This Week in Books is a feature hosted by Lipsy at Lipsyy Lost and Found that allows bloggers to share:
- What they’ve recently finished reading
- What they are currently reading
- What they are planning to read next
A similar meme is run by Taking on a World of Words.
The last book I finished reading was Maurice and Maralyn by Sophie Elmhirst, a brilliant non-fiction book charting the titular couple’s experiences of being adrift in the Pacific Ocean for 118 days!
Maurice and Maralyn couldn’t be more different. He is as cautious and awkward as she is charismatic and forceful. It seems an unlikely romance, but it works.
Bored of 1970s suburban life, Maralyn has an idea: sell the house, build a boat, leave England – and its oil crisis, industrial strikes and inflation – forever. It is hard work, turning dreams into reality, but finally they set sail for New Zealand. Then, halfway there, their beloved boat is struck by a whale and the pair are cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
On their tiny raft, their love is put to the test. When Maurice begins to withdraw into himself, it falls upon Maralyn to keep them both alive. Filled with danger, spirit, and tenderness, this is a book about human connection and the human condition; about how we survive – not just at sea, but in life.
I’m currently reading Chocolat by Joanne Harris, having neither read it previously or seen the film.
In the small French village of Lansquenet, nothing much has changed in a hundred years. Then an exotic stranger, Vianne Rocher, blows in on the changing wind with her small daughter, and opens a chocolate boutique directly opposite the church. Soon the villagers cannot keep away, for Vianne can divine their most hidden desires.
But it’s the beginning of Lent, the season of abstinence, and Father Reynaud denounces her as a serious moral danger to his flock. Perhaps even a witch…
My next read is likely to be Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier.
Tracy Chevalier’s stunning novel of how one woman’s gift transcends class and gender to lead to some of the most important discoveries of the nineteenth century.
A revealing portrait of the intricate and resilient nature of female friendship.
In the early nineteenth century, a windswept beach along the English coast brims with fossils for those with the eye…
From the moment she’s struck by lightning as a baby, it is clear Mary Anning is marked for greatness. When she uncovers unknown dinosaur fossils in the cliffs near her home, she sets the scientific world alight, challenging ideas about the world’s creation and stimulating debate over our origins. In an arena dominated by men, however, Mary is soon reduced to a serving role, facing prejudice from the academic community, vicious gossip from neighbours, and the heartbreak of forbidden love. Even nature is a threat, throwing bitter cold, storms, and landslips at her.
Luckily Mary finds an unlikely champion in prickly, intelligent Elizabeth Philpot, a middle-class spinster who is also fossil-obsessed. Their relationship strikes a delicate balance between fierce loyalty and barely suppressed envy. Despite their differences in age and background, Mary and Elizabeth discover that, in struggling for recognition, friendship is their strongest weapon.
And that’s my week in books! What are you reading this week? Let me know in the comments! 😎
Jo's Book Blog 
Oh I adore Chocolat and all the books in that series. I’m very excited that there’s a prequel coming out next year. You should definitely watch the film if you can. There are a few differences from the book of course but it’s excellent too.
I’m really enjoying it so far – I love the characters and setting, although the descriptions of the chocolates leaves me craving a sweet treat!
Looks like a fab reading week Jo. I loved Remarkable Creatures when I read it years ago. I also loved the film of Chocolat and I love the sound of Maurice and Maralyn! x
Thanks, Nicki. I’m really enjoying Chocolat, and trying to find some words to review Maurice and Maralyn! x