A Perfect Red | Amy Butler Greenfield

Previously I have read Colour: travels through the pain box by Victoria Finlay in which each chapter is dedicated to a short history of the main colours we know today.
I was interested to read A Perfect Red, a more thorough history based on one colour as I found it interesting that  colours have histories very unique to each hue.

Red has  had a checkered past. Pre 1493 it could only be extracted from the madder plant and was quite insipid. The name red was assigned to any hue from light pick to deep burgundy and was highly sought after as it was rare.

With the discovery of the New World the conquistadors encountered the Aztecs and were astonished at the vibrant red they were able to produce from the small bug cochineal. Three hundred years of competition ensued, where the Spanish monopoly in cochineal was attacked by mercenaries, merchants, pirates and royalty.
Europe was taken by storm when guilds began using the small crushed bugs to produce the most vibrant cloth ever to be seen. There was huge secrecy around dyers and their guilds with regard to the use of cochineal on threads and a variety of fabrics. Venetians were famed for their ability to produce rich red velvet.
Laws were enacted to prescribe who could wear red (and other colours) to denote social standing. Colour was a serious business.

Many other fascinating historical facts surround the colour red, and the book is very well researched and written. A great read.

Barkskins | Annie Proulx

It's hard to describe how successful this novel is, given it is a novel about trees, their history and their demise.
Barkskins is Proulx' s latest novel and as with all her others, she is meticulous in her research and in her writing, leaving us with no doubt once again of her enormous talent.

This is a wide sweeping novel which begins in 1600 when Charles Duquet and Rene Sel sail to New France, Canada, in search of better lives. Charles Duke (formerly Duquet) settles into the life of an axe man and soon establishes a huge lumber company. Rene Sel marries a Mi'kmaq woman whose tribe lives in the forests of Canada and are renown as healers and hunters. They are guardians the forest.

The Duke family throughout generations seek out the biggest native forests, buy them and demolish them. Fist in Canada, USA and then Asia and South America. They have total disregard for ecology, environment and the consequences of the devastation they bring.
Meanwhile the Sel family traces it's demise in parallel to the demise of the forest they have lived in for generations and which disappearing. The destiny of both families are intertwined.
The story ends in 2013, with a bit of hope and redemption for both families and hope in the possibility of regenerating some of the forests consumed by the appetite of consumerism.

The Silence of Banventure Arrow | Rita Leganski

Bayou Cymbaline, in the 1950’s, Louisiana: a child is born who makes no sound, but can hear ‘the Universe of Every Single Sound’. Bonaventure Arrow is born into a family holding on to secrets and guilt and he becomes their means of redemption.

Dancy, Bonaventure’s mother is unable to let go of the greif caused by her husband’s untimely, seemly random shooting. Who is The Wanderer, why did he kill William? Dancy cannot move on to love another because she thinks William’s death is her fault.

Letice, William’s mother, is sure the secret sins of her youth are the cause of her son’s murder. She is seeking to put guilt to rest. Dancy’s mother Adelaide Roman is consumed by the Souther quassy -religious mania of the time, hoping to heal and  redeem her grandson and release them from the curse of muteness. Behind it all is William, who from almost Heaven, tries to bring peace to his family and get to know his son.

And then we meet a chorus of Creole characters led by Trinidad Prefontaine who has the gift of Knowing, and is sure her destiny is tied up with the Arrow family’s hope for a better future.

Astoundingly beautiful piece of writing, magical realism which captures the reader right from the first page.

Did you Ever Have a Family | Bill Clegg

I enjoyed the structure of this novel. A central event is seen, chapter by chapter, by various key players. As they describe their experiences, the truth is revealed.

The stage is set for a beautiful garden wedding for June's daughter. But in the night, a fire engulfs the home, killing June's daughter, fiance, ex-husband and boyfriend. The officials clean up the site immediately, taking no care to find the source of the fire. Everyone thinks they know who set it and why.

June needs to redefine her life, so goes off and lives in a quiet motel by the Pacific Ocean. And it is this location which connects many of the characters in the town. The caterer who never got paid, the local kid who helped with yard work, the mother of June's boyfriend... They all get to tell their side of the story.

Intricate web of strands ties this circular tale into a beautiful story. well worth reading.

The Flood | Ian Rankin

Rankin wrote this while at University, instead of writing his thesis. I rate this one as one of his best books. Loved the story idea and the style. He really can tell a story.
In this novel, we meet a mother and son trying to make sense of their world, a small Scottish community. They are both marked by the unfortunate events in the mother's life: as a child she was pushed into the chemical runoff of the local factory. Her hair turns white and she is marginalised by ignorance and suspicion.
As a solo mother, more isolated than before, she starts a relationship with a schoolteacher and as her son grows up she has to reveal their family secrets for him to make peace with himself and his community.

Dark, powerful and a great start to Rankin's career.

Best Books of 2015

For me, 2015 proved to be a record year for reading. In 2015 I managed to break the 100-book mark. Of those, forty four books made it to my 'excellent' list. I will endeavour to review them all for you but for starters, here's the list. I hope you enjoy going through them.

Off the Map by Fergus Fleming
Waiting for Doggo by Mark B Mills
Little Princes by Conor Gennan
Into the Dark Corner by Elizabeth Haynes
The Spark: a mother's story of nurturing a genius by Kristine Barnett
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
The Translation of the Bones by Francesca Kay
The Lighthouse by Alison Moore
The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
A Map of Glass by Jane Urquhart
Oyster by Jane Turner Hospital
Goat Mountain by David Vann
A Mile Down by David Vann
A Reunion of Ghosts by Judith Claire Mitchell
The Secret Life of Luke Livingstone by Charity Norman
Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper
House of Stone by Christina Lamb
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Madness in Civilization by Andrew Scull
Traitor by Stephen Daisley
A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Chappy by Patricia Grace
Stalin's Daughter by Rosemary Sullivan
The Mountain Can Wait by Sarah Leipciger
That Old Ace in the Hole by Anne Proulx
The Rocks by Peter Nichols
After Such Kindness by Gaynor Arnold
The Reader on the 6.27 by Jean-Paul Didierlaurent
Mountain Rescue by Phillip Merchior
The Invisible Mountain by Carolina de Roberti
Signs for Lost Children by Sarah Moss
Euphoria by Lily King
Sweet Caress by William Boyd
The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton
This is Where I Am by Karen Campbell
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologies by Fredrik Backman
Headstrong:52 Women who changed Science by Rachel Swaby
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield