That was the month that was December 2023

1. Vengeance is Mine by Marie Ndiaye 
2. My rivers by Faruk šehić
3. The river between Ngūgí was Thiong’o 
4. This is Amiko,Do you copy by Natsuko Imamura
5. Snow by Marcus Sedgwick
6. A Girl’s Story by Annie Ernaux 
7. The Delivery by Margarita Gracia Robayo
8. Nothing belongs to you by Natathacha Appanah

I had wanted to get to 100 reviews on the blog for the year, but it is as it is called Twixmas, that time between Christmas and New Year when the world comes almost to a stand, so I decided to do a roundup today, and on Sunday do my books of the year. Anyway, the last. Month of the year saw me start in France with a tale lawyer hired by a man she may know to defend his wife that killed their children has many a twist and turn. Then there is Faruk’s collection of poems about rivers in places he has lived after the Bosnian war and moving on beyond the war. Then, another river,, a valley,, and a tribe divide between tradition and the modern world. Then, in Japan, we. have a young girl with Autism or some similar condition is going through her teens, and no one seems to know she has this condition. Then, a collection of essays about snow and how it affects our lives. Then we move to France and the Young Annie Ernaux, her first sexual encounter, and the summer she grew up. Then, a young woman has left her homeland only to have her. Mother arrives in a gigantic parcel and causes uproar in her world. Then OI finished with a grieving woman connecting with her past after seeing. Young boy when she was an orphan and had a different name. No new publishers or countries. I finish 98 reviews for the year.

Book of the month

My Rivers is a wonderfully powerful poetry collection that mixes getting over the war identity, travel, place the spirit of place and what makes us human so well. Wonderfully translated by the publisher of Istros books herself .

Non-bookish events.

I brought a few records this month, one of the P J Harvey demos, the Dry one her first album I had this on cd the orginal album and I have most of her records on CD. A little raw at times her voice is wonderful. I had held off on these, but it was cheap at the record fair. Then I got a Tom Waits at the same record fair and another of his recently reissued albums later in the month. Finally, the second National album came out last month . We also have been watching The Crown. We did watch a couple of episodes when it start but have now watch one and half seasons since just before Christmas. Im still loving the new Slow Horses series Oldman is such a greart acrtor as his Lamb character a sort of anti Smiley spy is just a wonderfully played character. I also been watching the.Monartch series. We had a few days in York at the start of the month I like wandering the city it is a lovely city walkable the christmas market was fair , I found it hadn’t much I woud want gift wise for people. The two Highlights where a christmas walk around york where the history oif the city and christmas are mixed from roman emperors through viking logs, Dickens talking in York, mince pies and of course Choclate it was a wonderful walk around the city.

Next month

Well I had plans to rush through lots of books for January in Japam. But I am now thinking I would prefer taking time I’m letting the figures get to me again. I need avoid think it is a race its not it about the journey I take. So I watched one of my favourite You tuber Ruby Granger a young student , I loved her idea of a classic once a month and that seemed to come at about the same time as Trevor showed how he had got t6he first gfive Emila Zola novels from Rougon Macquart series which I have a number of on my shelves and I’ve had them for a number of years and reading the series on my mind. But I feel I will stat with one every two months from next month.Then the other month I will read other classic novels from around the world . I had said a few years back I felt one of the failing of this blog was a lack of classics from around the world in translation. So this is the chance to fill that void slowly. I have a few books in mind. Other than that I am not sure where the month will take me as a reader. What are your January plans ?