Kathy Hamilton Another month, another what I’ve been reading lately post! I really got back into reading in March, perhaps helped by the fantastic selection I pulled from my shelves. From a historical murder mystery to some literary criticism, I covered a lot of ground. So let’s get started.
Death in the Floating City by Tasha Alexander
The past does not give its secrets up easily…Years ago, Emily’s childhood nemesis, Emma Callum, scandalised society when she eloped with an Italian count. Now her father-in-law lies murdered, and her husband has fled, making him the prime suspect. Alone in her empty palazzo, Emma realises there’s no one she can turn to for help but Emily, who leaves at once for Venice, with her husband.
The first book in March’s what I’ve been reading lately follows on for my craving for ‘light and fun’ fiction last month. I picked Death in the Floating City by Tasha Alexander from my TBR pile. This is the seventh in the Lady Emily series and probably the most ambitious in style for Tasha Alexander. It centres around a murder in Venice and before long Lady Emily realises that in order to solve the current case, she’ll have to crack a centuries-old Venetian mystery.
These books can be read as stand-alone novels, I don’t think you’d be too confused be references to other books in the series. However, part of the charm for me is reading them chronologically. Death in the Floating City was not my absolute favourite amongst the collection but it was charming and pushed Venice higher up my places to visit list.
The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd
In this masterpiece of nature writing, Nan Shepherd describes her journeys into the Cairngorm mountains of Scotland. There she encounters a world that can be breathtakingly beautiful at times and shockingly harsh at others. Her intense, poetic prose explores and records the rocks, rivers, creatures and hidden aspects of this remarkable landscape. Shepherd spent a lifetime in search of the ‘essential nature’ of the Cairngorms; her quest led her to write this classic meditation on the magnificence of mountains, and on our imaginative relationship with the wild world around us.
A little while ago I found myself craving an uplifting read. The problem was that I couldn’t put my finger on what I meant. I knew I wanted it to be non-fiction and feel restorative but I didn’t want a ‘self-help’ book. So, when I stumbled across The Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd I was intrigued. A book about hill walking…doesn’t sound like the recipe for an uplifting and inspiring read, but then you haven’t read Nan Shepherd.
This small book had a huge impact on me. From the very first words, I knew that I had discovered something beautiful, in that rare way books sometimes are. Nan Shepherd doesn’t just write about walking the Cairn Gurns, she takes you on a journey through her own personal experience of the mountains. It’s part ode to a life dedicated to a place and part breath of fresh air.
I have a lot more I want to say about this book, so look out for a full review coming soon!
Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls
Illustrated by sixty female artists from every corner of the globe, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls introduces us to one hundred remarkable women and their extraordinary lives, from Ada Lovelace to Malala, Amelia Earhart to Michelle Obama. Empowering, moving and inspirational, these are true fairy tales for heroines who definitely don’t need rescuing.
Next up on this editon of “what I’ve been reading lately” is this beauty. This book arrived in a parcel with a little sticky note that said ‘This one’s from your Dad’ on it. I was thrilled and immediately sat down to flick through it. Frankly, everything about this book is beautiful. The idea behind it, the illustrations, the careful thought that has gone into curating a list of inspiring women…
Although this book is aimed at young girls, I got a lot out of it. I appreciated the dedication to telling the stories of women from every walk of life, from across vast geographical landscapes and from a wide range of careers and pursuits. I am keeping it on my coffee table for whenever I need a little inspiration!
There’s also a podcast available based on the book. It’s available on Spotify here
The Bronte Cabinet by Deborah Lutz
The story of the Brontes is told through the things they wore, stitched, wrote on and inscribed at the parsonage in Haworth. By unfolding the histories of the things they used, the chapters form a chronological biography of the family. These possessions pull us into their daily lives: the imaginary kingdoms of their childhood writing, their time as governesses and their stubborn efforts to make a mark on the world.
If you’re sensing a bit of a literary non-fiction theme in the list of what I’ve been reading lately…you’re right! The Bronte Cabinet by Deborah Lutz rounds up this months selection and it’s a must-read for Bronte fans. I am usually a little wary of literary biographies. Especially if they claim to be new or groundbreaking. More often than not I feel like they try to force authors from the past into new frames of thought that are a little anachronistic. So I loved Deborah Lutz’s interpretation here.
Part ode to the Bronte sisters, part history of Victorian life, The Bronte Cabinet delves into the lives of the Bronte sisters by investigating the objects and animals that can bring us closest to them. I loved the way each chapter is dedicated to a specific object: letters, writing desks, pets etc. I was also fascinated to learn so much about the everyday life of middle-class Victorian women. If you have ever found yourself imagining what life was like in the little Haworth parsonage that the Bronte’s called home, you need this book.
Well, that wraps up this month’s edition of “What I’ve Been Reading Lately”
What books did you read in March?
