Books: September 2019

Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Willows 
L. M. Montgomery

On my recent trip to Christchurch I rifled through the boxes of books in my parents' garage to find the Anne series and bring them with me to Auckland. Somehow I never feel like I am truly home without them. It's been a few years since I last read the series in full so I decided to go right back to the beginning and work my way through. I had forgotten what it feels like to come back to Prince Edward Island - or at least the PEI L.M. Montgomery's prose conjures up in my mind. Anne, too, is such a radiant, kindred soul - I love her in all her iterations. It was so much fun to go back to that fateful first encounter with Gilbert in the school hall, and to remember what it was like for her to teach at Avonlea school while she saved to go to Redmond. I love her when she is dying her hair green and I love her when she finally, finally realises that Gilbert has been the one for her all along. Anne is one of my literary northern stars; I come back to her when I feel things are going awry and I need some kinship and a sense of direction to keep going. I'm going to spend October seeing her through to motherhood.

I'm Proud of You
Tim Madigan

I feel like Mr Rogers has been everywhere recently and I think that this is very good for the world. Lillie passed this slim little volume onto me earlier this year and I finally got around to reading it this month - I'm so glad I did. Tim Madigan tells the story of the friendship that came out a few trips he made to interview Mr Rogers in the nineties. Madigan was initially sceptical about Mr Rogers (I have to keep calling him that!) and expected to uncover dark secrets about his off-screen persona but instead found that the gentle television host was even kinder in person than on screen. Madigan and Mr Rogers strike up a friendship that sees Madigan through a difficult patch in his marriage and into a kinder, brighter phase of his life. The two remain friends, communicating through letters, emails and the occasional trip until Mr Rogers' death in 2003. Mr Rogers' kindness and his influence on not just Madigan but everyone around him permeates every page in this book. Read it and marvel at what it is to be a truly kind person.

My Friend Dahmer
Derf Backderf

Again, Lillie is responsible for passing this great read onto me. A tip for getting good book recommendations: live with someone who reads! (And has similar taste to you) Backderf gives us eerie insight into Jeffrey Dahmer's neglected and lonely adolescence. Dahmer was disregarded by his parents in the midst of their messy relationship and completely isolated at school. Backderf shares personal stories of his interactions with Dahmer and how they shed light on his later actions. His illustrations are well-suited to the story he is telling and his writing is effectively concise. If it is at all possible to pity someone who did the depraved things Dahmer did, Backderf gets us pretty close.

84 Charing Cross Road
Helen Hanff

I feel so silly admitting this, but I didn't realise that this was a series of real letters until after I had finished it! I can't believe such a sweet story with its charming coterie of characters actually existed. Helene is a sharp, feisty narrator and the relationships she forms with her transatlantic friends are truly heartwarming. I've heard that there is a sequel to the book and I'm going to look into picking it up soon! (And for any who are curious: this is a definite pre-cursor to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.)

One Day
David Nicholls

I'll admit that I read this one just to say that I have read it... it's not always a good reason to read a book, but in this case, I'm glad that my questionable reasoning got me there. I found David Nicholls' concept so original and the story of Emma and Dexter utterly compelling. As was the case when I read Wuthering Heights earlier this year, I was less interested in the romantic aspect of the story and more interested in seeing how Emma and Dexter's lives (Emma's in particular) unfolded over the course of the book. I found Dexter uninspiring and at times abhorrent, but Emma's story captivated me throughout. I related to her struggle in the post-Arts degree life (a little too much at times) and found her graceful navigation of her twenties and thirties hugely encouraging. All I can say is, this one's a classic for a reason, friends. Get yourselves to it if you haven't already.