Let’s try and forget that everyone has gone mad for just a second, shall we?
I’m trying to battle uncertainty with familiarity, by listening to Roald Dahl’s The Witches while I write this. It’s narrated by Miranda Richardson, who obviously does a tremendous job. The bit with the girl trapped in the painting is still as terrifying at 36 as it was 30 years ago.
I listened to the whole of Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, which I mentioned in last week’s post. I really enjoyed it, there were at least two parts in the book where I said “bloody hell” to myself. I did a lot of frustrated yelling at characters too. It’s about a young lady who agrees to look after her childhood friend’s stepchildren for a few weeks. The only catch is the children have been known to spontaneously combust. It’s funny, and moving. Highly recommended.
I learned from illustrator Stephen Collins’ Twitter this week, that children’s author Julia Donaldson get 40p for every £1 spent on picture books in the UK. Donaldson is probably my favorite children’s writer; Room on the Broom makes me absolutely weep. My daughter asked me to read Zog with her just this morning. Donaldson doesn’t really seem to be as well-known in the US, so I’ve only just found out she has a new book out, The Smeds and The Smoos, and it looks adorable.
My bookish purchase for this week is The Literary Witches Oracle. This is adapted from a book by Taisia Kitaiskaia and Katy Horan, and features some beautiful cards of all your favorite witchy writers. I’ve been turning to the wonderful deck for guidance during this troubling period, as it seems a little more reliable than any other outlet.
I’m almost done with David Mitchell’s Utopia Avenue; it’s quite the tome. I think we’re in the final act now, and something very exciting is happening. It’s not my favorite Mitchell book, so I’d recommend while you’re waiting for Utopia Avenue to get released, read The Bone Clocks, and Slade House. In fact, if you read one of those alongside Daisy Jones and the Six, by Taylor Jenkins Reid, you’ll get a better version of Utopia Avenue. That’s just my opinion.
Very much excited about deciding on my next physical read. My TBR still continues to climb because I can resist a good Kindle deal. Let me know what you’ve been reading/buying this week. Wash your hands, stay safe out there.
California Reading 