General information

Cora Seaborne has recently become a widow. She has quite unexpected feelings about it. It will take you time to learn why. You will realise early on, though, that she’s quite an unusual person for England in 1893. She’s fascinated by science, biology and nature. She loves wearing men’s clothing and walking alone in the woods. She dreams about finding a living dinosaur. She takes her friend and her very special son to Essex where she does find something she didn’t expect to.

How was the book?

I loved it! But I know that many readers won’t share my opinion. The story is extremely slow. If you are not into slow reading, sophisticated writing and the main focus on personalities rather than on action, then you might not enjoy the book as much as I did.

What I loved about the book

The writing

Sarah Perry’s writing is intricate and intense. Each paragraph, each line, each phrase bears a lot of meaning. This is not complexity for the sake of complexity. She reaches to the truth in each sentence. To skip even one is to lose a lot.

The characters

This is what I want from characters in all books! The characters in The Essex Serpent are not only alive and breathing, they are actually interesting. You can’t shelf or label them, they are unique, just like real people are. There’s no other Cora Seaborne in the whole Universe, fictional or not, as there are no copies of any other characters in this story.

Views on friendship

I can’t think of any other book that explores friendship so deeply, and brings up such ideas about it. Books often focus on love. The Essex Serpent shows that there’s another type of relationship with just as much potential for passion and complexity as love is.

Perfectly knitted plot

I absolutely admire how Perry knitted all the details together. You can’t discard any big or minor events without ruining the whole construction.

What I liked less

If I weren’t such a fan of complicated deep writing and interesting personalities, I might have dropped the book midway. The first half of the book is as uneventful as bits of frozen wax on a candle. All action ceases and you feel like no movement will ever be made again. Unfortunately, I think it will draw many readers away.

Would I recommend the book?

If having read my review you got interested in the book, then I think you should definitely read The Essex Serpent. If you want a gripping fast-paced story about a dinosaur hunt, you should choose another book.

December was unusual. I dropped more books than I had ever dropped in one month. Probably, thanks to this attitude I ended up mostly liking all other books I read. Here they are. Click the links for more information about the books.

1. The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis

It’s a beautifully written family story and my most favourite book of 2018. It will be out in the summer 2019. I’ve also published my full review of the book and I also talked about this book in my other post.

2. No Motive by Daphne du Maurier

It’s a fast-paced and gripping short story. If you want to know why a perfectly happy woman just shot herself, read the story.

3. The Familiars by Stacey Halls

This is a historical novel about a woman who’s trying to save herself, her baby and her friend. The book will be out soon!

4. Patrick Melrose novels

There are five novels about Patrick Melrose. At least the first three focus on just a few short events that illustrate Patrick’s whole life.

Never Mind is about Patrick’s childhood.

Bad News is about Patrick in his 20s.

Some hope is about Patrick when he’s 30.

5. Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties by Camille Pagán

I didn’t like the book, but I quite liked the protagonist, although Maggie was slightly too needy. People seemed to have enjoyed my review.

6. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

A nice story about two teenage boys who are discovering love and life.

7. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This is a story about a book store owner. It’s basically a library in a form of fiction.

The three books that I did not finish

Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb

I hoped it would be a gothic scary story but it turned out to be a not very well written chick lit.

The Dry by Jane Harper

I liked Force of Nature, another thriller by Jane Harper, but I couldn’t finish The Dry. There is lots of fuss but no meaningful action. I got bored by the middle of the book so I dropped it.

The Bette Davis Club by Jane Lotter

I got the book because of a heartwarming introduction. This novel was initially self-published. The author didn’t live to see the book picked up by the publisher. The description is also intriguing. It’s a story about an aunt whose niece ran away from her own wedding so the aunt and the groom set off on an adventure to find her. Unfortunately, the book lost its logic by the middle. It also started focusing too much on unnecessary details and the protagonist started behaving very implausibly. That’s when I quit to give time to other books.

That is it for December. My January already started with something I liked and something I didn’t. I will tell you more soon. Meanwhile, here are some other posts where I mention several books at once.

Books I read in September
Books I read in October
November was awesome!
If somebody asked me what to read

What the book is about

It’s about a book store owner who lost his wife and then lost one valuable item from his store, but he has found something else instead. It’s also about a few other people in his life.

