whatpageblog in june ’22 [no. 3]
Read the full blast here.
--
I read voraciously this month, my choices swayed by Bookstagram’s recent favourites — in particular, Convenience Store Woman, Cloud Cuckoo Land, and Klara and the Sun. I was especially enthused by short books, and in that spirit, my current read is a collection of short horror stories written at the turn of the 20th Century by famous female writers. It’s called Weird Women and it’s slow progress, because I get caught up researching the writers instead of reading the actual stories. It’s also a great one-stop shop for finding authors I might like — for instance, Frances Hodgson Burnett’s In The Closed Room has me thinking I should re-read The Secret Garden.
What I’ve been reading
Fiction
Cloud Cuckoo Land | Anthony Doerr
Not a short book, but I found myself intentionally slowing down to savour every bite of this beautifully crafted book. This is easily one of the most outstanding books I’ve read this year and is a beautiful tribute to books — their transcendent power and their long relationship with humanity.
Klara and the Sun | Kazuo Ishiguro
I had high expectations for this one that weren’t quite fulfilled. Perhaps because the narrator is a Robot AF (Artificial Friend), I didn’t really empathise with the characters. However, the writing style is straight-forward and the world-building is fascinating.
Come Rain or Come Shine | Kazuo Ishiguro
After reading Klara and the Sun, I wanted to check if I vibed with Ishiguro’s writing style and whether to read more of his books, especially Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go. This short story proved that his books were indeed worth pursuing. His narration is honest and entertaining, and the sense of a greater world within the pages is cultivated.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue | VE Schwab
This one comes highly recommended but it was not for me. I found myself skimming through.
Galatea | Madeline Miller
Miller is an exceptional writer as those who have read Circe and The Song of Achilles will know. Her protagonists have powerful voices and exude quiet confidence. Galatea is no different. Based on Pygmalion’s story in Ovid’s Metamorphoses, our underdog protagonist is a beautiful and caged woman — a statue who has come to life. Read my mini review here.
Ms Ice Sandwich | Mieko Kawakami
Most famous for her book Breasts and Eggs, Kawakami is an author I’ve had my eye on for quite a while. Ms Ice Sandwich is a great introduction to her body of work — short, immersive, and powerful, this novella is reminiscent of The Catcher In The Rye and Botchan.
Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata
My second venture into Japanese literature this month, I certainly understand why literary circles are quite taken with this short book. It is unpretentious and refreshing in its character building and social commentary.
The Lost Daughter | Elena Ferrante
My ‘gloomy holiday read’ of the month alongside Hotel Du Lac, both appropriate for the cold month of June. The atmosphere of the book was toxic and suffocating, and speaks to the literary talent of Ferrante.
The Second-Worst Restaurant in France | Alexander McCall Smith
Paul, a food writer, meets some eccentric people in an eccentric town. The narration is clear and funny, and Paul has the wit and reluctant politeness of many favourite English characters.
Ayesha at Last | Uzma Jalaluddin
A light hearted romance that was sadly unremarkable.
Classic Fiction
Hotel Du Lac | Anita Brookner
Brookner’s writing style is incredibly atmospheric and descriptive. Even though this book is quite short, I was entirely drawn into the world. The descriptions of the characters, especially the Puseys, were insightful and hilarious. Read my review here.
Non-Fiction
Three Women | Lisa Taddeo
Supposedly a book about ‘women’s desire’, I found this book — which follows the lives of three women and the men who have shaped them — to be full of sweeping generalisations. The book itself is a feat — 8 years of research and interviews went into its creation, but I don’t think the book achieved what the author intended.
Meditations | Marcus Aurelius
This is one of those books that are always talked about and quoted, so I felt that I owed it a read.
Subscribe to @whatpageblog’s book blast for more or follow me on Instagram.
Whatpage Reviews
MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO SOMEONE | LORI GOTTLIEB [Review]
Lori is a therapist who’s seen it all — denial, narcissism, self-destructive behaviour… There’s a lot her clients have to work through, but Lori is an expert, cultivating hope in hopeless situations, and getting the most shallow of her clients to look deep within themselves… [read more]
HOTEL DU LAC | ANITA BROOKNER [Review]
This Booker winner was received with great hostility. Many believed that JG Ballard’s Empire of the Sun should have won the Booker in 1984, and the backlash Brookner received prompted her to concede that her books were ‘quite nice but unimportant’… [read more]
Whatpage Features
Articles I’ve been reading this month
I’ve been on the hunt for some good book recommendations this month, so here are some lists I’ve been perusing.
For the summer, The Atlantic’s writers and editors have picked sets of books to match your mood. Do you want to be transported to another place, or are you looking to feel a sense of wonder about the universe?
I for one will be checking out the titles in the ‘If You Want to Feel Wonder About the Universe’ section.
As I enjoyed several short books this month, notably Galatea | Madeline Miller, Convenience Store Woman | Sayaka Murata, and Come Rain Or Come Shine | Kazuo Ishiguro, this little list of short books caught my eye. This article was published on Books Are Our Superpower on Medium, which houses quite a few interesting articles for book lovers.
