Micro Review 45 and 46 (non fiction November)

 

Minarets in the Mountains by Tharik Hussain (Bradt Publishing)

I'm always on the lookout for new books to try and this one really stood out for more when the Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction was announced earlier in the year.

It took me a while to get around to the book but I'm so pleased that I did as I learned so much from reading it. Hussain takes his family on a long summer holiday around parts of the Balkans looking to find Muslim Europe.

To my shame I had no idea how much history there was in the region, I knew that large parts of Spain had been Muslim but not that this empire went so much further. While I knew that there were  dreadful atrocities committed against Muslims during the Bosnian War I had no idea of the deep history behind this persecuted population.

This book could so easily have become maudlin, but Hussain and his family find lots of light in present to balance the darkness of history and when travel is possible again then there are some new places I'd like to visit.

In that way reading often has this book connected very well with one that I'd read a few weeks before:

  Free by Lea Ypi (Penguin Books)

(coincidentally also on the Baille Gifford longlist & shortlist)

This is an account of life in Albania just as the communist regime fell apart in the 1990s. Ypi was only a child at the time and fully committed to the teachings and propaganda that she was taught at school.

In the west we are so used to the idea that the removal of communism was the best way forward that we don't hear much from the people who experienced a very real sense of loss after their way of life failed. Ypi's parents were very careful to ensure that she had no idea of their past and actual political leanings that you can feel her entire life fracture along with the Albania she knew.

Albania's transition to a democratic nation was not smooth, and again I don't think we in the west ever heard the full story so much of Ypi's story was new to me and incredibly eye-opening.

I do love how sometimes books you read can have unexpected conversations with each other, and the the reader. 

Micro Review 44 (non fiction November)

 

Hidden Hands: The Lives of Manuscripts and Their Makers by Mary Wellesley (Quercus Publishing)

Our recent trip to Winchester and the chance to see the incredible Bible (and other books) they have in the Cathedral re-sparked my interest in early books and manuscripts. When not working from home I am lucky to work in a library with its own incredible archive and early book collection. It has always felt a privilege to have the chance to see such beautiful works with ease. (You can read more about the wonderful Norfolk literary archives here: Unlocking the Archive and more details about the Norfolk Heritage Centre here.)

Hidden Hands couldn't have been published at a better time for me!

Wellesley takes us through all different types of manuscripts and we learn about the people who wrote, illustrated and commissioned some of the most beautiful books to be found in the UK.

To make this book even more ideal for me there's a lot of focus on works that come from Norfolk!

You don't need to be an academic to read this book, just have an interest in history, books and art - it made me want to dig out my calligraphy books and pens again that's for sure! There are some wonderful little details in many of these manuscripts and I spent nearly as long poring over the colour plates as I did reading the book.

I was so pleased to find a copy of this book from an independent publisher in an independent bookshop on National Bookshop Day - and even more pleased I treated myself to the gorgeous hardback rather than waiting for the paperback.

Non Fiction November

 

Without really meaning to I appear to be bang on trend in 2021 as November has been renamed Non Fiction November by the Federation of Children's Book Groups.

With only a very few exceptions this month I have found myself unable to settle to any novels but I have finished several excellent non fiction titles, as well as having a few more on the go.

I think that the joy of non fiction is that often each chapter can be read as a standalone so on days when I am tired or unable to settle an interesting chapter is just the right length.

Usually when I get like this I turn to short stories as well but I've currently finished all of the anthologies of these I have around the house so I will also have to look out for more of these - any recommendations gratefully received and then perhaps next month I can rebrand December reads as "short fiction for short days" - not as catchy but I'll work on this!

Thoughts will be forthcoming on some of the non fiction I've read and enjoyed but for now I need to go back to the current book Minarets in the Mountains and continue travelling around part of the Balkans without leaving the sofa!

Talented Friends

 

Amarantha by E.R.Traina (trans. Marinella Mezzanotte) published by Kurumuru Books

I am very lucky to have a lot of talented friends who write (or translate) books and while each time I start one of their books there is some trepidation - what if I don't like the book? - I am always excited to read their creations.

I've been a fan of a particular genre of YA fantasy since I was a teenager. I don't quite know how to best describe the genre but authors who I really enjoy are Tamora Pierce and Trudi Canavan - they have strong female leads in worlds that are recognisable as being earth like, often have a strand of magic running through them, and are set in a pre industrial revolution age.

Amarantha by E. R. Traina instantly joins my list of favourites in the genre. The world is well built, believable and incredibly visual. The main characters are well drawn and credible, they never feel like cardboard cut outs. Throughout  the story the book kept me guessing but never confused.

I was a little worried towards the end that the book was going to only be half a story and that I'd be left hanging waiting for a sequel, but without being rushed or sketchy in any way the ending was complete and made total sense within the context of the plot. There are enough 'what ifs' that I'd pounce on a sequel like a shot but if Traina moves on to something new for her next book I'll be just as keen to read it.

As a nice touch the book also has a soundtrack, composed and played by the author, and these tracks definitely add to the reading experience rather than feeling like a gimmick.

The notes at the end explaining the translation process for the book were also fascinating and I am so pleased that I can wholeheartedly champion a book that ticks so many of my personal reading boxes.

I was sent an early copy of this book by Kurumuru but there was no obligation for me to review the book.