It’s raining and warm, yes warm, in Chicago this first week of November. Does this mean that the coming winter will be as warm as last year? I never wore my sub-zero coat.
Regardless of the weather, books keep us venturing into other worlds. The following books took me to London, Arizona, New Zealand, Denmark, Montana, St. Louis, Maine, South Carolina, Ireland, Italy, and Canada. Authors create their memorable settings that make us forget the local rain, snow, trials, and tribulations. Enjoy the journeys, ladies.
The Last Samurai by Helen DeWitt (Hyperion, 2000)
Aghhhh, this is a book to love and to question. I enjoyed DeWitt’s novella, The English Understand Wool and wanted to read more by her. The Last Samurai is her first book, originally published in 2000 and reissued in 2016 – both times to critical acclaim.
It’s the story about the education of a linguistic child prodigy by a single, poor, equally intelligent mother. At 530 pages, it requires stamina of the reader. There’s a plot line – single mother conceives a child from a one-night-stand, raises child on a pauper’s income, child finally finds father, the end.
Around this, we are treated to the amazing education of the boy by his mother. Pages of lessons are included in Greek, Latin, French, and other languages. Pages of mathematical sequences are detailed, same with physics and astronomy. As a reader, I felt stupid, and that DeWitt was showing off her intellect, not enriching mine. However, I do recommend this book. Just skim over the lesson plans and realize you are not alone doing this.
A Walk in the Park by Kevin Fedarko (Scribner, 2024)
Why is it so enjoyable to learn about people who bite off more than they can chew and end up in the soup? Such is the tale of Kevin Fedarko, who with his friend, set off to walk the length of the Grand Canyon. They try it once with flip flops, little water, no sunscreen, and the wrong food. That fails after two days.
Years later they try again. This time they are prepared – or so they think. Nothing can really prepare them for the Grand Canyon environment. Even with guidance from famous hikers who completed the journey, every trip is different.
I particularly enjoyed this because almost 40 years ago, I hiked down and up the Canyon. But even if your greatest hike was to the grocery store, you will likely enjoy this humorous, well written and engaging tale.
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman (Viking, 2023)
Fourth in The Thursday Murder Club series, it’s fun – just like it’s three companions. Written for and about seniors, Osman gives us wry wit, fun plots, delightful characters, and a thirst for more of his books. If you need a break from heavy reading (like The Last Samurai) give Mr. Osman a try. It pays to read the series in sequence, but it’s not required.
The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey (Europa, 2024)
Interesting, dark little book about a talking Magpie on a New Zealand sheep farm. The writing is so clever that it does not take much suspension of disbelief to assume that a bird can be the protagonist. Tama, the magpie, is found and raised by Marnie, battered wife of The Axeman (so called because he wins the axe throwing contest each year).
On New Zealand sheep farms, magpies are considered pests, and they are trapped and killed. Tama leads a charmed life, becomes a social media star. This enables Marnie to start a business selling Tama gear with newfound confidence. Of course, all does not end well, but this is a short book and worth reading.
Gertrude and Claudius by John Updike (Ballentine, 2000)
Gleaned from our Laundry Room book swap shelf, Updike takes Shakespeare’s Hamlet and gives us a prequel. This is the story of Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, and Claudius, Hamlet’s stepfather. It’s an interesting fable and written so well that I can still picture the writer’s vision of young Gertrude, her first husband (King Hamlet, Claudius’s brother), and their arranged marriage, that is not by any means loveless.
If you are a fan of Hamlet, this will broaden your enjoyment of Prince Hamlet as a bitter young man. You learn the backstory of the unexpected death of his father and the ascendence of King Claudius.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (First Grove Atlantic, 2021)
A sad story beautifully told. In 70 pages you get a slice into the underbelly of Ireland. Not The Troubles, but the role of the Catholic Church exploiting young women who conceive out of wedlock and are forced to work in industrial laundries run by nuns. The children are adopted out by these nuns. Recommended. A movie of this book is out.
