Jana's Book List & Reading Suggestions

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2024 Reading List

[42 books so far]

Currently reading: The Culture Map by Erin Meyer

Films I've watched this year: Christmas Island // Meet Me Next Christmas // Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (again) // Harry Potter (all 8 films, again) // The Idea of You // Inside Out 2 // Mamma Mia! (again, but in German) // Forgotten Love // Beautiful Minds (in German) // A Thousand Lines (in German) // Rumba Therapy (in German) // Mr. Blake At Your Service! (in German) // A Man Called Otto (in German) // Damsel // The Bucket List // Last Love // Where the Crawdads Sing (in English and in German) // The Glass Castle // Saltburn // Red Joan // Ladies in Black // Hidden Figures (again) // Maestro

TV series I've watched this year: Good Omens // A Discovery of Witches // The Crown // The Time In Between // One Day // Outlander (again)

The Good, the Bad and the History

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: The 14th book in The Chronicles of St Mary's series and possibly the final one but who knows, with Taylor's brain at the healm. Everything goes completely tits up and then some. It's brilliant.

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: lent to me by my mother in San Francisco, California, USA in November 2024

Read: in the USA in November 2024

Details: 509 pages / published 2023 by Headline Publishing Group

Rating: 10/10

Legends & Lattes

by Travis Baldree

My thoughts: An easy read, which I got through in one sitting, and so uber predictable, but so heartwarming and delicious and it just makes you want to bake cinnamon rolls (which I immediately did) in a cute town and make a bunch of dear friends. Screw saving the world and going on heart-racing quests, this is a cute, post-saving-the-world joyful read.

Location: an alternative magical realm, focused in the two cities of Thune and Azimuth

Found: lent to me by my mother in San Francisco, California, USA in November 2024

Read: in the USA in November 2024

Details: 294 pages, including the prequel Pages to Fill / self-published 2022 by Travis Baldree

Rating: 9/10

The House in the Cerulean Sea

by TJ Klune

My thoughts: This book follows Linus Baker, caseworker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth (DICOMY), as he thoroughly and efficiently works on magical youth cases across England. The book focuses on a classified case in Marsyas and it is simply delightful. It's a dense book, carefully written, and follows the six youth of one particular orphanage and how the gay Baker finds a family. Heartwarming, detailed and beautifully written.

Location: England

Found: lent to me by my mother in San Francisco, California, USA in November 2024

Read: in the USA in November 2024

Details: 396 pages / published 2020 by Tor

Rating: 10/10

Another Time, Another Place

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: The 12th book in The Chronicles of St Mary's series and I seriously don't know how Taylor hasn't yet run out of hair-raising, nail-biting and completely believable adventures for Max and co. I was so frustrated with this one, and then as she always manages to do, she swings cliff hangers and totally unexpected plot twists all the way through and from Babylon to Elizabethan England and a few other spots in between, it was, again, spot-on.

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: lent to me by my mother in San Francisco, California, USA in November 2024

Read: in the USA in November 2024

Details: 446 pages / published 2021 by Headline Publishing Group

Rating: 10/10

The Life Impossible

by Matt Haig

My thoughts: I've heard wonderful things about other Matt Haig books but for me this one was a bit odd. I liked the idea of it - an elderly woman who has lost her son and husband finds new purpose when an old friend of hers leaves her her home on Ibiza and she discovers a new purpose there. But there was too much weird-philosophical-life-fluff for me and it went a bit too far with some of the ideas and possibilities. Sweet, intentional but take it all with a grain of salt.

Location: Ibiza, Spain

Found: lent to me by my mother in San Francisco, California, USA in November 2024

Read: in the USA in November 2024

Details: 321 pages / published 2024 by Canongate Books Ltd.

Rating: 6/10

Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting

by Clare Pooley

My thoughts: An easy read, which I got through in one sitting, but a simply delightful one following a cast of characters on their commutes into London every day. A reminder that we all live complex and beautiful lives and sometimes it can really be worth it to step outside of yourself and connect with those around you. Funny, joyful and meaningful.

Location: England

Found: lent to me by my mother in San Francisco, California, USA in October 2024

Read: in the USA in October 2024

Details: 333 pages / published 2022 by Bantam Press

Rating: 10/10

Sira

by María Dueñas / translated from Spanish by Simon Bruni

My thoughts: After having read the first book, The Time in Between, which I absolutely adored (including the television series adaptation), I was thrilled to get my hands on Dueñas' second novel which follows the main character Sira after her turbulent life in Spain and Morocco working as a dressmaker and for the British intelligence. It was a complicated novel, although I learned plenty of fascinating history about the four countries noted below in which Sira found herself for various reasons. Dense and complex, but an interesting way of setting Sira's story against the backdrop of well-researched history.

Location: Palestine, England, Spain and Morocco

Found: purchased on Amazon in Salzburg, Austria in May 2024

Read: in Austria and on the plane from Munich, Germany to San Francisco, USA between May and October 2024

Details: 590 pages / published 20221 by Editorial Planeta / translated into English and published 2023 by Amazon Crossing

Rating: 9/10

The Briny Café

by Susan Duncan

My thoughts: A happy romantic novel about a little cafe that is the heart of Cook's Basin, a small offshore community in Australia. The book follows Ettie, the 50-something heart of the story and the town, as she takes over the running of the local cafe and all the small-town happenings that come along with it. Idyllic, mouthwatering and a lovely way to wile away the days.

Location: Australia

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Dopa Hostel in Bologna, Italy in September 2024

Read: in Austria and Germany in October 2024

Details: 358 pages / published 2011 by Bantam

Rating: 8/10

The Stars Are Fire

by Anita Shreve

My thoughts: A seriously gorgeous book written about Grace, a woman in the 40s and 50s navigating motherhood, marriage, grief, catastrophes, loss, abuse and so much more. Meaningful, powerful and I seriously read this whole book cover-to-cover in three hours.

Location: Maine, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Dopa Hostel in Bologna, Italy in September 2024

Read: in Italy in September 2024

Details: 241 pages / published 2017 by Alfred A. Knopf

Rating: 10/10

The Blackwater Lightship

by Colm Tóibín

My thoughts: A beautifully written book about family and dear friends coming together despite fraught family history at the end of someone's life with AIDS in the 1990s. Harsh, honest and raw, this was a really insightful book, if sometimes I felt it lagged through some topics and skipped too quickly through others.

Location: Ireland

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in January 2023

Read: in Italy in September 2024

Details: 273 pages / published 1999 by Picador

Rating: 8/10

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

by Gabrielle Zevin

My thoughts: Zevin is truly one of my favourite authors; I have loved every book of hers I have read. And Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is no exception. While video gaming is really not my area of expertise at all, having hardly played any games at all throughout my life, this book was seriously beautiful. The level of careful detail, love, intricacy and magic woven throughout the story of Sam and Sadie from childhood to adulthood as they build and design video games was exquisite... it left me in tears.

Location: California and Massachusetts, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Little Italy Hostel in Perugia, Italy in August 2024

Read: in Italy in August and September 2024

Details: 478 pages / published 2022 by Chatto & Windus

Rating: 10/10

The Witch of Portobello

by Paulo Coelho / translated from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa

My thoughts: Probably my favourite Coelho book so far - some of his books I really despsise and others I find quite beautiful. I felt there was a lot of religious faff going on in this one, as with most of his books, and I sort of checked out during those sections, but I found much of his writing about Athena to be quite profound and he struck some chords with seriously gorgeous quotes, particularly about love: "the best way to know who we are is often to find out how others see us." And: "the purpose of light is to create more light."

Location: England and some travels to Ukraine, Romania and the UAE

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in April 2024

Read: in Italy in August 2024

Details: 268 pages / published 2007 by HarperCollins

Rating: 8/10

The Blue Flower

by Penelope Fitzgerald

My thoughts: This historical fiction book followed the early life of Fritz, who would later become the German poet and philosopher Novalis, and his desire to marry Sophie, a twelve-year-old girl from another house. It is an interesting read and beautifully written, albeit confusing and a bit hard to follow at times. I also am still not sure I understand what the blue flower is...

Location: Germany

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Royal Cliffs Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand in March 2024

Read: in Croatia in July and August 2024

Details: 282 pages / published 1995 by Flamingo

Rating: 7/10

November 9

by Colleen Hoover

My thoughts: An easy read, which I read in one sitting on the train from Salzburg, Austria to Budapest, Hungary. I actually was really absorbed in this book and thought Hoover handled the sensitive topics of confidence, serious injury and suicide well in contrast with the lighthearted and endearing romance and creative plot twists between two eighteen-year-old lovers.

Location: California and New York, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Adagio Access Hotel in Brussels, Belgium in July 2024

Read: in the train from Austria to Hungary in July 2024

Details: 307 pages / published 2015 by Atria

Rating: 9/10

Private Papers

by Margaret Forster

My thoughts: This was a beautifully and highly detailed account of Penelope Butler's life from growing up as an orphan to raising four daughters of her own and the funny and very real trials and tribulations that come from family life. It reminded me that no family is perfect and I really enjoyed the way Forster recounted the memories from both Penelope's perspective and her eldest daughter, Rosemary.

Location: England

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in March 2024

Read: in Belgium in July 2024

Details: 224 pages / originially published 1986 by VINTAGE

Rating: 8/10

The Piligrimage

by Paulo Coelho / translated from Portuguese by Alan R. Clarke

My thoughts: I didn't like this book. It just felt like nonsense. He tried so hard to be profound with all the religious gaff and discovering the purpose... but it all felt so pointless. There were a few classic Coelho quotes, which I liked: "Never postpone anything that could make me happy." But the rest felt really disconnected. It was a shame, because I loved The Zahir.

Location: the Camino de Santiago in Spain

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in March 2024

Read: in Austria in July 2024

Details: 279 pages / originially published 1987 by Editoria Rocco Ltd.

Rating: 3/10

A Gentle Reminder

by Bianca Sparacino

My thoughts: I follow Bianca on Instagram (@RainbowSalt) and most of her posts profoundly touch me everytime I scroll past one. So I bought all three of her books and this was my third. Of them all, I guess I liked this one the least and found myself jotting notes down regularly where I found myself disagreeing with her. But I think that's the benefit of these non-fiction books is they challenge you and make you think, and this one certainly did.

