The Indextrious Reader

Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief / Dorothy Gilman
read by Barbara Rosenblatt
Blackstone Audio, c1993.

Another trip for Mrs. Pollifax! Her latest assignment is to take some photos at a small funeral in Virginia, then deliver them to her old friend Farrell in Sicily. He has specifically asked for her and Cyrus, but as usual Cyrus is busy with something else and Mrs. P goes alone (I do find it amusing how Gilman regularly gets rid of Cyrus, after introducing him in Book 5).

Nothing that Mrs. Pollifax does ever turns out as easy as promised. Here, she is met in Sicily by Kate, a young woman also from the CIA but who is on holiday and just doing a favour. But their trip to meet Farrell turns into a car chase, rescue and retreat to a safe house of sorts - Kate's aunt's country house where she is staying. This aunt turns out to be almost as mysterious as the men searching for Farrell.

This book was a bit slow for me, with most of it taking place within one house. There is some adventure beyond its walls, and an unlikely romance for Farrell too, but overall it's not as dramatic or eventful as some of the others. The plot can be a touch thin at times.

However, it is always enjoyable to see Mrs. P and Farrell back together, and the main element that is tying this story together is a suspected assassin who they put behind bars some books ago, who Farrell is sure he has seen in Sicily. The resolution of that is a little amusing but definitely suitable for an Emily Pollifax story. This one was just okay for me, but there was still that layer of social commentary that made it worth reading.

Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 02:20:00 +0000

Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish / Dorothy Gilman
read by Barbara Rosenblatt
Recorded Books, 2011, c1990.

I haven't been writing too much this month, but I have been reading -- I need to catch up on some reviews, so I'll start with a series I've been obsessively listening to, the Mrs. Pollifax series.

In Book 9 of this fun series, I was transported to a hot and dangerous trek across Morocco. Mrs. Pollifax has been asked to deliver some important documents to an agent in Morocco, where an underground network of informants may be at risk. But when she arrives, she doesn't like this agent; there is something off she doesn't quite trust. So she tells him that she has memorized all the info and destroyed the documents for safety -- so she will have to come along on his journey to check up on their secret allies. He is not happy.

Her instincts prove correct, when he is not what he seems to be, and her karate is about to come into play again. But then someone else appears, and the story moves forward with a different vibe. It was a bit of a different storyline, just Mrs. Pollifax and one other character at a time, essentially, on a long and lonely road trip. There is, as always, information about the country she's in and some history/sociology about the inhabitants, always thrown in as part of what she needs to know for her job but illuminating for the reader at the same time.

This was quite a good one that I found appealing, with a strong setting and interesting set-up. I do like this series!

Ordinary People Don't Carry Machine Guns

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Ordinary People Don't Carry Machine Guns/ Artem Chapeye
trans. from the Ukrainian by Zenia Tompkins
NY: Seven Stories Press, c2025.
128 p.

Moving from yesterday's 1920s Kyiv to 2020s Kyiv with today's book. This set of essays by Artem Chapeye is a straight-talking, angry book about war and the way it affects a society. It was so powerful and striking in many ways.

Chapeye was a leftist pacifist prior to Feb 22, 2022. But the reality of an invasion of his country led him to enlist shortly after the invasion began. He has been serving in the army since.

The book is divided into three parts: “When Darkness Comes”, about the beginning and the incomprehensible reality of war arriving in a modern European country, and the way it immediately shook everything up. “It’s Necessary to Cultivate Your Garden” takes a look at everyday Ukrainians, their survival strategies and hopes for a return to a peaceful future. Then, “People Aren’t Divided into Brands" which examines the problems of elitism and the attitudes between different levels of Ukrainian society - how those who haven't enlisted often say that they can help elsewhere, with overtones of them being more important than those on the front lines. Chapeye has years, now, of serving in the army, and he worries about his wife and children, his country, and more, even as he doesn't waver from his role.

I found Chapeye's earlier book, The Ukraine, memorable; a mix of fiction and reportage, it was published just as he had enlisted. This book is darker, more grounded in daily experience of war and the social issues it aggravates. It's a must read, as a fluent report of the day to day life of a Ukrainian soldier, one who is also an accomplished writer and journalist. Hard to read but so vital.

The Sunflower Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0000

The Sunflower Boys / Sam Wachman
NY: Harper, c2025.
352 p.

This novel, published as YA, is by an American writer with Ukrainian roots. It follows two young boys, Artem and Yuri, as the full scale Russian invasion arrives in Feb 2022. Their father is working in American, sending money home, while their mother and grandfather take care of them.

Artem is an artist, drawing in his sketchbook constantly. He is a regular boy, with school hijinks, games, friends and so on. But as this book opens, he is realizing that he is also falling in love with his best friend. This theme of identity and self-awareness runs throughout the book, but there are bigger things to worry about once Russia arrives.

After the first few days of hiding in the basement with the rest of their apartment neighbours, their mother decides that they are leaving the city to go to their grandfather's farm in the country. This seems like a good plan but it turns out to be a tragic decision. There is a horrific scene when the Russians find the house; it was very graphic and terrible, and perhaps readers should be aware that there is violence and terror in this book as well.

Artem and Yuri escape and make their way across a hellscape of cold, dark countryside, trying to get to a city so they can flee to Kyiv. Eventually they make it, their father finally gets back into Ukraine and finds them, and they end up in Florida in the last chapters. But this trek is endless, full of difficulty, fear, hunger - and also the help of people they find along the way. Artem and Yuri stick together but as the elder brother, Artem is more permanently affected by his responsibility and awareness of what's going on.

This was a striking and realistic read, a war novel that describes the realities of civilians caught in the middle of this invasion. It's also a humanising one; Artem's life and other concerns are still important to him, everything is not wiped by war coming. It was a powerful read, but readers should be prepared for some traumatic scenes, as Wachman doesn't hold back on the horrors of war.