Ordinary Love & Good Will – Two Novellas by Jane Smiley (Ivy Books, 1989)
Picked this book up on a cruise (take a book; leave a book). What a joy! Almost Jane Smiley at her best because some of her full novels get a bit wordy. These read like butter. Highly recommended.
St. Louis Noir, edited by Scott Phillips (Akashic Books, 2016)
Akashic Books publishes the Noir Collection, 123 books and more coming. It’s a successful formula – hire a good writer/editor to build a collection of stories around a location, usually a city. The editor recruits writers to produce a new story set in the collection location. Voila, you have a book to publish.
St. Louis Noir did not have a big payoff. I enjoy reading stories set in locations with which I am familiar, but these stories are not great. But, why not read stories set in your hometown, or current town, or city you will be visiting. It’s fun.
The Throne: The Machiavelli Trilogy, Book 1 by Franco Bernini (Europa, 2024)
You remember Machiavelli, author of The Prince. We know a lot more about the Borgias than we do about Machiavelli. The Throne Trilogy seeks to right that.
I love good historical novels, but this one never captured my imagination. I sense the research is accurate, but some of the surrounding plot felt forced. It was interesting to learn that Machiavelli, a junior administrator and poet in Florence, was sent to spy on Borgia and write reports back to Florence. Spies are everywhere among the Italian city states, as Borgia wars against them. Death is everywhere – from wars, plague, influenza, crime, and politics.
Borgia takes Machiavelli under his wing and hires him to write the book that will become The Prince, extolling Borgia’s greatness and his philosophy that might makes right. As the story develops, we sense that philosophical Florence will fall to Borgia as he seeks to unify central Italy. Book 1 ends before that takeover.
What I did not enjoy was the love story. No spoilers here, but it read like a dark fairy tale. I’ll try Book 2 because I enjoyed learning about Machiavelli.
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout (Random House, 2024)
Elizabeth Strout takes us into the heart of Crosby, Maine, and its citizens. You know them if you read Strout’s books: Bob Burgess, Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge. Like us, they are older now. The plot is built around a murder. But the spice of this book is the stories the characters tell one another, about themselves, friends, and family.
Most are revealing, but not malicious. It’s the way we communicate, sharing a true story with a friend. When we are older and make new friends, we both lack the years of history that make up long-term relationships. We share stories to paint these past pictures. They fill in holes and reveal our character. Recommended – quick read.
Molly Fox’s Birthday by Deidre Madden (Picador, 2010)
A deftly written book set in Dublin where the nameless narrator, a playwright, housesits for her friend, Molly Fox, who is in London appearing in a play. They have been great friends since university. In a single day, Molly’s birthday, the narrator reminisces and projects about their relationship. I scooted right through this short book, captured by the theme that we don’t and can’t know everything about our closest friends. Recommended.
A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes (Ballentine, 2024)
You know Frances Mayes, the author of A Year in Provence, and all the books that followed her love affair with France. Her new book, set in South Carolina, New York, Washington D.C., and London, deals with how great marriages are built. Her young protagonists are oh so beautiful and in love. But the wedding is called off at the last minute when Dara finds out about Clark’s unforgivable sin.
We, the readers, know about the sin, but for most of the book, the family members and friends who surround this couple are in the dark. This required tremendous suspension of disbelief on my part. If you can live with this, then A Great Marriage is an ok quick read. I particularly like the setting in Pawleys Island, SC, as I vacationed there several times.
Runaway by Alica Munro (Borzoi, 2004)
Tired of reading “current best sellers” that leave you feeling “where’s the meat?” Pick up any Alice Munro book of stories and get that satisfied feeling. Unlike many short story writers, Munro creates satisfaction within her tales. If there is more to learn about a character, she will continue into another story that can stand on its own but picks up the theme of the first story. There’s not a lot of violence, she’s Canadian, after all. But the stories are so compelling that I read this book in two sittings. (I had an unscheduled Saturday morning, so luxuriated in bed with coffee and a great book.)
Let’s Have a Conversation:
So, there you have my list of fall reads. What could you squeeze in the last couple of months? Do you enjoy stories that take you places? Have you read a story set in your hometown or a town you have visited?