Location: non-fiction

Found: purchased on Amazon in Salzburg, Austria in May 2024

Read: in Austria in June 2024

Details: 146 pages / published 2020 by Thought Catalog Books

Rating: 7/10

Friends Forever

by Danielle Steel

My thoughts: This book follows five ultra-privileged kids from kindergarten to adulthood in California. It feels really predictable and tries to be emotional and moving but basically but squeezes every single kind of challenge in where possible making it a bit "really, again?" - from drugs, suicide, divorce, loneliness, siblings, only children, love, sex, alcohol - I mean you name it, the theme is in here, and it just feels oversaturated. I spent most of the book trying to keep track of the many characters constantly coming in and out and who was called what name and it felt like the whole story line was moving way too fast. An easy read but not a profound one, even though a solid foundation is there for one.

Location: California, USA

Found: purchased unknown in July 2022

Read: in Austria in June 2024

Details: 308 pages / published 2012 by Bantam Press

Rating: 6/10

The Prisoner of Heaven

by Carlos Ruiz Zafón / translated from Spanish by Lucia Graves

My thoughts: This is the second book in a series, after The Shadow of the Wind, but Zafón himself claims that the books do not need to be read in order to be understood. I thought the story was definitely gripping, even though it took me a while to get into it and understand the state of play and which characters were up to what. The ending was a bit too dramatic for my liking, but I genuinely was absorbed in the story of following the folorn back-from-the-dead Fermìn Romero de Torres.

Location: Spain

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Castletownroche, Ireland in April 2023

Read: in Austria from May to June 2024

Details: 278 pages / published 2012 by Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Rating: 7/10

Seeds Planted in Concrete

by Bianca Sparacino

My thoughts: I follow Bianca on Instagram (@RainbowSalt) and most of her posts profoundly touch me everytime I scroll past one. So I bought all three of her books and this was my second. I have to admit, I preferred The Strength in Our Scars more, but perhaps that is also reflective of the time and place I am at in my life. I actually also loved this book, and the surprising ways she found to connect us to the world around us. I found some of the prose more of a challenge to see myself and then others I was taking notes all over and taking photos to refer back to again and again. She bares her soul for us to understand our own.

Location: non-fiction

Found: purchased on Amazon in Salzburg, Austria in May 2024

Read: in Austria in May 2024

Details: 113 pages / published 2015 by Thought Catalog Books

Rating: 9/10

The Dog Stars

by Peter Heller

My thoughts: Having heard good things, I was excited to try this one out. It's written in firsthand across three sections but admittedly, I found Book One and Book Two were near-impossible to get through. Heller's writing style is written in a way that matches what I would expect from someone who is one of the few people left alive nine years post-flu pandemic (eerily reminding me a lot of COVID, even though this book was published more than seven years earlier), but it made for really jilted, frustrating and challenging reading. Book Three? Phenomenal. Worth it.

Location: Colorado, USA

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Gladstone, New Zealand in July 2020

Read: in Austria from February to May 2024

Details: 395 pages / published 2012 by Headline Review

Rating: 7/10

Plan for the Worst

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: The eleventh book in The Chronicles of St Mary's series and truly, the best yet. What a gripping tale which had me in shock, giggles, despair and joy the whole way through. We visited Crete, the Towers of London and a few other spots in between, with Max, as always, narrowly escaping by the skin of her teeth, or the fabric of her boots...

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: lent to me by my mother while she visited me in Salzburg, Austria in March 2024

Read: in Austria in May 2024

Details: 495 pages / published 2020 by Headline Publishing Group

Rating: 10/10

The Strength in our Scars

by Bianca Sparacino

My thoughts: I follow Bianca on Instagram (@RainbowSalt) and most of her posts profoundly touch me everytime I scroll past one. So I bought all three of her books and started with this one. I took notes on nearly every page, stuck sticky notes where things stood out to me, and I cried my way through my history and my future. Bianca is exquisitely talented at turning my soul into words on a page. Reassuring, bold and kind. I will read it over and over again.

Location: non-fiction

Found: purchased on Amazon in Salzburg, Austria in May 2024

Read: in Austria in May 2024

Details: 155 pages / published 2018 by Thought Catalog Books

Rating: 10/10

The Five Love Languages

by Gary Chapman

My thoughts: I've subscribed to the logic of the five love languages for many years now and find it a completely fascinating to understand the complexities of how and why we love and how and why we want to love and be loved. This was the first time though that I sat down and read his full book cover to cover and if I wasn't convinced of the logic behind the languages and the many dialects within them, then I would be now.

Location: non-fiction

Found: e-book

Read: in Austria in April 2024

Details: 272 pages / published 1992, updated 2004, by Northfield Publishing Chicago

Rating: 10/10

Hope for the Best

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: The tenth book in The Chronicles of St Mary's series and I kid you not when this is the best book in the series yet. I read it in one sitting and found myself crying and laughing out loud on multiple occasions. Taylor somehow continues to manage to come up with a gripping storyline and I gobble them up faster than she can write them.

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: lent to me by my mother while she visited me in Salzburg, Austria in March 2024

Read: in Austria in April 2024

Details: 461 pages / published 2019 by Headline Publishing Group

Rating: 10/10

An Argumentation of Historians

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: The ninth book in The Chronicles of St Mary's series and while you'd think she'd run out of gripping ideas to keep this wild bunch of historians traipsing through space and time, she really doesn't and I find myself giggling and agreeing with practically everything she says, thank you very much. As with all her books, there are a few grammar errors I kept coming across which I guess happens once you're selling books faster than you can write them... but that's forgiven when the stories are so brilliant, and you learn more about history, while you're at it.

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: lent to me by my mother in Amsterdam, Netherlands in November 2023

Read: in Austria in April 2024

Details: 467 pages / published 2017 by Accent Press Ltd.

Rating: 10/10

The Reader on the 6.27

by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent / translated from French by Ros Schwartz

My thoughts: A beautifully written short story in which you read about things which are only explained and understood later on. Keeps you hanging on to every sentence. I read it it one evening in my hotel in snowy Liechtenstein. I loved most of it, what with it being about books and reading, but I felt that the way Guylain (the main character) delves into the private stories of Julie through her lost USB stick and goes so far as to share them with total strangers felt a bit borderline stalkish. Thankfully, she didn't see it that way, and it all ended up happily ever after. But ya know, it could have been weird. Otherwise, gorgeously written.

Location: Paris, France

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Hotel Turna in Malbun, Liechtenstein in March 2024

Read: in Liechtenstein in March 2024

Details: 194 pages / published 2015 by Mantle

Rating: 8/10

The Last Jump

by Elizabeth Benney

My thoughts: A poorly written autobiography of a woman who grew up in New Zealand but spent most of her life in the USA, with an obsession with horses. Self-absorbed and cringy. Could have been good, but sadly fell short.

Location: Massachusetts, USA, with trips to New Zealand, Antarctica, Dominican Republic and China

Found: purchased at Booklovers Secondhand Bookshop in Bangkok, Thailand in February 2024

Read: in Austria in March 2024

Details: 311 pages / published 2011 by Cape Catley Limited

Rating: 1/10

Lessons in Chemistry

by Bonnie Garmus

My thoughts: A brilliant, witty book. Following the professional life of Elizabeth Zott, a wickedly smart chemist in the 60s, who works hard to defy the odds of sexist stereotypes in a male-dominated world by empowering women through the art (or science?) of cooking. It was inspiring, empowering and insightful.

Location: California, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Cosy Bed Hostel in Bangkok, Thailand in February 2024

Read: in Thailand in February 2024

Details: 386 pages / published 2022 by Doubleday

Rating: 10/10

It Starts With Us

by Colleen Hoover

My thoughts: I didn't read the first book in the series, It Ends With Us, but one of my best friends Ina has, so she gave me a synopsis on a beach in Thailand to catch me up, before I then read this whole book in a single day. It was an easy read, but the contents were gripping and full of all the right amounts of heartache, bated breath and deep romance all the while tackling tough topics such as domestic violence, coparenting, substance abuse and homelessness. I can see why so many people are obsessed with Hoover's books!

Location: Massachusetts, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Sairee Cottage Resort on Ko Tao, Thailand in February 2024

Read: in Thailand in February 2024

Details: 320 pages / published 2022 by ATRIA Paperback

Rating: 10/10

The Christmas Invitation

by Trisha Ashley

My thoughts: Surprisingly unpredictable for a whimsy romance novel, but definitely a tad far-fetched. This book was a delightful and endearing read which kept me pleasantly occupied for a few hours while on the plane from Munich to Abu Dhabi. It was a far cry from any of the traditional Christmassy romance novels I’ve read, with plenty of sly twists and turns built in, but of course, all’s well that ends well.

Location: a remote village in the English countryside

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Sercotel Hotel in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria, Spain in February 2024

Read: on the plane from Munich, Germany to Abu Dhabi, UAE in February 2024

Details: 509 pages / published 2019 by Bantam Press

Rating: 9/10

The Christmas Castle in Scotland

by Julie Caplin

My thoughts: An easy, predictable type-of-book-you-read-on-holiday following Izzy and her many friends and family as she adjusts to being the new owner of a truly romantic fairytale castle in Scotland. She happens to be a brilliant chef, a wildly succesful and handsome author rents out some rooms, and it's just about the most kitschy feel-good Christmas book yet.

Location: Scotland

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in January 2024

Read: in the Canary Islands, Spain in January 2024

Details: 369 pages / published 2022 by HarperCollinsPublishers

Rating: 8/10

And the Rest is History

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: The eighth book in The Chronicles of St Mary's series and somehow, she keeps getting better. Granted, there's a few grammar errors I kept coming across which I guess happens once you're selling books faster than you can write them, but truly, the storyline kept me so gripped even eight books in, throwing all sorts of unexpected adventures, and plenty of history knowledge to boot.

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: lent to me by my mother in Amsterdam, Netherlands in November 2023

Read: on the plane from Germany to the Canary Islands, Spain in February 2024

Details: 432 pages / published 2016 by Accent Press Ltd.

Rating: 9/10

Everything is F*cked

by Mark Manson

My thoughts: Quite possibly one of the best books I've ever read. And I don't tend to read a lot of non-fiction. Manson hits the nail on the head with everything I believe about war, religion, science, hope, vaccinations, politics, love, pain, purpose, artificial intelligence and much more. A profound and rewarding read. Call it my bible.