What I liked about the story

Reading list

Claudia McGill found the list of books mentioned in The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Thank you for the link Claudia! Just look at this list! A whole library has fit into the book!

When a new character was introduced

I won’t say who it was so as not to spoil it for you, but I found it very unexpected and almost surreal. That’s when I resolved to keep reading the book. I also found the character very charming.

The actual story

It’s pleasant, kind and peaceful but it doesn’t get overly simplistic. It is light, but not silly.

Of course, people had felt sorry for him then, but they had felt too sorry for him.

They held their breath as they walked past the store, like it was a cemetery.

…a theft is an acceptable social loss while a death is an isolating one.

It’s very bookish

It’s a book about books, and about people who live books and breathe books. It feels like the book bloggers and reviewers are actually the target audience of the story.

They had only ever discussed books but what, in this life, is more personal than books?

Infinite Jest is an endurance contest. You manage to get through it and you have no choice but to say you like it.

Who are these people who think a book comes with a guarantee that they will like it?

The protagonist is a long distance runner

Just like yours truly. This detail doesn’t get too much focus but it’s always nice to relate to something in a book, isn’t it?

There are many challenges to long-distance running, but one of the greatest is the question of where to put one’s house keys.

What I found strange about the book

The writing

It feels very distant, as if someone is reciting contents of newspaper clippings. It is especially noticeable when something dramatic or tragic happens.

The shifting point of view

There is no stable point of view. Sometimes you get a bit of a story from one character, then you get another story from someone else. It’s always unpredictable and feels quite chaotic.

Redundant subplots and characters

There are a few characters who seem to be survivors from the first draft. It looks like their roles had got redundant but by the time it became obvious, they turned into close friends and family members, and so it was unethical to get rid of them for the sake of a more structured plot.

Would I recommend this book?

Yes, definitely. If you are looking for a quick and light read that will lead you to more books, you will likely enjoy this book.

1. Classic fiction

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

I’ll never grow tired of recommending this book. It is actually a memoir, but it’s much more than a personal story. It tells you about the way Paris looked and lived in 1920s. A Moveable Feast has a complicated history. Read my post to learn more.

Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood

The book is a beautiful farewell to Berlin. The stories tell about people Isherwood met in Berlin in 1930s before Nazis came to power.

I don’t think anybody ever read my review of the book because I posted it in the very beginning of my blogging when nobody was reading my blog yet.

Daphne du Maurier’s short stories

I am starting to suspect that no works by du Maurier can disappoint. I’ve read only her short stories so far, but I can recommend all of them. Here are the posts where I talk about the short stories: Short Stories By Daphne Du Maurier and Reading Books In December. And here’s the post about Birds.

2. Modern fiction

Virgil Wander by Leif Enger

I really liked this book. I would prefer a more solid ending, but even with the ending as it is, it’s still a perfect book with well-developed characters and an interesting plot.

The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles

It’s a wonderfully written story about two women, and their lives and love to music. The story starts in Brazil in 1930s when both of them are still kids. In my personal rating this book is definitely among the best I read in 2018.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

If you are looking for something really kind and heart-warming, you will definitely like this book.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

I wouldn’t call this book my personal favourite, but I do realise many other people will like it more. The book does entertain. It’s a gripping fast-paced story about an elderly movie star who decides to reveal all her secrets to a writer.

Melmoth by Sarah Perry

Melmoth is quite the opposite of the book mentioned above. It’s not an easy read aimed to entertain. It’s perfectly written and it has several interesting stories, but the main treasure of the book is its message which is thought-provoking and deep. I am in love with the book, but I know that some people found it disappointing because they expected it to be a gothic ghost story. Even though there’s such an element in the book, it’s merely a tool for delivering an idea. If you are looking for a book that will make you think, Melmoth is a good choice.

The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis

This book hasn’t been published yet but it’s the best book I read in 2018. You might like it less than I did, but I think you will still like something about it. It’s perfectly written, and perfectly made, with an intriguing start and a beautiful ending. It’s about a complicated history of one family from the American South. It will be published in July 2019. I definitely recommend pre-ordering it, or marking the date in your calendar so that you can read a sample when it’s out and make your choice. I can read my full review of the book.

