quite complicated, as teenage lives can be, but their stories are carefully intertwined, and there are several comedic scenes, such as the team of cheerleaders demonstrating their winning moves in a waffle house managed by a group of teenage boys. The boys call a range of friends to come down and bring a game of Twister so that they can persuade the cheerleading team to play the game in the hope of becoming closer with them. There are all sorts of shenanigans, but eventually all the stories join up. It isn't complex or deep, but it is fun to read.

As you know, I do love a good detective story, and I was lucky to find two written by the same author, ML Longworth, in a charity shop. They are both set in Aix-en-Provence, and are part of a series starring a magistrate and an inspector, whose wives both provide insights to the cases, and who all love good French food. There are wonderful descriptions of wine and French food, and the detectives seem to spend endless time in their favourite cafe, eating pastries and drinking coffee, or dining in nice restaurants with many-coursed meals, while discussing their cases. Because they are finds rather than organised purchases, I am reading them out of sync, but it doesn't seem to matter. The first is called "The Vanishing Museum on the Rue Mistral" and focuses on a small museum in Aix, the contents of which, mysteriously disappear over a weekend, leaving a bench, a reception desk, and a fern. Coincidentally, a few weeks earlier, there had been a similar mysterious robbery from an elderly lady's apartment. There are some lovely characters, including the suspects, and it is a lovely, leisurely read, with lots of twists and turns.

The second book, "The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche", follows the arrival of a controversial author, who was once very famous, particularly for his first novel, and then all of a sudden changed genre to romantic fiction. He has moved into a grand old house which hasn't been lived in for many, many years, with a plan to retire. However, his nights become disturbed by sinister presences, and although he hires a housekeeper, they both experience strange happenings. He befriends the young daughter of the detective who lives across from him, and soon the magistrate becomes involved. They question whether the author is losing his mind, and find out what happened previously in the house, leading it to become empty. It feels like it is going to be a ghost story, and they make, and there are, comparisons with Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. The unfolding of the story happens while a young editor interviews the author in a restaurant known for its food and wine, and the author tests the young man by seeing which wines he chooses for each course. It is quite different from the first book I read, but just as engaging and entertaining. I loved both books, but they did leave me wanting to head straight over to Provence for some leisurely dining in the beautiful scenery of Aix.

So, I am caught up now, and looking forward to reading more books over the Summer.

Apologies for the 3-year delay in posting - books, books, books!

My only excuse is that I have been busy with work, with life, and with reading. During this time, I have read a lot of books, and I am not going to comment on all of them. Some have been my usual re-reads, Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic), Sarah Addison Allen (Garden Spells), Laurie R King (Beekeeper's Apprentice), Elinor Brent-Dyer (Chalet School), Agatha Christie, etc, but I have also discovered new, fabulous authors! So many talented writers and so little time :-)

So where to start!?! I live in the South West of England, and WJ Burley writes wonderful detective stories set in Devon, Cornwall, and the Scilly Isles. I have read many over the past few years, and they are creative and beautifully written. I haven't read them all, but my favourite so far Wycliffe and the Cycle of Death, which is set in a bookshop, in Penzance, a lovely harbour town, near to where I live. There were so many twists and turns, and yet a gentleness due to Superintendent Wycliffe's quiet and pensive nature.

Another detective series I like is Inspector Morse, created by Colin Dexter. I have to admit, I am not a great fan of the books, as the couple I read were quite seedy. However, I found Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories in a charity shop, and was totally blown away by it. I love short stories, and this collection is brilliant. Only a few stories are about Inspector Morse, and the Greatest Mystery is a lovely surprise. There are other stories, which are still about crime, but more about prisoners and their antics. One of the tales was absolutely brilliant. It was a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes, and it is done so well, that I had to double-check that it had not been written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was my favourite and had a great twist at the end....very unexpected and enjoyable! This has rekindled my interest in the Morse books, so watch this space.

