I hope you’ve all been having a great week. So glad the weekend is almost here and I am really looking forward to finishing at least one book – fingers crossed. I wanted to just do a quick post on my current reads and tell you a bit about them.
First up is Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin, translated by Hildegarde Serle. The novel is about Violette Toussaint who is a caretaker at a cemetery in a small town in Burgundy. She is content living with the cats, cemetery visitors and tombstones but as the story unfolds we see a woman who desperately wanted to belong and love and in the end she lost everything that mattered to her. There’s a bit of a mystery, a romance and overall it’s a quiet and a cozy story despite some sad moments (it does take place in a cemetery after all).
There are short quotes or a sentence at the beginning of all the chapters and one I liked is this one: “We think that death is an absence, when in fact it’s a secret presence.”
Next up is Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian. This historical novel tells the story of Mary Deerfield, a young woman married to an older man, set in Boston in 1662. She is had withstood his cruelty but one day he goes too far and drives a fork into her hand. She decides that she must escape and divorce him but in 1662 that is not an easy thing. Before Mary knows it, there are rumors of witchcraft that surround her and if she’s not careful she may be facing the hangman’s noose instead.
Here’s a snippet from the beginning of one chapter, “…and so infidel-like he would call me a whore and concoct the most wild stories as to my behavior, and then he would strike me in the name of discipline as if I were an untutored child. – petition for Divorce filed by Mary Deerfield, from the Records and Files of the Court of Assistants, Boston, Massachusetts, 1662.”
Finally, I am almost embarrassed to mention this but I’m still reading The Sixth Extinction. This is one of those reads that while interesting, it’s just not the same as a novel. I really have to be more focused when reading this because unlike a novel I where I can imagine the setting and characters, this is just not the same. My plan is still to finish the book though because I do feel invested and actually am interested in how it concludes. Are we doomed or is there some hope for our planet?
Anyway, there you have it. I have a lot of new books waiting for me but I’m determined not to add any new reads until I can finish at least one book first. Hope you are reading some good stuff and happy weekend!
Fresh Water for Flowers intrigues me because of the whole cemetery thing. I like cemeteries, especially old ones. I wouldn’t mind living near one. And good luck finishing The Sixth Extinction. There are some nonfiction books that just take longer to read. 🙂
I hear you on Sixth Extinction — my own attempts at reading non-fiction always end up that way, so that at any given time, I have at least 40 non-fiction titles lying around at 10% etc. marks. Not a reflection on the books, of course, but sometimes you can only take facts in small doses. Hour of the Witch sounds spine-chilling and atmospheric — I’m all for historicals these days!
~Lex
I’m relieved to hear that you’re still reading Kolbert’s book as I find her prose style is very dense and, plus, the subject is a lot to take in. I’ve got a copy of her latest book waiting for pickup at the library (soon! via curbside) and am very curious how far I’ll get in a single borrowing period.
I still want to read Sixth Extinction, but keep forgetting about it when I end up looking for mysteries. Hour of the Witch is also on my list. 🙂
I will enjoy hearing your thoughts about Sixth Extinction. I’ve been avoiding all serious nonfiction during the pandemic—one crisis at a time, I thought. But it is something I’d like to read someday.
I heard Chris Bohjalian speak at the Texas Book Festival a few years back, and I realized it has been a long time since I read one of his books. Let’s see what you have to say about Hour of the Witch.
Lark – I love old cemeteries too, especially the ones I’ve been to on some of my travels. There was one I visited in Guanajuato, Mexico which was so creepy but fascinating.
Lex @ Lexlingua – This often happens to me with nonfiction too unless it is something that almost reads like a novel. I’m thinking of the Henrietta Lacks book for example. This is educational but because so much is not something I’m familiar with it can be a bit too much. I’m almost done with Hour of the Witch and am loving it.
Buriedinprint – Yes, the subject is one that makes you think our planet is doomed but at the same time the author has a way of making you focus on the beauty of nature and just be in awe of some of the discoveries. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Jen Mullen – That happens to me with most nonfiction books. I will pick up most other genres over nonfiction. I’m glad I’m making th effort with this one and I think in the end I will be glad for having read it!
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz – I can totally understand that. I know there are some novels that deal with pandemics or viruses and I’m just like no, way am I reading that right now. So far Hour of the Witch is getting a big thumbs up from me!
Hour of the Witch sounds intriguing. I’ll have to check this out.
I would like to read Hour of the Witch. I love Bohjalian’s writing and it’s on a topic I can’t resist. I hope you are enjoying it. I am nearly finished with my current read, a nonfiction book. I had planned to read something else alongside it because it can be dry in spots, but it’s kept my attention well enough. My husband is getting tired of me sharing stories from the book with him though. LOL