Location: non-fiction

Found: borrowed from my boyfriend in Munich, Germany in January 2024

Read: in Austria and Germany in January 2024

Details: 273 pages / published 2019 by HarperCollins Publishers

Rating: 10/10

Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen

My thoughts: I loved this book. It was easy to read, so informative and insightful about the lost world of magical circuses, and heartwrenching in all the right places. The story follows Jacob at two stages of his life - when he is young and runs away from finishing his vet degree at Cornell and ends up joining the circus, and then when he is old and awaiting death in a retirement home. The whole thing is a precious reminder to do what we want with life, to not take ourselves too seriously and to fight what we believe in.

Location: the USA

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in July 2021

Read: in Austria and Germany in January 2024

Details: 418 pages / published 2011 by Two Roads

Rating: 9.5/10

Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World

by Jacqueline Novogratz

My thoughts: I don't read a lot of non-fiction, it's just not my genre. But a colleague of mine gifted me this book so I thought I'd give it a whirl. It took me a year and a half to get through. It was dense, and a lot of the book seemed to glorify the "us" vs "them" narrative of how we, privileged people, can help the "poor" which I felt uncomfortable with. There were definitely many nice inspirational quotes and interesting insights, but I struggled with this one. I think I'll go back to my fiction novels...!

Location: the world

Found: a gift from a colleague on a work trip in Brussels, Belgium in May 2022

Read: in Austria between August 2022 and January 2024

Details: 252 pages / published 2020 by Henry Holt and Company

Rating: 5/10

The Day We Meet Again

by Miranda Dickinson

My thoughts: Equally parts frustrating and beautiful, this was an easy read following two strangers who fall in love at a train station, only to go on their separate travels for a year, to see if their spark can stand the distance and time. It was in general a conveniently sappy romance novel with the world's most predictable ending, but there were some little gems reminding us of what we truly deserve.

Location: between England, Scotland, France and Italy

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Central House Hostel in Marrakech, Morocco in December 2023

Read: in Austria in January 2024

Details: 390 pages / published 2019 by HQ

Rating: 7/10

2023

The Cider House Rules

by John Irving

My thoughts: A long and slow read, that really forced me to soak in the story. This book follows the life of the orphan Homer Wells, from his upbringing at the orphanage in St. Cloud's, to him finding his way on an apple farm and meeting the love of his life and raising a son, to then finally following his destiny, which was truly meant to be all along. It was a fascinating read on how someone's entire world can exist between just two places, and how people struggle with their ethics of abortion, rape and abuse. A quiet, yet profound read.

Location: Maine, USA

Found: picked up from a free book stand in New Zealand in 2020

Read: in Austria, Morocco and Germany from August to December 2023

Details: 719 pages / published 1985 by Jonathan Cape Limited

Rating: 9/10

The Penguin Lessons

by Tom Michell

My thoughts: An easy read, but a heartwarming and tender one. Michell's memoir of his time spent in 70s Argentina as an English teacher at a boarding school, side-by-side with a penguin he rescued from a beach in Uruguay, reminds us, through the eyes of Juan Salvado, the simplicity of life, and the beauty of second chances.

Location: Argentina, with some forays into Uruguay and Peru

Found: lent to me by a fellow traveler on a group tour around Morocco in December 2023

Read: in Morocco in December 2023

Details: 217 pages / published 2015 by Michael Joseph

Rating: 9/10

The Memory Keeper's Daughter

by Kim Edwards

My thoughts: This exquisite and heartwrenching book follows two separate tales, starting with the birth of twins, and then we witness them both grow up separately, unknowingly, due to a secret that the father was trying to protect his family from. It's gorgeously written, the words dancing across the page and making the reader catch their breath with despair, emotion and heartache. It really reveals how we used to treat disabled people (this book is based in the 60s-80s), and how a loving home can enable even those less abled than others to flourish and thrive.

Location: the USA

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in September 2020

Read: in the UAE and Oman in May 2023

Details: 401 pages / published 2005 by Viking Penguin

Rating: 10/10

A Thousand Splendid Suns

by Khaled Hosseini

My thoughts: This is my second book by Hosseini and he has an absolute gift for telling exquisite and heartwrenching stories. A hard read, but a beautifully written one that looks at the shift of Afghanistan into the early 2000s, with a love story and the reality of everyday life for Afghans entwined that bring it all too harshly to life.

Location: Afghanistan

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in September 2022

Read: in Northern Ireland, England and Belgium in April 2023

Details: 324 pages / published 2007 by ATSS Publications

Rating: 10/10

Extraordinary Means

by Robyn Schneider

My thoughts: This is a book for young adults so it's a super easy read and I got through it in two days. It's an interesting premise where teens who are diagnosed with a rare form of TB are sent off to a special boarding school to rest and recover, and a love story is entwined throughout designed to make the teens reevaluate what is important in life. It was a tad predictable, but an interesting read, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic - and this book was written in 2015!

Location: Latham House, a boarding school somewhere in the USA for teens with tuberculosis

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium in October 2020

Read: in Belgium in February 2023

Details: 324 pages / published 2015 by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd

Rating: 7/10

Lies, Damned Lies, and History

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: The seventh book in Taylor's Chronicles of St Mary's series, this one was no less laughter-inducing and hair-raising than the rest with all sorts of things going wrong as the gang we have grown to love throughout the books causes chaos at various points throughout history. At some points I felt a bit lost, and a few things felt a bit thrown in for the heck of it, but I guess that's also part of why these books are so fun and addictingly easy to get through.

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: sent to me to borrow from my mother in February 2023

Read: in Czechia in February 2023

Details: 399 pages / published 2016 by Accent Press Ltd

Rating: 8/10

Where the Crawdads Sing

by Delia Owens

My thoughts: What an exquisite read. Recommended to me by three different people, I bought this book in anticipation last summer in Milan and with a series of flights coming up thought it'd be the perfect accompaniment. It was. Detailing the fragile and quiet life of Kya, a young girl growing up alone in the marshes of North Carolina, this book gracefully and softly broaches intense topics of abuse, growth and development, racism, love and murder. It loses half a rating for me because after a slowly developed and well-written book, the final few chapters post murder-trial felt rushed.

Location: North Carolina, USA

Found: purchased at Rizzoli Galleria in Milan, Italy in August 2022

Read: on three planes: from Zurich to Brussels, from Brussels to Frankfurt and from Frankfurt to Salzburg in January 2023

Details: 436 pages / published 2018 by Putnam

Rating: 10/10

2022

Committed

by Elizabeth Gilbert

My thoughts: By the same author who wrote Eat, Pray, Love is a book analysing the fascinating world of marriage. I loved the first half of the book and found it insightful, interesting and lovely, as she struggles to figure out if, when, why and how she should get married (for a second time, after a failed divorce, to another divorcee), but I had to push my way through the second half because it got a bit dry. In the end, a well researched and eye-opening read about the institution of marriage and why, in the end, we all crave a person to commit our lives to.

Location: the USA and Southeast Asia

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in September 2022

Read: in Austria from November 2022 to January 2023

Details: 338 pages / published 2010 by Penguin Group

Rating: 7/10

Shantaram

by Gregory David Roberts

My thoughts: This is one of the most exquisite books I've ever read. It is a travel account like none other I have ever come across - it is tense, astonishing, insightful and incredibly written, documenting Roberts' true story of escaping from prison in Australia and establishing a fascinating crime-ridden life in Bombay, India. It reminds us why we do what we do, why we are the way we are and most importantly, why we love.

Location: India, with a few trips across Africa and the Middle East

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Curiocity Hostel in Johannesburg, South Africa in December 2022

Read: in South Africa, Réunion and Mauritius in December 2022

Details: 936 pages / published 2003 by Scribe Publications

Rating: 10/10

The Interestings

by Meg Wolitzer

My thoughts: This book was hard to get into but then got - as the title says - incredibly interesting. It follows the lives of six friends who meet at summer camp in Massachusetts in 1974 through until their late adult lives, based mostly from the perspective of Jules Jacobson, the self-proclaimed outsider of the group. It's a brilliantly cultural analysis of the USA through the decades and what it means to be friends, to mature, to grow and to love. I read most of this book out loud to a friend as we drove across southern Africa and it passed the hours beautifully.

Location: New York and Massachusetts, USA with a few trips to Europe and Asia

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, Belgium in October 2020

Read: in Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa from November to December 2022

Details: 468 pages / published 2014 by Vintage Books

Rating: 8/10

Digging to America

by Anne Tyler

My thoughts: This funny little book takes two everyday American families and witnesses their normal lives sometimes together and sometimes apart as they each raise a little adopted daughter from Korea, celebrated annually with an Arrival Party. It's a simple, meaningful, heartwarming and funny story, and a lovely reminder of what it means to belong.

Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in June 2022

Read: in Namibia in November 2022

Details: 330 pages / published 2007 by Vintage Books

Rating: 8/10

The Savage My Kinsman

by Elisabeth Elliot

My thoughts: I am not in the slightest bit religious and found it quite frustrating to learn that these American Christian missionaries saw it as their duty to contact an untouched tribe deep in the Amazon Rainforest and bring them the word of God. Why can't we just leave people alone? This true story is Elisabeth's recounting of the year she lived with the Auca tribe in the Amazon, after they murdered five missionaries, one of whom was her husband. I find it so twisted that not only did those five men think it their duty to convert the Aucas but then that after her husband's death, she felt it her Godly duty to follow up on that mission. What I really did enjoy about this book was the fascinating account of like as an Auca; I just wish that religion had been left out of it.

Location: deep in the Amazon Rainforest of Ecuador

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in July 2022

Read: in Belgium in October 2022

Details: 149 pages / published 1961 by Servant Books

Rating: 6/10

Left Neglected

by Lisa Genova

My thoughts: This was an easy read but a powerful one all the same, following the time leading up to Sarah Nickerson's life-changing accident and the weeks and months following it. I related quite closely with the character Sarah - her overachieving, Type A, perfectionist, multi-tasking personality resonated - and this book explored how a brain injury can result a drastic set of changes in life, reminding us what's really important. While I didn't connect so deeply with the children Sarah has as I'm not sure I want my own kids, it did make me think about what would matter to me most if something so tragic occurred and, admittedly, I was moved to tears by the end.

