BOOKS & MORE BOOKS - THE VEGETARIAN BY HAN KANG: THE IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE

 

Some novels leave us with a clear opinion.

Others leave us disturbed, fascinated and uncertain about what, exactly, we have just experienced.

The Vegetarian belongs to the second category.

BOOK & MORE BOOKS: INTERMEZZO BY SALLY ROONEY, THE QUIET MIRACLE OF LITERATURE

 

There are writers we admire from the very first novel we read. And then there are those rare moments when, after following their work for years, we realise they have reached a new stage in their artistic journey.

That was my experience with Intermezzo.

I have read all of Sally Rooney's novels. Normal People introduced me to a voice that felt fresh, intelligent and emotionally honest. I enjoyed Conversations with Friends and Beautiful World, Where Are You, but neither quite recreated that exhilarating sense of discovery.

Intermezzo did.

WHY SCROLLING ISN'T ENOUGH: WHAT READING BOOKS DOES FOR THE BRAIN

 

Reading vs scrolling

A few weeks ago, I conducted a simple survey among my teenage students about their reading habits. The results surprised me—and, to be honest, worried me.

Among fifteen students, only one student reported reading books regularly. Just one.

Most of the others told me that they "read online": social media posts, websites, chats, news snippets, or content recommended by algorithms. While this certainly involves reading in a broad sense, it is very different from the sustained, focused reading that books require.

Their responses prompted me to dedicate a couple of lessons to a topic that has been receiving increasing attention from educators, researchers, and parents alike: the reading crisis among children and young people. Together, we explored videos, podcasts, articles, and studies examining the decline in book reading and its possible consequences for learning, thinking and personal development.

The more we discussed the issue, the more I realised that this is not simply a question of whether young people enjoy reading. It raises deeper questions about attention, language, empathy, critical thinking, creativity  and even how our brains develop.

The reflections that follow emerged from those classroom discussions and from the research we examined together. They are not intended as an attack on technology or digital media. Rather, they are an invitation to consider what books offer that scrolling alone cannot.

BOOKS & MORE BOOKS: IF YOU LIVE TO 100, YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE HAPPY

 

"Life is a story that deserves to be read until the very last page. No one knows what the universe has in store for us. Happiness can be found in the most unexpected corners of everyday life."

Some books arrive in our lives exactly when we need them. I believe this was one of them.

I did not read If You Live to 100, You Might As Well Be Happy by Rhee Kun Hoo quickly. It was a book to be sipped slowly, one chapter at a time, allowing its reflections to settle in my mind.

I am at a stage of life that often leaves me restless. Time seems to have accelerated beyond measure. Retirement, once a distant concept, is slowly approaching. I find myself confronting the uncomfortable realization that I am no longer young and wondering what lies ahead. When a friend handed me this book after reading it herself, she must have sensed that I needed its wisdom.

BOOKS & MORE BOOKS: GREEK LESSONS BY HAN KANG

 

In the wake of her acclaimed work, The Vegetarian, Han Kang delivers another powerful novel, Greek Lessons, hailed as the Book of the Year 2023 by The New Yorker, TIME magazine, and Kirkus. This poignant tale explores the redemptive power of language and human connection.

Set in a classroom in Seoul, Greek Lessons follows the story of a young woman who has lost her voice, metaphorically and literally. As she watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard, she grapples with the silence that surrounds her. Her teacher, gradually losing his sight, finds himself drawn to her enigmatic presence.

BOOKS & MORE BOOKS: PACHINKO, A TIMELESS EPIC OF LOVE AND RESILIENCE

 

Pachinko the series is available in streaming on Apple TV

I recently had the pleasure of delving into the mesmerizing world of Min Jin Lee's Pachinko (2017), a literary masterpiece that sweeps you off your feet and takes you on an unforgettable journey through time and generations. I’m now ready to watch the first season of the critically acclaimed TV series starring Korean actor Lee Minho among others and I eagerly anticipate the release of the second season. Now, I can't help but share my immense enthusiasm for this extraordinary family saga.

BOOKS & MORE BOOKS: THE FAIR BOTANISTS BY SARA SHERIDAN

 

Reading The Fair Botanists has been my latest fascinating journey back in time. I’m grateful I had the chance to fling away to Edinburgh back then, in 1822,  at a time of cultural brilliancy and great change.

As I am fond of Scotland, the 19^th century, historical fiction and - why not? -  flowers and perfumes, how could I not enjoy Sara Sheridan’s latest novel?

BOOK BLAST - THE CASE OF THE PECULIAR INHERITANCE, A MCKENZIE SISTERS MYSTERY NOVEL

Second summer reading recommendation in the McKenzie Sisters series: The Case of the Peculiar Inheritance. Click HERE for my previous post.  I love historical fiction, I'm hooked by the fascinating allure of the past, and if you enjoy that too, this book is a lovely addition to your TBR list: it's a fun and light-hearted mystery with a touch of sweet romance. Scroll down to discover more! 

BOOK BLAST - THE CASE OF THE COPPER KING, A MCKENZIE SISTERS MYSTERY NOVEL

Summer is here and it's time to pick up new reads to take with us on holiday. You know I'm fond of historical fiction and if you are too, today I have the perfect recommendation! What about a fun and light-hearted novel filled with adventure, mystery, and a touch of sweet romance? 

A FEW READING TIPS FROM THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY

If you like me love reading  books and period drama, you may have seen this film and you may also have read the book it is an adaptation of. If you haven't yet, you must! My suggestion is ... start from the book, of course!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a delightful epistolary novel and a beautiful costume movie. Starring Lily James and Michiel Huisman,  supported by a remarkable cast including Glen Powell, Jessica Brown Findley , Matthew Goode, Penelope Wilton and Tom Courtney, the 2018 movie is directed by Mike Newell. You can find it on Netflix or on DVD, if you’ve missed it when it was released in cinemas.

WHAT KIND OF PRINT BOOK READER ARE YOU? - THE WISDOM OF LISTENING BLOG TOUR (AUTHOR GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY)

I have come to realize there are at least three kinds of print book readers I see on a regular basis. First is the tidy reader, second is the messy reader, and third is the hybrid reader. Do you know which you are?

 To the tidy reader, reading a book is like eating a gourmet meal in a five star restaurant. All of their books are purchased brand new, although exceptions might made for signed first editions. They want to be the first to crack that stiff spine open and love that new book smell. In a bookstore these readers never take the front book from a shelf or the top book in a stack. They reach behind and under to find the most pristine copy they can. 

 New books are brought home with as little jostling as possible and stored carefully on a bookshelf or stacked neatly on a table next to their reading chair. When they read, they sit upright and always turn a good reading light on. No drinking or eating is allowed to avoid staining the pages. No notations are ever made or corners turned down to mark their place. Only a proper book mark will do. When finished, the books are still in pristine condition. Only another tidy reader would know that its spine had already been cracked. 

At the other end of the spectrum is the messy reader. Reading for them is more like eating while camping with no table, chairs or utensils. Books come from every source – new and used book stores, thrift stores, library sales, garage sales and friends. It doesn't matter whether the book is in fabulous condition or a little raggedy; is clean or a little marked up; and dog eared pages aren't even noticed. As long as all the pages are intact and it's a good read they're happy. 

BOOKS & MORE BOOKS - SUMMERTIME READS

Summer means relax and travelling, binge watching and remorseless staying up late,  but it also means spare time for more good books. Have you read anything interesting? I have! Here are some of the best among my holidays reads. Very different genres, international authors - but especially British - all of them  are worth reading and will help you feel good or better.  

Waking Lions by Ayelet Gundar-Goshen

Book Blurb - Dr Eitan Green is a good man. He saves lives. Then, speeding along a deserted moonlit road in his SUV after an exhausting hospital shift, he hits someone. Seeing that the man, an African migrant, is beyond help, he flees the scene. It is a decision that changes everything.

