Well it has been a summer full of heatwaves — temperatures that soar and stick along with high humidity no pun intended — for three to four days, before a storm then a new front, some delicious lovely days perhaps one or two — before we start the whole loop over again.
During this slow moving weather and along with transit delays — I have found my way back to reading during the commute again. Has to be a smaller and lighter paper back — right now it is a philosophy slash self help book that belonged to my grandfather’s younger brother. Found it and saw his name and felt like I should read it before sending it out into the universe, etc.
There are a few others I see reading on the bus and train and I always sort of try to peak and take a look. There may be others reading on their phones but they sort of blend into the larger dimness of everyone is on their phone for me.
Often I will bring books to our Book Crossing in person meet ups and in return take books no one has chosen (we call them the orphans), to the big Little Free Library in downtown Boston, or to our free community bookshelf in the cafeteria of our basement. Folks see me coming in with my yellow Book Crossing bag then zip over after I have restocked. Sometimes I take books that have been the cafeteria for a long time and moved them over to the Little Free Library when space gets tight. It’s weird, as I have previously noted, like I’m moving books around the city.
Around Memorial Day my neighbor Max* did some sort of a cleaning of tools and the fumes came through the A/C and I got pretty ill. He said it was isolated one and done, so I did not kick up much of a fuss — Max bought the house next door, that my [former] Godmother apparently lost via a foreclosure on a default via a reverse mortgage. He grew up across the street, his mom’s the house on the corner of the side street — he told me he would be having major and heavy construction and it’s been ongoing since the spring. So far so good, I want to start stay on a positive foot and Max has been very nice, and I am hoping our amicable neighbor relationship will continue.
But not feeling well for the next few weeks, I ended up reading two (2) books plucked from the Little Free Library — I was reading Evelina by Burney — not feeling it at all and slogging through it. So took a break: And I read back to back: The Summer of the Spanish Woman, by Catherine Gaskin and Next Year in Havana, by Chanel Cleeton — this is part of a series I think. They were both literary books but full of romance and leaned on melodrama, not so bad for a summer reads but not always my favorite.
Another book I read was again was from that same visit to the Little Free Library, The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner. I’m not a huge mystery fan but again this was a quick read while I was not feeling well. And it truly was a fast read, I found the story somewhat engaging at first, but overall, mostly fell flat for me. Again, I had some issues with the narration but not going into specifics to avoid spoilers.
Weirdly, I brought these books to our in person Book Crossing Meet up in June, we had about 10-12 new people sign up, and I think we got 4-5 that actually showed up — but these books were snapped up but not journaled so probably taken by some of the new folks. It is always uncertain, etc.
At the June meet up, I picked up Kim by Kipling which I read pretty fast, a small paper back, it was my return to transit reading. It was interesting in a sense it meandered from one adventure of sorts to another. However, many terms and language that are today not considered appropriate or acceptable–so I can sort of understand why this book would be included on some of those how to de-colonize your book shelf; how-to articles, etc.
This summer I also re-read: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, I purchased this at our local book store and cafe, for an August birthday gift. And it was also a quick read because I had a very faint memory of reading it in school, and considering when it was written, remarkable in many ways. Without this novella, so many other writers and books would not have followed.
Right now, I am slogging through: Moods by Louisa May Alcott which I picked up at a Meet Up earlier this year. Full disclosure, I was never a fan of Little Women, but years ago again via Book Crossing I picked up and read Behind the Mask — which I enjoyed, so I wanted to be more open to reading her work.
Moods, apparently was her first adult novel. Later she revised it and re-published it and this edition, that I am reading now has footnotes highlighting where Alcott made changes/edits or other revisions. This is not really for me but more dedicated Alcott fans may find it interesting and more engaging. It started out okay but I find the story confusing and the editorial notes, I find distracting on top of it. Hope to bring it to our August in person Meet up.
On a different note, on a break from Moods, I read: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, the author probably best known for the Remains of the Day, which I read and loved, as well as the film. This book too, apparently was made into a film, but I have not seen it.
Similar, to the Remains of the Day, his story intwines with the interpersonal relationships between the main characters. Found it was very intense and detailed–every conversation and memory documented and internally analyzed. With Never Let Me Go, I had no previous knowledge of the story, going in so I was trying to figure out what exactly was up — was this a fancy boarding school — or a model that had been adapted for a different use/diversion; in some new way. Eventually, I settled on the latter, and again the relationships the conversations and their impact all have quite an intensity that perhaps is not understood by the reader or the characters either at first — although I found made sense as the characters try to figure things out for themselves. Like all children and young adults before the age of the internet — there are sort of urban legends or stories that become almost truth without sources and means of debunking, but here in the unraveling of this story, it is especially sad. Being vague as to avoid spoilers but I found both well written and sad story, and also I have to say the author took a very different approach I thought to Dystopian fiction, citing back to the idea of a traditional UK boarding school turned upside down.
From there, again something completely different: Theft by Finding, Dairies 1977-2007 by David Sedaris, again an orphan/book I picked up at our June 2025 Book Crossing Meet up in person. Previously, I read his collection, Holidays on Ice, and I enjoy his segments on CBS Sunday morning. These were several decades of journals, I think chosen and specifically culled from when he left college, worked odd jobs, went back to art school/college in Chicago ( I did not know he was an artist before finding success with his writing, that was interesting) plus odd jobs and work he did to survive, short history of his teaching gigs, post college move to New York (where he did a play with his sister Amy–did not know that either), meeting his spouse, slowly moving to financial success, then subsequent moves to France and the book ends with them buying an apartment in London.
He does talk about staying sober somewhat but they are careful mentions. Also some conflicts with his siblings Tiffany and Paul and his dad, to note, these inclusions, are again just snap shots and obviously just his point of view. There may have been conflicts with his siblings over substance abuse but he only included what he chose, etc. The earlier days–scraping by time line dips sometimes he lives alone and some times mentions roommates. For the latter years, he includes amusing parts about touring with his book promotion, the bad hotel rooms and the often eccentric older women sent to escort him/pick him up at the airport and deliver him to the book store.
There are many wry observations of life, people on the streets and subway in Chicago, New York and Paris. In both Chicago and New York, he would be a regular nightly at a nearby IHOP/International House of Pancakes where they have free coffee refills and write–often including stories about customers and staff there. It was an interesting and easy read–but I would say I felt like he was purposely including what he wanted–he cut out a lot of the ugly stuff–and cultivated the quirky–there are a couple of recipes and lists too. But it was a good read.
*Not his real name.
“. . . she entered into conversation . . . doing it with so much sympathy and natural grace, as shewed the kindest consideration for all.” {Jane Austen, Persuasion} 
Shalden & Neatham sister site to the Reluctant Janeite 