Tag: Year

Olga Tokarczuk – Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead | Review

Title: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

Author: Olga Tokarczuk

Category: Fiction

Page Count: 272

Rating: 4.5/5

This is potentially a late entry into my list of favourite books of the year, and so I’m definitely glad that I picked it up. I think I heard about it from BookTube, although I can’t remember where I first saw it. I mentioned it to my girlfriend in passing and then she grabbed me a copy for Christmas, and it turned out that Charlie Heathcote was reading it at the same time, so we did a buddy read.

It’s a Polish book that’s been translated, a sort of noir-ish literary fiction murder mystery, and it has some deep takes on life and philosophy that we can all learn from. It’s one of those rare books with a delicious mouth feel where for me at least, it was just a pleasure to read all of the way through. I didn’t want it to stop, but I guess eventually and inevitably, it had to.

If you’re looking for philosophical fiction with a poetic feel, you’re in luck. It also scores a few diversity points if that’s your thing, being written by a woman and originally in Polish. But those are all little bonuses, the icing on a delicious cake that I’m super glad I heard about.

I have no idea whether Charlie liked it as much as I did, but I’m sure he’ll be posting about it on Goodreads and on his BookTube channel, so you can find out there. Enjoy!

Learn more about Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.


Edith Holden – The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady | Review

Title: The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

Author: Edith Holden

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count/Review Word Count: 187

Rating: 4*/5

 

Edith Holden - The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

Edith Holden – The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady

 

I picked up this book after hearing a YouTuber I watch (Hannah Tay) talking about it on her channel, and I’m glad that I did. It’s basically exactly what it claims to be, a facsimile reproduction of naturalist Edith Holden’s 1906 diary, complete with her hand-drawn colour illustrations.

It makes for a fascinating read, and part of the reason for that is actually because she didn’t write that many entries. That’s a good thing, because it enables you to whizz from month to month and season to season without a problem. You can literally watch the year fly by and read it in a single sitting, and it’s a joy to behold because of that. Then there’s the fact that it’s all handwritten, which occasionally makes it hard to read but which also lends it authenticity.

All in all, this book is an artifact. It’s beautiful in its own right and makes for a great addition to your collection.

 

Edith Holden

Edith Holden

 

Click here to buy The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady.