THIS LAST WEEK IN SEPTEMBER: - The Corner Shop of Whispers. Sir Elton John. Dirt Music.

10.30 on Monday, have woken fresh but I really am ready for day light saving.

This dreary weather keeps me inside.  

I checked my One Page Story on ipad, (titled Fetch the Bread) and sent it to my family.  One sibling answered promptly on fbook messenger and said it was her and one other who went for the bread, nibbled the crust, and got into trouble with Mumma.  I was wrong.  It was not Doreen, it was Lorraine.  With me.

I won’t redo the drawing, it is one of my One Page efforts using a few Scribbly sketches and minimum words, created from my boredom, but using a childhood memory for inspiration.  My memory proved wrong.

So now I connect the Bluetooth keyboard to my ipad, and dwell on recent readings.

I haven’t been in a settled reading mood, so two unfinished books were returned to the online library.

Currently, I am reading a blousey housewifey story. The Corner Shop of Whispers.  I just need a distraction, and the lightest entertainment.   I have previously read one of Debbie Viggianos’s  books, (The Man You Meet in Heaven) which was quite funny as there is a man in a white suit at a supermarket and the narrator does drool over this unlikely encounter.  A white suit not a white baker’s coat.   So when I noticed Libby had a second  DV book  I clicked, quickly, expecting no more than a similar light hearted romance.

I settled in my chair with this quite silly house wife fantasy. There is an artist narrating stories of her social circle and neighbours, and lots of potential for gossip, affairs and surprises.  There is an unplanned pregnancy, and a strange unsigned letter revealing a hubbys infidelities etc. 

 I shall read on with this happy light story.

What I did not finish, was Sir Elton John by Philip Norman. 

He clearly knew his subject.  It started with the sixties in England with young rock stars and their agents, concerts, money, bad habits, great family. The humble chubby chap could really play the piano and rose to superstardom with the support of his clever songwriter friend who supplied the lyrics which Sir John put to music.

Halfway, I had enough with so many names, songs, concerts etc although this would be really interesting to those more familiar with the music and music management world. A very comprehensive coverage of the rock world.

I also returned Dirt Music by acclaimed Australian author Tim Winton..  An author whose other books I have appreciated.  Not his fault.

So I confess.  I respect these serious authors, but this September my daily life requires light distraction.   

AUTHORS BY COUNTRY - Irish.

IRELAND

NIALL WILLIAMS. 

This Is Happiness. Boy and man.  History of the rain.  I loved these books.

GRAINNE MURPHY.  THE GHOSTLIGHTS.  

Moving Madonnas.  Ethel and her sins, drinking, Allen, Jesus save me. Martin God bless him.. If one sees twinkling lights they know, someone is missing.  To stop oneself from thinking bad thoughts about someone, “a rogue fairy may be about to enact the deed, so stop the thought”.

A.G. SLATTER.  All The Murmuring Bones.

AN IRISH HOSTAGE. Charles Todd.

MISS SUBWAYS. Author actor David Duchovny from USA.  

In the storyline the teacher Emer is given the name of an Irish mythological figure and her boyfriend is Con, based on Cuchlain.

THE SWALLOWED MAN.  Edward Carey.

Swallowed by a whale  a strange fantasy tale which I must read again.

AN IRISH DOCTOR IN LOVE AND AT SEA.  PATRICK  TAYLOR. 

GOOD EGGS.  REBECCA HARDINAN.   A wily, silly old lady follows her own dreams.

ARDAL O’HANLON ‘BROUHAHA’     A crime puzzle.

THE GHOSTLIGHTS.

 THE GHOSTLIGHTS

GRAINNE MURPHY

Ghostlights are likened to the twinkly lights as around a fairy e.g. Peter Pan. Tis said they could signify a missing one if they are seen at night, through a window.  The Irish are cultural mystics. Martin deceased, is mostly  referred to by his widow Ethel as ‘MartinGodBlessHim’ and she also constantly exclaims idioms such as ‘Jesus on the cross’.  