So, if you have read my previous posts, you will know that I don't just read crime fiction; I have quite a varied taste, although I do focus on fiction. Recently, I have discovered Japanese translations, and they are so beautifully told, gentle and creative. The first I read was The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, and translated by Philip Gabriel. I am in awe of translators. The translations of Asterix and Obelix were brilliant because the many jokes translated so well. Obviously, I can't read the original versions, but I am assuming the translations are true to the original. This one is poetic, as I imagine the original version is. I was sceptical at first. I love cats, adore them, but I wasn't sure if I would want to read a book from a cat's perspective, but I truly loved it and happily give copies of this book away as gifts, because it feels like I am spreading the love. This book is described as heart-breaking, but I would say it is heart-warming. There is so much kindness and gentle emotion throughout the book as the cat takes us on a journey through Japan, and introduces us to the beautiful Japanese culture and customs.

The next book I found was What you are looking for is in the library by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts. This one focuses on a very special librarian, and a community which has a special attachment to a particular brand of biscuits, and needs the help of the librarian to solve their life problems, through the choice of books she issues to them, along with a little hand-made, felted gift. Each chapter introduces a member of the community, who is looking for something, but is not sure what, and they are directed to a large, rather intimidating, librarian, who surprises them with the book choices she gives them. This is such a lovely story, so inspiring, and makes me proud to be a librarian. I wish I could be as magic as her! Incidentally, the biscuits they are fans of are the Honeydome Cookies by Kuremiyado - I don't know if they actually exist, but someone has posted this recipe, in case you want to give them a go - in the book, they are described as "half-moon shaped cookie with a soft, honey flavored center".

The last book I am going to talk about today is The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page. My sister bought this for me as a gift and it was so beautiful. I have bookmarked so many wonderful quotes! The book is about a young woman who is taking care of her uncle's stationery shop. I don't know about you but I love stationery, and a shop full of pens, pencils, and paper, would be a fabulous place to work. This book has inspired me to write again, using a fountain pen, because she adds new stock to the shop, and encourages potential customers to try writing with a fountain pen and she collects what they write. She makes friends with a female vicar and an elderly customer, and discovers Highgate Cemetery, which is a place close to my heart - if you ever get the chance to visit, do go; it is full of the most incredible people. Anyway, together with her new friends, the main character moves forward with her life and helps them to find themselves too. It is such a beautiful story. The author created a fountain pen shop, PLOOMS, and I was tempted to buy a pen from them, but then I decided to do some research, and found a lovely company in Wales, and I bought a lovely, chunky fountain pen, which inspires me to write, rather than type, and I chose some gorgeous ink colours - magenta, forest green, and turquoise! I like this book because it encourages you to handwrite - there is one sentence, which describes how she learned to write by using exercise books and practising her letters, as a child - it reminded me of my own schooldays. And best of all, this book encourages you to reach out, make contact, stay in touch - "'Dear' is a good place to start" - absolutely, a small word, straight from the heart..."dear" - full of love and care.

And, on that note, I will sign off for now, but I hope to post again soon, Dear Readers. Stay in touch.

Celebrating reading!

So, yesterday, we were listening to Ireland playing France, in the Six Nations Rugby, on Irish radio station, RTE, and an advert came up about “Ireland reads”, a national day to celebrate reading! “Squeeze in a read” on February 25^th.What a fabulous initiative, although personally I would prefer a national month J But I do love this idea. It reminds me of the Icelandic tradition, where they give books on Christmas Eve, and spend the evening reading with their loved ones, and drinking hot chocolate. Jolabokaflod translates into “Christmas Book Flood”.

I am doing very badly with my blogging, and I do keep on meaning to improve, but so much is going on. We have a lovely home, but it requires a lot of work, both inside and out, and together with working full-time, I tend to use my spare time to read! With that in mind, I have seven books to blog about on this occasion. Three are from the same author and so I shall start with them. Actually, I am shocked to see that I have already blogged about one of them, back in November 2020!!! So I won’t blog about it again, but I have been continuing to work my way through Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. I went on to From Russia With Love. I have been very lucky, as my local post office, in St Just in Penwith, sells books to raise money for Cancer Research, and they always have treasures, and I found this lovely 1961 edition. It is worth just having for the cover.

