reading on the rails

The trip to NFLD took 3 days by train (return)... I spent it equal parts reading and sleeping. There was a lot of reading. I reread Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in anticipation of the movie... I miss J.K. Rowling and I hope she writes more.

On to fresh reads:

1) The Winter's Vault by Anne Michaels.
I waited for thirteen years for one of my favourite authors to write again and, lo, Ms. Michaels gave us her second work. It's hard not to compare the two books - I mean, there are only two! - and the style is as dense and dripping with poetry as it ever was. One of the things I love about Michaels is her turn of phrase - her writing is almost edible and, appropriately, I always feel full after finishing a few pages. Unlike most books which I can devour in one or two sessions, Michaels' work needs to be put down and savoured. Her first work still remains my favourite of hers, but TWV did not disappoint. It has a way of eviscerating you even while you choke up with tenderness and despair. It's brilliant really. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, read this.

2) The Viking Discovery of America by Helge Ingstad and Anne Stine Ingstad. I read this book in desperation - I had finished my two "vacation" books and I was waiting for Nish to finish hers so I could read that too. After a couple of hours of napping and picture deleting I remembered that I had purchased this book at the gift shop in L'Anse! Written in a conversational tone, the Ingstads explained the discovery of the Viking site, the archaeological facts found within, the sagas and conflicting myths surrounding these journeys (fascinating, that) and the impact it's had on both our understanding of North American natives and on early European exploration. Often, Natives are portrayed as witless victims of European expansionism and cruelty; it is nice to see that five hundred years before Amerigo Vespucci touched ashore, the Beothuk Indians were holding their own against the fierce Vikings... holding and winning, mind you. The whole read is simply riveting.. if you're into that sort of thing. Thankfully, I am.

3) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.
Desperate to make the time pass (and teased with little snippets throughout the journey), I gobbled this book down in mere hours. As the review says at the back, this really is a perfect read for a long train ride. Written in a series of letters between Juliet Ashton and a number of other characters (including the eponymous group), I think Shaffer/Barrows do an amazing job of making Juliet your friend and you, her confidante. The writing is pithy, witty and altogether marvelous. It was like reading the Gilmore Girls, Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw all at once. There were some sobering moments - when writing about German Occupations during WWII, it's hard not to have a few of those - but in all, the books uses gentle and sharp humour in equal doses. If you're ever stuck on a train for thirty hours, pack this one.