Because the dead man's wife knows what happened. And when she knocks at Eitan's door the next day, tall and beautiful, holding his wallet, he discovers that her price is not money. It is something else entirely, something that will shatter Eitan's safe existence and take him into a world of secrets and lies he could never have anticipated.

Everything gets more complicated and tense when Dr Green's beloved wife, Liat, smart police officer and detective, starts investigating on the case. 

This new brilliant novel is crafted as a suspenseful thriller, one you suffer putting down and which resonates with you for a while after you finish reading. It is also a touching study of the human mind coping with guilt, shame, desire and resilience. One of the most intriguing books I've read this year. 

HOW TO KNOW THIS IS THE RIGHT BOOK TO READ

In the past, people had to make an effort in order to get ahold of books they were interested in reading. Nowadays, though, they have an entirely different problem. There are so many books out there, yet there is not enough time to read them all. Of course, the solution for this would be to make your selection narrower, and then work your way down the list. But how do you narrow it down?

12 BOOKS TO READ BEFORE YOU ARE 30

There are many timeless books you should read, but even books are best read at a specific age. If you are in your twenties, you have already exited your teens happily and started entering adult life, which introduces an inevitable change in obligations. Life is your best teacher, but it is always helpful to get some guidance from good writers along your way.

'The things you learn and how you understand the book depend on the phase in your life' – says Jack Matheson, a content manager at Essayontime. For this reason, we have selected some of the best books that may not have read before, but can certainly shape your identity and your worldview.

1.     Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky

At some point in your life, you will need to make an important choice. Reading Dostoyevsky's novel is a great way to learn about the difference between choosing the good and the bad, and the consequences that come from both.

A gripping story and an argument against nihilism, 'Crime and Punishment' speaks of a 23-year-old man, Raskolnikov who murders two women and suffers from the consequences. The story speaks of humanity and how we are responsible over our actions and the death of others.

HOW TO LEARN SPEED READING

Today the Internet provides people with tons of useful and interesting information. There is no need to go to the library or pay enormous sums of money in order to read desired book or article. It is possible to find great amounts of information in the vastness of the Internet. Thus, it is extremely important for modern people to read more information and apply useful reading techniques that can improve person’s reading skills. Here are some tips that can be beneficial for readers:

OCTOBER WATCHING, READING, TEACHING, LIVING

1. WATCHING - Don't you love Sunday nights?

Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark

Most people hate Sunday nights since the weekend is over and the idea of starting a new working week is not easy to tackle. But I'm lucky enough to have found not one but two perfect antidotes in the recent weeks and I don't mind sharing them with you. This is how I face the ugly truth: Monday you do not scare me!  I prepare all my lesson plans and do my paperwork in advance, which I usually do at night, so that I can sit as comfortably as I can, turn the TV on and 1) enjoy Poldark's 18th century Cornish adventures on BBC 1 then 2) swoon on Victoria and Albert's 19th century royal romance on ITV +1. The result is I head to bed something like this  ...

... mesmerized! And who cares it'll be Monday in few hours!

Why are these series such safe havens? Too long to explain, but I'm sure you can understand. I am so grateful to UK TV for giving us such great period drama series.

BOOKS & MORE BOOKS! A GREAT MUST - READ LIST FROM GUEST BLOGGER STACEY

 Our guest blogger today is young and lovely Stacey Marone. Get to know more about her reading the bio note below this post and following her on twitter. Stacey has prepared a 30 must- read list full of interesting titles and reading tips. What title would you absolute add to her list? How many of these books have you read? Contribute your titles in the comment section,  it would be great to hear from you.  Happy reading, everyone!

     The 30 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lives

Books are a luxury that can be enjoyed at every stage of your life, and nothing is more enjoyable nor enlightening than  to sit down with a book that gets you thinking, pulls the heartstrings and takes you to a new place. Below is an overview of 30 books that everyone should read at least once in their lifetime - in no particular order.

1. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

It is not enough to simply see the movie. The book is a mixture of humanity and humour and there is a reason why it is one of the most loved and discussed books of our time.

2. A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson

So much more than a science book, Bill Bryson attempts to make sense of the universe and the meaning of the planet. A must read for anyone even remotely interested in what is out there.

3. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale - Art Spiegelman

A clever take on the usual holocaust novels, Maus is a graphic novel (comic) that tells a story of survival in the war by using cats and mice to represent Nazi's and Jews.

READING ITALIAN: FABIO STASSI & ALESSANDRO D'AVENIA

    Fabio Stassi,  La lettrice Scomparsa  (2016)

La Lettrice Scomparsa (The missing reader) is a literary mystery. A book which contains an entire shelf of good books (Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, John Fante, Jorge Amado, Luigi Pirandello, Honoré de Balzac, George Simenon among others),  an investigation on fiction and life, a novel wondering how much life and fiction interfere with each other. Can fiction help men and women endure life? Can life, real life, make it to a good book page? Can reading a novel be therapeutic?

Fabio Stassi is a writer I truly appreciate and whom I have already mentioned and reviewed here at FLY HIGH! His latest novels are set in Rome and deal with fragile characters coping with the harshness of reality. They are watched and described through the lens of poetry, music and fiction,  which are Stassi’s solid background.

The protagonist is one of my unlucky colleagues, one who has lost his position after being a temporary teacher in several different schools for years. Now middle-aged and unemployed, Vince Corso has to reinvent himself and to find a way to survive.  Bibliotherapy is the first thing that comes to his mind: as a teacher of literature and a book lover, book counseling is an activity he thinks he can be successful at.

SUMMER READING LIST: 5 GREAT BOOKS TO READ THIS SUMMER

  

(by guest blogger Cassie) 

Summertime is a beautiful season and what better way to spend it than sitting back in the sunshine with a good book. There are hundreds of summer reading lists out there, but for fans of Jane Austen and classic literature, we’ve compiled five incredible stories that are bound to tickle your fancy. 

They are all easily purchasable for Amazon's Kindle, making them perfect to take away with you. However, particularly if you're buying while abroad, it's wise to make sure you're using the right tools to keep your details. Check out this post by Secure Thoughts on Kindle security for more information.

Ready for some recommendations?

BOOK REVIEW - NICOLA CORNICK, HOUSE OF SHADOWS

London, 1662 

There was something the Winter Queen needed to tell him. She fought for the strength to speak.

‘The crystal mirror is a danger. It must be destroyed – ‘

He replied instantly. ‘It will’.

Ashdown, Oxfordshire, present day

Ben Ansell is researching his family tree when he disappears. As his sister Holly begins a desperate search, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to an ornate antique mirror and to the diary of Lavinia, a 19th century courtesan who was living at Ashdown House when it burned to the ground over 200 years ago.

Intrigued, and determined to find out more about the tragedy at Ashdown, Holly’s only hope is that uncovering the truth about the past will lead her to Ben.

*******************************

I'm back reviewing and blogging after a while with a book I liked very much: House of Shadows by Nicola Cornick ( Harlequin Mira UK, 2015). It is fast paced, intriguing, well written and thoroughly researched and it includes all the elements to make it my “cup of coffee” (yes, I like coffee more than tea): fascinating historical eras, beautiful English landscapes, gripping plot and,   last but not least, passionate romance.

Three parallels narrative threads  unroll in  three different time settings keeping  the reader hooked and,  little by little, interweaving to form the tapestry that is the solution of the initial mystery: the sudden, inexplicable disappearance of  Ben Ansell.

Nicola Cornick’s  new time-slip novel champions three beautifully written heroines:  Elizabeth Stuart, James I’s daughter and queen of Bohemia, the 17th century "Winter Queen” ; Lavinia Flyte, a 19th-century courtesan who wrote a memoir,  and  Holly Ansell, a present-day woman in distress to whom is truly easy to relate. Holly is desperate after  her brother disappears and her long-lasting relationship with Guy wrecks.