I am hastily wrapping up March books in anticipation of … TRAVEL! Expect a bit of a hiatus, followed hopefully by some posts about Peru! I’ll try to keep the bird photos to a minimum 🙂
Brotherless Night, by V. V. Ganeshananthan
I live under a rock. This fantastic book is written from the perspective of a young woman named Sashi who lives through the terrible early years of the Sri Lankan civil war, and the uprise of the Tamil Tigers, now designated a terrorist group. This is stuff of which I knew literally nothing. Of course, if I wasn’t so news-averse these days I might have read about how Canada’s public safety minister pressed immigration officials to approve the immigration application of a Tiger member. At least I think that’s what happened. Anyway. Her writing is so incredible that I had to stop and check whether it was actually a biography (it’s not). It’s a fantastic book and I can’t recommend it strongly enough. For those who like a strong feminist tone, just have a look at this quote: “Unlike men, they were not interested in credit, only success, and laid their plans accordingly.” This from a group of mothers who secretly planned a massive march on the government offices to demand the release of their young sons, all of whom had been “detained” by the Tigers. (PS it worked). 10/10.
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, by Omar El Akkad
Unlike What Strange Paradise, which I didn’t love, this is a compelling and interesting read. It’s a non-fiction set of personal essays where the author contrasts the horrific events taking place in Gaza with the lack of outrage from western countries. Nobody is safe from his criticism, and rightly so, but you will need to suspend any tendencies to self-defense while reading. It’s absolutely worth it. 9/10
The Nine Tailors, by Dorothy L. Sayers
This mystery novel, written in 1934, takes some patience to get to the crime (a murder) that must needs solving by amateur detective Lord Peter Wimsey. You first have to resign yourself to almost, but not quite, learning all there is to know about campanology, the scientific and musical study of bells. There are a few interesting bits, like how church bells are meticulously scripted to ring out tunes by highly skilled bell-ringers – sometimes for as long as 9 hours! And then there are some trying bits, like the weights and casting and order and process of bell ringing. It all pays off, though, if you can make it through the first 100 or so pages, as the bells become the mechanism behind a secret code that unlocks the mystery of who the murderer is. I would give this 3/10 to start, with a fun 7/10 finish.
The Devil and the Dark Water, by Stuart Turton
And that’s a wrap on Stuart Turton’s current bibliography. This, the second of his books, is a blend of historical fiction (it takes place in 1634), a Sherlock-Holmes style locked-door murder mystery (technically multiple murder mysteries), and some mystical prophesy thrown in for good measure. It’s entertaining, with strong, central female characters that I liked very much. It does tend to unravel as the book wraps up in a rush, which tracks with his other books. It’s less hasty than Evelyn Hardcastle and more than The Last Murder, so maybe he’s getting better at wrap-ups. 7/10 for some clever bits and for the likeable female characters.