Anyway, it was entirely gripping, not just the plot, but the characters and the locations were beautifully described. One of the villains was an absolutely grotesque and perverse woman, and it made me wonder why, in the films, the villains tend to be male. Perhaps an ugly female one is just too ghastly to contemplate! The description in the book about her still makes me shiver with disgust as she was horrid inside and out. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this book. I haven’t seen the film, but the book was so exciting, I don’t think I need to. Lots of twists and turns, and heroic acts. After that one, I read Live and Let Die, one of my favourite Bond films, especially for the soundtrack, and all the voodoo traditions.

The film very much followed the book, and I found the detail about the Haitian traditions so interesting, although quite terrifying too, the zombies in particular! Ian Fleming clearly researched his backgrounds in great depth to make them credible. It makes the books much more interesting reading. I do remember A Caribbean Mystery, by Agatha Christie, where she introduced a character who was an author, who was stuck for a name for his lead character, and she introduced another character who was giving a lecture, and his name was James Bond, and the author immediately noted the name down. Anyway, again, this was a super-exciting read, with great characters, wonderful descriptions of the locations, and quite gory endings involving fish….similar to Octopussy. In fact, I am noticing that many of Ian Fleming’s stories include some aspect of natural history in them.

Another book that I picked up at my fabulous post office, was “The Case of The Glamorous Ghost” by Erle Stanley Gardner. I hadn’t heard of the author before, but I was attracted to the book, because it is a Perry Mason mystery, and I used to love watching those on television. Published in 1955, it also had the most wonderful cover, and the book was fantastic. It was actually like a screenplay. You could imagine it all being acted out. The story was about a society girl who was regularly getting into trouble and on this occasion, she was suffering from amnesia, but had been seen looking like a ghost in not very much clothing! The story has a complex plot and some very colourful characters. I hadn’t read anything like it before, but I will definitely keep an eye out for more by this author.

Over Christmas, there is nothing better than reading a sentimental Christmas book. As usual, I came across The Six Tales of Christmas by accident, and it was just perfect. It was about an independent bookshop that had fallen on hard times. The husband had health problems, and so the wife didn’t want him to know the extent of their problems, and is worrying away to herself, while he worries about her, not knowing what is going on. They decided to have a competition. They randomly chose six books and wrapped them up and then asked their customers to nominate people who they felt should get a free book. And this is how the six tales unfold. There is a special story attached to each book, and it is just lovely. So heart-warming, without being to schmaltzy. It was a really lovely book to read, and it really emphasises the importance of supporting independent bookshops J

I really like books by Rosamunde Pilcher. They are very romantic and
quite dramatic, and the females are usually strong and independent, while still wanting to be in love. The plots follow a similar pattern, involving tragedy and hope, but they are comforting, and always set in gorgeous locations, like Scotland and Cornwall. I read The Shell Seekers over Christmas about a woman who grew up in Cornwall and London and went to live in Cornwall during the war with one of her children, before the other two were born. Her father was a famous artist, and she still had some of his works. She is old now and her children, all grown up, are trying to persuade her to sell them as his work has become very popular, and they knew that they would be worth a lot of money. She doesn't want to though, but instead wants to return to Cornwall for a visit with her family. They are all too busy, so she goes with two young friends she has met, and revisits old friends and memories. It is a complex tale, but lovely, full of memories of how Cornwall used to be, and what it was like during the war. She also writes

lovely short stories, and after her passing in 2019, a young assistant at a literary agency searched through old folios of magazines for stories written by Rosamunde Pilcher, but not published in book form, and A Place Like Home, is the culmination of this search. It contains 15 short stories, and I loved them all, with the exception of number 14, which just felt hopeless. The others were full of hope, magical, romantic, set in beautiful locations, with heros and heroines, and many different plots. It was a delight to read, and so wonderful to have found new stories from this lovely author. I wonder how many other authors have short stories originally published in magazines, that have never been published in collections. I quite like the idea of that job. Searching through the archives for magazine articles by some of my favourite authors, just as they are starting out. Imagine what treasures one could find!!!

So that’s it from me for now. Hopefully it won’t be another six months before I write again, because I have a whole pile of books to read, but Spring is coming, and the garden is calling, speaking of which, I am looking into creating a medicine garden, based on the one described in Alice Hoffman’s Nightbird.

Shangri-La, the story behind the name

I love discovering books by accident. Years ago, we were in Capel Curig, in Snowdonia. Such a beautiful place! We were walking past a hotel, when we noticed they were selling books. So, as self-confessed bibliophiles, we ventured in and were not disappointed. I picked up Lost Horizon, by James Hilton. I watched the film in the 70s, and was mesmerised by the magic. I have never watched it again, although I have watched the trailer since reading the book, and am astonished at how it was translated. It is an amazing story of a group of people who are escaping from a revolution in Persia (Iran), on a plane to Pakistan. The plane crashes in the middle of nowhere, but fortunately they are rescued by a group of travellers who take them to a beautiful sanctuary, which has everything they could ever want. Their new home is very cut off, particularly during Winter, and it is a long time before the group might be rescued. 

The visitors are made up of three men and a woman, and they adapt (or not) to their new surroundings in different ways. The youngest male struggles the most as he just wants to get home and find a wife. He has left too much behind to give up, and cannot see a future where they are, despite being treated very well by all the other inhabitants, and having everything he could desire. The woman appears to relish living there, and both of the older men, also settle in very well. There is a magical atmosphere in the remote community, surrounded by mountains. They have found a way to extend life, giving them time to indulge in the pleasures they enjoy. The isolated community is led by one man, and it soon becomes clear that he is training one of the new visitors to take his place. Eventually, some leave, but the book ends with wonder and mystery. It is a very exciting story, and beautifully written, tempting one to go and look for this wonderful place or just wonder if it actually exists. I really hope it does. I love the idea of being able to extend my life so I have time to read all the books that I want, without the distraction of work. Perhaps I am already. Living in Cornwall, feels a bit like Shangri-La. It just feels like there is time, which is the greatest wealth ever. This book is one of my new treasures, and I shall revisit it again and again.

Uncertainty, loss, and new hopes

I have been reading, but working in public health and spending my days reading a lot of literature about COVID, I have reverted back to gentle, re-reads in the evening, where I know the outcomes. However, I have read three books which were totally new to me.

The first one was The Whole Town's Talking by Fannie Flagg. If you have read my previous blog posts, you will know I am a huge fan of Fannie Flagg's writing, and this was no exception. It was absolutely wonderful and beautiful, focussing on a small town in Missouri, created by Lordor Nordstrom and his Swedish mail-order bride. Together they create a small town for family and friends, and the book explains each story and how the town grows, including the development of the town cemetery, and what happens to the town residents when they die. It is such a great story and a pleasure to read.

The second book I am writing about is in sharp contrast to the first one. Endorsed by Amnesty International, the Windrush Child was an emotional rollercoaster. It is about a young boy who has the ideal life with his Mum and Grandmother, when he has to move to England to be with his Father, who has been creating a new life for them. When he gets there, he has to adjust to seeing his Dad after all this time, the new climate, the different food, culture, people, etc. It is such an interesting story, and I was gripped throughout. I learnt so much about Jamaica, and the experience of Jamaicans moving to England. It must have been such a shock to this little boy, Leonard. He must have felt really torn, choosing between his Grandmother and his Mum and Dad. The book takes you through his experiences as a child and later as an adult. He has a family, and one day, when his daughter is all grown up, they decide to return to Jamaica for a visit together, and that is where the story comes to a shocking conclusion. The ending is so powerful and thought-provoking. It took me a while to process the outcome of this book. It was brilliantly written, by Benjamin Zephaniah, who made me feel everything that Leonard went through. It really is well worth reading.

The last book I am writing about was a surprise. I picked it up in a charity shop for a pound. I bought it because I liked the front cover, which was illustrated by Sylvia Dyson. Melissa Ann was written by Ethel Parton. There are no details of dates, but it sounds as though it was written in the 1800s. It is a delightful story about a young girl called Melissa Ann. It reminds me very much of Anne of Green Gables, by LM Montgomery. You learn about Melissa's, known as Mitty, family and friends. In a similar manner to the Windrush Child, she has to move from her childhood home, with her grandparents to another home. There is much uncertainty in her life, and she deals with it all, with courage, and she seems like a really sweet character. The book is filled with lovely characters and storylines. It was a wonderful surprise, and makes me want to learn more about Ethel Parton.

