Time for tales and tea

This month I took part in the Autumn Curiosity Commons at Reading in Kyoto by Laura on Substack. This is a place on the internet where a novel is the starting point of a seasonal research project with resources, reading companions and field guides. As a follower you can explore at your own pace and in whatever way you like. The subject for this autumn is ‘How to Make a Witch’. Since I loved both the idea and the theme, I dived in and read mostly witchy books during October.

Books I Read

Undreamed Shores: Five Women Who Sought Out the World by Frances Larson – 4 stars
In four words: well-researched, insightful, fascinating, anthropology
This book is about five women who attended Oxford University when anthropology started to develop as a field of academic study. As anthropologists Katherine Routledge, Maria Czaplicka, Winifred Blackman, Barbara Freire-Marreco and Beatrice Blackwood travelled to remote places to do their research. Although they endured physical hardship, it was also a liberating experience for them. Being a women could be limiting, but during their fieldwork it didn’t matter or it was even an advantage. I did cringe a bit when reading about how they wanted to study “untouched” people and collected artifacts. Anthropologists of the early 20th century didn’t seem to realize how their work and even just their presence contributed to colonialism. At this point female anthropologists weren’t any better than the male ones. Nonetheless the writer does a great job in describing their adventures. The lives of the women read like exciting stories with many insightful details. And despite their flaws I came to admire these women for their courage and determination. They dared to follow their ambitions in a time when women were expected to stay home or marry.

The Wax Child by Olga Ravn – 4 stars
In four words: poetic, distorting, dark, historical
Reading this book was quite a unique experience. The story is not narrated by a person, but by a wax child that acts like an omniscient narrator. It reads almost like a poem and is at some points hard to grasp. This short novel is inspired by the witch trials in Denmark during the early 1600s. The writing style reflects how the accusations emerge: conversation turns into rumour and things that happened become distorted facts. After reading this book, I’m not sure what really happened. Usually I don’t like loose ends, but for this book it’s fitting. The witch trials also were never about the truth. The women on trial were tortured until they confessed whatever their examiners wanted to hear. We can only guess what actually happened in history. Although the Wax Child made me sometimes feel confused, it’s ultimately a fascinating and thought-provoking story.

Weyward by Emilia Hart – 4 stars
In four words: witchy, immersive, exciting, empowering
This book weaves together the stories of three extraordinary women. In 1619 Altha is awaiting a witch trial. In 1942 Violet is trapped in her family home, longing to learn more about her deceased mother. In 2019 Kate flees home from her abusive husband to the Weyward Cottage inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. I usually have a preference for one character, but I actually liked the three women equally in this book. Each of the story lines is compelling and they complement each other. I loved how we slowly start to see threads between the characters. The writer also cleverly used cliffhangers when jumping to another story line. Especially near the end the book gets very exciting. Although quite dark at some points, it felt in the end as an empowering story about the resilience of women.
Trigger warnings for rape, abuse, miscarriage and abortion

I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem by Maryse Condé – reread
In four words: fascinating, speculative, hidden history
This book is inspired by the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Tituba was one of the first who was accused of witchcraft. After her many more accusations followed. In reality we will probably never know Tituba’s side of the story, but Maryse Condé gives her a voice. She didn’t aim to create a historically correct character and entirely invented everything that happened before and after Tituba lived in Salem. The book is still an interesting interpretation of history. It turns Tituba into an actual person. The story not only explores the witch trials of Salem, but also slavery and what it was like to be a black woman at the time. The ties to real history make Tituba a fascinating character. Her story is sad and full of misery, but still with some sparks of hope. I liked how the Tituba in the story tried to stay a good person despite the terrible things that happened to her.
Trigger warnings for rape, suicide and torture

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow – reread
In four words: magical, empowering, historical fantasy
This book felt like the perfect follow-up after the other witchy books. Reading it feels as if magic is just around the corner. Alix E. Harrow chose a realistic historical setting, but mixed suffragists and cotton mill factories with fairy tale elements. Slowly the reader uncovers the traumatic past of three sisters who haven’t seen each other for seven years. The youngest sister is Juniper, wild and impulsive. The middle sister is Agnes, always steady and about to become mother. Bella is the oldest sister, the bookish one. When they reunite, things are about to change in New Salem.

More Good Stuff

• After two months trying out Instagram, I decided to delete my account. And I’m glad I did. I hoped Instagram would motivate me to draw more. At first, it did. I enthusiastically took part in Inktober. The first week I managed to draw every day and was proud on what I did. But not all drawings turned out the way I liked. Especially compared with others, my drawings weren’t that great. After more than a week I still didn’t get any likes. It shouldn’t matter, but it did. I wanted drawing to become fun again without feeling the pressure to share the results. So halfway through October I stopped posting my drawings, but I did continue Inktober. Above three drawings from the month I’m most proud of.
• One of my favourite resources provided in the Curiosity Commons is the episode Tabitha Stanmore on Practical Magic in Shakespeare’s England at the Folger Shakespeare Library podcast. I didn’t know how common the use of magic actually was in the 16th century.
• I love this interview with Alix E. Harrow on No Write Way with V.E. Schwab

When my work at school started again, I also liked to read books with some kind of school setting. I did hope to read more books this month. But Villette was quite challenging to read and took me more time than expected. This wasn’t a bad thing, because some books just take more time to comprehend, especially classics. Below my thoughts about the books I read in September.

Books I Read

Ninth House (Ninth House Trilogy, #1) by Leigh Bardugo – 4 stars
In four words: dark academia, murder mystery
Alex is an unlikely university student. After dropping out of high school and getting involved in a world of drugs, bad boyfriends and much worse, she gets offered a second chance at Yale University. I wanted to read this book for the academic setting. But due to Alex’s shady past and the sinister activities of Yale’s secret society, the dark aspects overshadow the academic parts of this story. It was far darker than I anticipated, and at some points seriously gruesome. This was the reason why I initially didn’t enjoy the book as much as I hoped. While I read on, I came to appreciate the book for what it is: a compelling and twisty story with lots of secrets to uncover.
Trigger warnings for drug use, rape, gore and murder

Villette by Charlotte Brontë – 3 stars
In four words: slow-paced, melancholic, character-driven classic
After reading Jane Eyre I wanted to read more from Charlotte Brontë, because I like her writing style. Although the use of language is old-fashioned, her style feels timeless. But Villette was harder to read than Jane Eyre. It has a slow pacing and there are quite a lot of French phrases that often were not translated (at least not in my edition). The narrator, Lucy, is also not as charismatic as Jane. After an unhappy childhood, Lucy travels abroad to start a new life as an English teacher in (the fictional town) Villette. Curious about this story is that she tells a lot about the other characters, but we initially don’t read a lot about her. Very slowly, by reading between the lines, the reader gets to know Lucy herself. I tried to understand her, but that wasn’t easy. We never learn what exactly happened to her, but her past is clearly still a burden. At some points I pitied her, although I’m quite sure she doesn’t want my pity. Lucy is a complex character who tries to distance herself from others, but at the same time does want love. Even one of the characters in the book asks her: “Lucy, I wonder if anybody will ever comprehend you altogether?” Although not entirely satisfying, this certainly was an interesting read.

More Good Stuff

• If you also plan to read a challenging book, this guide about How to read a difficult book (without making yourself miserable) by Lauren at Reading in Kyoto may help. I’m also looking forward to taking part in The Curiosity Commons about witches on her Substack!
• Another interesting bookish Substack post is How to remember what you read (without science-based learning) by Sam Rinko from Knowledge Lust

Yesterday was the last day of my summer holiday. I didn’t really travel this summer, but I did go on a children’s summer camp as supervisor, visited six museums, did some creative projects and read a lot of books. In the last month I read mostly children’s literature, so I would be able to give the children and my colleagues at work some new book recommendations. I also read some interesting bookish non-fiction and a Dutch novel a colleague gave to me.

Books I Read

Krekel by Annet Schaap – 3 stars
In four words: atmospheric, grim, fairy-tale retelling
After reading Lampie and the children of the Sea I wanted to read more books from Annet Schaap. Krekel is set in the same world, but with new characters. It’s again a well-written, atmospheric story. This book is clearly based on one fairy-tale: the six swans by the brothers Grimm. When reading fairy-tales I often miss depth, and that was also the case with this book at some points. There were a couple of stereotypes from the original fairy-tale like the evil stepmother and the foolish king. For children this probably wouldn’t be an issue. I also still enjoyed reading this book, especially because Eliza and her little brother Krekel are amazing characters. These tough and endearing children are looking for their five missing brothers. Although the first part of their search is a bit slow-paced, the second half of the book is an exciting adventure.
This Dutch book isn’t translated to English (yet)

Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun (Onyeka, #1) by Tọlá Okogwu – 4 stars
In four words: engaging, empowering, heartwarming, superpowers
This book has many things I love: a black girl with her Afro hair as superpower, an alternative Nigeria that reminds me of Black Panther and a secret school for children with superpowers. Although these elements aren’t entirely original, the combination creates quite a unique story. Some characters also appeared to be cliche, but they turn out more complex and interesting than I expected. This is a fun and engaging story with some great depictions of friendship. I enjoyed reading how Onyeka gets more self-esteem, and learns to be proud on her hair.