Location: between Massachusetts and Vermont, USA

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in June 2022

Read: in Austria in October 2022

Details: 400 pages / published 2011 by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd

Rating: 8/10

Winter in Madrid

by C. J. Sansom

My thoughts: This incredibly detailed account of an Englishman returning to Madrid during the Second World War offers a rare glimpse of the Spanish perspective during this time, mixed up with love, spying, business, privacy, safety and the reality of the horrific times that the people had to suffer through. I learned a lot - it's not a country oft covered when discussing the Second World War - but did find it heavy and dense to get through.

Location: Spain

Found: purchased at a secondhand bookstore in Barcelona, Spain in May 2022

Read: in Türkiye from September to October 2022

Details: 530 pages / published 2006 by Macmillan

Rating: 7/10

Queenie

by Candice Carty-Williams

My thoughts: This book was a meaningful gift from a colleague who I really love and appreciate. The story follows Queenie, a Jamaican-Brit who has recently gone through a miserable break(up) and is navigating post-break-up life, including what that means as a black woman in London and what trauma from her childhood is impacting her response and ability to move on. I found myself in tears at some point, only because I could relate to her struggles of feeling like she was impossible to love and people only were interested in her for a short while for her looks and initial attraction but never found a longetivity. A very moving and powerfully written book that really analyzes the struggles of relationships and racism in the digital era.

Location: England

Found: a gift from a colleague at a work event in Istanbul, Türkiye in October 2022

Read: in Türkiye in October 2022

Details: 387 pages / published 2019 by Trapeze

Rating: 8/10

Invisible Cities

by Italo Calvino / translated from Italian by William Weaver

My thoughts: This book was recommended to me by someone. Though he claims to tell tales of fantastical cities he has visited, Marco Polo's stories of his travels for the Emperor Kublai Khan are actually all of the city of Venice. Within these tales, he demonstrates an immense capacity to use these fifty or so made up cities to explain memory, desire, sign, thin, trading, eyes, names, dead, sky, continuous and hidden. While many of the tales are quite dense and require a high level of intentional thought, I really appreciated the way they made me think and the clever way in which a city could bring clarity to a feeling.

Location: many made up cities, but all describing the city of Venice, Italy

Found: purchased at Rizzoli Galleria in Milan, Italy in August 2022

Read: in Italy in August 2022

Details: 148 pages / translated into English and published 1974 by Secker & Warburg

Rating: 7/10

Memoirs of a Geisha

by Arthur Golden

My thoughts: This book was completely hypnotic. Although dense, rich and intense, I finished it in a few days because I found myself constantly drawn to it, desperate to spend all my spare time getting through a few more pages; it's been a while since I felt this way about a book. I once performed an award-winning solo dance to a song from the film's soundtrack in my youth, so perhaps felt a personal connection, but I was utterly entranced by the care, caution and details that the author endeavoured to share with us. Absolutely brilliant. A book everyone should read.

Location: mostly Gion geisha district in Kyoto, Japan

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in July 2022

Read: in Austria in August 2022

Details: 428 pages / published 1997 by Vintage Books

Rating: 10/10

The Bookshop on the Corner

by Jenny Colgan

My thoughts: A very easy read (I did it on one flight) and quite a predictable one too, but a feel good book about Nina who leaves her job in Birmingham for the wild and free Scotland, finding both her purpose and love. A happy book with a happy ending.

Location: between Birmingham, England and Kirrinfief, Scotland

Found: lent to me by my mother in Salzburg, Austria in July 2022

Read: on the plane from Ecuador to Austria in August 2022

Details: 332 pages / published 2016 by HarperCollins Publishers

Rating: 8/10

People of the Book

by Geraldine Brooks

My thoughts: An exceptionally well-researched and thorough documentation (partially fiction, inspired by the true story) of the Sarajevo Haggadah and its incredible journey around the world through history. Although sometimes quite dense and hard to follow the two intertwining storylines of past and present, the detail and writing style was beautiful.

Location: between Australia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Austria and the USA in present day, and across Europe in history

Found: lent to me by my mother in Salzburg, Austria in July 2022

Read: started in Austria in July 2022 and finished in Ecuador in August 2022

Details: 368 pages / published 2008 by Viking

Rating: 8/10

No Time Like the Past

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: This was the fifth book in Jodi Taylor's The Chronicles of St Mary's which are an easy and joyful read of time traveling historians making their way through history to document and discover the truth about what really went on however many of hundreds of years. She always manages to combine historical learning with a twist of excitement, drama, love and adventure which makes this just a really fun and intriguigng series. Predomiantely based at Thermopylae and documenting the Spartans' dramatic loss there, this was no less intense than the previous ones and I'm itching for the next one!

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: lent to me by my mother in San Francisco, California, USA in January 2022

Read: in Austria in July 2022

Details: 376 pages / published 2019 by Headline Publishing Group

Rating: 9/10

A Place of Stones

by Deirdre Purcell

My thoughts: Part I was really wonderful and intriguing - a baby is the sole survivor of a flight from the USA to Europe, and she washes ashore on a small island in Ireland landing, by fate, on the beach where a man who has just lost his baby daughter. She is raised as an Irish girl, never knowing her history, and blossoms into a beautiful young actress. This growing up section was a lovely read and laid the foundation for an intriguing discovery of her past. However part II turns into a weird incest love story where she ends up marrying her real long lost brother and, once a reporter helps her discover the truth of her past, she falls in love with her adoptive brother. It's all weird and to be honest, I skimmed part II and didn't enjoy it much.

Location: Ireland, England and Chicago, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Pars Tailor's Hostel in Barcelona, Spain in May 2022

Read: in Austria in June 2022

Details: 476 pages / published 1991 by Town House and Country House

Rating: 4/10

California

by Edan Lepucki

My thoughts: A frightenly realistic approach to a post-apocalyptic world based in California in the 2050s that feels eerily all possible. Civilisation has collapsed as we know it thanks to overconsumption, greed and climate change - this is a brilliant look at what our world may look like if we continue down our current path.

Location: California, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Pars Tailor's Hostel in Barcelona, Spain in May 2022

Read: in Spain in May 2022

Details: 389 pages / published 2014 by Little, Brown and Company

Rating: 8/10

The Time in Between

by María Dueñas / translated from Spanish by Daniel Hahn

My thoughts: An exceptionally thoughtful, deep and provoking book, following the incredible life of Sira Quiroga from her humble beginnings in Madrid, learning the art of dressmaking, and then her life through the Spanish Civil War and the Second World War as she navigates love, loss and exceptional independence across Morocco, returning to a much-changed Spain later on in life. An absolutely exquisite read, understanding much more about life in Spain during these tumultuous war times.

Location: Spain, Morocco and Portugal

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Pars Tailor's Hostel in Barcelona, Spain in May 2022

Read: in Spain and Belgium in May 2022

Details: 609 pages / translated into English and published 2011 by Atria Paperback

Rating: 10/10

The Da Vinci Code

by Dan Brown

My thoughts: After having heard about this modern classic book for years, very coincidentally chancing upon a copy in a secondhand bookshop in Valencia which is where the actual Holy Grail apparently resides - I've seen it! - I devoured this book. A long and mysterious read that uproots practically every claim by the Christian church ever through a fascinating use of symbols and riddles in an attempt to solve high profile murders and find the Holy Grail, the entire book spans just 24 hours; the most intense ones you'll probably ever follow. The only thing I didn't like was that it was all a bit...conveniently easy to solve.

Location: mostly Paris, France, with a trip to London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland

Found: purchased at Re-Read Librería Lowcost in Valencia, Spain in April 2022

Read: in Spain in April 2022

Details: 593 pages / published 2003 by Bantam Press

Rating: 9/10

Closed Circle

by Robert Goddard

My thoughts: A mystery novel set in the 30s that follows Max and Guy, two con-men from England, returning after a long stint abroad in the USA and facing their most confusing and entangled situation yet. I can honestly say I was completely surprised by every page, and even though it's not my typical read, the delicacy and careful way in which Goddard has crafted this tale kept me hooked. His writing is spectactular in this book.

Location: mostly around the England with trips to Dublin, Ireland and Venice, Italy in between

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in September 2021

Read: in Spain in April 2022

Details: 428 pages / published 1993 by Bantam Press

Rating: 9/10

The Painter's Apprentice

by Charlotte Betts

My thoughts: A fun and romantic read that gave an interesting historical insight into 1600s London about two decades after the Great Fire. I found the writing to be quite fast-paced and it scrambled over moments that could have been teased out with more care, and there was a great deal more telling than showing which I felt disingenuous. I did enjoy the storyline, but it was certainly one of those books where everything always turns out well in the end.

Location: between the countryside and London, England, with a few characters in Virginia, USA

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in August 2021

Read: in Spain in April 2022

Details: 387 pages / published 2012 by Piatkus

Rating: 6/10

Prep

by Curtis Sittenfeld

My thoughts: Something I picked up on a whim because it was one of the few English books at the free book exchange turned out to be an addicting and thoroughly enjoyable read, following Lee Fiora through her four awkward, honest, insightful, funny, emotional years at a boarding school near Boston.

Location: between Indiana and Massachusetts, USA

Found: picked up from a free book exchange in Salzburg, Austria in February 2022

Read: in Spain in March 2022

Details: 403 pages / published 2005 by Random House

Rating: 9 /10

The Other Hand

by Chris Cleave

My thoughts: An absolutely exquisite and heart-wrenching read of Little Bee, a refugee from Nigeria, and her gut-wrenching story of escaping to England, spending two years in a detention centre and re-meeting the British couple who changed her life. Vividly real.

Location: between Nigeria and England

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in August 2021

Read: in Spain in March 2022

Details: 374 pages / published 2008 by Sceptre

Rating: 10/10

A Trail Through Time

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: The fourth booking in the Chronicles of St Mary's series and honestly, I don't know how she does it but the storyline is always fresh, thrilling, exciting and I speed through these books with pleasure. This one was gut-wrenching and epic. Can't wait for the next one.

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: lent to me by my mother in San Francisco, California, USA in January 2022

Read: in Austria in February 2022

Details: 383 pages / published 2015 by Accent Press Ltd.

Rating: 10/10

Daughter of China

by Meihong Xu and Larry Engelmann

My thoughts: A heart-wrenching true story of what it was like to grow up in China in the 60s and 70s and the very real perspective of what it meant to be controlled, watched and manipulated. The dramatic love story and escape from China at the end felt rushed, which in a way worked to add to the painful and rushing sense of finality after a long and twisted life. An intense read that I strongly recommend.

