In the last little while I have read quite a bit while on the bus or waiting, waiting, waiting at the hospital but not a lot has sunk in. So I will probably have to reread quite a lot. Not a problem - I do that anyway.
Two books are worth mentioning though. I have just completed No Chopsticks Required (My families unexpected year in Shanghai) and it was very close to what Kath Lockett and her family are going through at the moment. In 2008 the author, Katrina Beikoff and her partner (now husband), accepted an offer to work on the English-language Shanghai Daily for twelve months. They took with them their two children (both under 5) and dived in the deep end. Given their almost complete lack of any sort of preparation (unlike Kath's family) I was very surprised that they didn't drown. In the time they were there China experienced a massive earthquake killing over 80 000 people, an uprising in Tibet, the Beijing Olympics and the melamine-tainted milk scandal. And Katrina and her family were way out of their comfort zone on so many levels; language, culture, food, education, politics ...And the list goes on. And yet, by the end of the year, Katrina was in two minds about returning to Australia or extending their stay for another year. Hopefully Kath's life will also settle down and become fun again very quickly.
The other book was one I found today. Our local shopping centre has a cheap book stall which I find it very, very hard to go past despite knowing that our shelves desperately need culling not adding to. And I am such a good customer that the stallholder usually gives me further discounts on the already cheap books. Today's find, which I snapped up quickly, was Travelling Light by Tove Jansson. Jansson (1914 -2001) was a Swedish author and is probably best known as the creator of the Moomintroll series - books for children. They were first translated into English 60 years ago and have been in print ever since. And there is lots of Moomin merchandise out there too. Both Marie and Pia K have Moomin objects I lust after. I still reread the series every year or so. However, when Jansson was in her fifties she turned her attention to writing adult fiction. I have a couple of them which I also reread regularly, but had never heard of this one which was first translated into English last year. A find! Which I expect to guzzle over the next few days. Travelling Light was published by Sort of Books, a publisher which is new to me. And there were another two books mentioned on the cover that I had not come across. Treats in store.
exactly ... re-read later. books are good for that. I would always rather be wrapped in a blanket with a book, than doing whatever I am actually doing. X X
ReplyDeleteI loved that Tove Jansson. The writing is so distinctive. I was never able to get my lads into the Moomins, to my ongoing disappointment.
ReplyDeleteBefore i retired i had 90 books to read now i have 50 to go, but like you i just keep adding to the collection, i've a long way to go before i get to the stage of re-reading any of them. I would like to start with Agatha Christie :-).
ReplyDeleteAnn O'D, reading or rereading are essential. And usually much more important than the chores.
ReplyDeleteTracy: Have you come across The Summer Book? A very short novel, but her voice comes through loud and clear. Moving and beautiful. Like the Moomintroll book where Moominmama was homesick, drew her garden on the lighthouse walls and slipped into her pictures. The way she captured the yearning for home and familiarity was truly magical. She wrote an autobiography too - The Sculptors' Daughter which I have been trying to track down for years.
Windsmoke: Nice to hear that there are other addicts out there. I usually have at least two books on the go at any one time, one of which is often a reread.
No Chopsticks Required sounds like a fun read. I've added it to my list.
ReplyDeleteAha! Another Moomin fan. I still have all the books from my childhood and like you re-read them happily again and again as the years pass. I nearly passed out with joy when a friend from Norway gave me some Moomin and family paper napkins I'd spied in her kitchen. She had a full tea set! I was hammered on Jack Daniels at the time so must have come across as a complete nut heh. x
ReplyDeleteSometimes I am amazed at books that I've completely missed out on. I will check out Moomin and Kath's books. Never heard of either of them. Thanks for broadening my horizons! :-)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the Moomin boook. Good find on the Jansson front.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I eat at the local Chinese resto with Uiver, the waitress asks us if we are able to use chopsticks...so last night I asked for chopsticks before she had a chance!
Nice to know that there are Moomin fans out there with me. And I have started the new Jansson book and am just LOVING it. The book stall person is evil. And she knows it - not least because I have told her so. A really eclectic collection with the most expensive being $15. And as I said she gives me discounts on the discounts.
ReplyDeleteOh, I do love the Moomin stories. The Chopsticks book sounds fun too.
ReplyDeleteBTW, have you heard anything from Marie over at How I learned to love herring? She hasn't written any posts for ages...
Hi ladyfi. It seems that there are a lot of moomin lovers here in the blogosphere. I haven't heard from Marie in quite a while. I am hoping that she and Lg are on their boat. He posted a few photos since last I heard from her, but his comment section has disappeared again.
ReplyDeleteI very much understand the shelves in need of culling vs the irresistible book purchase dilemma! Still, I love when one book leads to another, or when one reader leads others to new books - or simply an old favorite to be revisited. Oh for all the necessary time to get through them all!
ReplyDeleteHah! My word verification for this comment: HESSE!
Thanks Two Tigers. Yes, Hesse is also on the groaning shelves.
ReplyDeleteI have learnt to keep biographies in the bedroom and thrillers everywhere else in the house otherwise I'll just keep reading until the wee small hours.
ReplyDeleteIt was unfortunate that I received an email from Booktopia telling me about their end of year online sale so I filled up the shopping cart but spent half an hour taking books out to keep to my $25 limit.
Very strong of you JahTeh. I have looked at the Booktopia site, yearned for a few books, and resolutely closed out. But will almost certainly go back on to it later today.
ReplyDeletehi
ReplyDeletei really do need to re-read tove jansson too, i'm sure i'd appreciate the writing and the stories even more today than as a child. btw, ms jansson was actually finnish and not swedish, but she was a swedish-speaking finn, a lingustic minority in finland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish-speaking_Finns - we're so used to this here in sweden, but i can see that they can be mistaken for swedes elsewhere:)
ReplyDeleteno matter her origin, she's a great writer!!
Pia: I didn't realise that she was Finnish - though perhaps I should have given the Finn Family Moomintroll. Now I do, and thank you.
ReplyDeleteSorry, popping in late as usual, catching up. I love Tove Jansson -- recently read 'Fair Play', which is a semi-autobiographical novel, and is MARVELLOUS.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ms Duck. I will have to track it down. She is a joy and a delight always.
ReplyDelete