The City

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0000

The City / Valerian Pidmohylnyi
trans. from the Ukrainian by Maxim Tarnawsky
Cambridge, MA: HURI, 2025, c1927.
504 p.

I read this recently, as it's a Ukrainian classic now available in English. It was written in 1927 and is considered one of the first urban novels (as per the title).

The cover is evocative, as the story is about Stepan Radchenko, who comes to Kyiv from his village, to study and help build up socialism. He is ambitious, driven, sensitive to what others think of him, works hard and takes whatever advantage he can. He intends to climb the social/artistic ladder as high as he can. He doesn't have much emotional intelligence, but he knows how to play the game and advance himself wherever possible. I thought the story was quick moving, psychologically interesting, and definitely a great picture of 1920s Kyiv when Ukrainization was going strong -- before Stalin reintroduced russification and the generation of writers including Pidmohylnyi were killed -- the Executed Renaissance.

However. I did not love this book. Stepan is a bit of a self-centred asshole so I had a hard time finding sympathy for him. He has three relationships with women once he arrives in Kyiv, all focused on his own needs and desires, not theirs. He forces himself on a girl from the village who had been stepping out with him, then drops her. He starts a physical relationship with his married landlady. And then he has a long-standing relationship with another young woman who he leads on to the point of proposing, only to then change his mind and drop her too. These women were only useful to him insofar as they helped him advance in some way.

So Stepan's great ideal of socialism and equality only extends to men like him. The book thus made me feel conflicted; while I admired the writing style and some of the psychological insight into Stepan and his fellow writers and students, and the depiction of the arts scene in Kyiv, I was dismayed by the depiction of women's status and experience as being secondary and only important in relation to the men in the book. Their rights of artistic growth and autonomy are not considered. At the same time, the writing itself is good, with quotable moments of insight and the evocation of an era. So this is a mid book for me -- the good is counterbalanced by the bad so it comes out just middling for me as a reader.

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:38:00 +0000

More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop / Satoshi Yagisawa
trans. from the Japanese by Eric Ozawa
NY: HarperPerennial, 2024, c2011.
176 p.

I couldn't wait, after reading the first book in this set last week - I had to search out book two. Thankfully my library had it, so I brought it home and read it over a couple of days. I had to stretch this one out a little more than the first one, as it is quite melancholy and I needed a break before the conclusion.

In this novel, Takako is reminiscing; the story is related from her future vantage point. I find this style a bit melancholic by nature, and this story has some sad parts in it for sure. It takes place 3 years after Takako left the bookshop for a design job, but she still comes back and hangs out at the bookshop and the coffee shops in the neighbourhood. She's now dating Wada, from the end of the first book, and along with her friend Tomo, has a life outside work -- something she had to create consciously for herself. As an aside, the description of Takako's romantic relationships seems unusual -- very formal, with not much communication on her part as to what's going on -- I'm wondering if this is a Japanese norm that I'm missing, or just a man writing a woman character. Anyhow!

Uncle Satoru and Aunt Momoko are still running the bookshop, but things are about to change, and Takako has to help Satoru come to terms with the way life is going. There is less talk about specific books and authors in this one than in the first, and more about the lives and relationships of the characters. Once again I was reminded of Banana Yoshimoto's style.

I liked this one, although marginally less than the first one. It made me cry, and I found some lovely bits in it, though. This ties up the story of the Morisaki Bookshop, but the author has another series set in a cafe. Perhaps I will try that next. I find his style quite appealing and readable.

House of Many Ways

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0000

House of Many Ways / Diana Wynne Jones
NY: Greenwillow, 2009, c2008.
338 p.

This is book three in the Howl's Moving Castle trilogy, but it was written quite a few years after the first two and honestly didn't need Sophie or Howl in it at all. It could easily have been written without them, with no huge loss to the storyline. This is definitely even less connected to their world than book two was!

Still, I liked this. There were lots of neat ideas in it, and the main character, Charmain Baker, was interesting to me as a bookish, stubborn girl. As the story opens, she is being sent off to keep house for her Great-Uncle William while he is away. There's nobody else to do it, so Charmain heads off to the very odd home of her great uncle, who is also known as the Royal Wizard Norland.

This house has doors that open to different places, secret passages, magical water and food and so forth, and as Charmain finds out, also an apprentice, Peter, who just shows up at the door one morning expecting the Royal Wizard.

Charmain gets involved (long story) with the King and his daughter, who are searching for something called the Elfgift, which will save their kingdom. The King is sifting through books in the royal library, and as Charmain is very good with books, she begins to assist him. These scenes in the dim, creaky library are wonderful, quiet and reeking of research. I enjoyed them!

Howl's crew gets involved when the Princess calls in Sophie, now a feared sorceress, to help them in their search. Of course, where Sophie is, Howl and Calcifer and her child are not far behind.

I liked this one, I thought the titular House was appealing, the villian (an insect like creature called the Lubbock) was suitably creepy, the plot was pretty good and Charmain was interesting. It felt a bit too farcical in some parts for me, as chaos is not my favourite plot device. But overall it was an enjoyable read. The creative set-up and the sneaky conspiracy that took a while to figure out were entertaining. I'm glad to have read all three titles in this trilogy now, although I'd probably only reread Howl's Moving Castle.

Castle in the Air

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Castle in the Air / Diana Wynne Jones
NY: Greenwillow, 2008, c1990.
383 p.

This is book two in the loosely connected Howl books by Diana Wynne Jones. It is not a sequel exactly; Howl and Sophie show up in this one, even if you don't know it immediately, but the main action follows other characters.

It begins in the Howl universe, but south of the land of Ingary. We meet Abdullah, a carpet seller in the Rashpuht bazaar. He's young, not that successful, and spends a lot of time dreaming of being a hero. One day, a stranger sells him a magic carpet -- and the adventures begin.

He meets the Sultan's daughter, Princess Flower-in-the-Night, but she is stolen by an evil Djinn before Abdullah can do anything. He heads off in pursuit on his magic carpet, meeting a rather disreputable companion along the way, a rough character who turns out to dote on cats and whose skills as a thief are particularly useful. They discover that there is a castle in the air where many kidnapped princesses are being held, and the scenes in the castle (Howl's Moving Castle, stolen by the Djinn) are my favourite part of this book, funny and full of fabulous women. The princesses range from small children to mature women, but they are all interesting and clever.

Calcifer, Sophie, and Howl (and their small infant) all turn out to be important to the story, and have been woven into the tale more than first appears. This was funny and charming, with many disguised identities and misdirections. The power of constancy and true love is highlighted as well, with many delightful pairings showing up.

It is over 30 years old so there are a few things that might not have been included today, but overall, it was a fun read with a satisfying happy ending.

If Cats Disappeared from the World

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Sun, 08 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0000

If Cats Disappeared from the World / Genki Kawamura
trans. from the Japanese by Eric Selland
London: Picador, 2018, c2012.
202 p.

I read this little book last week; I've owned for a long time but have just picked it up now. It's funny how many books like this I have on my shelves - ones that have been patiently waiting their turn, and once I open them I can't stop reading.

This is a short novel, just 202 short pages. It is loosely in the form of a letter, written by a young man who is all alone in the world aside from his cat Cabbage. He's just found out that he has a brain tumour and only weeks to live. But his week turns surreal as the Devil appears to him and tells him that he can choose one thing to disappear from the world in exchange for another day of life.

He gets a few extra days but the idea of exchanging things starts to pall. What is life worth living for and what parts make it all worthwhile? When the Devil suggests that cats disappear next, our narrator realizes he has a vital choice to make.

Throughout this short narrative, told in a confessional, almost offhand style, deep questions are raised. We learn that the narrator's mother has died and that he is estranged from his father; he has a loose connection with an old girlfriend, which is important to the story. But his closest emotional relationship is with Cabbage. And through his reflections, we learn more about his past and his issues with his father.

I found this a touching story, on the edge of being too sentimental but counterbalanced by the humour and irreverence of the Devil and the narrator's reactions. Even with the brevity and direct style, it causes the reader to think more deeply about what is worth cherishing in life, especially when you're about to leave it. I'm not sure why it hit me right now, but it did have an emotional impact. I thought the ending was perfect, resolving the interiority and isolation of this character's story with a resonant visual image of reconnection. Really interesting read, with some memorable moments.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 03:30:00 +0000

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop / Satoshi Yagisawa
trans. from the Japanese by Eric Ozawa
NY: Harper Perennial, 2023, c2010.
150 p.

I read this sweet book in a day -- it's short and easy to read, even with some emotional heft to it. It reminded me a lot more of Banana Yoshimoto's style than the more recent "healing fiction" titles I've been reading. There is nothing supernatural or outside of reality here; just people trying to survive bumps in the road and finding healing in books and coffee.

It starts out with 25 yr old Takako finding out that her boyfriend is engaged to someone else. They work together so it doesn't take long before she quits -- essentially losing her boyfriend and job in the same few weeks. She's at loose ends and nursing her broken heart when she gets an offer from her uncle Satoru (who she hasn't heard from in a few years) to come and live and work with him in the family second-hand bookshop in the Jimbocho neighbourhood of Tokyo. Being awfully short of money she reluctantly accepts.

This set up is quite lovely, as Takoko has a season of quiet and rest to find herself again. Her uncle says:

It's important to stand still sometimes. Think of it as a little rest in the long journey of your life. This is your harbor. And your boat is just dropping anchor here for a little while. And after you're well rested, you can set sail again.

And this is what happens: as Takoko finds healing through discovering a love of reading, and engaging with people outside of a driven office environment, she comes to the point where she can find another job and leave the bookshop.

The relationship between Takoko and her uncle is interesting - she knew him when she was a child, so they are developing a different connection, one between adults. She finds out a lot about who her uncle really is, and about his wife who had left him five years previously (but reappears halfway through). There is a tiny coffeeshop down the street that Takoko frequents, and some of the characters are based there. Some bookshop regulars are found in both places. All of these side characters are an important part of the story, showing Takoko another way to live, and empathy for other people -- just as her reading does.

I liked the references to Japanese classics, some more contemporary authors, and some Western titles too. It was a charming element and yet the story wasn't overdone. It was light but I found it satisfying and am planning on finding book two of this story as soon as I can -- I want to hear more about the Morisaki Bookshop!

Crafting a Cold Case

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Crafting a Cold Case / Barbara Emodi
Concord, CA: C&T, c2025.
256 p.

I read the latest volume of the Gasper's Cove series by Barbara Emodi at the very end of December, during a huge winter storm. Timely, as it is set mostly during a huge winter storm! It made it feel quite recognizable.

This is such a fun series, and the characters grow with every new story. In this 6th installment, Valerie shows her inimitable amateur sleuthing skills again, when there's a murder, a snowstorm, and a number of strangers in town outside of tourist season.

The story begins with the usually unflappable Catherine, former librarian and Valerie's cousin-in-law, calling her in panic mode. Valerie drops everything and heads right over, to discover that the crisis is two unwanted guests at Catherine's B&B who are driving her crazy. Valerie responds immediately.

