Galina's book shelf in July
having read a few books, I learn an important lesson on the importance of choosing the right books for the holiday travel
I normally try to switch off my head from writing fully in August, but this July has allowed me to start slowing down, as many brands did the same, so my first action was to start ‘diminishing’ one of my book piles (of which there are several my dear reader, as I am an incorrigible book reader/hurder/purchaser). Quite a few books were read, but somehow some were clear ‘misses’, in part because I chose to read sad stories, while enjoying the sailing and quieter pace of life, which called for more uplifting reads. For example beautifully written “Ties” by illustrious Italian writer Domenico Starnone and translated by one of my favourite writers Jhumpa Lahiri. The book - beautifully written by the way - left me struggling to read it due to the complexity of the subject, a breakdown of a relationship between husband and wife, which involved two kids seemingly stuck in the middle. I also struggled with reading Eric Punchner’s “Dream State”, a story of confused bride Cece, who is in love with her fiancee, but starts questioning her life and choices when she goes to her future in-laws house ahead of the wedding and meets her fiancé’s gruff and depressed friend Garrett. Again, it wasn’t the writer, but the subject of the book that I simply rebelled against internally - a case of ‘choose your books wisely’ ahead of your holiday travels. In other circumstances I might have read both books with a different mindset without struggling. Holiday reading, possibly, requires a theme of escapism rather than analysis of human relationships with dark undercurrents.
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“The Amalfi Curse” by Sarah Penner
An easy and self-engrossing book set against the glittering backdrop of Amalfi Coast, this is the first book I read, written by Sarah. Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, comes to Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast, hoping to also find something that her father has possibly seen earlier, before his untimely death. While she waits for her all female crew to join her, strange misfortunes start happening, making Haven wonder about its causes.
As Haven starts to search for the sunken treasure, she begins to uncover a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman’s quest to save her lover, as well as her village, by using the legendary art of stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Impossible to put down right until the end!
Photofile: Paolo Riversi by Thames & Hudson
I was lucky enough to meet the legendary, but unassuming Italian photographer several years ago in London, at the opening of his exhibition at Hamiltons gallery. Even though our conversation was all too brief, with many people vying for his attention, to this day I smile thinking of our encounter and his wife’s and his own loveliness.
Paolo Roversi discovered his love for photography as a teen on a family holiday and was lucky to be mentored by photographer Peter Knapp, moving to Paris and discovering the multi-faceted world of fashion. His career took off after working as assistant to Laurence Jackman and really learning the craft of photography.
Well-known for his distinct large-format Polaroid film to capture the moment, his images are always tender and unmistakable when you come across them in magazine editorials. This pocket book contains 72 photographs and I keep on looking at the pages when my mind is in need of calm inspiration.
“Bitter Honey” by Lola Akinmade, published by Head of Zeus
I have been a fan of Lola’s writing for many years and after meeting her in person at Daunt reader event two years ago - you can read about it here - I felt an even closer connection to her and her writing. Every book that Lola writes has me in its grip from the first page until the very last, always making me want to read more! Last month her publisher kindly sent me a copy of her latest book “Bitter Honey” and I read it in just a few days, seeking quite moments while sailing and hiking with friends in Europe.
Spanning four decades and three continents, Bitter Honey is a story of mothers and daughters, love and betrayal, family ties and lies, as well as the importance of seeking and carving your own distinct path, personally and professionally.
If you have read Lola’s previous books, In Every Mirror She is Black and Everything Is Not Enough, both highly recommended by yours truly, you will know that Lola feels very strongly about racism and biases, so her views and experiences without a doubt inform her writing. As she is also a photographer and travel writer, her attention to detail is uncanny, making her writing feel very personal and unvarnished, something that is part of her writer’s broad appeal.
Bitter Honey is a story of Nancy, who arrives in Sweden to live with her aunt and uncle, the first family member to gain scholarship at the University in Europe and harbour Presidential ambitions in her homeland of Gambia. Her romance with ambassador’s son seems promising, until her friendship with charismatic University professor threatens the balance and leads to dramatic changes that initially don’t seem obvious.
Nancy’s daughter Tina grows up into a stunning young woman with immense talent for singing, winning the competition to represent her country of birth in Eurovision, but her path to success will be riddled with mistakes and challenges. Mother and daughter will clash and their own fractured relationship will come under the microscope, alongside that of Tina’s brother Tobias to whom Nancy seems much more dedicated.
Lola tackles not just racism in Sweden, doing it with innate passion, and deep understanding of the subject, but such topics as mental and substance abuse, as well as affairs and LGBT disparities in society, making “Bitter Honey” not just a lesson in human relations, but issues that our society faces and often shuffles under the carpet no matter where you live. Bitter Honey feels personal and much needed for the moment in time when we as human beings need to connect with each other, while political forces and biases seem to be driving us apart. I loved this novel and have no doubt that I will re-read it again in the future, because Lola’s voice and writing offer something magnetic and unmistakably true in a world that increasingly feels like a game of poker.
“Flower Couture” by Cordelia de Castellane (Rizzoli NY)
Cordelia de Castellane, is a woman who knows the secret to multi-tasking effectively. A wife and a mother, she is also an artistic director for Dior Maison and Dior baby, a keen gardener, an interior decorator and a woman with innate sense of style. Her love of flowers informs many things in her life and her career, the roots of which go back to her childhood and making herbariums with her grandmother in the Swiss alps, where part of her childhood was spent.
Already a fan of Cordelia’s previous book, “Life in A French Country House”, published in 2021, I couldn’t resist buying a copy of her new tome, “Flower Couture: from my garden to my house” that was published earlier this year. Capturing the beauty of flowers and nature around a calendar year, the book also has beautifully colourful imagery by Billal Taright and plenty of tips for setting up tables, decorating your home, arranging the flowers, choosing the right vases and vessels to showcase the beauty of nature’s abundance to create colourful oasis of joy in your room, appartment or house.
The book also offers colour schemes, so you will have a helpful guide based on your favourite colours. Just turning the pages of the book uplifts the spirits and I would imagine it would brighten the mood during the doom and gloom of late autumn and winter months, particularly in February. Oh, and the recipe for the strawberry cake would be perfectly fitting for baking right now .)
So those are my favourite books as of late, please share what you enjoyed reading this summer.
shared her favourite books last week here - I also loved Keith McNally’s memoir and sent my copy (review of the book here) to a friend whose husband recently had a stroke, book - his writing is like food poetry for me and have added Neneh Cherry’s memoir to my reading list.If you enjoyed my book selection featured here, don’t be shy to share it with others who might enjoy it too. Thank you & until the next post on Galina’s Book Shelf my dear reader xx