Read:
The End of the World is a Cul de Sac – Louise Kennedy (Riverhead Books, 2023) (289 pages)
Antarctica – Claire Keegan (Grove Press, 1999) (201 pages)
The Flanders Road – Claude Simon (New York Review Books, 2022) (translated from the French by Richard Howard) (193 pages)
The Secret Adversary – Agatha Chrsitie (Blackstone Publishing, 2009) (8 hours/215 pages)
Currently Reading:
Kingdom, Grace, Judgement – Robert Farrar Capon
A People’s Tragedy – Orlando Figes
The Future – Catherine Leroux
The Double Life of Benson Yu – Kevin Chong
2024 Reading Goals:
Goliath Challenge: 2,377 pages read/30, 000 pages (898 in February)
Goliath Books Read: 0
Translated Works: 2/15 (The Flanders Road, translated from French)
Books I Already Own: 1/30 (The Flanders Road)
Pre-2023 TBR: 1/25 (The Flanders Road since 2022)
Thoughts:
I feel like I’ve been reading a lot even though my Read list is pretty short this month. I do have to remind myself that this is the point of the Goliath Challenge. I’ve read a good chunk of A People’s Tragedy but because it’s such an enormous book, it’s taking me a while. The Robert Farrar Capon book is a decent size too (it’s technically three books in one). The Flanders Road isn’t a long book but it took me a long time to read it because it’s so weird and French. Review upcoming in the next few weeks, I hope.
What’s Next:
Hopefully I’ll finish A People’s Tragedy in March. Other than that, I’d like to get caught up on a few ARCs and hope to do that over spring break. Our library is still closed but we are able to place holds. I miss browsing the shelves but am glad to be able to still borrow books.
Karissa Reads Books 
Why is your library closed?
Also, I laughed when I read “so weird and French.”
They had a flood during our big snowfall in January and the damage has been quite extensive. They share a building with the municipal hall which has also had to move. I’ve heard the books were largely saved but floors, walls, shelves etc need replacing. They’re now working on a pop-up location in the mall. (Our downtown is about 4 blocks long so the mall is practically next door to the library.)
Reading more books in translation has made me see some cultural similarities that books from other languages might share and I’ve noticed that there are some that I struggle with more than others. French and Japanese seem to be at the top of the list! Spanish authors seem more likely to creep me out. I like the Eastern Europeans.
Oh, no. I was wondering if wet floors would have led to moldy books regardless of their dryness. I hope the city can apply for a grant or some emergency money, or heck, maybe the mall-library will be a smash hit.
Ha, I think I get more creeped out by those Eastern European authors. Everything is so dark, next-door-neighbors to both Dracula and Russia.
I think insurance is going to take care of most of it, thankfully. I haven’t checked out the mall-library yet but I’m glad they’re finding some sort of temporary solution, at least.
I love magic realism and there is a fairytale aspect that I find to a lot of Eastern European writing that, for me, tempers the darkness. It’s human creepiness that I can’t deal with.
I’m very fond of The Secret Adversary – I hope you enjoyed it! I do know that Tommy and Tuppence are a bit of a Marmite couple among readers of Christie, but I like them.
It was fun! I had pretty well figured out who Mr Brown was before the end but I didn’t mind that. I don’t think I’ve read any of Tommy and Tuppence before. I liked them too. They felt spunkier than Poirot or Marple.
Quality over quantity is the motto! Sorry to see your library is closed, that’s always tough for a regular borrower. I’m glad they’re still finding a way to lend books though, seems like libraries are always the places going above and beyond! Wishing you a good reading month ahead, and some satisfying progress with your goliath challenge 🙂
Thank you!
Librarians are awesome – they were so good at pivoting during covid and they’re finding new ways now to keep serving the community. My kids really miss our library visits though; I’m thankful that they at least have the school library.