“I went over to the pantry and found a box of Morse’s Tea, the official consolation beverage of Nova Scotia since 1870. I picked up the kettle and filled it at the deep, stainless-steel, industrial-sized sink. While I waited for the water to boil, I found a tin of shortbread and put enough for four people onto a plate. Emotional breakdowns are no time to be skimpy with baked goods.”

This book is such a great balance of mystery and humour. I love this series for this reason, and I find that each book gets better. There are two extra guests, one a prepper who follows Catherine's partner Rollie around constantly, and one a peevish old professor there to talk to a local group about antiquities. The other stranger in town is a smooth talking podcaster, unfortunately brought to Gasper's Cover by Valerie's daughter -- nobody else really likes him, but her daughter seems enamoured.

There is intrigue from the start, but then a storm blows in, one that their local weather station seemed to miss completely. And it's a bad one. It snows them all in, even as one of the locals in the antiquities group is found dead in a snowbank. Murder, and who was it? It's a real mystery this time with some plausible red herrings sprinkled around liberally. Lots of people to dislike and suspect, whether of murder, stealing a snowplow, or just being a jerk.

I really liked this one. So many good characters, intriguing setup, funny commentary, and an unexpected conclusion. Even a big surprise for everyone (even herself) when one of Valerie's guesses proves correct. I'd read this again, just for the characters. And that snowstorm!

(first published on FollowingTheThread.ca)

Dinner at the Night Library

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Sun, 25 Jan 2026 22:36:00 +0000

Dinner at the Night Library / Hika Harada
trans. from the Japanese by Philip Gabriel
NY: Hanover Square Press, 2025, c2023
320 p.

Another Japanese novel that has been on my list for a while! This one is set in a library, one that has a very particular mission. It houses the collections of writers who've passed away (generally), and one that researchers can visit to study what writers read - but it's only open after dark.

It starts out with a young woman, Otoha Higuchi, who is looking for a job, and stumbles across this one. It doesn't have the cache of a corporate position, and is located out of the way on the outskirts of Tokyo, so her parents aren't overly thrilled, but she thinks it sounds fascinating.

Having a new employee to follow through the story really makes it easy for the author to explain everything to the reader in a natural way -- Otoha, and by extension the reader, is being introduced to all her coworkers, the purpose of the library and how it works, regular library patrons, and so on.

We find a two person cataloguing department, front deskégeneral staff, and a manager as well as an ever-present cleaning lady, oh and a chef -- and a mysterious absentee owner. Otoha makes her way through her first few months of employment learning about minor scandals with patrons, discovering that there is a chef on-site who makes meals based on food from books (one chapter is all about Anne of Green Gables and the food choices are...interesting), and finally being involved in going to pick up the collection of a popular female author who has died and whose sister is donating everything. The storyline feels unfinished, like part two is on its way. The exact way this library operates isn't entirely clear either, especially the random food sections. But it was fun.

I liked this, as another weird fictional library (fan of those) and a look at how a writer's reading can shape their own works. A bit metafictional in that way. There were some engaging characters in this one, all originally involved in books in some fashion, whether as former booksellers, pickers, librarians, literature students or what have you The setting was unusual as well, and although the café sections seemed a bit sudden, I still enjoyed the descriptions of literary inspired feasts - and the books they were drawn from. I wouldn't consider this a plot driven novel, but the vibes were good ;)

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Sun, 18 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

The Curious Kitten at the Chibineko Kitchen / Yuta Takahashi
translated from the Japanese by Cat Anderson
NY: Penguin, 2025, c2020.
192 p.

This novel lies in the 'magical cafe' realm of Japanese fiction, but a little different - not a coffee shop but rather a seaside restaurant that serves evocative meals from a person's life, in order to draw back the dead. And recipes included! There is a cat as well, one which seems to be part of the conduit to the dead for diners at this restaurant.

It's told in three sections; beginning with Kotoko, a young woman who is seeking out the restaurant after hearing that its kagezen (traditional meals offered in remembrance of loved ones) can actually restore them to you briefly. Her older brother died protecting her, and she feels a lot of guilt - she's hoping that this will be real, and help her.

She meets Kai, the young chef, who introduces her to the kitten Chibi who is an integral part of the cafe. And she gets her meal - as she starts to eat, things get hazy and then she sees her brother. This experience draws her back to the kitchen, and in the next two sections she plays a bit of a role as well. The second story is a young boy who feels bad that he was mean to a classmate who died; she liked him and he made fun of her. He gets a chance to apologize here. And then the third section features an old man living near the cafe. Kai wants to take a meal to him, as he can't get around much. Kotoko helps him, and in this long night together, both of their lives are changed as well.

I thought this was a lovely read, just different enough to appeal. And the short recipes are a great addition, especially for Western fans of the translations. There were a few little things about it I didn't like - particularly the second story about the young boy. According to the 'rules' of this return of the dead, they can only come back once. So why did a random classmate get to experience it, just so that he could feel better about his rude words, instead of say, her parents? A personal peeve there!

But this was a quiet read that I enjoyed. The setting is a tiny seaside location off the trainline, rather than a city, and there was lots of beauty even in the melancholic nature of the storyline. There is another volume to come, and I think I will be reading that one as well.

Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Mrs. Pollifax and the Golden Triangle / Dorothy Gilman
read by Barbara Rosenblat
Maryland: Recorded Books, 2005, c1988.

In this book, Mrs. Pollifax gets back on the horse after her traumatic experiences in Hong Kong and takes a commission from the CIA to go to Thailand. There is supposed to be a quick drop of documents for her to pick up from an informant, pass on to the CIA, and then she and Cyrus can have a holiday together in Thailand.

