I’m renaming this series (formerly Library Loans) for the new year! One of my unofficial resolutions is to dig into all the unread books I have at home, while also utilizing the library. This month was a mixed bag. I read many women of color of course, in keeping with my tradition. I also harkened back to my roots a little with some Russian/Ukrainian authors. It felt good to be back!
We Need New Names
NoViolet Bulawayo
NoViolet has a huge following and this was my first of her books. It’s a coming-of-age story about a 10-year old girl in Zimbabwe. She starts off navigating a deteriorating, chaotic world with her friends. When she moves to the Midwest she becomes a different person and must reconcile her two lives. I really enjoyed this book. Many of the immigration stories I read are about Latinx immigrants, reading about an African immigration was a learning experience for me.
Anna of All the Russias
Elaine Feinstein
This is a wonderful biography of Anna Akhmatova, a famous female Soviet poet. She had a crazy life. Her early years were during the last of the Tzarist era so she began her career amidst the glamour, albeit revolutionary, of early 20th century Saint Petersburg. Then the Soviet regime came along and she was plunged into a world of poverty, where her books were banned and her family was constantly in danger. It’s fascinating stuff with a lot of information about the Soviet era as well as her life.
Old in Art School
Nell Painter
This was recommended to me by my volunteer coordinator at the nursing home. Nell Painter, who is a very accomplished historian, went back to art school in her ’60s to follow that passion. To be honest, I had trouble getting into this and I didn’t end up finishing it, which is super rare for me. I found the tone a little off putting but I love the story in theory. My coordinator listened to it as an audio book (it’s read by Painter) so I might try that route when I come back to it.
Requiem and Other Poems
Anna Akhmatova
I read a few of Anna Akhmatova’s poems after reading her biography (whoops, reverse order!). She’s amazing and I highly recommend her work. Her poetry is beautiful, accessible, and paints a portrait of Soviet life. HOWEVER. I don’t recommend the D.M. Thomas translation. He started the book with one of his own poems. That’s the very first thing you read. Only a man would have the audacity and rudeness to do that. I was FURIOUS. It made me completely distrust him and the translation for the rest of the experience. I don’t care how famous you are, that’s wildly inappropriate.
Ines of My Soul
Isabel Allende
As you know, I’m obsessed with Isabel Allende. This piece is historical fiction, a bit of a departure from her usual family sagas. It follows Ines Suarez, a bold conquistadora who leaves her domestic life in Spain behind to conquer Chile with Pedro de Valdivia and others. I’m not sure if Ines was a real person, but I know Isabel did a lot of research for the book so it’s definitely possible. And she does exist in a real time with real historical characters. I enjoyed this book, it’s a fun romp through history and a look at South America in the 1500s. That said, it doesn’t have the same magic as her magical realism books so I wouldn’t read this first.
Dark Tide
Stephen Puleo
This was our book club book this month in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Boston Molasses Flood. It was SO GOOD. I’m all about that history and this was a narrative dive into one of Boston’s weirdest historical moments. Because it’s a narrative it’s very engaging and easy to read but it’s chock full of historical facts. There were years of depositions done in the court case that resulted so the author had all this primary source material for the book. I high recommend this read, whether you’re from Boston or not. It’s not only great history, it’s very applicable to our current society. A true tale of big business versus human interest.
Death and the Penguin
Andrey Kurkov
My brother’s girlfriend Anya is from Ukraine so I asked her for book recommendations by Ukrainian authors. Though I’m well versed in the Russian world, Ukrainian is a different situation. I thought it would be a good way for us to bond while also reading wonderful books! Turns out there’s not a ton in translation. But Death and the Penguin is wonderful (and available at the BPL!). It’s about a lonely man with a pet penguin who gets a job writing obituaries and finds out he may be involved in more than just recapping a persona’s death.