3. Thrillers

I think 2019 will become the year when I’ll finally accept that thrillers are just not my genre. I love being thrilled, spooked and scared by a book, but unfortunately most of the thrillers I encounter are either horribly written or have silly plots (or both). Still, I was lucky enough to have found these two thrillers that I can recommend.

You Were Made For This by Michelle Sacks

This is a psychological thriller about relationships that look perfect on the outside, but in reality have some other, often sinister dynamics, and about disasters that such relationships can cause.

Force of Nature by Jane Harper

This is a crime thriller about a group of women who venture out into Australian wilderness as a team building exercise. And then, of course, something goes wrong…

4. A strange book

The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien

If you are looking for something surreal and crazy, this might be the right book. I was initially very confused by the book. But as time goes by, I’m starting to understand how deep and genius it actually is. In fact, chances are I will be re-reading it to discover more of its philosophy and craziness.

4. A book with good humour

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

I love the humour of this book. It’s funny but not dumb. Besides, the story is also kind and quite interesting. The Rosie Project is about one very special scientist on a quest to find a wife for himself.

5. A young adult novel

Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

I hardly ever read young adult novels but I really liked this one because of its deeper message. It’s a story about young people living in a strange town where people, animals and things keep mysteriously appearing and disappearing. It’s a story about friendship and love, but most importantly it’s about people who are learning to see the true nature of others and themselves.

6. Controversial

There’s actually nothing controversial about these novels. They are perfectly written and I find them very interesting but they focus on some taboo or traumatic topics and so I think some people might find them disturbing.

Patrick Melrose novels

There are 5 novels about Patrick Melrose. Patrick is a very troubled man. The novels are perfectly written (at least the first four, I haven’t started the fifth one yet), but they are hard to read because of the topics they focus on such as child abuse or drug addiction. Here are my reviews of the first two novels: Never Mind (Patrick Melrose novel #1) by Edward St. Aubyn and Bad News, Patrick Melrose novel #2 by Edward St Aubyn.

Everything Under by Daisy Johnson

The story is based on a myth. It’s a magical realism story about a river, a mother and a daughter. It’s so beautifully written, it brings a whole new world to life.

7. Memoirs

Miss Ex-Yugoslavia by Sofija Stefanovic

Guess what? That’s the book that finally got me into blogging! I loved the book so much that I just couldn’t keep quiet anymore. I wrote to the author to express my gratitude but I still felt like I had more to express. So I wrote a post about it, and this post became the first one on my blog.

When Sofija Stefanovic was a kid, her family immigrated from Belgrade to Australia. In her memoir she speaks about her experience of changing countries, cultures and languages. It’s exciting to see the world she then discovered from the perspective of a young child who was never before exposed to such education, entertainment or customs. You become aware of many things that are taken for granted nowadays, and you also become aware of the fact that there are often several truths all of which are equally real.

I understand that I liked the book so much because I’m from a similar background but I’m sure that this book will be interesting for many other people too.

Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

Even though Born a Crime describes so many horrible things that happened to the families in South Africa during the times of apartheid and later, I still think about this book as kind and often funny. It takes a great comedian to write a heart-warming book about something that is often heart-wrenching.

8. Non-fiction

What if? by Randall Munroe

This book is very funny. It’s scientific but it’s written in a language that everybody can understand. It answers many strange and silly questions in a clever and interesting way.

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre

It’s another book I often suggest to read, especially when some homeopathy or “detoxing” treatments arise in a conversation. It focuses on some popular wrong beliefs about medicine, pills and beauty products. It provides and explains researches for each statement. It also explains the mechanisms behind popularising these products. Although the book is based on science, it’s written in a fun and entertaining way, so it’s really interesting to read. Reading this book can save your money and health.

This will be it for now. Hopefully I’ll make another post like this in a few months. Meanwhile I’m very interested in what you would recommend, especially when it comes to Strange and Humour categories.

The books I’ve finished

1. The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis

I enjoyed absolutely everything about the book: its story, characters, writing. The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt is a story about a family in a little town in the South of the US. The action takes place both in modern times and in the year 1929. The writing is amazing! I’ve collected several pages of quotes! The characters are very realistic, multilayered and alive. If you like literary and historical fiction, and family stories, you will definitely like this book.

The book will be published only in July 2019. I feel bad for making you excited about the book that you can’t get right now. I will, of course, remind you about the book closer to the publication date, when I post my full review of it. If you are not sure you’ll be reading blogs then, maybe it’s a good idea to pre-order the book now.

2. No Motive by Daphne du Maurier

No Motive is a short story from The Rendezvous and Other Stories collection. I picked it up when I was looking for something really good after a book that had disappointed me. I expected No Motive to be a decent well-written story, but du Maurier, again, did much better than that. I really don’t know how she managed to pick up a shocking idea, to knit it, thread by thread, into a perfect story, and to create not only a gripping plot but a logical and clear ending.

Here’s how the story begins:

Mary Farren went into the gun room one morning about half-past eleven, took her husband’s revolver and loaded it, then she shot herself.

Marry Farren was happy. She was expecting a baby, loved her husband, and no people who talked to her that day suspected that anything that horrible could happen. Why did it happen? Read the story to find out

3. The Familiars by Stacey Halls

I expected to be annoyed by the situations in the story, and indeed I was. That doesn’t mean, though, that the book is bad. On the contrary, it means, the book is very good.

It’s a story about Fleetwood, a 17-year-old wife of a noble person living in the year 1692. She’s going through her new pregnancy, she miscarried all the times before. Fleetwood has reasons to worry that either she or her baby, or both of them, won’t survive the childbirth. She’s desperate to give an heir to her husband. She meets Alice, a girl who knows a lot about herbs that can help, and so now there’s a hope that Fleetwood and her baby will live. Unfortunately, a friend of the family found a way to climb up a political ladder by inventing an enemy for the kingdom (as you can see these tactics are as old as the history itself). This time the enemies are witches, i.e. any clever, peculiar or just uncomfortable women. That’s when the story starts to unfold.

I found the story very gripping. I couldn’t put it down and hated when anything was distracting me from the book. If you are looking for an interesting, historical story about women doing their best to survive in a society that treats them like cattle (it’s my personal interpretation), you will like this book.

The Familiars will be published soon, there are only two months to go. You can pre-order the book now. I will remind you about the book when I post my full review of it (so subscribe to the blog, if you are not subscribed yet).

The books I’m currently reading

1. The first novel about Patrick Melrose, called Never Mind

When I first started reading the novel I was really impressed by its humour and writing. Soon I realised it wasn’t that funny at all. In a witty and cynical way the book describes the lives of several aristocratic and very dysfunctional couples, while Patrick Melrose is still a kid. There are all kinds of abuse and violence going on between family members and friends. It’s not there to merely attract attention to the book. The events that are described, are indispensable for the plot and the characters. Never Mind a very well-written book for those who can stand reading about violence for the sake of a story.

2. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

I was attracted by the description of the book. It’s a story about a blue-skinned woman (and such people really existed!) who’s traveling to distant places with her library, trying to spread the power of books while facing and fighting prejudices. It’s still too early to say something certain about the book, but I’m starting to suspect that I will dislike some aspects of it. I will know for sure by the end of the month so I will tell you if my suspicions were correct.

This is also “a book from the future”. It will be released in May 2019 but you can pre-order it now. The full review will also be published in spring.

3. Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties by Camille Pagán

Theoretically, this book isn’t my type. It’s a chick lit genre, a genre that focuses on a woman manoeuvring through everyday life situations that include troubles with men, children or girlfriends. Woman Last Seen in Her Thirties is about Maggie, an average woman who’s facing quite usual struggles of a not so young anymore person. Her husband left her as a result of his own midlife crisis. Her children are grown-ups and have their own lives and interests. She’s fifty-three, but the last time she felt happy or noticed was when she was in her thirties.

I would have never picked this book up, had it been not for the style of writing. From the first pages I’ve been able to hear a true voice of a real person, and it’s interesting to simply listen to her. There’s a lot of self-irony, and even humour at times. Basically, I’m reading this book because I like Maggie’s personality. I’m not sure what I will eventually say about the book but so far it’s been a good companion.

The book I decided not to finish

It’s Daughters of the Lake by Wendy Webb. The book is shelved under mystery, gothic and thriller genres but these are not the book’s primary genres. In its core it’s chick lit and romance. There is a woman, betrayed by her husband, a tall handsome stranger with a deep voice, a newborn baby, and some love stories.