But this is a Mrs. Pollifax book, so you know she is going to get involved in the heart of the issues instead of just being a courier! In this one she really gets embedded in field work; on the morning that she is supposed to casually walk down an alley and find the exchange location, she instead finds a dead body. And as she rushes back out of the alley, she sees Cyrus (who'd stayed on the street watching out) being bundled into a truck by two strangers. He's been kidnapped, who knows why.

Mrs. Pollifax is resourceful, especially when Cyrus is endangered, so she finds someone to drive another truck and follow the kidnappers. This all happens very quickly. But then the "car chase", so to speak, is endless -- they drive into the hills, they are followed by young men on motorcycles (when Mrs. Pollifax's karate skills again come in useful), and they spot the kidnapper's van drawn up on the side of the road, empty. Luckily for Mrs. P, her driver is more than he looks and they head off into the dangerous forest, tracking Cyrus' kidnappers. There is a lot of chance and coincidence in this one, and at times it feels a little dreamy -- especially when Mrs. Pollifax and her companions come across a hidden monastery in the forest, with only a few devotees and a holy man, who isn't from Thailand.

The conclusion of this one involves drugs, CIA side quests, and the irrepressible Mrs. Pollifax rescuing her husband, her informant, and another CIA agent (unknown to them both). It was good, lots of interesting connections made for Mrs. P in the third of the "Asia" trilogy of this series. Looking forward to the next volume, in which she heads to Morocco.

Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Mrs. Pollifax and the Hong Kong Buddha / Dorothy Gilman
read by Barbara Rosenblat
Ashland, OR: Recorded Books, 2011, c1985.

This volume of the Mrs. Pollifax series carries on shortly after the events of her last adventure. In this one she is asked to go to Hong Kong, make contact with a CIA asset to check on his being alive and well, and then come home. Does the trip turn out this simply? Of course not!

She gets involved with the situation, going to the home of one of the suspicious characters and befriending the housekeep to get as much gossip as she can. She is given a lovely statue of a Buddha in the small shop she enters to try to find this asset -- mainly to get her out of there, but it turns out it's a rather important statue, leading to someone searching her room at night while she is supposedly sleeping (but she's not, really) and eventually to her kidnapping by the baddies.

At this point the story takes a darker turn. She and a couple of others have been kidnapped and they are being held in a warehouse of sorts by the villains. They are an international group of random men, all part of an anarchist terrorist cell. They've been involved in this by someone in Hong Kong who wants to see the "rightful" ruler of China restored. This all goes back to the upheavals of Chinese history and politics, and the British rule of Hong Kong, and the fears of it reverting to China. This was written in the 80s so this was something yet to happen, although within in a little more than a decade after the story was set. In any case, the bad guys are taking this very seriously.

During Mrs. Pollifax's lengthy kidnapping, she engages in her usual efforts to talk to the others. This time only one of her fellow captives has any feeling for her. Another tries to sabotage the communications that the terrorists are using, and in a shocking turn is shot for it. This leads to the feeling of darker elements of the story, and a stronger sense of danger. Mrs. Pollifax herself endures torture as they try to get information out of her. And her salvation comes from the ideas of two amateurs at the other end, who've joined the American agents trying to find her.

I found this one politically astute, relevant, and very thrillerish. I loved the descriptions of Hong Kong, of some of the eccentric characters who Mrs. Pollifax befriends, and the relationships between old and new agents. It was a strong book in the series, with lots of intrigue and mystery. I really liked it, it felt well plotted and engaging.

The Lantern of Lost Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Sun, 11 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

The Lantern of Lost Memories / Sanaka Hiiragi
trans. from the Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood
NY: Grand Central Publishing, 2024, c2019.
208 p.

Another Japanese novel, in the genre of healing fiction, and I really, really liked this one. It's a little different, with a bit more darkness to it but an amazing arc to the storyline. It has that tinge of the extraordinary, but with less whimsy, more melancholy and pathos.

Mr. Hirasaki owns a photo studio somewhere in limbo, between the living and the dead. When a person dies, they are escorted to his shop (or one of many like it) and given the chance to view their life again, choosing one memory to relieve before they go on to the other side.

Mr. Hirasaki is swamped with other people's memories, but has no recollection of who he is or why he has this role. He just has one photo to try to help him remember.

This short novel follows loosely connected characters - first, Hatsue, a 92 yr old woman who was a nursery teacher and wants to relive a day from her career. She's happy and so are her memories. Then we have Waniguchi, a yakuza who is also somehow empathetic and protective; his memories are conflicted. Finally Mr. Hirasaki meets Mitsuru, a young girl who has had a short tragic life. He hates when his clients are children, and in this case he engages more actively with her moment of revisiting a memory than he really should...

I found this read touching, highlighting the best of people even amidst tragedy or squalor. The instinct to sacrifice, and care for others, comes to the forefront even in those you might not expect to see it from. The concept of the story was a bit unusual, fresh for the genre, and allowed for some philosophical talk on life and memory to be included. The characters were complex, even the mysterious Mr. Hirasaki, despite the blank slate of his past.

I thought this was a particularly thoughtful and engaging read; some trauma is involved but not gratuitously. There is an edge of darkness and grief that fits the story of a world in limbo between life and death, but also a beautiful sense of transcendence of the banal and everyday.

One of my favourites so far. Recommended.

Winter Solstice

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Wed, 07 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Winter Solstice / Rosamunde Pilcher
NY: Thomas Dunne, c2000.
454 p.

I just finished this one, read over the winter holidays. The book features a lot of snow and storms over the solstice week in Scotland -- I read it during a particularly bad winter storm here, just after Christmas week. It felt quite apropos!

