Books

I could read when I started school. This came as a bit of a surprise to the adults in my life. My parents did not know that I had quietly taught myself to read by watching Sesame Street and closely observing my bedtime stories. I spent two weeks in the new entrance class and then moved straight to a year one class, with my friends from kindy, born 6 months before me.

I have loved books from as early as I can remember. Some of my favourite children's books are considered inappropriate now - like Little Black Sambo and the Noddy books by Enid Blyton. Gosh, even Roald Dahl and Dr Seuss are considered controversial nowadays and I loved them both. My favourite children's book was probably "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak. When I was a bit older it was "James and the Giant Peach" by Roald Dahl, the Little House of the Prairie books by Laura Ingalis Wilder and the Silver Brumby series by Elyne Mitchell. Special mention goes to "Ballet Shoes" by Noel Streatfield.

What I love about books is their ability to transport you out of your every day existence into all sorts of fabulous adventures and beautiful places. It is fair to say that I have a rich and diverse inner life and books help to nourish that.

Having a child of my own has been quite wonderful because I share my love of reading with her. I have read to her every night until recently. She now reads to herself. Through her I have got to experience the joy of Julia Donaldson's books, the genius of Harry Potter and the wonder of the How to Train your Dragon series.

I have prioritised three things since finishing chemotherapy: reading, exercising and sleeping. Reading for my soul and exercise and sleep for my body - together they cover physical, mental and spiritual health. In my last post (many months ago) I said I would write about the things I love. I love stories and since I have been well enough to read I have devoured some magnificent books: mostly fiction with a smattering of autobiographies.

I have been struggling a bit this year. I am physically fine, in fact probably as fit as I have ever been. I walk every day. I have a new, beautiful rescue puppy to help me with this (but I was already pretty disciplined about it before Stella came along in February). I lift weights. My struggle is mental and is to do with coming to grips with the trauma of my cancer diagnosis and treatment.

I have reconstruction surgery coming up next month and it sort of marks the end of the big cancer stuff. I am anxious about hurting and struggling and having to recover again. I am anxious about treatment coming to an end because I am scared if we stop doing stuff the cancer might come back. Cancer comes back for 1 in 3 early stage cancer survivors. I get that it also means it doesn't come back for 2 in 3 and those are better odds. I have had every treatment and drug recommended by my oncologist including two unfunded drugs. I know I have the best odds - but the lack of certainty and control scares me. It will get worse when I finish the year long course of neratinib (one of the unfunded drugs) I am currently on. I still have 18 months of biophosphonate treatments and goodness knows how long of tamoxifen and goserelin (I suspect 10 years, I haven't asked). I know I have to live my life courageously and forward focused (like I always have) and I am grateful to feel well. So grateful. I trust that the anxiety will reduce over time.

Anyway, to counter the worry, books are a very welcome escape. Since chemotherapy finished I have read the following:

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

This is a story that deals with trauma, loneliness, social isolation and the power of friendship. There is a lot of humour to counter the darkness of the subject matter. We accompany Eleanor on a transformational journey. Ultimately it is hopeful and lovely.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

This book reignited my passion for reading. I thought it was beautifully written especially the descriptions of the natural world. The main character Kya is abandoned as a child and survives alone for years in a North Carolina salt marsh. It combines a coming of age story, an ode to the natural world with a mystery. As of April 2023 over 23 million copies of this book have been sold and it has been turned into a movie.

Other Women by Cathy Kelly

This is a story of three women. It is strongly character driven (which is something I really love in a novel). It is about secrets, friendship, sisterhood and relationships. I enjoyed it.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Oh what a treat this book is. It made me fall in love with Michelle Obama. I loved how honest she was about how she felt about her husband's political aspirations. His dream was not her dream.

Her struggles were those of a working woman trying to balance her career with her family. She is a lovely writer and her story is remarkable.

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

This book is set at the American equivalent of the family bach - an annual summer holiday destination - a cabin in the backwoods of Cape Cod.

In a year of fabulous books it might well be my favourite.

It is a story that takes place over a 24 hour period and across 50 years as Elle decides between her much loved husband, Peter and the life she imagined with her childhood love, Jonas, before tragedy changed the course of their lives. Beautifully written characters. I thought it was perfect.

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

As a lover of words this book grabbed me with its title.

It tells the story of the compilation of the Oxford English Dictionary through Esme, the daughter of one of the men working on it.

Williams has said that her novel "began as two simple questions. Do words mean different things to men and women? And if they do, is it possible we have lost something in the process of defining them?"

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

This is my other favourite novel from this great list. It is simply exquisitely written.

