She Eats Books

Washington Black

A thought-provoking book that I struggled to put down.

Many of us are guilty of assuming all books are written in our native tongue, especially if that tongue is English. I know most of the books I read were written in English. It is always a joy therefore to discover books translated from another language. It also makes me wonder if people are more or less likely to read a book if they know it has been translated from another language. I don’t think I am swayed either way. I have noticed differences in style and humour within books in countries other than the UK and USA and I really enjoy these differences. An example of this is that books for children tend to be more open about subjects Brits skirt around, such as death. Below are 3 books I have recently read that were not originally published in English, not that you would notice it from the perfect translations.

**The Reader on the 6.27** by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent, originally written in French

**White Fox** by Chen Jiatong, originally written in Chinese (children’s fiction)

**Little Wise Wolf** by Gijs van der Hammen, originally written in Dutch (picture book)

Believe the Hype

A surprise parcel from a friend arrived containing this book. Although I hadn’t read it previously I was aware that it had been named Book of the Year by Waterstones and I was excited to read it. I was not disappointed and have followed her advice of keeping it by my bed to dip into when needed.

**The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse** by Charlie Mackesy

Surprise

An unexpected gift from a friend – a copy of a book we both adored reading a little while ago. I know we’ve both been steering library customers toward it ever since!

**Miss Pettigrew Lives For A Day** by Winifred Watson

Groundbreaking Sci-Fi

H. G. Wells is seen as the grandaddy of Science Fiction and I can see why after reading The Time Machine and The Invisible Man. I have a big old omnibus, bought years ago in a charity shop, and I’m finally getting round to reading some of the stories. I enjoyed both but preferred The Invisible Man.

Cover Art

I am a sucker for book covers and I definitely judge books based on them. In both these cases I read the books for the book group I belong to, so the cover art did not influence my decision to read them, but my goodness, it could have been. They are beautiful. Then I read them and fell deeper in love.

**The Starless Sea** by Erin Morgenstern and **Once Upon a River** by Diane Setterfield

Catching Teller Crow

A thriller told through the eyes of a ghost, this is written by a brother-sister team who are Aboriginal. I found it hugely moving and look forward to reading more by them.

Late to the Party

When people talk about certain classic books do you find yourself staying quiet, hoping that no one will discover you haven’t read them? Yep, me too. A few weeks into lockdown I received a mystery parcel. On opening it I found 3 beautifully presented books, purchased for me by my best friend as a treat. Also included was a little pack of bookmarks.

**The Secret Garden** by Frances Hodgson Burnett, **Little Women** and **Good Wives** by Louisa May Alcott, **Anne of Green Gables** and **Anne of Avonlea** by L. M. Montgomery

So far I have read the first two shown above and they have been an utter delight. I can’t believe I have missed out on them for so long.

The company the books came from is Bookishly, who take classic books and design beautiful dust covers for them. I have just been browsing their shop and it is full of lovely things including prints, stationery and tote bags.

Hard Times

Things are really strange at the moment. At times like this it is nice to read a book that you know is going to lift your mood. I am one of those people who rereads a book they love and these two have been reread many times. They are among my five favourite books. Hopefully you enjoy them too.

**This Book Will Save Your Life** by AM Homes and **A Town Like Alice** by Nevil Shute

A Town Like Alice has been filmed twice. The 1956 film is good but ends about halfway through the book. I recommend the 1981 tv mini-series, although sadly it has never been released on DVD only VHS.

Captain Rosalie

This is a beautiful story which is currently on the longlist for the Kate Greenaway Medal, a prize awarded annually for illustration of a children’s book.