It is Easter in a very Catholic community. There is a Madonna statue which moves, (physically) apparently,  thus attracting tourists to the small village and the family guesthouse. The village has a lake and a popular walking track.   Our heroine Ethel with a barely secret drinking problem has two daughters, one grandson and a seemingly sensible male family.  Though presumed barely literate, the quietly spoken teenage grandson is something of a godsend.

The guesthouse needs rebranding after a guest is found dead in the lake by their guesthouse which is managed ably by one daughter. No more bnb it will go upmarket as a guesthouse and hopefully attract a more literary clientele.

Read of the resolutions of the sisterly rivalry, the drinking problem and what to do with the unidentified stranger in their lake. This endearing family drama matter of factly accepts the church’s social role in their small community rather than admitting belief in all its doctrines. Suicide has a stigma and the community has a non believer to bury.

That is their dilemma.

A charming story.

 THE HOUSE OF ASHES.

Stuart Neville.

No doubt that this piece described as ‘thriller, suspense, psychological fiction’ will provide some readers with all the drama they seek.  But once again I have chosen poorly.  I am disappointed to realise that the female characters are a group of women locked in a cellar, and are at the mercy of big boorish brothers. They are clearly used as the men want.  Cooks, servants, sexual objects. Tricked. Victims.  

I have watched too many thriller tv series and of late, and read too many horror mystery books. 

I will not wait to see if these women somehow overcome.  I won’t take visceral pleasure in their possible survival, or read descriptions of terrible abuse that surely awaits as one turns the page.

I am disappointed that, endlessly, women under male bondage are a favourite feature for crime writers.          

And the readers.  

Are they to be rescued?

I will read no more.  Return to library.

INDELIBLE CITY. Dispossession and Defiance in HONG KONG.

INDELIBLE CITY.   Dispossession and Defiance in HONG KONG.

LOUISA LIM.

Perusing Libby (SA library online service) I saw this title but just continued searching.  Later I noticed it again and clicked borrow,  I am glad I did. Reading Chinese history wasn’t really my thing but because of China’s recently implemented extradition laws regarding Hong Kong, I decided to educate myself.  Hong Kong was in rebellion.  

First, note my error, Chinese history is different from Hong Kong history.  According to Lim.  It is a bit more than a stopover city for people like me heading for other countries, I.e. England, Europe etc.  I knew of Hong Kong’s independence from Britain in 1997.  We have watched recent dramatic events in Hong Kong since 2018 when mainland China introduced extradition laws and police locked down protestors.  

Lim delves into Hong Kong’s history as a separate indigenous entity from China. This is quite enlightening and she has a character to support her thesis that HK was/is not automatically Chinese.  

Her character is The King of Kowloon who some call a nut case as he has for years wandered around the city daubing his large untidy calligraphy over government buildings, walls and other surfaces.  Tsang Tsou Choi is said to paint petitions for historical wrongs to be corrected.  i.e. who owns Kowloon.  These have become collectable artefacts for some who are making money from the daubs.

Lim reports events such as the umbrella movement, spontaneous protests, Hong Kong police tear gassing its citizens who had cleverly organised the making of banners etc.  Street protest took on a new look with Postnote walls and Lennon walls which call out for peace. I am impressed with these.

Kowloon is situated on the northern part of HK on the mainland across Victoria Harbor. Old records give dates of habitation 960 -  1279. Kowloon was once a separate walled city. In 1860 Hong Kong was acquired by Britain and in 1997 returned to China.  

Lim is interested in HKs  history prior to British colonisation. As was the King of Kowloon who claims heritage back before British colonisation. It is his land so he said.

Were they just fishermen on a barren rock.? There is a reference to folk art which depicts men with fish heads.  Who knows?

Certainly the protest movement in current years has become brutal and dangerous for protesters and citizens lifestyle has changed.

I wish them well.  I am pleased to have read the book.

This is my sketch for them today. HK.

I am not a writer, I am a reader.

Stop me if you have heard this before.

 Now that is an apology commonly given to friends, who can be relied on to kindly say nothing or just nod,  nah it‘s ok.  Yes, they have heard it before.

