Month in Review: August 2024

Literature

August was a month where I celebrated my summer Moomin binge, covered two more Oz books, and also knocked off three categories for the Nonfiction Reader challenge.

Here’s what I read during August:

  • Moominland Midwinter, Moominvalley in November, Comet in Moominland, Moominpappa at Sea by Tove Jansson – Moomin Week, Women in Translation
  • The Scarecrow of Oz, The Sea Fairies, Sky Island by L. Frank Baum – Ozathon (plus related works)
  • The Secret of Splint Hall by Katie Cotton
  • The Discovery of France by Graham Robb – inspired by Paris in July
  • The Crimson Thread by Kate Forsyth
  • Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert – Summer in Other Languages
  • Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
  • Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy Sayers – Reread

See my reviews on The StoryGraph

Language

You’ll notice I read a lot of whimsical and magical books this month, which I think I needed as a counterweight to my major challenge of the summer, getting through Madame Bovary in French. It defeated me in college (I read the English translation on the sly), but this time around I was greatly helped by the advent of e-books, which allow me to look up words without all that tedious searching in dictionaries. Aside from a lot of unfamiliar vocabulary, I found that the language was not too difficult, as Flaubert’s devotion to realism means he describes many things in great sensory detail, rather than using lots of obscure figurative language — though he does also do a good metaphor on occasion.

That said, one is often supposed to read between the lines. I had the feeling I missed a fair amount of what was communicated in more subtle ways, though I did certainly get the gist of the story, a very sad and pessimistic one. No wonder I needed regular doses of Moominmamma as an antidote!

Isabelle Huppert as Madame Bovary

Life

Another notable event in August was that I graduated from my two-year training in spiritual direction. When I started the program, I wrote one post about it thinking I’d do that on a regular basis, but ended up not doing a single follow-up post! It was quite an intense experience and seemed to need its own space. Our online graduation was very moving as our group of nine wonderful women blessed one another for our future ministry. Meeting such amazing people is what keeps me going when bad news seems overwhelming. There is also so much goodness, often working quietly and humbly. It gives me hope to know there are individuals of such generosity and courage out there in the world.

What gave you hope this month?

Linked at The Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, the Sunday Salon at Readerbuzz, and the Monthly Wrap-up Round-up at Feed Your Fiction Addiction

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11 thoughts on “Month in Review: August 2024

  1. I’ve been wondering how the spiritual direction program was going. I’m so happy to hear you’ve graduated. I’ve been reading your book slowly and thinking about the program that came before this 2-year program. I’m enriched by how you describe the healing stories from the perspective of the one healed and then give more detail and thought on each one, bringing the stories from your own life in as well. I can see where spiritual direction is a good fit for you. I had a director who walked me through a special period of life and what a gift that was (and still is) to me. I’m happy to hear you are doing this, too.

    1. Thanks Anita, it is a blessing both to give and receive spiritual direction. We are all held in the same space of listening and love. Glad you are finding some benefit in my poems on the healing stories as well. All the best for your practice!

  2. Congratulations on completing your spiritual direction studies (although I suppose the very nature of the program make this a lifelong learning endeavor!).

    I was adding The Crimson Thread to my TBR, then noticed I have a completely different book with the same title on hold for me at the library! I thought I would have so much time once I finished my MLIS but I was wrong and several times recently I have had to return books to the library I hadn’t finished. Oh well, I suppose they will be there waiting for me in the future.

    1. Just keep chipping away at the pile … I did see there are a few books titled The Crimson Thread! This one was based in the Minotaur myth and set in Crete during WWII. Fascinating setting but not all of the characters convinced me.

  3. Hi Lory, well done on reading Madame Bovary in French and on your graduation! 🎉 I was filled with the spirit and hope after a wonderful break in the Kent countryside, run by my favourite Christian holiday company 🥰
    Blessings, Jessica 💌

  4. Congratulations on your graduation! I hope that many wonderful things follow for you and your fellow graduates.

    Love all your Moominery. And impressed at Madame Bovary in French! What did you think of The Crimson Thread? I’ve not had the best experience with Kate Forsyth but feel as if I ought to like her books, if only I can find the right one!

    1. I enjoyed Bitter Greens and The Wild Girl. I found The Crimson Thread fascinating in portraying that place and time in history, with an angle inspired by the author’s own family, but I had a bit of a problem with some of the characters — they didn’t convince me as believable. The setting, though was very vivid and since I’ve been once to Crete I could really picture it.

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