So we’re back. I didn’t think I’d continue with this blog business after the trip…the pre-travel book reviews were purely posting practice. BUT, a reader (that’s you Kerny!) has encouraged me to continue. I read a few books on the road, but was limited to those that I could easily discard or didn’t weigh too much. The list included:
- Stasiland – Anna Funder
- A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian – Marina Lewycka
- The Memory Keepers Daughter – Kim Edwards
- Pants on Fire – Maggie Alderson
- Then we Came to the End – Joshua Ferris
- Moby Dick – Herman Melville (half finished)
The standout was Stasiland, which both the JB and I read whilst we were in Germany and the Czech Republic. In Berlin we undertook a guided tour through the city visiting the likes of Checkpoint Charlie, the Reichstag, and remnants of the Berlin Wall. Our guide was simply fantastic and recommended anyone interested in East German history watch the movie ‘The Lives of Others’ (which the JB and I had already seen) and read Stasiland by Anna Funder. What a book. It chronicles a series of interviews/encounters with people who lived/worked in Berlin during the time of the wall. It really is an excellent read – I recall it won a stack of awards when it was launched - and I would recommend it to all. It features some harrowing tales and is at times sad beyond words, but if nothing else it makes those who never had to live through such an episode realise, just how lucky we are.
Changing tack completely, my next favourite book from the above list was Pants on Fire. I read Maggie Alderson when I need a break from anything too heavy or just need something light and often amusing to read through. I picked up a copy of Pants on Fire at the airport as we boarded from Melb to Dubai. It was classic Alderson, funny, easy to read, very girly and with a nice little twist at the end. I left my copy with one of the JB’s cousins in Italy, who is looking to improve her English – not sure how she’ll go, but I can’t bear to throw away books, ever.
At different times throughout the trip both the JB and I craved English. We arrived in Vienna and had one such moment. The concierge at our hotel recommended an English bookstore on Mariahilfer Straabe which we found to be closed, BUT we came across another bookstore to find that it contained within, a substantial English section. After pondering for some time, I settled on a 3-pack of the above for 20 euro. Each was a fairly easy read and featured quite enjoyable moments. Each book has been recommended by the Richard and Judy Book Club and so has done well for its respective author. Good value.
Since we’ve returned, I’ve been reading quite a bit and so a few more reviews will follow in the next days.