De eerste Alix by Anna Woltz – 3,5 stars
In four words: time travel, murder mystery
Despite the improbable beginning, this story works. On the second page Alix is transported from 2026 to 1926. It’s a pity that the mechanics behind time travelling are never explained, but it actually isn’t relevant for the story. When Alix is recruited as an undercover detective to solve a murder, the story gets very exciting. Just as interesting as the mystery is Alix as character. In the current time her mother is arrested for murder and this is her fault. Her life is quite a mess, so the journey back in time feels like an escape for Alix. In the past she discovers who she wants to be. At the end of the book past and the present come beautifully together.
This Dutch book isn’t translated to English (yet), but some other books written by Anna Woltz can be read in English.

Albatros by Yorick Goldewijk – 5 stars
In four words: apocalyptic, bitter-sweet, intriguing, thought-provoking
One morning all humans are turned into animals, except for Abel. A strange and intriguing start of the story. But there turns out to be another human, in the South. For years there has been a war between North and South. Abel grew up with the message that the people in the South are bad. It also doesn’t help that Kat is unfriendly and hateful. On their journey, it’s difficult to let go of their prejudices, even when Abel and Kat are the only people left. It’s beautiful how they slowly discover that they are more alike than they thought. Of course the characters as well as the reader want to know what happened with all the other humans. Without spoiling the end, I can tell that it impressed me. This book is thought-provoking for readers of all ages. The bittersweet story shows how human beings are both awful and amazing.
This Dutch book isn’t translated to English (yet), but some other books by Yorick Goldewijk can be read in English like Movies Showing Nowhere

Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge Under Attack by Richard Ovenden – 4 stars
In four words: bookish, well-researched, thought-provoking, history
I love reading books about books, that is why this one caught my eye at the library. It turned out to be an interesting history about libraries and some of the scholars, librarians and archivists who helped preserve knowledge through the ages. At many points I felt sorry for all the books that were lost, burned or otherwise destroyed. Most famous are the Nazi book-burnings in 1933. But there were many other moments in history when books were deliberately destroyed, for example in monasteries during the English Reformation. Luckily there were also people who managed to save books from destruction, like the heroic Jewish book smugglers from the Paper Brigade in Vilnius during the Second World War. The author didn’t only look at the past, but also reflects on the present. This book made me realize that the preservation of knowledge is a crucial and timeless issue, because the loss of certain knowledge can have huge consequences.

Read Yourself Happy: How to use books to ease your anxiety by Daisy Buchanan – 4 stars
In four words: bookish, reassuring, feel-good guide
In this book Daisy Buchanan tells how books helped her in life and how reading can make you feel better. In a reassuring voice she explains that the things we feel are completely normal, but sometimes overwhelming. Books can help us to ease negative feelings and show us that we’re not the only one feeling this way. Describing this as a self-help book wouldn’t do it justice, but it kind of is. Reading may not be the ultimate cure, but it can help in many different ways. Books are a safe place to explore all kinds of things. I have experienced this myself. Books have always been a way for me to both escape life and better understand it. I love that the writer gives many book recommendations, but also emphasises that any book that makes you feel good is alright. She encourages the reader to read challenging books, but writes that you can always turn back to your comfort zone when you need to.

De laatste eilanders by Stefan Popa – 3 stars
In four words: poetic, historical, magical realism
This book is set on Ada Kaleh, a real island on the Danube that no longer exists. It was submerged during the construction of a hydroelectric power plant. The three main characters of the story are the last generation growing up on the island. Their home is about to disappear. The theme loss is explored in an interesting manner. The way the Dutch-Romanian author writes about these themes is uncommon. Multiple points of view are used; ‘he’, ‘she’, ‘I’ and even ‘we’ alternately narrate the story. The island feels like a character as well. I really had to get used to his poetic and meandering writing style. It creates a kind of dreamy atmosphere, but it also encumbers the story at some points. Initially I didn’t know if I wanted to continue this book, but while reading, the story became more intriguing.
This Dutch book isn’t translated to English (yet)

More Good Stuff

• I’ve been keeping an art journal for years. I used to keep my drawings mostly private, but now I feel like sharing them. You can find them on my Instagram
• I started crocheting!
• I made a delicious orange brownie

Halfway through July my summer holiday started. I spend a lot of free time reading. Of course I read books, but I also discovered Substack, and this became a temporary addiction. I will recommend some of my favourite essays below. Bookwise, I continued reading Victorian literature, and I now have read a book by each of the Brontë sisters. I also borrowed a non-fiction book from my mother about 19th century Japan and paired this with a novel with the same themes. I ended the month with some children’s literature.

