October Wrap Up

October was definitely another month where quality took precedence over quantity when it came to my reader, but I can certainly live with that! Here’s a quick roundup of my month in books, followed by a look at the embroidery (and weaving) projects I’ve been working on.

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Books read: 7

Yearly total: 86

The books I read in October

1. Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Mrs Fox by Sarah Hall

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. Tonight We Rule the World by Zack Smedley

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

4. Come See the Living Dryad by Theodora Goss

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Endless Night by Agatha Christie

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. The Book of Mother by Violaine Huisman, tr. by Leslie Camhi

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

7. Women & Power by Mary Beard

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

Favourite of the month: Tonight We Rule the World

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Thankfully, October was much more productive for me when it came to embroidery. This included getting a head start on some festive bits and pieces – It’s early, I know, but I wanted to make sure I factored in plenty of time for international shipping, and for those who like to get organized ahead of the game! I’ve also been trying out (and loving!) hand weaving, which led to a few mini wall hangings. Here’s a look at the projects I completed throughout the month, some of which are still available over on my little Etsy shop.

What was your favourite read in October?

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September Wrap Up

September was definitely a month of quality over quantity, as though I picked up fewer books overall than usual, two of them are real contenders for my reads of the year list. Links to reviews of each book can be found below, followed as usual by a little look at the embroidery projects I’ve been working on recently.

Books Read: 8

Yearly total: 79

1. The House of Former Lovers by Kirsty Logan

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. The Atlas of Reds and Blues by Devi S. Laskar

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. Reuben Sachs by Amy Levy

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Mother/land by Ananda Lima

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. Love and Fury by Samantha Silva

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. Lemon by Kwon Yeo-Sun, tr. by Karen Hong

• ⭐ ⭐ | Review

8. Brand New Ancients by Kae Tempest

• ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

Favourite of the Month: Once There Were Wolves & Love and Fury

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As for embroidery projects, I completed a landscape and a custom necklace, both of which are off to their new homes. I also worked on a couple of mini Halloween themed pieces and a floral design, which can be found over on my Etsy.

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Did you have a good month? What was your favourite read in September?

August Wrap Up

In terms of reading, August was easily the most productive and enjoyable month I’ve had so far this year. That was thanks in large part to it being Women in Translation Month, which I always love getting stuck into! All of my reads throughout August fit into the WIT category, with my 12 picks representing 9 languages across 12 countries. Below are links to my full thoughts on each, followed by a look at the embroidery projects I’ve been working on recently.

The books I read in August

Books Read: 12

Yearly total: 71

1. The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez – Argentina – Translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ – Senegal – Translated from the French by Modupé Bodé-Thomas

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review 

3. The Others by Sarah Blau – Israel – Translated from the Hebrew by Daniella Zamir

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. Palimpsest by Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom – Korea/Sweden – Translated from the Swedish by Hanna Strömberg & Richey Wyver

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review 

5. Heaven by Mieko Kawakami – Japan – Translated from the Japanese by Sam Bett & David Boyd

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. Magma by Thóra Hjörleifsdóttir – Iceland – Translated from the Icelandic by Meg Matich

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. The Yogini by Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay – India – Translated from the Bengali by Arunava Sinha

⭐ ⭐ | Review

8. Everywhere Antennas by Julie Delporte – France – Translated from the French by Helge Dascher

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

9. Eartheater by Dolores Reyes – Argentina – Translated from the Spanish by Julia Sanches

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

10. The War Works Hard by Dunya Mikhail – Iraq – Translated from the Arabic by Elizabeth Winslow

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

11. The Secret Talker by Geling Yan – China/USA – Translated from the Chinese by Jeremy Tiang

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review 

12. Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa – Japan – Translated from the Japanese by Stephen Snyder

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

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Favourite of the month: Magma & Hotel Iris

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I had a lot of fun with embroidery projects this month too, including trying out some embroidered bookmarks for the first time. I also hit 30 sales over on my little Etsy shop; a small but lovely milestone! Here’s a quick look at the pieces I worked on throughout August.

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What was your favourite read in August? Did you pick up anything for WIT month?

