Recent Reading

All the time, I’m thinking about the war. I’m looking at news sites to see if there’s anything new (there isn’t). I’m feeling terrible for the suffering of the victims of Putin and his willing executioners. But I have to do something else, and that’s reading. As it stands here, I don’t really have the energy to review the last few books, so here’s a simple summary of what I’ve read. Every book is by an author that I already know and have read several of their books.

Julie Otsuka, The Swimmers.

The Swimmers is a hard book to read, because it's a remarkably penetrating portrayal of dementia, which I don't want to think about. There are some good memory parts, though, like memories of odors -- "She remembers the smell of incense and pickled cabbage in the kitchen." (p. 63).  Julie Otsuka is a wonderful writer, so her masterful prose makes up for her depressing subject matter, but if you want to read one of her books, I suggest that you start with The Buddha in the Attic or When the Emperor was Divine.

Louise Erdrich, The Night Watchman.

Louise Erdrich's characters, mainly native Americans, are really a pleasure to read about. I loved every individual in The Night Watchman, which takes place in the early 1950s. The locale is mainly on the reservation where the tribe's treaty rights are about to be revoked. The main plot line is how the members of the tribe, led by the main character named Thomas, peacefully challenge the government threat against them. The sub-plots are equally fascinating, about the struggles of very poor but proud and imaginative people against a variety of challenges. As I have with every one of Erdrich's books that I've read, I also loved the descriptions of the food the people cook and eat, and I love the occasional humor.

Arnaldur Indridason, Voices.

Although I enjoyed the local color of the Icelandic hotel in mid-winter where most of this novel takes place, the characters and events -- especially the murder at the center -- are all a bit too sordid and ugly for me to really like it. The previous two books in the series are also similarly extreme.

Elly Griffiths, The Woman in Blue.

Slowly, I'm working my way through the many books in the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths, watching the lives of the characters as they solve one murder mystery after another. I think I was more enthusiastic about the earlier ones, but they are a tempting distraction from reality, so I'll probably read more (and more).

Reviews © 2022 mae sander.