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FionaMNT

@FionaMNT@mastodonapp.uk

Translator | Reader | BookCrosser | Baker
Scottish (and Dutch) | Loves language and history

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Book 24: Summerwater, by Sarah Moss.
This novel consists of several vignettes in which we are shown the same situation (holiday cabins in the Trossachs, incessant rain) from the point of view of various characters, each with their own troubles and complaints. And then there's that one house with the loud music that seems to unite them in annoyance... Very well written.






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Book 23: Prophet Song, by Paul Lynch.
Harrowing and heartbreaking. The writing style took a bit of getting used to, but once you get past that, this book draws you in and really puts you through the wringer.







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Book 22: The Disaster Tourist, by Yun Ko-eun. Translated from Korean by Lizzie Buehler.

A fascinating story about the dark side of the tourism industry, our fascination with disaster, and the ecological damage humans cause.

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Book 21: Jamaica Inn, by Daphne du Maurier. A re-read of this atmospheric classic. Desolate landscapes, unsavoury characters, good story, well written!

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Book 20: My Father's House, by Joseph O'Connor.
Based on true events, this is the story of a courageous group of people led by Monseigneur Hugh O'Flaherty in Vatican City who risked their lives helping thousands of Jews and Allied POWs get out of Nazi-occupied Rome.
Gripping story, well written.

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Book no. 19: This is Happiness, by Niall Williams. Beautifully written, wonderful observations on life and loss in rural Ireland. A slow read, one to be savoured.

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Book 18: Last Night at the Lobster, by Stewart O'Nan. 🦞
What an absolute gem! Who would have thought that the last hours of a run-down restaurant could make for such compelling reading? Maybe not for you if you're expecting a lot of action, but the setting and atmosphere are excellent. Recommended!

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Book 17: The Last Animal, by Ramona Ausubel.
Lessons in Chemistry meets Jurassic Park: woolly mammoths and feminism! 🦣

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Book 16: The Foundling, by Stacey Halls
London, 1754. A young woman goes back to the Foundling Hospital to collect her daughter, having left her there to be cared for 6 years before. Only to find out she has already been claimed. But who could have done that, and how?
Good story, well written. Enjoyed it very much.

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Book 15: Bloedbroeders, by Arttu Tuominen. Translated from Finnish by Anne-Marie Raas.
Original title: Verivelka.
A man is fatally stabbed at a drink-fuelled get-together.
What seems like an open-and-shut case becomes complicated, as it turns out killer, victim and police inspector went to school together.
Good story, alternating between present day and their childhood days.

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Book 14: The Book of Happenstance, by Ingrid Winterbach. Translated from Afrikaans by Dirk and Ingrid Winterbach.

Lexicography Helena is assisting with the creation of an Afrikaans dictionary when her collection of shells is stolen in a burglary. As she tries to uncover what happened, she reflects on her life.

As a language nut and speaker of Dutch, I was drawn the most to the sections on Afrikaans words.

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Book 13: The Sheep's Tale: The story of our most misunderstood farmyard animal, by John Lewis-Stempel.

Well-written, and both informative and entertaining. 🐑








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Book 12: The Bell in the Lake, by Lars Mytting. Translated from Norwegian by Deborah Dawkin.

Norway, 1880. The new pastor in a remote village, and a stranger who arrives from Dresden, have grand plans for the 700-year-old stave church and its bells, which are said to hold supernatural powers.

Very atmospheric, full of folklore and history. I enjoyed it very much.

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Book 11: Cold Victory, by Karl Marlantes.

Two diplomats, US and Soviet, and their wives, all newly posted to Helsinki in 1947. Allies, comrades in arms even, during the war, they are now faced with very different circumstances, on the cusp of the Cold War.

I found it particularly interesting to read about the Finnish history.

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Book 10, Rinkeldekink, by Martine Bijl.
Martine Bijl was a well-known presenter, actress and singer.
In 2015 she suffered a stroke, and in this book she tells us what's it like to have to say goodbye to the person you used to be. It felt like someone else had taken over control of her brain.
A very frank and sad account. Not a cheerful read, but very insightful. With a tiny spark left here and there of her wit.

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Book 9: What you are looking for is in the library, by Michiko Aoyama. Translated by Alison Watts.

A Tokyo librarian is able to sense exactly what people are searching for and provide unexpected but fitting book recommendations. An uplifting look at life and purpose. And possibly more useful than a lot of self-help books out there!

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Book 8: The Narrow Road to the Deep North, by Richard Flanagan.
The story of the POWs who hsd to work on the Burma Death Railway in the Second World War is grim. The tiny sparks of humanity that remained among the soldiers amidst the unimaginable horrors were very moving.
And those who survived still have to live with the memories that often only they understand.

A tough read, well written.

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Book 7: The Singer's Gun, by Emily St. John Mandel.
Anton Waker abandons his family's shady line of business for a normal life, but his cousin blackmails him into doing one last, simple and failsafe, job... 🤔

Emily St. John Mandel is an excellent storyteller!

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Book 6: Everything is Everything: A Memoir of Love, Hate & Hope. The autobiography of BBC journalist, presenter and news anchor Clive Myrie. Fascinating stories, told with empathy and humanity throughout. From growing up in Bolton as the son of Windrush immigrants, to becoming one of the BBC's top journalists, and the presenter of Mastermind.
I was particularly moved by the section on the COVID-19 pandemic.







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Book no. 5: The Accidental Tourist, by Anne Tyler.
Macon writes travel guides for business travellers who want their destination to be as much like home as possible. He's order and routine personified. But after his son dies and his wife leaves he meets a very chaotic and whimsical dog trainer. She brings his dog into line, but also sets his life on its head.
Good cast of characters surrounding them! Enjoyed.

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Book no. 4: The Lost Bookshop, by Evie Woods. Three storylines, past and present, revolve around a Dublin bookshop that may or may not actually exist...
Very enjoyable, and a little magic realism goes a long way!

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FionaMNT OP ,
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@Arlenecw @bookstodon
I stopped posting my reads a few months ago, as life kept getting in the way! But as of the new year I've picked it up again. Glad they're of interest!

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