This one was published in 2000 -- I didn't read it then, in fact, I haven't read any of Pilcher's books before. It was a fun thematic read but it is a bit dated now. There are some plot points that stood out to me like a sore thumb -- the way that hetero relationships seem to be the cause and endpoint of every character's story, the way that Elfrida, one of the main characters, is continually cooking and cleaning for her new partner (and no-one even remarks on it), the way that a 14 yr old girl is taken under the wing of an 18 yr old male neighbour and everyone is fine with it - even if it does turn out to be innocent it's a bit odd now. And so much booze!

Despite these slightly jarring elements of a book that's not really very old, I did like this one. It was warm and expansive and had lots of good bits. It starts out as a bit of a downer; Elfrida, a self-described washed up actress, moves to the country. She makes new friends of her neighbours Gloria and Oscar; things happen and she leaves the south of England with Oscar to go stay in an Estate House he half owns in Scotland. Another storyline: 14 yr old Lucy is a awkward addition to a home where nobody really wants her. Her Aunt Carrie comes home from the continent after a disappointment in love, to find her sister (Lucy's mother) wanting to spend Christmas in Florida, their own mother swanning off to Bournemouth, and nobody to look after Lucy at all. Carrie calls up her distant cousin Elfrida to see if she and Lucy can come to them. This adds much more of a Christmas vibe to Elfrida's season.

And into that household of odd souls comes Sam, a businessman sent to Scotland to revitalize an old woolen mill. He gets snowed in, following a series of events, landing at the Estate House -- and he has more connections to the household than first realized.

The story is replete with holiday parties, upstanding locals, the nearby vicar and his family, Christmas cooking and decorating and present giving, small dramas, love and relationships, and lots of house talk. The Estate House, another small cottage on the former estate grounds, descriptions of the rooms, the decor, the coziness or lack of, the proportions etc. Even the local church is described. Just the kind of old-fashioned saga that is good reading for snowed-in cozy days.

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Sun, 04 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat / Syou Ishida
trans. from the Japanese by E. Madison Shimoda
NY: Berkley, 2025, c2023.
304 p.

Starting off my New Reading Year with a review for the Japanese Literature Challenge! I have read a few titles by Japanese authors in the past while and will be sharing them over the next few weeks.

This book is the second volume in a series I started last August during Women in Translation Month. It carries forward the unique premise that people in Kyoto who find themselves in some kind of life transition or trouble can run across a clinic that can't be found otherwise. This clinic has a distinctive nurse and doctor, who prescribe clients a cat to take home, specifically chosen to help solve their problems.

It's an amusing series, and in the second volume, plainly called We'll Prescribe You Another Cat, we meet a new set of characters who find the clinic just in time to help their lives progress.

Each chapter features a new client, but the characters cross over between the stories, becoming side characters in someone else's chapter. Even the cats reappear. This gives a novel feeling to the book rather than just being a series of short stories, and it creates a community of sorts for the reader to follow. This adds depth and complexity to the book, just as in the first one in the series. It's a bit odd and the reader has figured out the doctor and nurse by the end of the first volume, even if the characters haven't. But it's a charming read, with some humour and some warm-hearted observations of family dynamics and personal growth. I really enjoyed it.

Best of 2025!

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Already time for the yearly roundup of some of my best reads this year. I always wait until the very last possible moment to post my list; you never know what you'll come across around Christmas! I like to give every book I've read this year a chance to appear on my favourites list, no matter if I read it in the first week of January or the last few days of December.

I also create a statistical summary each year, for my own geekish pleasure. As I've said before, I don't think of reading as a competition -- I keep track of numbers and various stats for my own interest, not to prove anything or compare myself to anyone.

Here are my reading stats for 2025:

Total Reading: 190

Authors

Female: 170
Male: 17
Both/Neither: 3

Genre

Fiction: 90

Non Fiction: 97

Poetry: 3

In Translation: 38

Ukrainian: 5

Russian (Ukrainian writing in): 3

Japanese: 9

Korean: 4

Spanish: 2

Swedish: 3

Norwegian: 3

German: 2

Quebecois French: 1

French: 1

Greek: 1

Finnish: 1

Chinese: 1

Hungarian: 1

Bangla: 1

My Own Books: 34
Library Books: 144

Review Copies: 12

Rereads: 5
E-reads: 99

Author who I read the most from:

9 - Dorothy Gilman (after discovering the Mrs. Pollifax series in March, I've now read up to #9 in the series)

2025's Weird Random Stat:

Books with felines in the title: 6

I had an unusual year, in that I read more nonfiction than fiction. Probably why I felt like I had a number of reading slumps this year; if I can't read fiction, I turn to a lot of instructional craft books! I did get back to reading some poetry, which I am pleased by.

Like always, I read a big majority of women authors, and quite a few more library books than my own this year. But I am happy with all the great books I am able to find through the library! I am hoping to get a few more books off of my own shelves in the upcoming year, though. Even have a challenge for that!

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And now for the Best of 2025!

These are titles that were memorable, unusual, or caught me with their great storytelling or rich characters. Just books that hit the right note with me when I picked them up!

Despite not reading as much fiction this year, I found some great books. Some old, some new, some translated. Here were some that I enjoyed, or found very memorable.

Starting with my Fiction Top Ten:

Two powerful reads both set in Ukraine. Cecil the Lion Had to Die by Olena Stiazhkina (trans. by Dominique Hoffman) is probably my best read overall. Engrossing characters, great writing, innovative structure -- and an important story. #1 read this year!

And then there's Endling by Maria Reva, which should have made it to the Booker shortlist this year. Timely story, quirky plot, another innovative structure reacting to the world's realities. Both rewarding reads.

I also read a lot of Japanese and Korean books this year! These were two of my very favourites, but there were others that I really enjoyed as well. The Korean 'healing fiction' novel, The Healing Season of Pottery by Yeon Somin (trans. by Clare Richards was really satisfying. The Japanese novel Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki (trans. by Jordan Taylor) was one I just read, and found it perfect for the holiday season.