Location: China

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in July 2021

Read: in Austria in January 2022

Details: 371 pages / published 1999 by Headline Book Publishing

Rating: 9/10

Redhead by the Side of the Road

by Anne Tyler

My thoughts: More of a short story than a novel, this was a super quick yet intense read about Micah, a very non-distinct character who lives his life in a structured and amiable way, allowing things to happen to him than pursuing them, until a sudden shift finally kicks his life into gear. I enjoyed the read, but felt that right at the end it really got good and interesting and that the story was only just getting started!

Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Found: a gift from a colleague whilst living in Belgium in August 2021

Read: in Austria in January 2022

Details: 178 pages / published 2020 by Vintage Books

Rating: 7/10

Under the Wide and Starry Sky

by Nancy Horan

My thoughts: I genuinely loved this book. Telling the story of the life of Fanny Osbourne who captured Robert Louis Stevenson's heart and became his life partner and wife, this epic journey takes them around the world in the late 1800s through all of Louis' illnesses and trials and tribulations as they make their way through life as artists. They settle finally in Samoa which is where to this day their house still stands, and the piece on the hike up the mountain at the top of which they bury Louis' moved me to tears, as I have hiked that mountain and visited his grave myself. A wonderful look at what it was like to make one's way in the world and travel non-stop in pursuit of health and of inspiration.

Location: the USA, Belgium, France, Scotland, England, Swizterland, Australia and the many islands of the South Pacific - most notably Samoa

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in September 2020

Read: in Austria in January 2022

Details: 467 pages / published 2014 by Random House LLC

Rating: 10/10

A Second Chance

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: This is the third in the Chronicles of St. Mary's series which follows a set of tea-soaked historians through time as they seek to document important events in history. They're an easy read (I read this in one sitting on New Year's Day), hilarious, educational and truly enjoyable - but I did feel that this one was the darkest of the lot so far to get through with its vivid descriptions of the Battle of Troy and I despised the ending only because I feel totally stuck in limbo and MUST read the next book... immediately!

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: sent to me to borrow from my mother in September 2021

Read: in the USA in January 2022

Details: 382 pages / published 2014 by Accent Press Ltd.

Rating: 9/10

2021

Capital

by John Lanchester

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this intricate book. Set on a posh street in London, the book follows the many characters of Pepys Road all living their own intricate lives, yet all somehow intrinsically and somewhat sinisterly linked. Each of the characters develops really well throughout the book, all going through hugely significant transformations. Really well written and a fun take on typical London life, which I hugely appreciated as an ex-Londoner myself.

Location: London, England

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in August 2021

Read: in Austria and the USA in December 2021

Details: 577 pages / published 2012 by Faber and Faber Ltd.

Rating: 9/10

The Luberon Garden

by Alex Dingwall-Main

My thoughts: The visuals in this book are exquisite. The author has a real knack for beautiful writing. However, the book was quite littered with mistakes (both grammatically but also in repeating sections in a manner that seemed he had forgotten he had already written about it) and while the various tales told were so lovingly told, they kind of all came together in a mishmash at the end. I did learn a lot about the intricacies of gardening, and truly the writing was delicious and had a witty sense of humour I really appreciated.

Location: Provence, France

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Santa Maria Hostel in Funchal, Madeira in October 2021

Read: in Portugal and on the plane to Germany in December 2021

Details: 317 pages / published 2001 by Ebury Press

Rating: 7/10

Out of the Sun

by Robert Goddard

My thoughts: I don't read a lot of mysteries, so I was pleasantly surprised by how this one kept me captivated all throughout Harry's misadventures across England and the USA trying to solve a most intricate case surrounding a son he never knew he had. Personally, the ending was really dissatisfying, and almost cringe-worthy, but the tumultous twists of the plot had me interested just the same.

Location: England, a trip to Copenhagen, Denmark and a few states across the USA

Found: picked up from a free book stand in Salzburg, Austria in September 2021

Read: in Portugal in November 2021

Details: 411 pages / published 1996 by Bantam Press

Rating: 7/10

A Symphony of Echoes

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: The second in the Chronicles of St. Mary's series - I read the first book last year - this one was much more enjoyable as we revisited some of the lovable and hilarious characters from the first book. I was hooked all the way through and read it in two sittings. An easy read, as they tumult through history, wreaking havoc yet somehow saving the day wherever they landed.

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: sent to me to borrow from my mother in September 2021

Read: in Portugal in October 2021

Details: 364 pages / published 2013 by Accent Press Ltd.

Rating: 10/10

Sing You Home

by Jodi Picoult

My thoughts: Coming from someone who doesn't want children, it was a highly interesting read to understand struggling with infertility and working your way through the complex emotions of wanting a child and the lengths you are willing to go to get there. A thoughtful, insightful and well-written look into what it can be like living as a lesbian couple dreaming of raising a family.

Location: Rhode Island, USA

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in August 2021

Read: in Belgium and Portugal from September to October 2021

Details: 460 pages / published 2011 by Atria Books

Rating: 8/10

The Miniaturist

by Jessie Burton

My thoughts: It's been a while since I read I book I actually felt drawn into and didn't want to put down! Perhaps it's personal connection with the Meermans (!!) that show up as key characters, or the intricacies and mysteries of the miniature house that seems to prophesize the future, but I very much enjoyed this book. It's heart-breaking, while a fascinating look at life in Amsterdam in the 1600s at the height of the VOC with a touch of magic running through.

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in July 2021

Read: in Belgium in August 2021

Details: 424 pages / published 2014 by Picador

Rating: 9/10

The Ballad of Lee Cotton

by Christopher Wilson

My thoughts: This book is hard to get into, but then leads us on a pretty wild tale of a white-skinned black boy, who, after a severe accident, ends up a white boy, then after another accident, ends up a white woman, then after a condition, ends up a black woman... and it's all a bit confusing in the end. Not entirely plausible, but an interesting read all the same about discovering your sense of identity. It's quite detailed in the descriptions of intimacy and of violence.

Location: Mississippi, Nevada and California, USA

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in October 2020

Read: in Germany in July 2021

Details: 307 pages / published 2005 by Little Brown

Rating: 6/10

A Pound of Paper

by John Baxter

My thoughts: A self-proclaimed confessions of a book addict, this book starts out as a highly entertaining and sarcastic read of the book-hunting obsession that the writer and many others of the era found themselves entranced with. It gets tedious and dry as he lists out title after title and author after author (most of whom I'd never heard of) that he book-hunted around the world. Overall it was an interesting journey into the history of the trade of rare book buying and selling, starting in Australia's outback in the 50s, traversing the globe, analyzing the role e-Bay and the internet had to play in it all and ending in Paris, writing this autobiography.

Location: Australia, England, the USA and France

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in March 2021

Read: in Belgium in June 2021

Details: 289 pages / published 2002 by Doubleday

Rating: 6/10

The Very Thought of You

by Rosie Alison

My thoughts: An intricately written book detailing the life of Anna Sands, a young evacuee from London sent to live at a great estate in the countryside during the height of World War II. Tying together the many stories of her father at war in Egypt, her mother at work in London, and the various lives and relationships she witnesses during her time away, this book provides an endearing look into what it was like to be a child evacuee during war times. The romance that seemed to be a key characteristic for every character at times felt forced and unrealistic, but I felt for Anna throughout and enjoyed the writing style.

Location: England

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in March 2021

Read: in Belgium in May 2021

Details: 306 pages / published 2010 by Alma Books Limited

Rating: 7/10

A Life on Our Planet

by David Attenborough

My thoughts: Quite possibly the most heart-wrenching, raw and real explanation of our world, what we've done to it and how to save it, all written in such clear and understandable language. Attenborough is one of my heroes and I try to live his words every day. A must read for everyone.

Location: the world

Found: sent to me as a gift by my mother whilst living in Belgium in December 2020

Read: in Belgium in May 2021

Details: 221 pages / published 2020 by Witness Books

Rating: 10/10

Every Man for Himself

by Beryl Bainbridge

My thoughts: Although at some times, hard to follow and understand every detail that connects J. P. Morgan Jr., from who's perspective this story is told, with the other characters, I found this book achingly moving and desperate in its recounting of the harrowing tale of the Titanic. No matter how many books I read of the great ocean liner, the story never gets easier to process and I read each book with fascination and care. Bainbridge has written an exquisite and vivid account of the doomed maiden voyage of the world's most famous ship.

Location: the Atlantic Ocean

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in March 2021

Read: in Belgium in April 2021

Details: 214 pages / published 1996 by Gerald Duckworth & Co. Ltd.

Rating: 9/10

Out of Africa

by Karen Blixen

My thoughts: This book may just be one of the most beautifully written books I have yet read. You can feel in every word the respect, admiration and longing the author has for Africa, where she lived on a coffee farm in what is now Kenya. Each page painted vivid images, brought to life the sounds and smells of the land and was underlaid with a steady beating of love of the land.

Location: British East Africa (present-day Kenya)

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in March 2021

Read: in Belgium in April 2021

Details: 330 pages / published 1937 by Penguin Books

Rating: 10/10

Nights of Rain and Stars

by Maeve Binchy

My thoughts: This book is set in a tiny town in Greece where four travelers' paths cross, each of them trying to figure out their lives. A woman in the village, Vonni, is the unifying thread that helps each of them see what they should do. It is way too simply written - everything falls into place so easily and in such a straightforward order. Unfortunately, I found this book boring and dull; all I'd suggest it for is an easy summer read on the beach where you don't want to be too focused. I also was frustrated that the answer to everyone's problem was to cut their long-term travels short and just go home... not what the traveler in me would say!

Location: Greece

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Ngahinapouri, New Zealand in July 2020

Read: in Belgium in February 2021

Details: 392 pages / published 2004 by Orion

Rating: 3/10

The Blind Man's Garden

by Nadeem Aslam

My thoughts: This book was set predominantly in Pakistan right after 9/11 occurred in the United States and, although a fictitious tale, much of the tale is rooted in truth. The story follows two brothers and their families and the ways they cope - whether going to Afghanistan to fight, being held as POWs, being held hostage. Unfortunately, while the topics were fascinating, I found the writing was really hard to get into. In fact, I had to force myself to get through the book, constantly hoping it would get better and easier and more interesting. This book just didn't work for me.

