In which I wrap up November

Things I have read

November was the month in which I had to produce four essays and a sermon in three weeks, soooo I did not read so much outside that.

I finished Omar El-Akkad’s American War, which I enjoyed but definitely read at the wrong time. I think it’s a really good look at how perspectives and enmities get rooted in people, but I’m not sure that it really got inside Sarat to reveal her feelings to the reader in a rich way — I felt I was doing quite a lot of inferring myself. It’s not hard to imagine the US going to this place, even with Biden winning the election , so it was often difficult to make myself pick this up at times.

Then I read Maaza Mengiste’s Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, which is her first novel, about the fall of the emperor Haile Selassie and the rise of the Derg in Ethiopia. I picked this up when The Shadow King, her second, was published in hardback. I do like reading fiction by writers from African countries, so I put this one on my list until The Shadow King got to paperback, and someone gave it to me for Christmas last year. I really enjoyed this. It follows one family through the early days of the Derg, drawing out their different reactions and feelings about what is going on and how they want to react, and holding them together in all their divisions and their love for each other. It doesn’t hide away from the brutality of the Derg and the reality of the challenges and dangers, so you should be aware of that as you go in, but I think it’s really well done. I’m looking forward to finally reading The Shadow King now it is in paperback (well, probably in another few months, let’s be honest).

Things I’ve watched

I invested seven of my earth pounds in Clea DuVall’s holiday movie, The Happiest Season, in order to watch Kristen Stewart in a holiday rom-com because, as we all know, I do love Kristen Stewart. It was a worthwhile investment because Kristen Stewart is an underrated comedienne and also Dan Levy is charmant as her best pal. That said, another ending to this film was possible (involving the glorious Aubrey Plaza), and I wish that it had gone for it, rather than the neatly tied up ‘happy’ ending.

A recommendation for the next month

It’s December, so find yourself recordings of Bach’s Weinachtsoratorium and Handel’s Messiah (in full, bishes) and enjoy. Both of them knew how to employ a brass section.

In the pile for next month

I’m taking two proper weeks off over Christmas, and do have to do some work during the rest of the university vacation, but I’m hoping to read a bit more for not-work. I’ve got Philippe Sands’ Ratline by my bed, and I really want to get into Colm McCann’s Apeirogon which is on my kindle, but beyond that, I’ll play it by feel.

A photo from the last month

Boat houses along the river when running after dark…