The Narrowboat Summer (2020) by Anne Youngson #20BOS26

 

🚤 I don't know why, but to me, living in a boat feel somehow romantic. Though in reality I would probably reject the idea, reading about life in a narrowboat on a journey through the canals, brings a wholesome satisfaction in me. That's how I know that I would enjoy this book immensely. And I wasn't wrong. This is a story of second chances, of three women - complete strangers - who have one thing in common: they are at a crossroads in life. One rainy afternoon, Eve and Sally's path crossed right in front of a moored narrowboat, when they were walking on the towpath along a canal. Just then, a dog's howling from inside the narrowboat attracted their attention. Just when they were about to help the dog, thinking that it has been left alone inside the boat, the owner came.

🚤 Anastasia has been living in the narrowboat called Number One for years. Now that she's about seventy years old, Anastasia is probably terminally ill and in need of an operation. However, the narrowboat also needs to be brought to a certain place for its annual maintenance. How would she do that? Enter Eve and Sally. Several cups of tea later, the three uncommonly women found a mutual solution to all of their predicaments. Eve and Sally would live in the narrowboat and drive it to its destination, while Anastasia would stay in Eve's apartment during her treatment. Eve has just resigned from her work, while Sally has just decided to leave her husband. Living a slow life on board a narrowboat would provide them chance to think about their future. 🚤 Having never been in a narrowboat before, let alone driving it, Eve and Sally is doing a great job following every instructions from Anastasia during their very short training. I had a lot of fun reading about the technicality of operating a narrowboat, including the locks. I even checked Google about the these locks and lock gates, which have much busied our two heroines during their journey; and it is pretty interesting. Canal locks change the water level in the canal so boats can go up and down hills. A lock is a stretch of canal that is blocked off at each end by solid gates. These gates are opened or closed to allow water to fill or drain from the lock.

a lock gate in the canal

So, if you think driving a narrowboat along the canal is a leisurely business, you'll be surprised at the amount of physical efforts involved. Sally and Eve dividing the jobs of steering the boat and working the locks alternately; I can't imagine when Anastasia did all by herself! 🚤 Along their journey, not only do they sorting out their predicament and thinking about their future with all the options, Eve and Sally also make friends with other boaters. The most memorable ones are a nineteen-year-old girl called Trompette, who partners a musical story-teller drug-addict called Billy. Billy used to tells stories to a circle of audience, and gets little money of it. Trompette is a good knitter, and sells her craft also for a little money. I learned too, that there are usually story-tellers or other entertainer like that amongst the narrowboaters. They all seem to form an attachment as a loose family - canal-family if you like. They know each others, and during their time on board the Number One, other boaters used to ask about Anastasia. The other memorable friend they make is Arthur - the elusive old man who used to hitchhike narrowboats in the past, and who knew a lot about Anastasia's past - something that Eve and Sally are eager to learn about, but Anastasia never discloses. 🚤 On the whole, it is a lovely story about friendship, second chances, and the charm of operating a narrowboat along the canals, where you can have a slow living while appreciating the landscape and the nature. It's full with eccentric yet amiable characters, and though plotless, Youngson fills the story with her great portrayal of the scenery and the canal-boaters' life. Loved everything about it, including how it ended up nicely for everyone - well, almost!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2 

Read for:

20 Books of Summer 2026 hosted by Annabel @ AnnaBookBel

The Convenience Store by the Sea (2020) by Sonoko Machida #JapaneseLitChallenge19

🛒 This book brings us to the seaside town in Japan: Mojiko, Kitakyushu, where you'd find one of the convenience store chain called Tenderness. Now, while I might not be able to relate to a library - in which many heartwarming stories have been set - a convenience store is my day-to-day existence. You see, I live in the second biggest city in Indonesia, where you won't find many libraries (except in universities), but convenience stores scattered abundantly on almost every corner of the streets. We have three in my apartment building, and they are, indeed, very convenient. From fresh fruits and (not so fresh) vegetables, to groceries; hot dumplings and coffees, to ATM machine, you'll find everything in these convenience stores. Let's say, you're moving to your new apartment, bringing nothing but yourself, well, you can find practically everything you'd need to survive in a day or two - food & drink, toothbrush, towel, even underwear, from these stores.