Location: Pakistan and briefly Afghanistan

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in October 2020

Read: in Belgium in January 2021

Details: 462 pages / published 2013 by Faber and Faber Limited

Rating: 3/10

Mobile Library

by David Whitehouse

My thoughts: I picked this book up because it sounded like a whimsical read, entwining my love of books with my love of far flung travel and adventure. It was quietly shocking - touching on events such as child abuse, kidnapping, death, mental illness... and beautifully written, at that. A tough concept to tackle, but delicately shared in a manner that showed versus told, allowing the reader to imagine for himself what events may unfold.

Location: England and briefly Scotland

Found: purchased at Bouquinerie Thomas in Brussels, Belgium in October 2020

Read: in Belgium in January 2021

Details: 273 pages / published 2015 by Picador

Rating: 8/10

2020

The Light in Hidden Places

by Sharon Cameron

My thoughts: This book was quite possibly one of the best books on the Second World War I've ever read, following the story of Stefania (Stefi) Podgórska and her younger sister Helena during the Nazi occupation of Poland and the nearly two years that they hid Jews in their attic. I was captivated by every word, and felt the angst, desperation, devastation and unimaginable hurt through it all. Absolutely spectacular.

Location: Przemsyl, Poland

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Kuripuni, New Zealand in August 2020

Read: in Belgium in December 2020

Details: 390 pages / published 2020 by Ebury Press and Scholastic Press

Rating: 10/10

Just One Damned Thing After Another

by Jodi Taylor

My thoughts: This book was an easy read, the first in The Chronicles of St Mary's series. However surface-level the vocabulary and however quickly subjects and backstories were skimmed across, the plot line and ideas and occurrences were continually unexpected and fun to read about. The storyline was exciting and, without bothering to get into the technical details of how everything actually manages to happen since it's clearly irrelevant and clearly quite normal and expected and possible to the staff of St Mary's, I enjoyed this book for a lighthearted, interesting and funny read. I look forward to the continuing mishaps in the next book of the series.

Location: mostly at St Mary's Institute of Historical Research near Rushford, England, along with locations across the globe at various points in history

Found: sent to me as a gift by my mother whilst living in Belgium in December 2020

Read: in Belgium in December 2020

Details: 394 pages / published 2013 by Accent Press Ltd.

Rating: 9/10

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China

by Jung Chang

My thoughts: It's been many years since it took me this long to finish a book. This falls entirely to the fact that it was dense, vivid, important, deep, moving and mesmerizing and I wanted to read every word with focus and care. Jung's personal account of China's history, spanning nearly a century, is tumultuous, intense and at times hard to believe and absorb. It was impeccably written, opening so much of a hidden past and uncovering so many secrets. Absolutely riveting.

Location: China

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library on Renall Street, Masterton, New Zealand in July 2020

Read: in Belgium from October to November 2020

Details: 676 pages / published 1991 by Harper Collins Publishers

Rating: 10/10

Forget Me Not

by Sue Lawson

My thoughts: I've read a lot of books about the Titantic and am enraptured by every story I come across, but this one wasn't as great as the rest. The story follows the fictional Gilmore and Worthington families from Southampton, England, on their second class journey aboard the Titanic and ultimately, it was just too easy to read and over-the-top cheesy. I think it's catered towards a younger audience who perhaps doesn't know much about Titanic's story yet. There were even typos about the timeline of Titanic's sinking, which, truth be told, irked me.

Location: the Atlantic Ocean

Found: purchased at Masterton Hospice Shop in Masterton, New Zealand in July 2020

Read: in Belgium in September 2020

Details: 232 pages / published 2012 by Black Dog Books

Rating: 5/10

The Flight of Gemma Hardy

by Margot Livesey

My thoughts: This book follows the wandering life of Gemma in post-Second World War Scotland and Iceland who, as a result of deaths and losses, ends up at various schools, homes and live-in jobs around the country. Along the way, we learn about her upbringing, her roots, her fears and her strengths and the way she always manages to land on her feet. I really enjoyed this book, but didn't like Mr. Sinclair, nor the deflated ending. The rest was captivating.

Location: Scotland and Iceland

Found: purchased at Rotorua Hospice Shop in Rotorua, New Zealand in July 2020

Read: in Belgium in September 2020

Details: 443 pages / published 2012 by Harper Collins Publishers

Rating: 8/10

Echoes

by Maeve Binchy

My thoughts: This book was simple, breathtaking, beautifully written, moving and lovely. The story follows the lives of three young Irish children growing up in the 50s and into their early twenties in the 60s. I felt each painful moment, each celebration, each challenge and each highlight as it was carried out, and was brought to tears in the end. It was a wonderful book.

Location: Ireland

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Masterton, New Zealand in July 2020

Read: in New Zealand in September 2020

Details: 555 pages / published 1985 by Century Publishing Co.

Rating: 9/10

The Seafront Tea Room

by Vanessa Greene

My thoughts: A simple, warm book about a handful of characters who become fast friends over their shared love of tea. All their problems were solved within a few pages, there was no thought-provoking content, it was a bit repetitive and all highly predictable. Having said that, it was a a nice, easy read to get lost in for a few hours.

Location: England

Found: purchased at Whangaparaoa Library in New Zealand in July 2020

Read: in New Zealand in August 2020

Details: 340 pages / published 2014 by Penguin Random House

Rating: 5/10

Granny Dan

by Danielle Steel

My thoughts: I was so excited to read about ballet, my first true love, especially a story set in Russia during the early 1900s. Unfortunately, this novel was way over the top for me with romance, painting ballet as a prison that destroys the lives of young girls by damaging their health and sanity, and preventing from reaching their true potential as women - which is supposedly to be hopelessly in love with men. Danina, the main character, was pathetic; simultaneously the greatest ballerina of her time and also the love interest of a much older (and married) man, who tried everything he could to convince her to quit the ballet and who, in the end, chose his job over her anyway. A disappointing read which I couldn't end fast enough.

Location: Russia

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Kuripuni, New Zealand in July 2020

Read: in New Zealand in August 2020

Details: 223 pages / published 1999 by Bantam Press

Rating: 2/10

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky

My thoughts: A very honest and intimate coming-of-age story written through letters by Charlie, who is navigating his first year of high school, a whirlwind of an experience. Love, sex, relationships, family drama, abuse, depression, sexuality - it's a short book covering plenty of intense topics. Some parts felt irrelevant and some could have been explored further. I think it tried to do everything and it was too much.

Location: the USA

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Schnapper Rocks, New Zealand in July 2020

Read: in New Zealand in August 2020

Details: 231 pages / published 1999 by Pocket Books

Rating: 6/10

The Zahir

by Paulo Coelho / translated from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa

My thoughts: I think Coelho's writing is exceptional. His way of explaining things is unparalleled. This book - one that provokes thoughts of travel, truth, discovery, friendship and writing - is ultimately a book about what it means to love and be loved and what it takes to preserve that. A couple of things I didn't like: the whole spirituality thing was pretty overdone; the ending was disappointing following an intense journey of uncertainty only to have the woman fall (dare I say) hopelessly into the man's arms; and, if read as a fictional auto-biography, it becomes pretty self-centred with the significant amount of time spent reminding readers that he's an incredible writer.

Location: France and Kazakhstan

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Westmere, New Zealand in July 2020

Read: in New Zealand in July 2020

Details: 339 pages / translated into English and published 2005 by Harper Collins Publishers

Rating: 8/10

Ache

by Eliza Henry Jones

My thoughts: This was a beautiful, gentle book. It was slow and steady, analyzing a small moment in time in careful detail, hanging on to every breath, thought, whisper. For someone who has never had a physical feeling of "home," this was a wonderful insight into a woman's true home and the power that it holds for her and her family.

Location: Australia

Found: purchased at Masterton Hospice Shop in Masterton, New Zealand in May 2020

Read: in New Zealand in July 2020

Details: 261 pages / published 2017 by Harper Collins Publishers

Rating: 8/10

Trek

by Paul Stewart

My thoughts: The incredible (mostly) true story of four "balmy Brits" who attempt to drive from Kenya to London, England through the Sahara in 1955. If that sentence in itself doesn't already conjure up images of adventure, thrill, fear and disbelief, then let the story draw you in and carry you on a journey through a most respectfully and well-researched telling of this dramatic expedition. The book is compiled based on a collection of cine-films, Box camera photographs, journals and conversations. This is travel at its finest and a spectacular read.

Location: Africa, starting in Kenya and traveling through various then-colonies to the Sahara

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Ngarimu Bay, New Zealand in June 2020

Read: in New Zealand in July 2020

Details: 336 pages / published 1991 by Jonathan Cape

Rating: 10/10

The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

My thoughts: This book will hold a special spot on my bookshelf for years to come. Hosseini is a powerful author; this is Afghanistan in a whole new light. Unimaginable scenarios become vivid realities in this tale that crosses both continents and generations.

Location: based primarily in Afghanistan with travels to Pakistan and San Francisco, USA

Found: purchased at Urban Ore in Rotorua, New Zealand in June 2020

Read: in New Zealand in July 2020

Details: 324 pages / published 2003 by Bloomsbury

Rating: 10/10

The Long Song

by Andrea Levy

My thoughts: What a poignant and raw, yet humorous and fascinating, book. Written as a rare and refreshingly non-white narrative, this book is about the end of slavery in Jamaica and the early years of freedom that followed. This was an eye-opening read and I feel privileged to have been educated on this topic by such a delightful and talented author.

Location: Jamaica

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Ngarimu Bay, New Zealand in June 2020

Read: in New Zealand in June 2020

Details: 398 pages / published 2010 by Headline Publishing Group

Rating: 9/10

The Good Mayor

by Andrew Nicoll

My thoughts: This book is totally not what it seems. An innocent love story ends up getting entangled in all sorts of strange events - some dark (including some that touch on domestic abuse; tough), some endearing, some heart-breaking, some like a breath of fresh air. Not what I expected when I picked this one up and while the story itself was a pleasure to read, the ending was not quite what I had hoped for.

Location: the town of Dot in an unidentified Baltic state

Found: picked up from a free book exchange in Greytown, New Zealand in May 2020

Read: in New Zealand in June 2020

Details: 465 pages / published 2008 by Black & White Publishing Ltd.

