Three short reviews

Several books behind with reviewing, as is often the case, so without further ado, a few short reviews.

First, The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods... my 13th. book for Susan's Bookish Books reading challenge.

So this is a dual timeline story told from three different points of view. There is Opaline who lives in the 1920s, a bright, educated young woman but at the mercy of her older brother who wants her to marry money to get him out of financial difficulties. Desperate, she flees to Paris where she gets a job in the famous bookshop, Shakespeare and co. Fast forward to the present day and Martha who lives in the Irish countryside, is also fleeing, this time from an abusive husband. She lands up in Dublin and lands a job as a sort of house-keeper to an elderly lady, Ms. Bowden. There she meets Henry, who is researching what he thinks is the missing manuscript of an unknown book that Emily Bronte may have written after Wuthering Heights. He's convinced that the empty space next to Ms. Bowden's house is the site of a mysterious 'lost' bookshop that only appears sporadically. The various stories of these three people intertwine as we find out more about what happened to them. I'm not a massive fan of dual timelines but these days they seem to be more and more prevalent so needs must and this one worked nicely for me, so I have no complaints. Both timelines kept my interest and it was fascinating to try and guess where the connections were. There's romance in this, 'lots' of bookish talk, a bit of magical realism which I like but I know not everyone cares for, and also a good dose of reality... the author puts her characters through it a bit, particularly Opaline. I enjoyed the book very much indeed, gave it 5 stars on Goodreads, and will look for more by the author.

Next, a non-fiction book, Outlandish by Nick Hunt.

So the author of this book, Nick Hunt, starts to wonder about landscape anomalies in Europe. Why is there a large patch of Arctic tundra in Scotland? Primeval forest in Poland and Belarus? Europe only has one true desert, The Tabernas in Spain, what's it like? And the steppes of Hungary, how do people live there? And how are all these landscapes affected by the huge changes brought about by us humans? He goes off to investigate so the book is split into four sections charting the various experiences he has. First of all I have to say that Hunt's writing is sublime. He transports you to landscapes so diverse from each other but has no trouble making you feel like you're actually there with him. Beautiful descriptions of his surroundings, fascinating stuff about the history of the countries he's in, geological facts, current events, the people he meets, it was a perfect book for me as I do love an author who meanders around all kinds of subjects and points of view. I had favourite sections: the tundra in Scotland and the forest in Poland. Not so interested in the Spanish desert, but it's all stayed with me nevertheless and I'm very keen to read more by Nick Hunt. He's written a book following in the footsteps of Patrick Leigh Fermor - Walking the Woods and the Water - which is already on my Kindle waiting for me. Another 5 star read. 

Lastly my October book for the Read Around the USA challenge, To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey, set in Alaska.

So, this was unusual in that it was a fiction book that, because it was written in the form of diaries and letters with occasional photos, felt like a non-fiction read. Colonel Allen Forrester is tasked with leading an expedition to the Wolverine river in Alaska with the idea of it being opened up to the wider world. With him goes his new wife, Sophie. She's an explorer at heart too but being a woman it's far more difficult to achieve and at the last minute she's unable to leave Vancouver and he goes without her. He is accompanied by a team of course, but truly has no idea of the hardships ahead and how much the indigenous peoples will affect his journey or test his beliefs in the real world. Sophie meanwhile, is also tested. I won't go into how as it involves spoilers but it is all rather painful: luckily she discovers a new interest which saves her. Another superb read... as I said, very much a fictional story in the manner of a non-fiction travelogue. There's disaster after disaster in the wilds of Alaska, but amazing descriptions of the wilderness landscape, the almost insurmountable difficulties of travelling over it and encounters with the native tribes. There is magical realism in this one again, involving the beliefs of the tribes, I liked that but some might not. Another really excellent read. 

So my current read is this: 

Inspired by the Polish and Hungarian section in Outlandish, my interest in Eastern Europe returned so I found Along the Enchanted Way by William Blacker on my Kindle. It recounts the author's time spent living in the Maramures region of northern Romania, an area where, at the time, the lifestyle was centuries old... very rural, of the forests and mountains, many old traditions alive and well, fascinating people. It's a wonderful book. 

Fictionwise, I've no idea what I want to read next, possibly something Victorian for the Booktube event, 'Victober'. 

I hope you're all keeping well and enjoying some good books this autumn (or spring if you're in another hemisphere.)