Detectives and spies

Shocked to see we are in November and my last post was in January of this year! Well, it has been a strange year, but fortunately we have books to take us to other worlds and adventures. I have continued working, and therefore have needed some gentle books to relax in my spare time. I started off my re-reading my beloved Chalet School books, but as time went on, I branched out and tried some new authors. 

I love Bond films, but had never thought to read the books, so I took the opportunity to read a collection of four of Ian Fleming's short stories, "Octopussy and The Living Daylights". Octopussy, the story, was brilliant, as it brought together, in a short tale, so many elements from the different Bond films, and finished with a very creative suicide. I enjoyed it, because the author clearly enjoyed natural history, and shared his knowledge, making the story even more interesting. Property of a Lady was wonderful as it described the auction of a Fabergé egg, belonging to a lady who worked in the offices of Bond's headquarters, and earning £50 per month. Clearly there is a mystery there, but I am not going to spoil it. It is a superb read, and again very interesting, as I hadn't realised that Fabergé created these eggs to help the aristocracy make their jewels more portable, when they had to disappear in a rush! By the way, interesting fact, Ian Fleming also wrote "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", which I really must add to my list!

Another book I have read is "Enola Holmes: The Case of the Missing Marquess", written by Nancy Springer. I had watched the film first, and really enjoyed it, so I thought I would see what the book was like. They were quite different, and to be honest, I think that if I was the author, I would be quite annoyed at how much of the book was changed. They took the main character, and pretty much created a different story. They are both equally good, but I think it would have been interesting to see the book translated accurately in to a film. In case you don't know, Enola Holmes is the much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, and they return to the family home when their mother disappears. In the book, Enola is poorly educated but clearly very bright, and applies the same deductive techniques as her older detective brother, Sherlock, as she tries to find out what has happened to her mother. It was a really good read, and I have ordered the next two in the series, and I am looking forward to the next in the series, although I have just discovered that I missed a book that Fannie Flagg has written called The Whole Town's Talking, so I am quickly catching up with that first! Stay safe and well everyone!

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R King

Happy New Year to you all! So, a couple of months ago, a lovely friend in America introduced me to a fabulous series of books – the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mysteries. The first is The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, and it is just amazing; beyond brilliant, in fact! Written by Laurie R King, the story behind this series, is that the author received a mysterious package, containing a series of journals and other gifts.

The journals were written by an orphan called Mary Russell, and they start when she is 15 years old, after the sudden death of her family, and her first encounter with the retired Sherlock Holmes, who is living in Sussex with his housekeeper, while tending his bees. They meet on the Sussex downs, and despite their age difference, they form a professional friendship, with Holmes becoming Mary’s mentor, and Russell becoming Sherlock’s apprentice. He teaches her his skills and tests her abilities, and together they become a team and solve complex crimes together. I am not doing these books justice. The first was so good, I had to immediately get the next two, and I have almost finished those now, so am ready for the next instalments. The second book is a collection of short stories, and provide some background information to give a better picture of Mary Russell’s history.

There are some incredibly powerful insights into World War I and what the soldiers endured in the trenches, but I also had not appreciated the impact that war had on women. Not only did many lose the prospect of being a wife and a mother, because many men either did not return from the war or were too badly injured or traumatised to become husbands and fathers. Furthermore, while the war was on, women took on traditionally-male roles, such as farming the land, flying planes across the country, and keeping the home-fires burning so that returning soldiers would have something to come home to. However, once they were home, they took back those jobs, and the women were left with fewer options. I found this all so thought-provoking!

The development of Mary and Sherlock’s personal relationship is also described in one of the short stories, culminating in their marriage, when she is of age. It is beautifully done, with no improprieties. Their relationship is complex, and they are clearly dependent on each other. I am so delighted to be reading this series of books, as they are such a pleasure to read. The books are so well-written, informative, suspenseful, sensitive, and unexpected. I am very grateful for the introduction!