🛒 The story has no plot, but constructed from several interconnected short stories, all related to Tenderness and the main characters, who works at the store. In a way, you can say that the convenience store is a character itself. The first and last stories are told from Mitsuri's POV. She's a mother of a teenager, a passionate worker at the store, and quite a successful manga writer. Hers served as a starting point of the story, revealing about the store and its workers, and the conclusive end of it, tying the lose-end bits. The rest are told from third person's POV, usually about patrons of the store or families of the workers. They all have struggles in either self-acceptance or identity crisis, but all found comfort from the convenience store - well, maybe not the store itself, but the workers. 🛒 Two of these are brothers: Shiba and Tsugi. The first is a handsome and affectionate manager, whom Mitsuri called the Pheromone Manager; basically a magnetic creature who seems to attract everyone around him. It would be okay if it stops there. But making this Shiba guy a sort of celebrity with a few fan clubs, always being surrounded by ladies when he's on duty - well, it seems very off. Why must the writer create such a perfect character that seems inhuman? It was one element that made me sick, but apart from that, it's a cute and heartwarming story.
🛒 What I loved most is how the store provides a dining space next door to the store, so that customers can buy ready-to-eat food and eat them on the spot. As the store is located on the lower part of an apartment building for senior citizens, it makes sense that it caters the elderly people with ready-made breakfast or lunch. It provides an amazing space for people to socialize, and indeed, many of the characters find comfort and friendship from the cozy place. The convenience store on my apartment building also recently provided a little dine-in space on its second floor, but only a long table by the window with several chairs. But still, it was an improvement. And while the food they sell are not as varied (and delicious) as in imagined in Tenderness, it is convenient indeed. All in all, this turned out to be a book I could well relate to, but too soppy for my liking.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Read for:

Japanese Literature Challenge 19

hosted by Dolce Bellezza

The Boy and the Dog (2020) by Seishū Hase #JapaneseLitChallenge19

🐶 After a devastating combination of earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, a young man found a stray dog in front of a convenience store. The name tag shows its name as Tamon. The man took the dog in, after making sure that the owner couldn't be found/contacted by the vet - no doubt it has been separated from the owner after the disaster. The young man, Kazumasa, has lost his job, and was at loose end to take care of his sister and their ailing mother. He was offered a job related to criminal activity, which he took for the money he desperately needed. He always took Tamon while on the job, as his guardian. One day the criminal operation failed, and Tamon was brought away by the criminal; and then he became Tamon's new owner.

🐶 The story consisted of several parts, each dedicated to Tamon's "adventures" with its different owners. It usually stays with one owner, taking care of them - or becomes guardian to him/her - until its 'services' are no longer needed, so to speak, either because of the owner's death or changed circumstances. Then Tamon will disappear one day, to be found several days or weeks later, usually in poor condition by the next-owner-to-be. One thing that Tamon's owners always notice, is that Tamon is always looking to the south direction whenever it is on journey with the them, as if there's something or someone in that direction it wants to come home to. It makes whoever owns Tamon for the moment, becomes a bit jealous of its dedication and purpose. But meanwhile, Tamon never fails to protect them. 🐶 Tamon's journey spanned for five years before he arrived at or found what he's been looking for. I won't reveal exactly whom or where it was, since it's part of this book's charm - the little mystery of Tamon which baffles us until the last chapter. The theme of the book is of the beautiful bond between human and dog. Tamon's owners are mostly the desperate or downtrodden individuals; and Tamon's friendship and deep connection with them always provides encouragement and comfort when they need it most. It shows the wonderful gift dogs have for whomever choose to accept it. 🐶 On the whole, this was a heartwarming story - consists of unrelated events, but tied together by the same affectionate dog, whose main goal in life seemed to be helping humans to find comfort in sorrowful moments. And if you happen to shed some tears in end - like most stories about dogs tend to do to us - so what? It's tears for the wholesomeness of life, anyway.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Read for:

Japanese Literature Challenge 19 hosted by Dolce Bellezza

A Single Rose (2020) by Muriel Barbery #NovNov24

Book Beginnings on Fridays (hosted by Rose City Reader):

It is said that in ancient China, during the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a prince who, every year, would have a field of a thousand peonies planted, and during the first days of summer their petals would ripple in the breeze. For six days he would sit on the floor of the wooden pavilion where he habitually went to admire the moon, drinking a cup of clear tea from time to time, and he would observe the flowers he called his girls. At dawn and at sunset, he would pace up and down the field.

