This month, I found myself in the middle of a fruit orchard, my back leaning against the trunk of a peach tree, surrounded by neat rows of trees as far as my eyes could see. The warm sun caressed my face and the air was filled with the sound of a thousand buzzing bees. There I was, surrounded by nature, a book in my hands…reading a few pages…soaking in the surroundings…feeling the warmth caress my skin. It was bliss!
And I’m wondering, what’s the most atmospheric reading spot you’ve found yourself in recently?
Speaking of atmospheric reading spots, I’ve read some gorgeous, atmospheric books this month, including 3 for the Book Bingo challenge!
Cashmere Comes From Goats by S. Portico Bowman (This beautiful mid-life (A book where the main character is over 40))
Was it the death of her dog, Bloom, or was she just tired of her routine as a dentist? Or perhaps her depression was the result of her (mostly) unrequited love for her former piano teacher, Bruno? As Robin contemplates a sabbatical to see puffins in Newfoundland, a fateful google search puts everything on hold. When she “accidentally” finds Bruno’s grown son living in France with a woman Bruno knew briefly many many years ago, Robin has to decide if she will stay in Canada and monitor her distant father’s suspected dementia, or accept Bruno’s demand that she go with him to France and help him face fatherhood a few decades too late.
What an unusual, unexpected, quirky tale, with absolutely brilliant writing!
I fell in love with Robin, with the way her mind jumps from one thread to another, with the dense yet delightful writing. If you enjoy reading unusual, slightly quirky books, I highly recommend this one. You won’t be disappointed, promise!
Daughter of the Tarot by Clare Marchant
1644: After escaping an abusive man from Italy with just baby Vittoria and the clothes on their backs, Portia has made a home for herself in London. Making her living reading tarot cards, she realises there are other women like her who need help. As she delivers the Devil card to their door, each has the chance to escape… but to what future? Because Portia is a woman with secrets. And they are about to come back to haunt her.
Present day: After her mother’s death and her father’s hasty plans to remarry, Beatrice has left home to open a tarot shop in London, fulfilling her mother’s long-held dream. While unpacking, she finds a set of tarot cards she’s never seen before, one that’s been handed down through generations of her family. The set is missing a card though — the Devil. As she begins to search for the lost card, she starts to hear rumors of that card being linked to a series of murders of women in 17th century London. Will she find the truth, or will she only see the illusions the cards are suggesting?
I read it for the premise — a book with tarot cards at the center of the plotline, how could I say no? — stayed for the intertwining stories, though the writing could have been better. I really liked how seamlessly the tarot was woven into the story line and truly appreciated the accurate interpretations. The disappointing lack of editorial attention to the writing is it’s biggest downfall.
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (A comfort read)
Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it. So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it. And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes, a Southern drawl, and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again. Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future. Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets herself fall in love, she’ll be doomed. After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.
In the month of love, how could I not read a romance novel? This was hands-down my favorite book of February. The writing, the story line, the descriptions of food, the hint of magical realism…I loved everything about it. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby (Nominated for Goodreads Choice Awards)
Roman Carruthers left the smoke and fire of his family’s crematory business behind in his hometown of Jefferson Run, Virginia. He’s enjoying a life of shallow excess as a financial adviser in Atlanta until he gets a call from his sister, Neveah, telling him their father is in a coma after a hit-and-run accident. But the accident may not be what it seems — his brother Dante is deeply in debt to dangerous, ruthless criminals. And Roman is willing to do anything to protect his family. Anything. A financial whiz with a head for numbers and a talent for making his clients rich, Roman must use all his skills to try to save his family while dealing with a shadow that has haunted them all for 20 years: the disappearance of their mother when Roman and his siblings were teenagers. It’s a mystery that Neveah is determined to solve once and for all. As fate and chance and heartache ignite their lives, the Carruthers family must pull together to survive or see their lives turn to ash. Because, as their father counseled them from birth, nothing lasts forever. Everything burns.
I have mixed feelings about this book. The story line was very interesting and quite believable. The murky world of gangsters and their wars; a small African American-dominated town going to seed; the lingo and street cred; the cost of secrets and the burden of unprocessed trauma was all very well done. I guess I just wasn’t up for the rawness of the story. But if you find the premise interesting, do pick it up — it’s a very well-done novel.
Over to you: What was on your reading list this month? And also tell me your reading goals for this year!
If you love books and reading, sign up for The Reader’s Nook — a simple, monthly bookish newsletter, where I send out monthly book recommendations, a poem of the month, and links to interesting things, as well as the occasional special edition with seasonal reading recommendations.