18. The Indian in the Cupboard
I read this because my son is reading it and one I had missed as a child myself. I was a little unsure as times have changed since this was written, but found that though it’s terminology is dated and it does lean to stereotypes, its heart is nevertheless in the right place and actually it is a good springboard for discussion about Native American identity and history with a child.
19. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
An amusing audiobook to get me through difficult nights with a chest infection, this was patchy but entertaining enough and with some genuinely laugh out loud moments. Sedaris mines his family, modern life, and, as per the title, his attempts to learn French after a move to Paris with his partner for comedic moments, with a dry dry wit and often a delicious turn of phrase. I don’t think I would have enjoyed it so much on the page perhaps, I would get another audio.
Sputnik Sweetheart by Murakami
Murakami is one of my favourite authors but it’s been a few years since I’ve read one and have been saving a few up. I wasn’t bowled over by this to begin with, and if you’ve read Murakami the traditional elements are here - lonely eccentric women, lonely bookish men who like to read and listen to music, slightly awkward and unexpected sex scenes and cats in odd scenarios. However, there is always a mystery at the heart of these familiar things that pierces you with the intensity of its imagination; there is a sense of strangeness that only he can conjure that leaves you rattled and makes you remember why you keep coming back to this place. K loves Sumire but Sumire loves Miu, and Miu can’t love anyone due to an incident in her past. They orbit each other like the Sputnik in the title, travelling companions destined to remain at a distance, and it is through this dance Murakami examines loneliness, desire, and the limits of intimacy.