🌹 From the first paragraph one might deduce that this novella is set in China, or the characters are Chinese. It is not. A Single Rose is a story set in Japan, but the main character is a French girl. So, how that Chinese opening fits in? Apparently, every chapter begins with a Chinese folklore, which is related to what the chapter is about. Interesting, no? Considering that this novella is written by a French author, makes it even special.

🌹 Rose is a forty something French botanist who comes to Kyoto for the will reading of her deceased Japanese father, whom she has never met. The father who left her mother years ago, and apparently never contacted nor acknowledged his daughter. This has wounded Rose and she grew up to be a bitter woman. Her intention of travelling for the first time to Japan is just to know what her father left her, and then go straightly home. But what awaits her in Kyoto is beyond her imagination, and that's the backbone of this novella.

🌹 Apparently, her father had tasked his trusted assistant Paul, also a French man, to guide Rose through some journeys for days before the will reading. Everyday Paul takes Rose from temples, Zen gardens, galleries, rivers, to tea houses and restaurants. And during those journeys Rose is getting to know more of her father, why he had left her, and most importantly, that he truly loved her and she's always on his thoughts. Little by little these excursions soften her heart, and she begins to embrace the Japanese culture, and with that, her own identity and root.

🌹 This was pretty unexpected read for me. I thought this was only a story about a daughter getting to know her father after his death, a reconnecting to her past. In a way, it is that, but there's more to it. It is a life-changing journey for Rose; she had been lost before, her life was stalled. But now that she reconnects with her past, Rose finds herself, what or who she truly is. A brighter future awaits her, a happier and more wholesome existence.

🌹 What I love most of this novella is Barbery's writing. I often forgot that it's written by a French author. It reads like a Japanese book; it feels like one. Like most Japanese literature, A Single Rose is tender, Zen, comforting, inspiring; and Barbery wrote it so beautifully it touched my heart and stirred something deep in me. The element of nature is pretty strong too. The flowers (azalea, peony, roses, and many more) seem to be living characters. So, too, the weather. These elements are not there as a background, but they have huge influence in reshaping Rose.

Friday 56 Quote (hosted by Heads Full of Books):

In the silence broken only by sips of beer, somewhere in a tenuous, immense place, as invisible as the sky, something changed position. She could sense rain coming, a smell of thirsty soil, grass in the wind. There was yet another shift, a scent of undergrowth and moss. She began to weep, huge sobs, tears of sparkling pearls. She could feel them forming, flowing, and bursting into the world, adorned with light.

Read for:

Novellas in November 2024 #NovNov24

hosted by Cathy @ 746 Books & Rebecca @ Bookish Beck

Snow (2020) by John Banville #JohnBanville2024 #20booksofsummer24

❄ Snow is the second book of St. John Strafford series, a crime fiction sets in the 1950s Ireland by the inimitable John Banville. I have read the first book, The Secret Guests, earlier this year for Reading Ireland Month 2024, which was slightly disappointing. So, I approached this second book with not a little apprehension. But I've determined to read at least three books for Cathy's #JohnBanville2024 reading event, so... here it is.

❄ A parish priest was found murdered at Ballyglass House, a house of the aristocratic family of Osborne, in Wexford county. St. John Strafford was summoned to investigate. He found out that the priest was stabbed behind his neck at night during his stay at the house. Not only that, his genitals were then castrated. Catholic Church ruled Ireland with iron fists in the 1950s, and you can imagine what will happen when the news of brutal murder of a priest at a Protestant family house reaches the public. This makes Strafford's investigation more difficult than it is. Not that it's relatively easy so far.