Books I Read

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë – 4 stars
In four words: gothic, dark, fascinating, complex
I began this book expecting something like Jane Eyre. Although some themes are the same, Wuthering Heights is a very different experience: darker and wilder. I can imagine people giving up due to the cast of unlikable characters and the complicated character dynamics. However, the complex characters shown at their worst also make the book fascinating. The central character that drives this story is interestingly enough the villain, Heathcliff. But he isn’t the one telling the story, that is the housekeeper. From her we hear the compelling background story of Heathcliff. We read about his abusive childhood, his destructive love affair, his revenge and slowly find out how he became the monstrous man he is. I’m in awe of Emily Brontë for writing a character that is both extremely screwed-up and incredibly fascinating.

Agnes Grey by Anne Brontë – 4 stars
In four words: quiet, realistic, partly autobiographical
This novel realistically shows what it was like to be a governess in the 19th century. Due to the way Anne Brontë writes about children, it’s clear that she writes from personal experience. Since I work at an elementary school, I know that getting children to listen to you isn’t always easy. It’s especially hard if you’re a young, inexperienced governess like Agnes at the beginning of the book. She’s expected to teach spoiled children who never learned to control their temper. Their parents treat Agnes disrespectful and the children just follow their example. But Agnes is determined not to give up, and I admired her for her perseverance and patience. It’s a pity that this is such a short book; I would have loved to read more about her.

De Zwevende Wereld by Annejet van der Zijl – 3,5 stars
In four words: well-researched, interesting, detailed, history
This is a biography of both Franz von Siebold (1796 – 1866) and his Japanese daughter Kusomoto Ine (1827-1903). I knew about Siebold from the Japan Museum in Leiden. It was interesting to learn more about his tumultuous life as explorer, doctor and writer. I especially admired his daughter Ine, who became the first female doctor of Japan. Next to a biography, this book can also be seen as a history of Japan, from the arrival of Franz von Siebold in 1823 to the Second World War. It’s a lot of information for just 300 pages, maybe too much. Especially the last chapters, about all the children and the grandchildren, were a bit overwhelming. Overall this well-researched history is a great read, especially for people who like Japan.
This Dutch book isn’t translated to English (yet)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell – 3 stars
In four words: slow-paced, engaging, complex, ambitious
With little introduction the reader is dropped in Dejima, a small Japanese island that served as trading post for the Dutch from 1641 to 1853. There are a lot of names, but these names slowly start to feel like persons. Although none of them are particulay likable, each character has an interesting background story that gives him more substance. Our main character is Jacob de Zoet, a young bookkeeper who tries to restrain the illicit trade among the men. But after 200 pages, a new part starts with leading roles for some of the side characters. I usually like multiple different perspectives, but it’s a strange choice to abandon a main character halfway through the book. The second part almost seems like a different book, and actually doesn’t fit the first part. While the book starts as a realistic historical novel, the second part has dystopian vibes. The two parts maybe would have worked as separate stories, but together they are too much for one book. I hoped the stories would come together at the end. Although they sort of do, it wasn’t entirely satisfying for me.
Trigger warnings for death of loved ones, rape and suicide

Briefjes voor Pelle by Marlies Slegers – 4,5 stars
In four words: sad, comforting, heart-breaking, heart-warming
A year ago the father of Pelle died. Now he has a box of notes with messages from his deceased father. Some notes allow Pelle to feel the sadness he tries to hide behind facts. Other notes help Pelle and his mother to pick up their life together. This is a sad story that makes the reader feel what it is to lose a loved one. At the same time the book feels like a warm hug that shows how Pelle learns to cope with the loss.
This Dutch book isn’t translated to English (yet), but it can be read in German and Spanish

The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd – 4 stars
In four words: thrilling, mysterious, middle-grade, page-turner
Monday, 24 May, 11.32 a.m. Salim, cousin of Ted and Kat, gets in the London Eye. Half an hour later he does not get out. The disappearance of Salim causes all kinds of emotions Ted doesn’t understand, but the mystery intrigues him. Ted comes up with different theories, and with his older sister tries to find back their cousin. The book does a great job in showing that it isn’t easy for Ted that his brain functions different than that of other people. I loved how his autism plays a positive role in solving the mystery.