My small swim group enjoy après swim coffee at the outdoor pool kiosk. They check the froth on their coffee of choice as they dry off in the sun.  No longer is the choice of coffee Instant or percolated.  

We mostly talk about the latest books we have read. Surprisingly we found this a common ground for informal conversation. We sit together, l.5 m apart, half damp, half dry with messy hair. 

Once, with a Piccolo in hand, for some reason I airily said “I am not a writer, I am a reader”.  This actually was a quote.  I said so, this is a quote.

A moment of truth, i.e. silence, it was like I pressed mute.  Quiet moments are revealing, so then for self-respect, I blurted “I read it in a book”.  To add a context, I asked if anyone knew David Duchovny that actor from X files.  I added “He is also an author.”

Nope.  No reaction just polite coffee sipping.  I wanted to reveal my discovery that in Duchovny’s book, the names of the heroine Emer and her sweetheart Conn draw on Irish folk heroes.  New York has a large immigrant population including many Irish and school teacher Emer had mused that migrants bring their Gods with them. 

However, maybe this is too serious a subject for pool side chatter. I dug deep and excavated my ego again holding my piccolo for emotional support. The pastries arrived and I sipped and saved the moment.

Previously I had mentioned blogging, confessing to my mediocre attempt at a book blog.  Again, my moment of self-promotion was abandoned.   I have admitted to not knowing how to publicise this digital book blog much less know how to get comments.  I note that one must tell people that they can freely comment, even anonymously with a nickname. 

 I know I need to tidy the blogging format.   I actually started the darn thing simply to remember all the books I read in that Covid year, 2020, and think of it like a diary.  Restrictions linger and I read on.

 The convenience of a free online read through the state library was a joy to discover. I could select, read or return unfinished books without a conscience.  I intended to try a variety of genres.    The Library App provides, fortunately,  a detailed list of books borrowed.

But 500 beckons.  If I have sparked your interest let me share one of the many worthy literary quotes from the heroine in Miss Subways.  The author clearly knew his poets and writers and Emer muses,

…that billy shakespeare, he got everywhere first,

He seduced language first after Chaucer bought her a few drinks. 

(GLENDA BOWEN, PUBLISHED Weekend Australian Review 'This Reading Life' 2022.)

 

 GREECE by Peter Feinnes .  

A THING OF BEAUTY.

Feinnes is a travel writer.  Our guide on this trip through Greece takes us along with every local God, myth and their place in history.  The author carries with him a guide book on Greek mythology.

But this travelogue through a country of fascinating ancient history is finally a treatise on the environment and human carelessness.The gods may not survive us. 

However the good news is, as Feinnes observes, that in areas of Greece where goats no longer roam and have eaten anything they chose, trees are growing again.  As the Gods of nature intended, seeds are sprouting and growing where they have the opportunity. 

 Imagine Greece green again.  It may just be the God or Goddess of Hope that Feinnes was searching for.

MORROCO by Laurence Osborn. 

THE FORGIVEN.

Where do I start?

THE FORGIVEN by Laurence Osborn is definitely not a travelogue. 

It is peopled with Europeans, a mysterious Yank and a variety of Moroccan tribal folk,silent servants to the very rich.  A pair of rich colonial types are hosts for the most indulgent party indeed.  We find ourselves on the  almost inevitable journey through the heat and sparseness of desert country and ancient traditions.  All guests are seen as just temporary invaders.  

I got very engrossed in this dramatic book - enough to make me peruse a map.  In  my reading experience, I have not encountered such party offerings as all or any drugs, booze etc available. All this with the local boys and servants available to serve.  Anything goes.  

The stylish hosts are a striking contrast to the stoic humble citizens of the isolated Moroccan region.  The storyline has a party guest involved in an accident which brings us to consider honour, revenge, justice for the poor.  Made into a film, this book is equally gripping.

FILMS. OUT OF AFRICA. BABETTE’S FEAST.

ABOUT AN AUTHOR VIA A FILM.  

Sometimes cinema encourages us to read a book.

Danish author Karen Blixen aka Isak Dinesen.. 