Was this book better written, I would have still carried on with it. Unfortunately, it’s not. For example, it has a bad case of “somehow” infestation. Here are a few examples:

…a voice she had never heard but somehow knew…

…she knew somehow that she would always be safe with it.

Somehow, he always knew.

…these small stones somehow carried the spirit of the lake…

… the harsh winter that surrounded the town but somehow didn’t penetrate it.

… her ghostly shape, somehow translucent and solid at the same time.

It feels dangerous, somehow.

It smelled of the past somehow.

I had both audio and digital version of the book. The audiobook is even worse than the actual book. The narrator smiles through the book, even when something boring or dreadful is happening.

Wendy Webb published many novels, which makes me think people need her books, so I’m just not the right reader for her stories.

That’s how my December is going. I’m off to compose a list of noteworthy books that I’ve read this year, so come back soon!

PS: Do you like the forest photo at the top? It’s mine . I took it years ago. The one at the top of the post about books I read in November is also mine.

1. Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller

Bitter Orange is supposed to be really good. I heard only praise for it. Strangely enough, every time I try to read it I can’t follow the narration. I probably overdosed on sophisticated stories, and now I need to read something light first. In order not to spoil this book for myself I haven’t read any descriptions. I can only share its photos with you.

(An update: you can now read my review of Bitter Orange.)

2. Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Spinning Silver is a big step for me. It’s meant to be my return to reading fantasy! The writing is so nice and intriguing, I’m finding it hard to stick to my original plan, which is to read this book somewhere where there’s snow and a fireplace.

The story is about a young woman who helps her family out of debt. That attracts the attention of various people and causes her some problems. I refrained from reading more of the blurb in order to escape spoilers. If you want to learn more, you’ll have to either google or wait till I read it.

3. Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Bone Gap wasn’t in my original order of the books with beautiful covers. I was attracted to the cover first, obviously. When I saw “magical realism” in the description, I knew I had to get this book.

Here’s a summary of the description:

Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps—gaps to trip you up, gaps to slide through so you can disappear forever. So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. Finn knows Roza was kidnapped, ripped from the cornfields by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember.

Intrigued yet? I am!

(An update: I read the book. Here’s my review of Bone Gap.)

I’ll be telling you more about all these books soon. I first need to finish the awesome short stories by Daphne du Maurier.

Here’s a spoiler about my review – I will be raving about the book!

(An update: here are my reviews of The Birds, and the short stories.)

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Some books are like mystical creatures. I don’t know the exact numbers but they are rare. Maybe they are even a disappearing kind, although I hope not.

These books make you slow down and think, but not in a boring, obligatory way. You can fly through the book if you want to, but you will be robbing yourself. Alternatively, you can slow down, pay attention to each phrase, savour it and see it unwrap all the treasures it’s been saving for you.

That’s how good Virgil Wander is.

I like how even the name of the book implies some mythology and unusual characters although the book doesn’t sound pompous or overloading. It is deep, but in a very accessible, reader-friendly way.

Virgil Wander is about many different characters inhabiting a small town. Most of them are loveable, not only because they are special but also because of the things they do and say. There’s an old guy who flies kites. There’s a younger man who plunged his car into cold waters. There’s a sheriff whose cat walks with him everywhere like a dog. There’s also a creepy guy who’s charming and polite, but who scared the life out of me every time he appeared in a scene. I do not know how Leif Enger, the author, managed to achieve this effect. Virgil Wander is one of those books I cannot dismantle to see how it’s done, I can only enjoy it.

The book is really funny but not in a circus way. Its humor is genuine, clever and heartwarming.

I loved the book so much I started tweeting about it straight away. I underlined so many phrases, and now I can return and admire them again. Just look at some of them:

“He had the heartening bulk of the aging athlete defeated by pastry”

“my memories of her are more tender than specific”

“He had a close, curious way of observing people. You could mistake it for admiration.”

“Nothing seemed like the right thing to say, so that’s what I said for a while.”

Aren’t these pure treasures? There’s a whole book of them!

Some moments left me wondering, but not in an annoying open-ending kind of way. The book comes as a package: the book itself and all the thoughts that you will be having after you finish it. I can’t wait till 2nd October when Virgil Wander will be out so that you can read it and we can talk about it. I strongly recommend you do read it.

I’m very thankful to Leif Enger for this wonderful book, and to the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.