It is set in World War II and tells the stories of Marie-Laure, a blind French girl who takes refuge in her Uncle's house in Saint-Malo after Paris is invaded by Germany and Werner, a bright German orphan who is accepted into a German military school because of his interest in repairing radios.

I think part of the beauty of this book has to do with the use of the other senses to describe things because of Marie-Laure's blindness.

I found it haunting and emotional - a story that stayed with me long after I finished reading it. It is set in wartime so it was never going to have a happy ending but it does leave you with hope and there are some beautiful relationships between characters. It made me cry buckets.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

This is a pretty profound book. Between life and death Nora enters the midnight library where she gets the opportunity to see how her life would have turned out if she had made different choices.

Would you do things differently if you had the chance to undo your regrets? Would your alternative life have been any better? What makes a life worth living? Am I the happiest version of myself? If your dreams came true is that necessarily a good thing? This is a novel about the choices that go into a life well lived.

Rachel's Holiday and Again, Rachel by Marian Keyes

I really love Marian Keyes and I have read everything she has ever written. I first read Rachel's Holiday when I lived in the UK in the late 90s. Marian Keyes wrote a series of books about the Walsh sisters. Rachel's Holiday was my favourite of that series.

"How did I end up like this? Twenty-seven unemployed mistaken for a drug addict in a treatment centre in the back arse of nowhere with an empty Valium bottle in my knickers..."

And so we accompany Rachel as she sobers up, moves out of denial and realises she is an addict. It is funny and sad and enlightening. I loved the book in the 90s and I loved it when I re-read it when I heard there was to be a sequel.

You can imagine my delight when I heard Marian Keyes had written Again, Rachel. It didn't disappoint. What I love about Marian Keyes writing is there is warmth and humour but her characters never have it easy. There is always some dark subject matter. I laughed and I cried and I LOVED this book.

It Ends with Us and It Starts with Us by Colleen Hoover

When I started reading It Ends with Us I didn't like the main male character and thought it was a sappy love story. I contemplated giving it away for something more cerebral. It quickly turned dark and I was glad I persisted. It is a courageous story of escaping domestic violence and breaking destructive inter generational patterns. I was right not to like the main male character because he slowly revealed himself as an abuser but the signs were there from the very beginning.

It Starts with Us was a bit meh. Don't get me wrong I enjoyed it but it felt like an unnecessary sequel.

Book Lovers and You and Me on Vacation by Emily Henry

I love a good romance novel and these two books by Emily Henry were fabulous.

Daisy Jones and the Six, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Malibu Rising and Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I am pleased to have found Taylor Jenkins Reid. She is a wonderful story teller and I loved all of these books.

Daisy Jones and the Six tells the story of the rise and tumultuous ending of a 1970s rock band loosely based on Fleetwood Mac.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo tells the story of a glamorous, old school, Hollywood screen siren and the secrets hidden behind the facade of her sex symbol image and her marriages.

Malibu Rising is the story of one unforgettable night in the life of one family. It centres on the four hugely talented children of a legendary singer, Mick Riva. A story about siblings and the secrets between them. I loved how it was set between the 1950s and 1980s.

Finally, Carrie Soto is Back tells the story of a legendary tennis champion who comes out of retirement to attempt to claim back her Grand Slam record.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

This is not a book I would normally read. It did make me realise that I love character driven stories because this is not a character driven novel. It is more about the circus itself. Le Cirque des Reves only opens at night. Within its black and white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. Behind the scenes a fierce competition is underway - a duel between two young magicians who have been trained since childhood by their mercurial instructors.

It is a gentle, magical work of great imagination.

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hildebrand

This is a perfect beach novel. It made me nostalgic for summer while it was still actually summer, because this summer was so bloody terrible.

I loved the ensemble cast of characters including the ghost of a young chambermaid killed in a tragic fire at the hotel in 1922.

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

This is a truly remarkable book. It is set in Cyprus and London. It has a fig tree for a narrator. It explores belonging, identity, inter generational trauma, love, nature and renewal. It would be amongst my top 5 favourite books in this list.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

This was a compelling domestic drama set in the 1990s. Having lived through the 90s I enjoyed the references to such things as Jerry Springer, Smashing Pumpkins and Monica Lewinsky. It explored themes of secrets, motherhood, rules, adolescence, race and the nature of art and identity.

The Island by Victoria Hislop

This is a historical novel centred around a former leper colony on the island of Spinalonga, off the coast of Crete.

It is incredibly well researched and when I went to Google to check the veracity of what was in the novel, all the detail about the leper colony is true.

There is love, tragedy, betrayal, family secrets, inter generational trauma and war. I thought it was fascinating especially having been through COVID isolation.

