Cathy Beesey, Founder Stories Connecting Us 

The story of books I read is taken from my 2019 journal. A time in my life when writing was cathartic and reading fiction became a refuge. 

With warm summer days coming here are stories I loved by Holly Ringland and Jane Harper.

The joy of reading for pleasure has returned as the author Holly Ringland writes in The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart detailed, exquisite, descriptions of plants. Each chapter is given the name of a plant and a description with its meaning always connecting to the theme of the chapter, a delightful way to organise a story. As I read, I am transported through dramatic descriptions of water: sea and rivers, the desert with references to smells bringing her words to life. 

The style of writing is captivating as words, phrases and sentences flow and I see Alice Hart and her surroundings as she moves through her story. There are no clear connections to the life I lead but there is an ease as I read her story that incorporates despair, brutality, fear, gentleness, and compassion. I am going to read this book until I finish it, no dipping in and out of multiple books, reading for the love of reading. The dedication by Holly Ringland warms my heart, giving strength: For women who doubt the worth and value of their story.

It is the gifts of books from friends, those I don’t necessarily see regularly, but know who I am, contributing to my journey through my love of reading. Thank you, Andrea and Therese. Reading my first detective novel since before diagnosis; the before and after diagnosis is  strong, getting stronger. The Dry by Jane Harper is set in a small town in country Victoria during drought. The locals are in the grip of desperation and depression as they watch their town falling away with farms not producing, shops closing and the river no longer running. There is a multiple murder being solved by a detective from Melbourne and I delight in reading a novel that doesn’t take me deep inside myself. Quickly and with pleasure I read the second in the series by Jane Harper, Force of Nature, again captivated by the descriptions and the love of reading for pure pleasure.

What are your favrourites for summer reading? Share your book review on Stories Connecting Us. It can be as short as the one I wrote or a deep exploration of a book. You choose!

Copyright Cathy Beesey, December 2024. All rights reserved; this intellectual property belongs solely to Cathy Beesey.