There were a couple of random finds that were unusual, feminist and fun reads for me. The Medusa Situation by Gabiann Marin was a truly random discovery on Hoopla, but this Australian story of the Greek Gods living in the suburbs was a delight. Katharine Stall's Den of Thieves was a paperback I've had on my shelves for a while but finally picked up, and found a rollicking, thoughtful tale of religion, conspiracy and resistance.

Early in the year I read Susin Nielsen's Snap, a story of three people finding unlikely friends in their anger management class. I've reread it once already. And Dorothy Gilman's The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax was the beginning of my Pollifax obsession this year! Such fun, with extra heart, in both books.

I also read some older books, and found them to still be shockingly timely. Both about marriage and gender roles, really. Dorothy Canfield Fisher's The Home-Maker looked at gender roles from the viewpoint of a woman who didn't like domesticity, and a man who wanted to be at home with his children. Ursula Parrott's Ex-Wife was a darker read, about a young woman struggling with who she is once she is an ex-wife. Both still relevant.

Then a couple of extras -- one children's book:

Wildcat Behind Glass by Alki Zei (trans. by Karen Emmerich) is a Greek classic, a children's novel about growing up under looming fascism.

One Poetry Book:

Letters of the Alphabet by Lesyk Panasiuk (trans. by Katie Farris & Ilya Kaminsky) was a collection I read for work, and thought it was terrific.

And one outstanding nonfic among the many crafty books I read this year:

Pink Eraser Art by Serena Rios McRae was really well written and designed, and got me into carving erasers into little stamps. I've only made a couple so far but it is so fun! (I didn't review this one).

So these were some of the top reads of the year for me. As usual, some good Ukrainian reads, some older titles and craft work too. I love reading a wide variety of titles and found a bunch across a range of genres this year. Hopefully I'll be as lucky in 2026!

2026 Challenges Ahead

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

And now, looking ahead into 2026! What reading challenges will I take up in the new year?

I'll start with the continuous ones that run over the calendar year ends. There is the Canadian Book Challenge, which runs July 1 - July 1 every year, with the aim to read and review 13 Canadian books. I'm halfway through, and have 5 books to read and review by the end of this round.

Then there's my ongoing Century of Books challenge. I wanted to start this one in 2025 because I really liked the symmetry of reading books between the dates of 1925 and 2025. Although this is supposed to be done in one year, I didn't finish it in 2025, so I'm keeping at it until I'm finished. Hopefully by the end of 2026 but we will see if I can read and review 73 books by then!

Of course I will also continue with the Women in Translation readalong in August, and have two rounds of the Literary Sewing Circle planned for 2026 (the first one starting around March).

And the fresh 2026 Challenges are as follows!

I want to try the TBR 26 in '26 hosted by the Rose City Reader this year - I didn't do too well on the 2025 iteration but am going to try again ;) The goal is to read 26 books from your shelves that have been there prior to Jan 1, 2026. I have LOTS to choose from!

Rose City Reader is also hosting the European Reading Challenge - it runs the whole year too, and you can sign up at various levels. I'm signing up for:

FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

And I am jumping on the Japanese Literature Challenge once more. This one is hosted by Dolce Belezza, and this is the 19th year it is running. The goal is to read and review at least one Japanese book during January and February.

And there's one more that will be easy for me, but I still want to sign up and share this one! The Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute (HURI), together with the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America (UNWLA) and with support from the HUCUS Foundation, announced a new long-term campaign: the Ukrainian Book Challenge. The campaign makes a simple ask: to buy at least one book in English about Ukraine or by a Ukrainian author – at least once a year. Participants are encouraged to take a selfie or record a short video with their chosen book, post it on their social media, and challenge five friends to do the same using the hashtag #UkrainianBookChallenge. So consider this my challenge to you, as well -- I have tons of suggestions and reviews here on my blog for you to consider -- try the Ukraine tag if you aren't on mobile and can see them at the bottom of my posts!

Do you enjoy reading challenges? Are you doing any great ones this year that you want to share? Let me know!

2025: Challenges Past

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

In 2025 I signed up for a few reading challenges. How'd I do? Some good, some partly good! I participated in some ongoing challenges that run over into next year, more about those in another post.

The challenges specific to 2025 were are follows:

More of a reading event than a challenge, Women in Translation Month in August was another great time. I read a bunch of titles, found some great books, and shared some reading lists and favourites from previous years. Definitely sticking with this one.

Then there's the Literary Sewing Circle, a challenge I run, with two discrete rounds a year. There were two fun reads in 2025, and it will be returning in 2026.

I signed up for a few challenges that I haven't participated in for a while. The first was the Japanese Literature Challenge hosted by Dolce Bellezza. It's been running for a long time and it is always fun to see what everyone else is reading. You only have to read one thing to participate, but in January I read and reviewed 2 titles, Mina's Matchbox by Yoko Ogawa, and There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura.

Next was the TBR 25 in '25, hosted by Rose City Reader. I definitely have a giant TBR of my own books on my shelves, which is what this one is focused on. I had hoped to get to 25 but I got sidetracked by all the library books! I read only 7 books that had been on my shelves prior to January 1, 2025. A few others of my own that I bought in 2025 but those don't count toward this one either :)

And the final challenge I signed up for in 2025 was the What's in a Name challenge, hosted by Carolina Book Nook. This is an old-school one but I haven't done it for years! My results were only halfway there though - I read 4/6 in the categories for this one.

I had a lot of fun with these even if I didn't meet them all. If you're interested you can find all the titles read for all the challenges in my planning post from the end of 2024.

I'll be sharing what I'm planning on joining in on for next year, in my next post.

