I'm joining Kat and fellow Unravelers for Unraveled Wednesday, with a Baby Surprise Jacket in progress.
After seeing a five-star recommendation from Kat I decided to request Blaze Me a Sun from NetGalley myself. I don't read mysteries very often, and the last Scandinavian author I read was Stieg Larsson more than a decade ago, but I have been missing out. In 1986, Sven Jorgensson, a small town police officer, gets a call from a man who says he has raped a woman and claims he will do it again. I won't recount the rest of the plot, but this book is a page-turner and thoughtful at the same time. Christoffer Carlsson subtitled this A Novel About a Crime, and it is that but also so much more. There are layers with well-developed characters, decades of police work, the tolls it takes on some of the families involved, and one of the best fictional endings I've read in a long time.
I also finished another NetGalley pre-publication copy of The Lindbergh Nanny. Because I live in Flemington, NJ where Bruno Hauptmann was tried for the kidnap and murder of the Lindbergh baby, The Lindbergh Nanny appealed to me. The Lindberghs are still kind of a big deal around here, with theatrical recreations of the trial in the old courthouse, Lone Eagle Brewery, and a protracted fight about how historic the Union Hotel really is and how much of it should be saved. I read several nonfiction books about the kidnapping when we first moved here 30 years ago, but Mariah Fredericks' historical fiction novel made for much more interesting reading. She places real-life Betty Gow (Charlie Lindbergh's nurse/nanny) at the center of the novel and tells the story of the Lindberghs, the kidnapping, Betty's own story, and the conclusions she reaches. Despite knowing that the kidnapping was coming and how it would end, this was still a compelling read. It seemed well-researched but the author doesn't just recount 90-year-old facts; she treats all the characters as fallible humans who felt real emotions and how so many of their lives were changed or even ruined by the kidnapping. I especially appreciated the author's additions of "The Real Betty Gow" and the extensive "The Lindbergh Nanny: Fact vs. Fiction" at the end of the book.
The final one is the delightful collection of short stories entitled Today a Woman Went Mad in the Supermarket by Hilma Wolitzer. I was excited when I saw that Debbie had read this and immediately searched my library for a copy. I read Hearts and In the Palomar Arms by the same author sometime back in the 1980s but hadn't searched out anything else from the author since then. Even the title of this collection delights me, and the first entry in the book tells the tale of the poor woman in the supermarket. With covid, I have often felt I might someday be that woman that goes mad and it will probably happen in the supermarket. I hope that I am treated kindly by fellow shoppers. The last story, "The Great Escape" is especially poignant because it's true-to-life and Ms. Wolitzer wrote it in 2020.
Some of these stories show their age, but that is to be expected since they were originally published in the 1960s and 70s. Despite being written more than 50 years ago, they are still relevant and contain the extraordinary. As Elizabeth Strout writes in the foreword, "Hilma Wolitzer once told an interviewer, "I don't believe there's such a thing as ordinary life. I think all life is extraordinary." This collection of short stories shows how true that is.What are you making and reading this week?
Congratulations on the third try for the BSJ. Love the color and I'm happy you've figured it out. Now...if I ever decide to make one...I know who to call on for help when needed! What a stellar week you had for reading too. All of those books look and sound so interesting to me (another expansion of my TBR list). I'm chugging along on Fletcher's 2nd sock and reading a few different books. The biggest surprise is that I'm trying an audio book!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad things finally clicked for you with the BSJ. It's definitely one of those patterns that really doesn't make much sense, even if you read the pattern thoroughly, until you have the knitting in your hands and see what is happening.
ReplyDeleteNow that both you and Kat have recommended that mystery, I'm going to check it out. I haven't read any Scandinavian mysteries but have certainly enjoyed dramatizations of them (I'm thinking of Wallander).
Your BSJ is looking AWESOME! I love the color! And that is the perfect sized sweater to knit in July!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you liked Blaze me a sun! I am eager to read more of Carlsson's writing! And I am off to find Hilma's book. Thank you!
I have new books to add to my TBR list. Thanks, Bonny! I love EZ's patterns, and I think she was a very intuitive knitter, but I am not. Of course, that was the genius of her knitting. I can usually follow literal instructions pretty well, but I always overthink those that assume the knitter can "see" where this is going. The upside is that you learned something. This BSJ is going to be so stinking cute. I can't wait to see it when it is finished.
ReplyDeleteThe color of the BSJ is perfection! I've never attempted it, but I have seen so many completed ones, and they are always wonderful. Thanks for the book recommendations - I've added them all to my TBR list. :-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bridget! I'm glad I could finally wrap my brain around how the BSJ worked. This week was an exceptional one with plenty of good books.
DeleteYay for the BSJ! It is definitely a "learn by doing" kind of pattern. Good exercise for the ole' brain cells. You are doing your part to prevent Alzheimer's!
ReplyDeleteOnce you get the hang of the BSJ it's pretty magical. I'm glad it's working for you now! And thanks for the book recommendations, I added those first two to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried a BSJ either! Whenever I look at the directions, I always think . . . must make sense while you're doing it. (Or... maybe not?) Anyway, I'm glad you've persevered with it! The color is FAB and it will be so adorable when you finish. I think all of those books sound great, Bonny. XO
ReplyDeleteKnitting a BSJ is lesson in 1, patience, and B, trusting the pattern, such as it is. Yours will be great!
ReplyDeleteGlad you are on track with the BSJ. It's a fun knit. I must have made my last one over 30 years ago and I remember giving it to a co-workers daughter. For some reason, I never made one for the great nieces. Hmm I know they have a child and adult version so I may need to check them out again. Love the color you are using.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why I couldn't seem to understand what I was doing the first two attempts, but I think I've got it now (at least until the increase section)! I have a new respect for EZ and the fact that she could even come up with something like this, but I guess that's why she's a knitting legend.
DeleteHooray for the BSJ in progress. I recall a friend and I knit them together in an informal knit-along. We puzzled it out together and that helped. I do like that bright purple. It's nice and bright. What interesting books. I loved Field Study and am going to look for the short story collection. I'm not a big short story fan but I love the title of the one you read.
ReplyDeletethat is a beautiful lilac shade, so cheerful! I have done many knits where I've restarted over and over again. Sometimes I am just not fully present when I am knitting.
ReplyDeleteI picked up Evening Chorus from the library this week and can't wait to start exploring Helen Humphreys!!
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