Quote… will they know a song of me, will they remember the colour of a dress I had on …

OUT OF AFRICA.

I have never forgotten when actor Meryl Streep concluded the African film adventure with those words.

FILMS FROM HER BOOKS. Out of Africa and Babettes Feast.

I SAW THE FILMS FIRST.  

Cinema or tv provide the opportunity for a revisit. We recently watched on SBS world the wonderful story  of a French chef Babette who cooked a special French dinner in a quiet Danish country village. She cooked partly for herself, but mainly expressing gratitude to the Danish people in the modest community where she had found refuge in difficult times. She later won a lottery worth 10,000 French francs and used it all to pay for the ingredients for the magnificent French style feast she proudly cooked for them, and herself.  A quite delectable expressive film.  Memorable.

Influenced by the film, I ONCE cooked for my family small quails presented in a bread loaf, with heads popping out. My teenage daughters were horrified.  One vowed never to talk to me again, one promptly left the table.   

 WHY DID I WRITE A BOOK BLOG?

https://glendabowen.blogspot.com

Because of Covid 19.

In 2020 I began using online library service Libby to find books, read and return,  without leaving home.  I later discovered I could read a list of my borrowing as it was sometimes difficult to remember book titles. I can read on my phone, my iPad or computer.  How easy was it!

Next I wondered what Blogs entailed.   I found an opportunity of a free google blogspot and decided to try it out.  After all, unless I publish openly people won’t find me. So it was a personal exploration. Much like my art is. 

After practice I found that I could best assess the recent book with a few lines or paragraphs. I am not interested in doing a full book review, rather a brief outline of my reaction to the book. 

 

A BRIDGERTON BOOK.

IT IS IN HIS KISS .

Really? Julia Quinn.

Well, bother me! Julia has come up with a pop/rock song for a title for a recent book in her series of life in high society, 19th c style. I never thought I would take such an admittedly popular tv series for an audiobook. Netflix!  But that is entertainment folks so thought I should try it.  

I have friends who happily declare they have read all of the books.  Aha but I caught them out as they don’t know this one when I told them the title, yesterday. 

The Bridgerton family series is set in the Regency era and events centre around courtship and marriage.  Within the expectations of the landed gentry. A quintessential era romance. Boy and girl compete. A bit like the haughty Mr. Darcy.

I am enjoying it and I finished it.  What a kiss, what a couple, what fun.  The epilogue is very sexy.

 THE BOOKS I WAITED FOR. 

They arrived within a day of each other, after 8 weeks.

THE POWER OF THE DOG

Thomas Savage

I began listening to a soft drawling voice of an American cowboy, early 1900s.  Two brothers. I had heard about the film.  Returned book.  Too much on.

THE DARKEST EVENING.  

Ann Cleeves and Vera.  Now that is a great combination.  I followed them from tv series.

A familiar character, Vera, guarantees easy listening.  The writing by Ann Cleeves guarantees an interesting puzzle to solve, albiet with the expected satisfactory resolution.  I had read the sample and thought it rare to find Vera in the first chapter lost in the snow, at night.

Vera ends up near an old familial home. A murder mystery is connected to this big house in a small village, once owned by a lecherous old relative carrying the Stanhope name.

Again she orders her trusty team out of their late night comfort zones,  to investigate.

Even if they were dog tired  she barked at them to snap to it.  

Her complacent but thoughtful female colleague Detective Holly seemed to do a lot  of the leg work, knocking on doors and quizzing locals.   I wondered if her boss an ageing detective didn’t have the energy to do all the investigations which made me think that maybe the author is considering pensioning Vera off.    There is a risk she could die on duty which would serve her right.  At her age mucking about in forests chasing after a double killer!!

Her Dad’s story was included and we got a lot of meandering memories of which filled up time.  However author Cleeves always provides an exciting  climax to her books which however familiar is always indicative of a seasoned skilled crime writer.  

.  

 SUNBATHING.

Isobel Beech.

Locations are Melbourne, Australia and Pescara (Italy)

Our narrator travels to Pescara where she visits friends and ruminates on the death of her father.  