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July Wrap Up

It definitely felt like I started to break out of my reading slump somewhat throughout July. Though the number of books I finished remained on the low side (compared to my usual pace), there were definitely more full length works in the mix this time, which is a decent step in the right direction.

The overall quality of what I picked up was also pretty good, so let’s hope this upturn continues into August! I’m feeling optimistic that it will, given that it’s Women in Translation Month – which I love! But without further ado, here’s a quick glimpse at what I read this month (with links to full reviews if you’d like to know more), followed by a look at some recent embroidery projects.

Books read: 8

Yearly total: 59

The books I read in July

1. Indelicacy by Amina Cain

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Brood by Jackie Polzin

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. Bolla by Pajtim Statovci, tr. by David Hackston

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come for BookBrowse

4. Life of the Party by Olivia Gatwood

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Plunge by Joe Hill & Stuart Immonen

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. The Butterfly Lampshade by Aimee Bender

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. A Fine Yellow Dust by Laura Apol

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review 

8. Frida by Sébastien Pérez & Benjamin Lacombe, tr. by Alison Anderson

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

Favourite of the month: The Butterfly Lampshade & Frida

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In terms of embroidery, I really enjoyed working on some more original designs throughout the month, which resulted in a couple of landscapes, a seascape, and a tribute piece to Frida Kahlo. I also tried out some embroidered jewellery for the first time, which was a lot of fun! As before, you can find available pieces over on my Etsy. 

Thanks for stopping by! What’s the best thing you read or did in July?

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Manjit Thapp & Chloe Giordano | Mini Reviews

Feelings by Manjit Thapp
Published by Penguin Random House, 2021
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

This is a gentle and ruminative look at how much our mood/mental health can be affected by the changing seasons. The text itself is relatively simple, though it does have an air of prose poetry to it. So while it may not discuss any particularly unique experiences or offer up any ground-breaking insights, it is likely to resonate widely.

If you suffer from anxiety or bouts of depression (particularly SAD), you are sure to feel seen by Thapp’s musings. Regardless, the real draw here is her stunning artwork. A dreamy colour palette and a playful use of structure and layout elevate this quasi-graphic-memoir considerably. I will certainly come back to this to soak up the visuals, and will be keeping an eye out for more of Thapp’s work.

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The Embroidered Art of Chloe Giordano
Published by Search Press, 2019
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I’ve been an admirer of Giordano’s work ever since I took up embroidery myself. Specialising in characterful, hyper-realistic woodland animals, her pieces are brought to life in her own distinct style of thread painting. In this book, she breaks down her creative process – in general terms, and on a piece-by-piece basis. It’s definitely easy to draw inspiration from her work, and though most of us will never come close to her standard, it is a joy to pore over such high-quality reproductions of her designs – the book itself having been produced to a wonderful standard.

If you’re a total newcomer to embroidery and are looking for a book that will walk you through specific patterns or teach you different stitch techniques, this isn’t the one for you. If, however, you already have an interest in embroidery or textile art, and want to marvel at the work of one of the best in the business, this is a gorgeous, well curated retrospective of Giordano’s career so far.

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June Wrap Up

It’s fair to say I’m in the grips of a slump at the moment, and my June reading definitely suffered as a result. At a glance, I did still get through a decent number of books, but there wasn’t a huge amount of reading in most of them. I’m hopeful I’ll have more success in July, but equally, I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, as a bit of burnout was inevitably going to catch up with us all eventually. But without further ado, let’s wrap up June!

Books read: 8

Yearly total: 51

The books I read in June

1. Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review posted at BookBrowse

2.  Terrific Mother by Lorrie Moore

⭐ ⭐ | Review

3.  Spring Garden by Tomoka Shibasaki, translated from the Japanese by Polly Barton

⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman 

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Thornhill by Pam Smy

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. Born in a Second Language by Akosua Zimba Afiriyie-Hwedie

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. Feelings by Manjit Thapp

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

8. The Embroidered Art of Chloe Giordano 

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

Favourite of the month: Somebody’s Daughter

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In contrast to my lackluster reading month, June was great in terms of embroidery. I made some more sales through my little Etsy shop, including a couple of custom pieces, which was lovely. Here’s a look at the projects I completed throughout the month.