Rating: 6/10

The Elegance of the Hedgehog

by Muriel Barbery / translated from French by Alison Anderson

My thoughts: This was a surprisingly tough book. Like, really, really complex word choices and long elaborate sentences. The book follows the concierge of a fancy French apartment block who has decided to hide her teeming intellect but is eventually uncovered by a wealthy Japanese man who inhabits one of the apartments. It spends a lot of time discussing very lofty ideas, although when the actual story line was discussed, I enjoyed it.

Location: Paris, France

Found: purchased at Minton Booklovers in Napier, New Zealand in June 2020

Read: in New Zealand in June 2020

Details: 320 pages / published 2006 by Éditions Gallimard, Paris / translated into English and published 2008 by Gallic Books

Rating: 5/10

Middlesex

by Jeffrey Eugenides

My thoughts: Wow. This Pulitzer Prize-winning book is incredible. The vast scope of the topics and geography covered is spectacular. The depth, the originality, the thought-provoking conversations, the manner in which it was written... I could go on and on. The story is ultimately centred on Cal, born a girl but who grows up into a man, yet also narrates the life of a Greek immigrant family to the USA. I was never once confused in this enthralling tale, rather, I was gripped by every word and fascinated by the life and tales Eugenides has written about.

Location: first Greece then Detroit, Michigan, USA and then Germany

Found: given to me by a friend in Carterton, New Zealand in May 2020

Read: in New Zealand in June 2020

Details: 529 pages / published 2002 by Bloomsbury Publishing

Rating: 10/10

Change of Heart

by Charlotte Bingham

My thoughts: When I spotted this on the bookshelf in our borrowed flat in Carterton, I was excited, having loved Bingham's The White Marriage. I was disappointed. Written in four parts about a prodigious child violinist, the only part I enjoyed was the second detailing Fleur's life. I found the first part creepy and hard to get in to, the third over-sappy and the final completely baffling, resulting in me feeling like I hardly understood what I had read at all. Interestingly, a similar review online also added they only buy Bingham's books secondhand as you never know what you're going to get - you may love one of her works and despise another. The sentiment rings true here.

Location: England

Found: borrowed from friends in Carterton, New Zealand in May 2020

Read: in New Zealand in May 2020

Details: 627 pages / published 1994 by Doubleday

Rating: 4/10

The Lost Continent

by Bill Bryson

My thoughts: I felt overall that Bryson despised his experience, driving from state to state through towns he hated, feeling each one to be poorer and more miserable than the last. He crossed some 34 states in under two months, spending less than a day in most places, even sometimes skipping major national parks because, well, he just couldn't be bothered. I think going with the expectation of disappointment does not put one in the right mindset to enjoy what makes the USA truly beautiful. Frankly, if anything, this book makes me want to get in my car and do this road trip - but properly.

Location: 34 states across the USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Marion Hostel in Wellington, New Zealand in January 2020

Read: in New Zealand in May 2020

Details: 293 pages / published 1989 by Martin Secker & Warburg Limited

Rating: 2/10

The Summer Garden

by Paullina Simons

My thoughts: This was a massive book, not only in size but also in scope. Covering years and miles, I adored some parts and despised others. It's the final book of the trilogy that follows the love story of Tatiana and Alexander which began in The Bronze Horseman (review below) and provides a highly detailed look into their life in the USA after their struggles through the Soviet Union. It's dark, it's hard, it's panic-inducing and it's frustrating yet it's also fresh, pleasant and fulfilling - the success story of the true American dream.

Location: the USA and Vietnam, with flashbacks to the Soviet Union

Found: purchased at St Vincent de Paul Op Shop in Petone, New Zealand in February 2020

Read: in New Zealand in April 2020

Details: 839 pages / published 2005 by Harper Collins

Rating: 6/10

The White Marriage

by Charlotte Bingham

My thoughts: This book was delicious. Based in darling England just after the Second World War between quaint Rushington of cottages and simplicty and bustling London of wealth and high society, we follow delightful young Sunny as she finds her place and, alongside, you find yourself within it. Besides, any book that references (frequently!) Enid Blyton and her Famous Five series is a winner to me!

Location: England

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at Dave Parker Eco Lodge on Upolu, Samoa in March 2020

Read: in New Zealand in April 2020

Details: 479 pages / published 2006 by Bantam Press

Rating: 8/10

Trip of a Lifetime

by Liz Byrski

My thoughts: A wonderfully realistic insight into family and work life on Australia's sunny east coast. A bit of love, a dabbling of crime, a healthy dosage of family and a leaves-a-sour-taste-in-your-mouth relationship or two - this book made me cry, cringe and laugh. Refreshing, realistic and honest.

Location: Australia

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at The Savaiian Hotel on Savai'i, Samoa in March 2020

Read: in Samoa in March 2020

Details: 343 pages / published 2008 by Pan Macmillan Australia

Rating: 7/10

Seed

by Lisa Heathfield

My thoughts: This book is an equally uncomfortable and enthralling read into life at Seed where Nature guides all actions through Papa S, their idolized leader. This book, written in the simple manner you would expect from a cult-raised 15-year-old, provides an insight into the mentality behind a cult and makes your skin crawl with disgust. It's creepy and intensely insightful all at the same time.

Location: the USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at Olivia's Accommodation in Apia, Samoa in March 2020

Read: in Samoa in March 2020

Details: 331 pages / published 2015 by Electric Monkey

Rating: 8/10

The Pact

by Jodi Picoult

My thoughts: This book gripped my heart. Picoult's books are exquisitely researched, succinctly written in a manner that holds you on the edge of your seat and heart-wrenching in their choice of topics. Suicide is a tough one to tackle, especially when trying to understand why, when and how, after the fact. Absolutely brilliant - and one that has heavied my heart for its honesty and rawness.

Location: the USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Marion Hostel in Wellington, New Zealand in January 2020

Read: in New Zealand in February 2020

Details: 451 pages / published 1998 by William Morrow and Company Inc.

Rating: 9/10

A Walk in the Woods

by Bill Bryson

My thoughts: Perhaps the finest book about hiking I've ever come across. Written in Bryson's well-known humorous tone, with anecdotes and one-liners leaving me with tears of laughter, I felt every painful, longing, exasperating and fulfilling step of the Appalachian Trail that he covers in this book.

Location: the Appalachian Trail in eastern USA between Georgia and Maine

Found: given to me by my mother whilst in San Francisco, California, USA in January 2020

Read: in New Zealand in January 2020

Details: 274 pages / published 1998 by Broadway Books

Rating: 8/10

Nineteen Minutes

by Jodi Picoult

My thoughts: If for some reason you still need to be convinced that guns should be banned, this book is for you. Even if you already know this, this book is a heart-wrenching reminder of it. A difficult and incredibly well-written book on a highly controversial subject.

Location: New Hampshire, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Auberge de Jeunesse in Nouméa, New Caledonia in September 2019

Read: in New Zealand in January 2020

Details: 503 pages / published 2007 by Atria Books

Rating: 9/10

2019

Vinegar Hill

by A. Manette Ansay

My thoughts: Woah. This was a tough read, not for difficulty of language but for the content and subject matter (divorce, religion, abuse, relationships, children, marriage). Ansay writes of complex and harsh truths that make the reader uncomfortable enough to want to know more and understand. Beautifully and carefully written.

Location: the USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Bamboo Travellers Hostel in Nadi, Fiji in September 2019

Read: in New Zealand in November 2019

Details: 240 pages / published 1994 by William Morrow and Company, Inc.

Rating: 8/10

Perfect Match

by Jodi Picoult

My thoughts: This is a compelling book to read dealing with a number of intense subject matters. I am consistently impressed by Picoult's writing and attention to detail. I find I always finish her books wiser and more educated and aware of the difficulties in the world around me. This one centres on sexual assault and the lengths a mother would go to protect her child. A brilliant yet heart-wrenching read.

Location: Maine, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Gold Coast Inn in the Yasawa Islands, Fiji in September 2019

Read: in New Zealand in October 2019

Details: 368 pages / published 2002 by Simon & Schuster

Rating: 8/10

The Memory Garden

by Rachel Hore

My thoughts: The details in this book, based in lovely southwestern England, are pure magic. I delighted in every page, the careful writing weaving pure and beautiful tales, those of both present and past all surrounding an old garden full of mystery and wonder. It has a sense of longing and of belonging. I loved this book.

Location: England

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Oarsman's Bay Lodge in the Yasawa Islands, Fiji in September 2019

Read: in Fiji in September 2019

Details: 419 pages / published 2007 by Simon & Schuster UK

Rating: 10/10

Alice Jones: The Ghost Light

by Sarah Rubin

My thoughts: In this book, led by young sleuth Alice, we delve into the world of theatre and mystery following an intriguing story about a missing diamond necklace. An easy but appealing and enjoyable book that holds on to you throughout the tale.

Location: Pennsylvania, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Nabua Lodge in the Yasawa Islands, Fiji in August 2019

Read: in Fiji in August 2019

Details: 283 pages / published 2017 by Chicken House

Rating: 7/10

One of Us is Lying

by Karen M. McManus

My thoughts: I don't tend to read mysteries or murder novels but on a remote island in Fiji with few other options, I picked this one up and I am glad I did! I got through it in one afternoon, unable to put down the exciting if easy-to-read story of four students who all may or may not be co-conspirators in a fifth student's murder. A satisfying and unpredictable end; an enjoyable and clearly written read.

Location: the USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Nabua Lodge in the Yasawa Islands, Fiji in August 2019

Read: in Fiji in August 2019

Details: 358 pages / published 2017 by Delacorte Press

Rating: 7/10

44 Scotland Street

by Alexander McCall Smith

My thoughts: This book was a whimsical and lovely read. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Pat and her father, the delicacy of a second gap year (her first having taken her where mine has taken me: New Zealand and Australia), the stories of a gifted childhood and the underlying sense of adventure, honesty and discovery. I perhaps lost a bit the ultimate connection between all of them, aside from their shared address and felt many stories began but left unanswered questions (especially in Bertie's case); I suppose I will have to continue the series to find the answers!

Location: Scotland

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Wayalailai Island Resort in the Yasawa Islands, Fiji in August 2019

Read: in Fiji in August 2019

Details: 326 pages / published 2005 by Polygon

Rating: 6/10

The Lost Book of the Grail

by Charlie Lovett

My thoughts: This book was written with careful attention to detail and history. I enjoyed discovering so much about the myths and legends of the Holy Grail, something we all seem to know about but not to really understand. Not a book I would normally read - it's highly religious - but I genuinely appreciated the love of books and of mystery wound through the tale, if nothing else.