Life in an Italian village with rustic simplicity proves refreshing.  Her friends live a basic lifestyle, she a printmaker, he a writer on his first novel.  Funny how writers need to escape their own background to clear the emotions that consume them.  Or another culture. 

A song for the dark times.

 A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.

IAN RANKIN.

in the meantime

We often have to wait for reserved Libby books, so nothing like a filler, what with Rebus as a retiring (?) Detective moving house.  Let us read what goes on in his new apartment and lifestyle.  

That will be our discovery.  

AN  IRISH HOSTAGE

Charles Todd

Charles introduces (or re-presents) the British nursing sister Bess Crawford as part of a series.

He writes well and tells a good tale  The setting is post ww11 when an English nurse is a passenger in a small plane to Ireland.

She is a cool heroine facing hostility. She came for the wedding of her Irish friend Eileen but the groom Michael goes missing. The story is set after the Rising, where the main push is for Home Rule.  An emotional and difficult adventure awaits Bess.

 A BOOKSHOP IN ALGIERS

KAOUTHER ADIMI

This charming book set in French Algieria would, for me, have been better as a reading book.  

 My reason is that as an audiobook reader it was difficult to catch all the names due to French pronunciation, which is not my forte.

From 1936 we followed  a small history of French Algerian authors whose manuscripts were printed as books through the bookshop of Edmond Charlot.  I don’t know many except for Albert Camus. Ryad, a young man who has to clear the bookshop shelves, becomes the narrator.

The discovery of the the simple notebooks of Edmond Charlot by Ryad reveals the former bookshop owner disliked writing himself which may explain the taciturn comments in his notebooks which we follow in sequence.  But he was dedicated to publishing  and promoting French Algerian writers.

Exampl: in the wwii times I read the heading Germany with interest but in his utilitarian style Charlot  revealed little of life in Algeria in wartime simply recorded his problems with money and paper , all sorely  needed for printing..  That was his life dream, printing books.

Ryad had to clear shelves and books.  From a bookshop dedicated to literature, he tried to give precious books away. However we read, sadly that …people don’t inhabit places, places are in people…

THE CYCLIST

Tim Sullivan

George Cross.  Is the main detective, in Bristol.  

George Cross is the star detective in this story. He is encouraged by female colleague to listen closely to what others attempt to explain to him. He will try but his personality is tied up with detail, obsession with facts and this is why and how he gets the baddies.  Read how he gets his man and a lesson in diplomacy particularly relating to female detectives.

 STORIES I MIGHT REGRET TELLING YOU

MARTHA WAINWRIGHT.

Martha is a singer songwriter with a famous older brother, Rufus, and related to respected Canadian folksinger duo, her mother and auntie.

This is a family story of a musician.  She has Canadian connections to folk singers, Leonard Cohen included. Her father is Loudon Wainwright 111.  Her Mother is Kate mcCarrigle.

Life on the road of life as Martha seeks her own musical persona.  She is frank about her development.

I have listened to her songs and like her personal style.

 THE SORROW STONE

Kari Gislason

An interesting modern retelling of an Icelandic saga set in medieval Norway and Iceland.  C. 1,000.

A woman tells of her family’s flight from Norway. 

20 days of rowing to Iceland where she rebuilt her life, married and started afresh with a son Sindri.  These were farming communities with strong relationships whereby brothers were enabled by custom to kill. Legitimate honour killings really which were to be reported to authorities and if this was not done the death was considered murder. 

POWER AND THRONES

DAN JONES  

A new history of the Middle Ages.  What do we expect from this history!

We like to know who did what, where and when.

These years are described as dark ages but Jones refutes this notion and delivers a profile of power, plagues and intellectual progress.  A good read.

 TRANSIENT DESIRES.

DONNA LEON.

A popular author who develops interesting Italian characters, with a storyline set in Venice.  Everyone travels by boat; villains, cops, family.  The action takes place on boats, docks or moorings.   

Two American girls were delivered to a hospital.  Someone rang the emergency bell.

Brunetti is the regular hero in Leon’s entertaining series.  He and colleagues have to solve the why and how.