More Good Stuff

• On his blog Allen Martin showed me a new way to organize quotes in a commonplace book. I especially like the idea to thread quotes and relate them to others.
• The main reason I got Substack were the many interesting posts about self studying. I especially love the guide How I Self-Study New Subjects: The Modern Autodidact System by Sam Rinko. Here he explains in detail how he teaches himself new academic disciplines outside of school.
• Another interesting article about self-studying is Build Your Own Education (without the loans, late nights, or grades) by Kel Rakowski. I love her “3‑step way to build your own mini‑uni”.
• An experiment in creating as much luck as possible by Erifili Gounari is an inspiring article about aiming higher and not limiting yourself beforehand.
• I enjoyed reading the series about collecting by anthropologist Lara Sabe. My favourite post from her is the insightful essay Collections III: Maps. I like how she observes that maps may seem objective, but actually are representations of places.

This month I dedicated to classics. My main focus was the Victorian era and I also read a classic Dutch children’s book. I don’t think classics are necessarily better than modern books, but there has to be a reason that some books are still well-loved more than 100 years after they were written. Next to the novels, I read a fascinating non-fiction book about the daily life of Victorian people.

Books I Read

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë – 4 stars
Four words: beautiful, romance, gothic mystery
I actually didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. There are many reasons to like Jane Eyre: it has a beautiful writing style, a well-developed romance, a mystery and some dark secrets. But what made me really love the book is the unexpected connection I felt with Jane. My life is very different from hers. I am not an orphan and didn’t grow up with an aunt who doesn’t like me. Mr Rochester is not someone I would ever have fallen in love with. I still could easily relate to Jane’s feelings and her perceptive insights. I liked seeing in Jane a character who is both kind-hearted and fierce, modest as well as out-spoken.

The King of the Copper Mountains by Paul Biegel – 3,5 stars
In four words: imaginative, whimsical, melancholic, fairytale-like
This book is framed like 1001 Nights. The heart of the thousand-year-old king Mansolain is slowing down. But it will take days for the Wonder Doctor to find the cure. To keep the heart of the king beating, every night a different animal tells him a story. Some stories are fun and whimsical, while others are a bit melancholic. I enjoyed reading these short stories, but I didn’t think they were especially memorable. At the end of every chapter we get an update from the Wonder Doctor. This keeps the book exciting, because he really needs to return before it’s too late. I like how everything comes together at the end, and the separate stories become one whole.

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell – 3,5 stars
In four words: slow-paced, social commentary, romance
The book starts slow; the story only really begins after a few chapters when Margaret and her family move from the South to the North of England. Margaret has an unusual position as an outsider who is not as poor as the workmen but also not as rich as the masters. Through her we learn how North differed from South and see the society from different perspectives. This book reminded me of Pride and Prejudice, because we also see a lot of prejudices among the characters. What made this book actually more interesting to me was the perspective of the male love interest, Mr Thornton, and that he is shown vulnerable. I think it’s quite rare to see so much emotion in a male character, especially for a book from the 1850s. I also think that the writer did a good job in showing what it was like to live during the Industrial Revolution.
Trigger warnings for death of loved ones

How to Be a Victorian by Ruth Goodman – 4 stars
In four words: fascinating, detailed, vivid, history
This book describes in detail the daily life of a common person in the Victorian Period. It starts in the morning and moves through the day; from the moment people wake up to the moment they go to sleep again. The book is well-researched and full of fascinating facts. I learned for example that to wake up on time, people could use the service of a ‘knock-upper’; someone with a long cane and lantern who tapped on the windows of his clients. I especially liked that the writer isn’t only a historian, but also a historical recreator. She goes beyond the facts by also telling how it actually felt to live as a Victorian.

More Good Stuff

• Benjamin McEvoy provides a great introduction to Jane Eyre with his video How to Read Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
• I also really liked his video about How to Journal on Great Literature where he talks about his marginalia and rereading process
• At The Orangutan Librarian there’s an interesting discussion about The Heroine Problem and I totally agree with her that I rather read about flawed women than perfect ones.