April Quarantine Brings Good Reading

I'm still getting back into my stride with reading.  This quarantine hasn't helped.  You'd think I'd be reading like crazy.  But I've found myself watching more mindless TV.  If only they could open the pool.  Then I'd get a lot more reading done!  But as it is, I read 7 books at a total of 2,464 pages.  That's an average of 82 pages a day.  So I guess it really wasn't THAT bad of a month!

Empress Dowager Cixi by Jung Chang (373 pages plus 61 pages of notes/bibliography that I didn't read).  This was a little out of my typical reading, as I normally prefer historical fiction to actual history.  But this one appealed to me.  Back in 20something, I had the opportunity to go to China.  We spent almost all of our time in Beijing (but did do a quick day trip to Xian).  So reading about the Temple of Heaven, the hu tong, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace (all places I've seen and walked through) was amazing.  Cixi managed to raise her status of Concubine 5 to Concubine 2 (second only to the Empress) with the birth of her son (the Emperor's first son).  She again raised her status to Empress Dowager upon the death of her husband.  She had more power than any woman had publicly ever had (despite still being unable to freely interact with men).  And she used that power to bring her country into the modern world, while finding a way to retain much of the old traditions.  In fact, she herself was one of the last things holding China, through respect to her, to some of the old ways.  Merely 4 years after her death, the 6 year old emperor (her great nephew and the subject of the movie The Last Emperor) abdicated the throne (through his regent), ending more than 2000 years of monarchy and ushering in a republic.  I finished in 7 days.

A Tale of Magic by Chris Colfer (481 pages). These books are cute and easy to read.  In this series, magic has been outlawed in all of the kingdoms.  But Madame Weatherberry (a fairy) wants to start an Academy of Magic to train special children and make magic (not witchcraft) something that is seen as good again.  The children, each with a unique power, enjoy their time learning.  Until they have to go to the Northern Kingdom to fight the Snow Queen.  They are also able to turn the whole of the kingdoms on their heads by establishing the Fairy Council.  I finished in 6 days.

Clever Girl by Tessa Hadley (252 pages). This novel followed the life of Stella, from young girl to middle aged woman.  Along the way, she had struggles with her mother and stepfather, an unplanned teenage pregnancy (where the father fled to the US before she even knew she was pregnant), the murder of the father of her second son, and her eventual coming into her own.  It was just okay.  I finished in 2 days.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah (438 pages).  Leni Allbright has never had a conventional childhood.  Her father is a Vietnam vet and POW.  One day in 1974, he learns that he has inherited his old war buddy's land in Alaska.  And just like that, Leni's whole world is turned upside down.  The Alaskan wilderness is like nothing she's ever experienced.  The "town" is small, the house has no running water or electricity, the people are tough but kind, and the weather is unforgiving.  And her father cannot handle the darkness- his abuse and drinking spiral out of control.  Four years later, Leni is ready to graduate from high school.  Alaska has become home.  But her father has not gotten better.  In fact, he has gotten worse.  When an opportunity arises for Leni and her mother to escape, they have to take it.  But it means leaving behind the only home they've ever truly known.  And the only boy that Leni has ever loved.  Seven years later, Leni has another choice to make.  This time, it's about going home.  I finished in 4 days.

Wildland by Rebecca Hodge (324 pages).  This was my book box book.  Which means gifties along with a good book.  This book was a little harder for me at the start.  The main character, Kat, is a recent widow.  And her breast cancer has returned just 3 years after her first battle.  Seeing as my best friend is currently fighting a battle with breast cancer and the last thing I want to think about is it not being successful, this topic was a lot.  But the rest of the story was pretty great.  Kat has arrived at a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains for a month.  She needs to decide whether to fight cancer once more.  Within moments of arriving, her daughter has dropped of a foster dog, she meets her neighbors (including two children) and finds another abandoned puppy.  Three days later, with the two children staying over for a slumber party, Kat's cabin in cut off from the main road by a fire that consumes the mountain.  With no phone access, it's up to Kat to save herself and the four lives relying on her.  It was a moment by moment account of their escape and of the two fathers of the children, desperate in their attempt to save them.  The book was great and these were the best gifts yet!  I finished in 2 days.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson (291 pages).  I had never heard of Troublesome Creek (a real town located almost at the Kentucky/Virginia/West Virginia border).  Or the Blue People of Kentucky (who actually lived in Troublesome Creek and had a rare mutation that literally turned their skin blue).  Or the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project (established in the 19030's to help spread literacy throughout regions of the US that might not have access otherwise).  In this novel, Cussy Mary Carter encompasses all of these things- she is a blue skinned librarian in Troublesome Creek.  The town is small.  And prejudiced.  But they are well read thanks to Cussy.  While some people don't like Cussy because she is colored (this is the 1930's after all and segregation is a thing), she is beloved on her book route.  What I found the most fascinating was that Cussy was considered on par with black people in her area when she in fact was a white woman with a blood disorder. Clearly not everyone believes that all humans are humans, regardless of skin color.  But what an interesting look at it.  I finished in 5 days.

The Hollywood Daughter by Kate Alcott (305 pages).  A little bit history, a lot bit fiction.  In 1940's Hollywood, young Jessica Malloy is a huge fan of Ingrid Bergman.  But unlike most children who idolize movie stars from afar, Jesse is luckier than most.  Her father is Bergman's publicist.  So she actually gets to interact with her.  And Hess couldn't have picked a better idol.  Bergman is beautiful, kind, the perfect wife and mother, and an onscreen nun and saint.  Until Bergman shocks the world by having an affair with her married director.  And becoming pregnant with his child!  Because the director is Italian and both of them were married, Bergman comes under attack during the McCarthy Era.  Jesse is faced with the humanity of her idol.  And the humanity of her own parents.  Nine years after fleeing Hollywood, Jesse returns home to face the memories she's so desperately tried to hide away.  I finished in 4 days (because I only had 4 days left in the month).

This month's favorite was ....  The Great Alone.