That was the month that was October 2020

1. Segu by Maryse Conde
2. Houseboy by Ferdinand Oyono
3. Train to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh
4. Freetown by Otto de Kat
5. Paula by Sandre Hoffmann
6. The Madness by Narcis Oller

I managed six reviews last month. One new publisher Fun de Stampa the publisher of The madness is a publisher that brings us books from the Catalan region of Spain. I have two more from them to come. I reviewed books from six countries. I went from historic Africa then to Africa more recently just as colonial times have ended. Then a modern classic of Indian fiction a dutch novella. Then a granddaughter recounts her silent grandmother and a family secret. Then a man sees a fellow man that descends into madness in victorian Spain.

Book of the month

I loved this book a granddaughter recalling warts and all her grandmother a woman of silence about events in her past. Sandra hoffmann uses her own personal history this is her family story who was her grandmother.

Non book events

Well I have had a quiet month the highlight would has been last record store day the last after yesterday’s lockdown announcement.

I got a Calexico LP an Americana band I have been a fan of for a number of years a record  by Bob Mould a guy that has been in two great bands Husker du and the Sugar and last and most important Songs for Drella the Lou Reed John Cale collaboration a tribute to Andy Wahrol the Drella of the title he said he was part Cinderella and part Dracula. I have loved this album already have it on cd but loved to get it on Vinyl as well.

I also as of today thanks to the Nordic fiction publisher Nordisk I have a shelf of five books from Norway I have chosen for the new site Bookshop.org here is my shelf of books.

Next month

Well I will be back with a review tomorrow as I have done this round-up today. I will as ever in November be reviewing a few German books for German lit month I have two reads already under my belt otherwise I have a comic Swedish novel and an Italian book about a father and son travelling. I would be back tomorrow a shorter than normal round up as I am not in best of health at the moment a tummy bug.