Location: England

Found: sent to me as a gift by my mother whilst traveling New Zealand in June 2019

Read: in Indonesia in August 2019

Details: 317 pages / published 2017 by Viking Penguin

Rating: 7/10

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

by Gabrielle Zevin

My thoughts: This book was a pure delight. I read it in one sitting in just two hours whilst traveling across an island in Indonesia stuffed into the back of a bus and I can honestly say I have never enjoyed a bus ride as immensely as I did this one. Everything about the book offered joy and a fond reminder as to why we read, why we share, why we appreciate the little moments and most importantly, why we love. A tender, dear book.

Location: Massachusetts, USA

Found: sent to me as a gift by my mother whilst traveling New Zealand in June 2019

Read: in Indonesia in August 2019

Details: 258 pages / published 2014 by Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill

Rating: 10/10

The Jane Austen Book Club

by Karen Joy Fowler

My thoughts: While this book had good intentions and beautifully entwines Jane Austen with the day-to-day lives of six wonderful characters, more than once I found myself lost in the complex web of stories. At times I felt that parts were skimmed over and at other times I read details I found redundant. If you like Jane Austen, you'll like this book simply because it brings her to life in yet another way, but I'm not sure I quite enjoyed the read simply because of the confusion.

Location: California, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Albatross Hostel in Kaikoura, New Zealand in June 2019

Read: in Indonesia in August 2019

Details: 257 pages / published 2004 by Penguin Group

Rating: 4/10

The Long Forgotten

by David Whitehouse

My thoughts: A lovely, heartfelt book with a gorgeous use of the English language, this book is a complex tale entwining the stories of a handful of different people each on a journey of understanding, discovery and love. An easy read, this uplifting tale leads to the final conclusion in an unpredictable way.

Location: London, England and New York, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Packer Box Hostel in Nusa Penida, Indonesia in August 2019

Read: in Indonesia in August 2019

Details: 289 pages / published 2018 by Picador

Rating: 7/10

9 Months in Tibet

by Rupert Wolfe Murray

My thoughts: This book is inspirational. Wolfe Murray writes about his experiences hitchhiking from Scotland to Tibet in the 80s, pre-internet, pre-cell phones and pre-social media travel crazes. A highly dense book, I was thrilled by every paragraph, feeling as though I was in every country with him every step of the way. He set a goal with this book to "encourage people to overcome their fear of travelling alone by sharing [his] story and explaining how [he] did it." Well, mission accomplished. I'm off to keep exploring the world with a renewed vigour in my step.

Location: Tibet, plus the hitchhiking journey to get there overland from Scotland

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Albatross Hostel in Kaikoura, New Zealand in June 2019

Read: in Indonesia in August 2019

Details: 368 pages / published 2016 by Scotland Street Press

Rating: 10/10

Those Faraday Girls

by Monica McInerney

My thoughts: While I disregarded this book in the early stages, I quickly found myself unable to put this one down. It's written warmly and smoothly, with unexpected twists and intricate plots that leave you desperate to understand what happens in this jumble of a complex family.

Location: Australia, then New York, USA and Ireland

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Albatross Hostel in Kaikoura, New Zealand in June 2019

Read: in New Zealand in July 2019

Details: 634 pages / published 2007 by Penguin Group

Rating: 8/10

The Bronze Horseman

by Paullina Simons

My thoughts: An epic book filled with so many fascinating and quite heart-wrenching details about the Soviet Union during the Second World War. It shines light on a part of the war I didn't know nearly enough about, down to the smallest yet most important details and moments. There's an intense love story woven in and, while I don't believe that we need a partner to save or complete us, it brings a sense of hope and purpose.

Location: the Soviet Union

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Albatross Hostel in Kaikoura, New Zealand in June 2019

Read: in New Zealand in June 2019

Details: 637 pages / published 2000 by Harper Collins

Rating: 8/10

The Secret Life of Bees

by Sue Monk Kidd

My thoughts: This book is, in short, profound. Indirectly covering difficult and important topics - love, racism, abuse, death - this book is gripping, fascinating, intense, beautiful and poignant. Seen through the eyes of fourteen-year-old Lily Owens who was raised by a single father, this story twists and turns with hard truths and a powerful lesson in life and in love.

Location: South Carolina, USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Albatross Hostel in Kaikoura, New Zealand in April 2019

Read: in New Zealand in May 2019

Details: 274 pages / published 2002 by Headline Book Publishing

Rating: 10/10

The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden

by Jonas Jonasson / translated from Swedish by Rachel Willson-Broyles

My thoughts: This book was a fantastically witty and highly detailed recounting of some of the most bizarre events that the mind could conjure as they played out throughout the joint history of Sweden and South Africa (and some bits of China sprinkled in) in relation to the life of one very extraordinary woman, Nombeko Mayeki. I found the humour to be the perfect amount, following characters who were so unapologetically themselves.

Location: South Africa and Sweden

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Albatross Hostel in Kaikoura, New Zealand in April 2019

Read: in New Zealand in April 2019

Details: 419 pages / published 2013 by Piratförlaget / translated into English and published 2014 by Harper Collins

Rating: 9/10

Plain Truth

by Jodi Picoult

My thoughts: A gripping narrative that details the highly complex and mostly unknown day-to-day life of the Amish and how an unthinkable crime disrupts everything they know. A very well-researched book in which you never know what's coming next.

Location: the USA

Found: picked up from the free book shelf at the Albatross Hostel in Kaikoura, New Zealand in March 2019

Read: in New Zealand in April 2019

Details: 504 pages / published 2000 by Allen & Unwin

Rating: 9/10

Riders

by Jilly Cooper

My thoughts: A long and gripping novel that details almost a decade of romance, horses and the drama between the top athletes in the field of Great Britain's horse-jumping team leading up to the Los Angeles Olympics. Sex, horses and drama - what else could you want? Well, perhaps some clarity to make it a bit easier to follow the intensely complicated tale...

Location: England, mostly, and Los Angeles, California, USA

Found: picked up from the Little Free Library in Anakiwa, New Zealand in February 2019

Read: in New Zealand in February 2019

Details: 919 pages / published 1985

Rating: 7/10

Open House

by Jill Mansell

My thoughts: A whimsical love story with all the qualities of a family rivalry turned on its head by the young heir and heiress' attraction to each other thanks to brilliant brains, wit and dashingly good looks. An easy read with a satisfying, if predictable, ending.

Location: England

Found: picked up at the YHA Hostel free book shelf in Canberra, Australia in January 2019

Read: on the plane from Australia to New Zealand in February 2019

Details: 448 pages / published 1995 by Headline

Rating: 6/10

The Bookman's Tale

by Charlie Lovett

My thoughts: A riveting book delving into the history and truth of William Shakespeare and his plays. While sometimes confusing to keep up with all the different eras in his writing, this book is a wonderful analysis of the truth of Shakespeare with an almost too-good-to-be-true romance wound in.

Location: England

Found: lent to me by my mother in San Francisco, California, USA in January 2019

Read: in Australia in February 2019

Details: 368 pages / published 2014 by Penguin Random House

Rating: 7/10

2018

How to Survive the Titanic or the Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay

by Frances Wilson

My thoughts: One of the best accounts of the Titanic I have read, focusing around the life of White Star Line chairman and Titanic ship-owner J. Bruce Ismay. The book is full of gripping details and a fascinating description of the aftermath which is not so widely covered.

Location: England, the Atlantic Ocean and New York, USA

Found: borrowed from Vancouver Public Library, Canada in July 2018

Read: in Vancouver, Canada in July 2018

Details: 329 pages / published 2011 by Bloomsbury Publishing

Rating: 10/10

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

My thoughts: A compelling and truly lovely book written entirely in letters between characters. More than anything, this book makes you want to give up everything for an idyllic island life among friends.

PS. The movie sucked in comparison, I turned it off less than half-way through.

Location: England and Guernsey

Found: saved from the dump pile in my apartment building in Vancouver, Canada in May 2018

Read: in Vancouver, Canada in June 2018

Details: 274 pages / published 2008 by Dial Press Trade Paperbacks

Rating: 9/10

2024 Reading List

The Good, the Bad and the History

by Jodi Taylor

Legends & Lattes

by Travis Baldree

The House in the Cerulean Sea

by TJ Klune

A Catalogue of Catastrophe

by Jodi Taylor

Another Time, Another Place

by Jodi Taylor

The Life Impossible

by Matt Haig

Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting

by Clare Pooley

Sira

by María Dueñas / translated from Spanish by Simon Bruni

The Briny Café

by Susan Duncan

The Stars Are Fire

by Anita Shreve

The Blackwater Lightship

by Colm Tóibín

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

by Gabrielle Zevin

The Witch of Portobello

by Paulo Coelho / translated from Portuguese by Margaret Jull Costa

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

by J. K. Rowling

The Blue Flower

by Penelope Fitzgerald

Little White Lies

by Bernadette Strachan

November 9

by Colleen Hoover

Private Papers

by Margaret Forster

The Piligrimage

by Paulo Coelho / translated from Portuguese by Alan R. Clarke

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

by J. K. Rowling

A Gentle Reminder

by Bianca Sparacino

Friends Forever

by Danielle Steel

The Prisoner of Heaven

by Carlos Ruiz Zafón / translated from Spanish by Lucia Graves

Seeds Planted in Concrete

by Bianca Sparacino

The Dog Stars

by Peter Heller

Plan for the Worst

by Jodi Taylor

The Strength in our Scars

by Bianca Sparacino

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

by J. K. Rowling

The Five Love Languages

by Gary Chapman

Hope for the Best

by Jodi Taylor

An Argumentation of Historians

by Jodi Taylor

The Reader on the 6.27

by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent / translated from French by Ros Schwartz

The Last Jump

by Elizabeth Benney

Lessons in Chemistry

by Bonnie Garmus

It Starts With Us

by Colleen Hoover

The Christmas Invitation

by Trisha Ashley

The Christmas Castle in Scotland

by Julie Caplin

And the Rest is History

by Jodi Taylor

Everything is F*cked

by Mark Manson

Water for Elephants