I honestly can’t remember if this is the third or fourth time I’ve done this here, but if you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ll know that April is book review month; a chance for me to pick the five favourite books I’ve read (or re-read) since last April. As always, the pool to choose from isn’t enormous, but I’ve picked the five I’d consider to be highlights from both our office book club and things from my ever-expanding TBR pile that I finally got around to. Thinking about the amount of books I bought last year, I’m pretty sure I added more to my TBR pile than I actually read. Which is a depressing thought. But at least I’m managing to cross some of them off the list, which is more than I could have said a couple of years ago. So without any further ado, let’s just dive straight into it, shall we?
Norra Latin by Sara Bergmark Elfgren • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ • So, this one has been languishing on my shelf for a few years now. I bought it because I became completely obsessed with the Engelsfors trilogy (which I wrote about in Swedish here, if you’re not familiar!), co-written by Sara Bergmark Elfgren and Mats Strandberg, and I figured if I liked Mats Strandberg’s solo work, chances are I’d enjoy Sara Bergmark Elfgren’s. And I was right! This is a sort of dark urban fantasy, based around the performing arts/theatre class at a prestigious (but fictional) school in Stockholm, most of which takes place in the present day, where some members of the class are plagued by strange and unexplained goings on, as well as the regular teenage dramas you’d expect to see. Because I read it in Swedish, where I read a lot slower than I do in English, it took me a couple of months to finally get to the end. It started off quite slow but the sense of intrigue built up as time went on, until I could hardly bear to put it down. I wouldn’t call it necessarily scary, but there are definitely some unsettling themes throughout that make it one you might not want to attempt in the dark. Heartily recommend, and if you’re not one who can read in Swedish, I’m fairly sure it’s been translated into at least Polish, German, Norwegian and I believe Czech!
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ • This one was chosen by committee, for our office book club. Granted, it was my suggestion, and it was definitely the one I was hoping for, but I feel like I should state that for the record. I should also say that I haven’t read a whole lot of Austen, but I do count Pride & Prejudice as being among my favourite books. This… is certainly not that. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is charming in its own way, but it shows that this was written much earlier in Austen’s writing career, as it’s a little clumsier in parts. It’s also quite clear that this is something of a spoof. But did I enjoy it? Absolutely. There were certain parts where it seems like Austen forgot she was writing a novel, and did a little aside to the reader to talk about something tangentially related to the goings-on in the story, and I loved that. It felt like you were in a little secret club (with Jane Austen of all people!) and she was telling you her honest opinion about something you’d been discussing. This edition had a very helpful essay at the end about reading Northanger in particular, which certainly helped me find a way to form the nebulous thoughts that had been floating around my head while reading into a more coherent structure. Plus, I mean… I’m a sucker for a pretty cover. Aren’t you?
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼ • To be brutally honest with you, I bought this completely on a whim, after I finished Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston a few years ago, and I wanted some more saccharine gay romance in my life. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this, but I’d seen some bookish friends talking about it so I thought I’d give it a try. To be honest, at first, I wasn’t sure we were going to get along. It seemed a bit too caricaturish to go along with. But as I got further into it and just accepted that that was the way it was going to be, I found it to be genuinely laugh-out-loud funny in some places and heartbreaking in others. I think I’m right in saying that I ended up reading the latter half in a single day, if not a single sitting, because I was just so desperate to see how it turned out for the pair I’d really come to love over the first portion of the book. I believe there’s a sequel that I should definitely check out, when I get a little more free time. The only downside is that when I finished, I found it a little difficult to settle back into my potato-shaped life where nobody is the son of a rock star and absolutely nobody is a barrister with a heart of gold and abs you could grate cheese off of. Still, c’est la vie. Definitely one I’d recommend if you’re in the market for some lighthearted queer fluff!
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Hoo, boy. I remember this one being in my secondary school library, and being recommended once by my English teacher (or the librarian herself? I can’t remember), but not knowing much about it I had left it well alone, until our book club selected it late last year. In stark contrast to the previous book, this one will rip your soul to shreds and rebuild you piece by piece with almost Pixar-like dexterity. The Joy Luck Club tells the story of four Chinese women who emigrate to San Francisco, who meet regularly to play mahjong, eat dim sum and gossip, and their daughters, who are born and raised in America. It’s as simple as that, in essence, but there’s so much more to it than that. In a way, I’m glad I didn’t pick it up when I was younger, because I think a lot of it would have sailed over my head – whereas now I was able to understand it a lot better. Over the course of the book you really grow to love all of the main characters in their own way, despite their faults and quirks, and I think it really taught me a lot about their experience. Obviously I can’t relate to the culture shock of leaving China and coming to America at that time, but it taught me a lot about the history of the people who did, in a way that was heartfelt and engaging. I’d definitely recommend, but keep the tissues standing by.
The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket • ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¼ • When we grab you by the ankles, where our mark is to be made, you’ll soon be doing noble work, although you won’t be paid. When we drive away in secret, you’ll be a volunteer; so don’t scream when we take you, the world is quiet here. As a child, in between school during the week and trips into the countryside or to heritage railways at the weekend, my years were punctuated by either the next book in the Harry Potter series, or by the next in this seres: A Series of Unfortunate Events. Lemony Snicket is a gem, he has a way of creating such an engaging and bizarre world for younger readers, and being educational without condescending – it’s a rare gift, and late last year I thought I might give one of them another go, and where else to start but The Bad Beginning? I’m delighted to say that even as an adult, these books hold up. As a child they made you feel intelligent, even sophisticated, and taught you new vocabulary you’d be able to use to astonish distant relatives at parties and make your parents feel smug. As an adult, they’re a bit more transparent but you can definitely sit back and think, ‘ah yes, I see what you’re doing, and I appreciate it’. They’re obviously intended for much younger readers than my gnarled old 33 years, but I think there’s definitely something an adult can get from these.
And that’s it for another year! I hope you’ve found something in these reviews that you might find interesting in reading yourself – if you’ve already read one of them, or have any questions, do feel free to reach out – my contact information is at the end of the post as always. This is where I usually post my reading stats for the year – according to my goal, I’m still ahead, but I do feel like I haven’t been reading quite as much as I had been this time next year… my current book is in Norwegian, though, so that’s slowing me down a little. Still, six books by April isn’t a terrible start, we can only see what the rest of the year brings!
Speaking of goals, there have been no books in Welsh yet – but I’m hoping that over the summer I’ll have a little more free time to lose myself in some storytelling yn Gymraeg. In any case, as always, thank you for reading, and if you’d like to get in touch, you’re welcome to leave a comment below, or you can find me on both Instagram and Threads (as @sprakskatan) and Mastodon (as @sprakskatan@toot.wales). Those are the corners of the internet I’m usually haunting, in any case. I’ll be back next month with a regular post, and with more of these reviews next April! Until next time, take care of yourselves!
— J.
den språkliga skatan 