Top Reads in April

I did read a few 1001 books, including The Arabian Nights.  Whilst very familiar, the skilled interweaving of the stories in this collection is what makes the book great. We all know Aladdin, Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves, Sinbad the Sailor, but here they are all brought together, with other less well-known tales, in a less Disney-sanitised way, making them more enjoyable.
I also read Under the Net, my first Iris Murdoch, and it certainly won't be my last.  An intricate, incestuous web, on which the narrator fumbles his way, cadging lodging and money off friends. A frustrated writer and translator of French novels, Jake Donaghue hopes he will one day make it big, though his only literary attempt sank without a trace and cost him a friendship.

 

Salt and Saffron was a book I received through a virtual bookbox.  I enjoyed this a lot, reading most of it this morning before class. Aliya's family history is rich, providing her with many tales that span India, Pakistan, from before the British Raj, through independence and partition to the modern day. Some of the stories tell of the 'not-quite' twins, the relations that are linked closely, although not directly by blood.

I am a big Austen fan, so I did enjoy Persuading Annie.  I had it on my wishlist for ages and it popped up through Bookmooch. A modern retelling of Persuasion. For readers who already know Persuasion, Persuading Annie has the added appeal of seeing how the author updated the story. I think it works well. If you don't know Austen's original, it is still an entertaining read.

 

I gave up on my first book - Lesley Castle. I got it out of the library, in Spanish, and I just can't get into it. Not for the content, but more because it felt like I was watching a badly dubbed film :(  I did read Jane Austen - A Life, a well researched look at the author's life, from her family roots, through her books to her legacy.

I also read a good travel book, The Great Railway Bazaar.  Theroux's journey from London to Japan and back by train, biting at times, amusing, I read it on the train.

 

Overall I would say it was another good month, though I doubt any would make it on my top reads for the year.