This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes

Miriam Margolyes is outrageous. If I could invite anyone over for dinner it would be her.

She is an English character actor. I know her as the Spanish Infanta from Blackadder. Younger people will know her as Professor Sprout from the Harry Potter movies. She is often invited onto Graham Norton's talk show because she is completely honest, spins a great yarn and is side-splittingly funny.

I don't think I have ever read a memoir with so many eye popping, hilarious and candid stories.

The Henna Artist and The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

These novels are set in Jaipur and the foothills of the Himalayas. They are lush and transportative.

The Henna Artist tells the story of Lakshmi, who escapes an abusive marriage at a young age to become a henna artist to the wealthy women of the upper class of Jaipur. She becomes a trusted confidante but can never reveal her own secrets.

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur finds Lakshmi in Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas. This book is centred on her protege Malik. Lakshmi arranges for him to intern at the Jaipur Palace essentially to protect him from the temptations offered by traffickers moving gold through the mountains.

The third book in the trilogy was published at the end of March. I am looking forward to reading it when I am recovering from surgery.

Why Did You Stay? by Rebecca Humphries

One of my other passions is reading celebrity gossip in tabloid newspapers. There I said it. A shameful admission, but I don't really like drama in my own life, I prefer to observe it in other people's.

Poor Rebecca Humphries. The paparazzi caught her boyfriend (comedian Seann Walsh) kissing his Strictly Come Dancing partner on her birthday. Forced into victimhood by the tabloid story, Rebecca chose to reclaim her power, posting a now famous statement on social media that went viral. Support flooded in for her but among the comments was a simple question that required a whole memoir to examine the complex answer: "If he was so bad, why did you stay?"

Considering the subject matter, Rebecca has written a very funny memoir. If you aren't familiar with the background follow this link https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/jul/10/rebecca-humphries-why-did-you-stay-seann-walsh-strictly?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

The Lives and Loves of a He Devil by Graham Norton

I realised when I picked up this book that even though we see Graham Norton on TV every week we don't actually know much about him. He is so good at his job that his show is all about his guests and never about him.

I liked how he divided this memoir into stories about the things he loves. It was warm, funny and interesting.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

I confess that I accidentally bought this book instead of Lessons in Chemistry.

I read it when I was on my summer holiday at the Pataua North bach we've been visiting since COVID. I am back at the bach at the moment (April school holidays) and it is funny that being here has made me think about this book.

It is a romance novel with a difference - the main character is a PhD student in STEM. It is sweet, funny and incredibly awkward. It is what it is - a high brow Mills & Boon. I enjoyed it.

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

What a magnificent novel. I think it is a work of genius. It has stayed with me long after I finished it. The title comes from Macbeth and cleverly captures much of what the book is about. It's about first chances and second chances, fleeting chances and only chances and the fear that time is running out. It centres around video gaming but you don't have to be a gamer to appreciate the story. We can all relate to wanting to lose ourselves in an imaginary world when the real one is too much and wanting to have limitless chances to get things right.

It examines identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. It is a love story, but it is not like any other you have ever read.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Wow! What a fabulous book. It has serious themes of misogyny, feminism, power and self worth but the author's sarcasm and her dark sense of humour shines through her writing.

The main character, Elizabeth Zott, is a triumph and I loved her dog Six-Thirty. It deserves all the acclaim it has received including an upcoming television series on Apple TV+.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

I have recently finished this book. I always feel a bit sad when I finish a great book and this was a great book. It was a nonstop pleasure from beginning to end and it made my heart happy.

As I have said previously I love character driven novels and the cast of characters in this book are exquisitely crafted.

It is a modern day fairytale exploring themes of belonging, family, prejudice, inclusion and acceptance and asks questions of nature and nurture. It is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place and realising it is where you belong.

I always have piles of books waiting to be read. What am I reading right now? I have taken Still Life by Sarah Winman off the pile and I've read the first chapter. I am also reading Puppy Zen by Mark Vette.

I intend to do a lot more reading and writing while recovering from my upcoming surgery. I'll do some more book reviews then, starting with Still Life. I'm looking forward to reading the third book in the Henna Artist trilogy - The Pefumist of Paris which I am taking to the hospital with me.

In the meantime I hope I have inspired someone to pick up a book. Do it. Our souls and imaginations need nourishment and books (and art) provide that.

My top 10 from the above list:

10. Where the Crawdads Sing

9. Little Fires Everywhere

8. Again, Rachel

7. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

6. The House in the Cerulean Sea

5. The Island of Missing Trees

4. Lessons in Chemistry

3. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

1 equal. The Paper Palace and All the Light We Cannot See