A Year in Review: 2025 in First Lines

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Sat, 27 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

As usual at this time of year, I review and share my reading/blogging year with First Lines.

Simply put, we share the first line of the first post of each month and see what that overview tells us about our year. Often it can be an uncannily accurate summary.

If you haven't tried this before, give it a go this year; it's a fun exercise, and often summarizes the year quite efficiently. If you do, please share a link in the comments so we can all enjoy!

Here is my 2025 Year in First Lines:

January:

And just like that it is 2025! (from Happy New Reading Year!)

February:

I haven't been writing many reviews lately - I've been reading but the state of the world is distracting me a lot. (from Let's Move the Needle!)

March:

This was an intriguing book that I liked for a number of reasons. (from Colours in her Hands)

April:

I read this quick e-short this week when I discovered it on Hoopla thanks to my library. (from A Sewing Novella: Sew Over It)

May:

I've been finding it hard to read lately, my concentration is off for many reasons. (from Snap by Susin Neilsen)

June:

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada. (from From the Rez to the Runway)

July:

It's time for the new round of the Canadian Book Challenge! (from 19th Annual Canadian Book Challenge)

August:

August brings one of my favourite reading celebrations of the year -- Women in Translation Month. (from It's Women in Translation Month!)

September:

I've taken a bit of time away from blogging after my August Women in Translation rush! (from Forgotten on Sunday)

October:

I've missed posting in October (time just got away from me, again!) and so for the last week of the month I am planning to share some seasonal mysteries and thrillers. (from Crafting with Slander)

November:

I recently read this for the first time, as part of the Literary Sewing Circle I run on my sewing blog. (from Howl's Moving Castle)

December:

It's the beginning of a new month, and I have lots of Christmas reading planned. (from Crafting an Alibi)

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A bit of a funny year in 2025! Lots of pauses in the reading mojo and reviewing, trying to make reading plans, and being inspired to read more and review what I'm reading thanks to reading challenges and readalongs.

My library came through for me this year, too, with many of the titles I talked about coming from library collections. I read a range of genres, from fantasy to literary, in translation and Indigenous. While reading wasn't as easy this year, I feel like I still got some good ones in. I did read quite a lot of non-fiction that I didn't review but I feel like I still shared some great books. On to next year, where I hope to both read and review more frequently.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Merry Christmas week to all who celebrate!

I wish you all great reading and time to relax ~ and lots of good food and fun too!

Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop / Mai Mochizuki
trans. from the Japanese by Jordan Taylor
NY: Ballantine, 2025, c2021.
224 p.

This was an unexpected Christmas read! I read the first book in this series earlier this year, and so when this one came out, I grabbed it. And to my surprise, it is set at Christmas -- and I didn't realize that Christmas was celebrated so widely in Japan.

Three women, all at a crossroads in life, encounter the magical Full Moon Coffee Shop in Kyoto, right around Christmas. We start with Satomi, a career woman in Tokyo who suspects her boyfriend is going to propose on Christmas Eve -- and she's not sure how she feels about that, since he is based in a smaller town and of course she'd have to follow him, not the other way around.

The next is Koyuki, who works for Satomi. Her father died on Christmas Day when she was a child, and ever since she has felt guilt and unhappiness at this time of year. The cats of the Full Moon Coffee Shop give her a chance to see the truth of what happened all those years ago.

And last is Junko, Satomi's sister-in-law, and her daughter Ayu. When Junko has to come home because her estranged father has fallen ill, she faces many decisions. Both Junko and Ayu experience the Full Moon Coffee Shop too, and it changes both of them.

The magical cats of the Full Moon Coffee Shop are astrological planets who take the form of cats to serve people what they need - there is no ordering at this coffee shop, they simply bring you what they think you need. And they talk about the astrological background to each character and how that affects their lives and fortunes. In this novel, the astrology bits are less prominent than in the first, and I think that improved the story - it flows more, and feels more based in the characters and the stories than just an astrology explainer. The first one was heavier on this angle and it did disrupt the flow a bit. This is one of those unusual times when the second book in a series is even better than the first one. I'd say read them both, though, as you'll understand the astrology elements better if you get all the worldbuilding info in the first book.

This was charming and a delight - an unusual Christmas set story but one that offers uplift and peaceful resolutions - very Christmassy.

Brightly Shining

noreply@blogger.com (Melwyk) — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Brightly Shining / Ingvild Rishoi
trans. from the Norwegian by Caroline Waight
NY: Grove, 2024, c2021.
192 p.

This is another beautiful Christmas book, physically, with a gorgeous cover. But don't let it fool you; this isn't a book for happy Christmas vibes. It's a melancholy, dark read about two young sisters and their alcoholic father.

Inspired by The Little Match Girl, you can guess that this won't be a cheery tale. Ronja is 10, and she's telling the tale from her viewpoint. Her older sister Melissa, 16, is her rock, and the person who holds their home together. Their mother is dead and their father is an alcoholic - he is great when he's dry, but that is so infrequent as to be another dream.

Ronja is friends with her school's caretaker, who gives her a lead for a job for her dad, selling Christmas trees. He takes it and all is well, until he falls into drink again. Then Melissa begs, and takes over his tree-selling position to keep the family going. Ronja doesn't like being far from Melissa so starts hanging out at the tree lot after school. But the owner isn't too keen on that.

In a happy Christmas tale, their father would quit drinking in a Christmas miracle and all would be glorious. But that doesn't happen here. Melissa and Ronja have to make their own decisions and take their own path. The ending is not entirely conclusive; many reviews online say that it's an open ending. I feel it is pretty dark if you take the inspiration into account, and am not sure what I think about the structure of the book if my interpretation is correct. It's a hard read, heartbreaking with moments of light and joy amidst the overall depressing story. I liked it but found it hard going, especially the ending.