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May Wrap Up

It’s time for a quick look back at my month in books and embroidery. Let’s just jump right into it, shall we? As ever, we’ll start with what I read.

Books read: 8

Yearly total: 43

The books I read in May

1. Other People’s Children by R.J. Hoffmann

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come for BookBrowse

2. Sealed by Naomi Booth

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review 

3. Black Girl, Call Home by Jasmine Mans

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. Infidel by Pornsak Pichetshote & Aaron Campbell

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. Running Upon the Wires by Kae Tempest

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

8. Horrid by Katrina Leno 

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come

Favourite of the month: Speak No Evil

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The big update on the embroidery front is that I opened an Etsy shop! With finished pieces stacking up and more than a little persuasion from kind people, I decided to give it a shot. A huge thank you to everyone who has bought something or shared the shop; it’s been so lovely! There are still some pieces available if anyone is at all interested (click here), but as for the projects I completed this month, here’s a little look:

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April Wrap Up

It’s time for a quick look back at my month in books and embroidery. Let’s just jump right into it, shall we? As ever, we’ll start with what I read.

Books read: 9

Yearly total: 35

The books I read in April

1. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2.  The Kids by Hannah Lowe

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. Dead Dad Jokes by Ollie Schminkey

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin, tr. by Aneesa Higgins

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come for BookBrowse

6. Shiver by Junji Ito, tr. by Jocelyn Allen

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. Hello Mum by Bernardine Evaristo

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

8. Because of You by Dawn French

⭐ ⭐ | Review

9. Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

Favourite of the Month: The Vanishing Half

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Now onto the embroidery projects I completed throughout April. As with the previous month, I enjoyed coming up with original designs and trying out a few different styles.

The first piece here came from a desire to try out something with a more contemporary look, while the second piece is a more traditional landscape with a chunky, textural feel.

The cat piece was made as a birthday gift for a friend; the squirrel is part of my little ongoing series of woodland creatures; and I’d wanted to stitch a bee for a while!

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What was your favourite read in March?

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March Wrap Up

Having been in the lingering grip of a reading slump for a while, March was one of the most successful months I’ve had for a while, in terms of both quantity and overall quality. With that said, here are links to the books I read & reviewed, followed by a quick look at the embroidery projects I completed.

Books read: 10

Yearly total: 26

The books I read in March

1. Summerwater by Sarah Moss

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. Calling in Black by Nicholle Ramsey

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. Gratitude by Delphine de Vigan, tr. by George Miller

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. Acrobat by Nabaneeta Dev Sen, tr. by Nandana Sen

⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

8. The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review to come for BookBrowse

9. The Natural Mother of the Child by Krys Malcolm Belc

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

10. Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

Favourite of the month: Klara and the Sun

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In terms of embroidery projects, I had a lot of fun throughout March working on some more original designs.

I wanted to start a little ongoing series of woodland creatures, which led to these hedgehog, fox, and rabbit designs.

The seascape came about when I decided to try and make something with a chunky, textural look; the autumnal tree was a gift for Mother’s Day; and frankly, it was only a matter of time before I made some kind of tribute to Carrie Fisher!

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What was your favourite read in March?

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February Wrap Up

Here are links to the books I read & reviewed throughout February, followed by a quick look at the embroidery projects I completed.

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Books read: 8

Yearly total: 16

1. The Truth of You by Iain S. Thomas

⭐ ⭐ | Review

2. The Monsters of Rookhaven by Pádraig Kenny

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

3. On Connection by Kae Tempest

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

4. Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

5. The Quiet Music of Gently Falling Snow by Jackie Morris

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

6. A Map of Rain Days by Jennifer Hosein

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

7. Wain by Rachel Plummer

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

8. A Luminous Republic by Andrés Barba, translated by Lisa Dillman

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ | Review

Favourite of the month: Open Water

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As with last month, I enjoyed trying out a variety of embroidery styles, which resulted in the following 4 pieces.

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What was your favourite read in February?

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