❄ The crime had happened when the house was snowbound. No forced entrance was found either, meaning that the crime was most likely be done by insider. But which one? Colonel Osborne? His insomniac frail wife who'd found the body? The idle son or the spoiled attention-seeker daughter, maybe? Or even the coquettish maid? Strafford's interviews were fruitless, he didn't have any lead for some time. When it began to be rather boring, the next chapter brought a startling revelation about the late priest. Well, actually it's not very surprising, a priest, mutilated on his genital organ, is quite suggestive on what kind of priest he might have been, isn't it? The revelation is for our- readers'-benefit, though. Strafford kept struggling until near the end.

❄ All in all, it's a gloomy read for me. The snow took almost a center part of the story. It's as if there are two villains here, the murderer and the snow. I think the mystery itself could have been a nice one; murder in a country house, snowbound house, body found in the library - very Agatha Christie-ish. However, it lacks one important element - the detective figure.

❄ St. John Strafford is the most distracted, unfocused detective figure I've ever come upon. He doesn't fit anywhere, physically not very fit, and his mind strays to his own family or hometown much too often while performing his duty. Not even Banville's beautiful eloquent prose could help raise this book to my taste. I'm afraid this is the last straw, I will not continue this series after all. Maybe another Banville's non-mystery for next read? Let's see...

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Read for:

A Year with John Banville #JohnBanville2024

hosted by Kim @ Reading Matters & Cathy @ 746 Books

20 Books of Summer 2024
hosted by Cathy @ 746 Books

Perestroika in Paris (2020) by Jane Smiley #ParisInJuly2024 #20booksofsummer24

🐴 Perestroika, or Paras for short, is a racehorse. But as much as she loves racing - the adrenaline rush when flying to the finish line - Paras is, by nature, a curious filly. One day her caretaker forgot to lock her stall door, and Paras found her first freedom. She didn't run away, just tasting the fresh grass outside, here and there (grass tastes differently in different place, you know). Further and further she wandered, until she's near Place du Trocadero, where she met Frida.

🐴 Frida is not a stray dog. She used to belong to a street performer who loved to wander along Paris. But after he died, Frida has been living by herself, remembering that she must not act like a stray, or else the gendarmerie would take her to "prison". And Frida hates confinement. When she first met Paras, Frida was more interested in the thing that Paras brought - the caretaker's purse - than of the horse itself. From her living with her late owner, Frida knows the value of money. She goes shopping for them all every day, taking one bank note at a time. The kind grocer thinks Frida shops for her humans, and pretty amused with this canine customer.

🐴 Soon Paras and Frida were joined by an old raven, and the three live quite harmoniously within the garden of Champ de Mars. A dog and a raven are common sights in Paris, but what about a horse? Well, people nowadays are more interested in their own businesses or smartphones, no one would have seen unusual things about the garden. Moreover, Paras takes her nap during the day and starts wandering around after dark.

🐴 But is Paras really unnoticed by any human being? The gardener found horse manure around some corners, so he knew there's a horse, but never actually saw it. During one of Paras' evening excursion, she found a young woman called Anaís who works at night for a patisserie. She often feeds Paras, so Anaís too knows about a horse loitering in Paris.

🐴 Finally there's an orphan little boy of about eight, who lives with his great grandmama. He "could" see Paras, and the two became inseparable best friends. I think moral of this story is that modern people have mostly lost the ability of being humane. They stick to their smartphones, tablets, social media, and forget what's more important of being human - love, friendship, and caring for others. The fact that none of these Parisians see a horse who share probably their daily jogging track is rather worrying. They most probably don't care either for their neighbors, friends, and so on. Some who do know about the three unlikely friends, and concern about them, are the happiest of all. They have a wholesome life as human being.

🐴 This is a book about Paris, but also about freedom, choices, and friendship. Jane Smiley did a great job to make me transported to Paris and vibes I had experienced more than twenty years ago (but I still remember very clearly to this day). I loved especially the animals interaction, with other animals and also with humans. It's a heartwarming story and the perfect book to start Paris in July this year!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Read for:

Paris in July 2024

hosted by Emma @ Words and Peace

20 Books of Summer 2024
hosted by Cathy @ 746 Books