It’s the last day of October. We’ve had a full week at home for half-term break. I packed it full with playdates (is that even the right word anymore for my teen and preteen?) and having people over for dinner. And of course, I came down with a cold by Tuesday evening. Seems to happen every break, right on time. We had to cancel a few things, but the playdates could go on since my kids are so old, they are fairly autonomous anyway. It’s a great stage of life. And I’ve done little but rest and help with a craft or a meal here and there. Thankful for the break in schedule for a few days.

It’s a super grey and rainy day here and we plan to watch a film tonight while eating whatever candy we don’t pass out. We have a packed weekend of activities, so hopefully my cold has had enough of me to get back to life. Thanks to resting and the girls being occupied with friends, I literally could only find this photo above that Mark took of our desk nook at the top of the stairs. Not a very picturesque week. But I love the chaos of it with half-written pages from the “new” typewriter which has been a huge hit and much loved already. Some weeks are like this and that’s fine.

I don’t have much by way of links, but I’m going to log the books I read in October.

Oranges by John McPhee

This was a surprise book from Mark for my birthday. Half joke, thanks to my illustration business name, but also he had read great reviews about it and thought I might genuinely enjoy it. Well, I did!

Written in the 60s, McPhee started his research for an article about oranges, but soon found he had what amounted to a book. Surprisingly interesting, Oranges follows McPhee as he tracks down the origin of oranges in existence and name as well as visits many orange growers throughout Florida. I learned so much and really enjoyed reading about all the varieties and history! Not my usual take on non-fiction, but certainly fun.

Emily’s Quest by L. M. Montgomery

Well, I did it. I finished the trilogy about Emily. And I nearly threw this book across the room at the end. It ended as I suspected and I was thoroughly disgusted by the attitude of the male love interest and Emily’s acceptance of him. Overall a typical read and not thrilling or surprising or redeeming of a storyline. I’m fine that I read it all, but also a bit of a waste of time. And the covers by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini really are a star here.

I am very intrigued though why people fall so hard for Anne when Emily is similar in feel and personality too. Montgomery’s writing is very much one type of storyline and heroine here. Is this a cult classic status and great film adaptation keeping Anne beloved and Emily unknown or is there something inherently more interesting and lovable about Anne. I’m kind of curious to reread all the Anne series now and go into Rilla too. I wonder what the difference is or if Montgomery is a one-trick writer and got lucky with the enshrining of Anne as classic. Feel free to defend your thoughts in the comments. I’m very curious if one is great literature or not.

Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi

Another book I decided to read thanks to The Haunted Wood talking about it. This one was a bit of a letdown. What a strange book! It did leave me wondering two things though:

One: What on earth did Walt Disney do when he decided to adapt something to film? There is very little in this original story that resembles Disney’s Pinocchio. Disney did make Pinocchio more lovable, but he changed so much of the original tale I kept shaking my head in amazement.

Two: How much is lost in translation here? Pinocchio is originally written in Italian in 1883 and I have a strong feeling that much is lost in the translation to English but also the cultural differences from 1880s Italian life.

Pinocchio the puppet is annoying, naughty, and never learns. There is also some really strange stuff about death, torture, assassins, and faeries. I really wonder what I’m missing from Italian folk tales and the time period. Once again I wonder, why is a book like this beloved and carried into a classic-like status? Some writing just doesn’t seem to hold up.

Well, there are my October reads. At least the ones I finished. I still have several more in the works. And in the middle of writing this, I stopped to admire the rainbow that appeared briefly in the back garden. A beautiful ending to a long month.

I’m off to begin our observance of All Hallow’s Eve in our ever-learning, always re-evaluating family way. Here is the guide I’ve been mulling over this week if you, like me, are often left praying and thinking about what to do with holidays like this. 💚

October Reads

a day trip to Kelmscott Manor