The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

 Schwab's novel is a modern Faust, if Faust were a woman who just wanted control of her life. In a small village in France in 1714, to avoid an unwanted marriage Addie LaRue makes a desperate plea to a sinister power she names Luc in exchange for yielding her soul when she tires of life. But like all such bargains, there are unintended consequences: no one will remember Addie's existence as soon as she is out of sight; nor can she tell her story, say her name, or leave a mark of any kind. She will move through the centuries like a ghost.

But Addie is nothing if not resourceful. After a few harrowing years she learns how to see to her needs, how to steal clothing and food, how to find safe places to sleep. She settles for brief encounters with people in lieu of actual relationships. And eventually, she realizes how she can leave her mark after all -- through art. She cannot create, but she can inspire and encourage and leave behind a trail of paintings, sculptures, and songs (even if the artists never remember her). It's a life, if not a typical one. And then she meets Henry, and he remembers her.

There is romance, of course, and much of the narrative is driven by her relationships with Henry and Luc, but those serve as the scaffolding for what Schwab is really interested in: the power of art to create a legacy, and the ability to find value in life no matter how much one suffers. In many ways, Addie reminds me of Hob Gadling from The Sandman comics. He also makes a deal for enternal life, and never loses his passion for living despite all he goes through.

I enjoyed the novel quite a bit, although it's not without its flaws. Like a number of modern works with a fantastical element, it lacks a coherent theology, for lack of a better word. Luc and his kind are referred to as "old gods," but it's not clear what he actually is or how he relates to the Judeo-Christian God of Addie's family. And as the novel proceeds, he behaves more like a dangerous fairy rather than anyone who could be worshiped. At one point we see him destroy a soul, but there is no discussion of what happens to souls that are not claimed by him, no reference to an afterlife of any kind. It's not clear, then, what the consequences are of Addie giving her soul to Luc, other than death (which happens to everyone).

But I suppose it doesn't matter -- Addie has no intention of ever tiring of life. There's too much out there to experience.

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield

 Setterfield's lovely, melancholy novel opens on the Winter Solstice, 1887. Locals have gathered at the Swan Inn for their usual storytelling, when a severely injured man carrying a dead girl enters and collapses. Hours later, the dead girl miraculously comes to life, and the villagers are left with the story of a lifetime. But who is she? The girl herself won't speak, so everyone is left to speculate; is she the child of a wealthy family kidnapped two years ago, the granddaughter of a local farmer whose son can't stay out of trouble, a sister gone missing decades ago, a gypsy girl left behind by accident?

At its heart, Once Upon a River is about the stories we tell -- to entertain, to remind us of what happened, to convince others, to hide from ourselves, to heal. The novel spans a year, during which we get to know a large number of locals, all of them movingly characterized. Setterfield is a gentle writer who is able to find the humanity in everyone. Life on the Thames in 1887 could be brutal and cruel, but also kind and forgiving. And if you get a good story out of it, so much the better.

A Much-Delayed Book Round-Up: Christmas Edition

Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners by Gretchen Anthony: This comic novel deals with the fall-out from a disastrous holiday party, interspersed with the matriarch's annual holiday letters. The wacky hijinks were a bit much for me, but the characters were absolutely endearing, and the reveal about the holiday letters was quite touching.

Unstable Felicity by Cat Hodge: King Lear by way of Hallmark. Really. Jill, a successful accountant in Los Angeles, returns to her small town to save the family inn from the handsome developer intent on buying it. But this novella includes all the questionable decisions and messy emotions TV movies leave out, making it much more satisfying. 

A Literary Christmas by the British Library: an anthology of poems, essays, and excerpts from stories, all with a Christmas theme. The book is organized into different sections such as Christmas Eve and the Nativity, making it easy to select according to one's mood. I didn't finish it all this year, but I look forward to reading more.

Sisters of the Winter Wood by Rena Rossner: a winter fairy tale that combines Christina Rossetti's "The Goblin Market," Jewish folklore, and the all-too-real history of pogroms in the Ukraine. I liked the story very much, but the protagonist's incessant worrying and low self-esteem became wearying. As did her refusal to actually talk to anyone who could help.

My Annual Last Day of Christmas Round-Up

 "Blue Christmas" by Blackwork Journey, from 2020's Ornaments mag:

"Black Cat in a Santa Hat" by the Stitcherhood, from the 2015 Ornaments mag:

 

I'm not finished with Primitive Needle's "Primitive Angel" (2009 Ornaments mag), but I hope to do so soon. I will likely omit the year above the angel to make this more likely.

 

This garland was supposed to get done before Christmas, but the white felt balls I ordered were delayed. I've alternated them with wooden balls, some painted gold.

 

I finished the last of the beaded snowflake patterns from Fusion Beads; I changed the colors to make this one look like pinecones. 

 

I love love love the look of these mason jars, and I may keep them up for a long while. I painted the walnuts gold last year, inspired by Hiddensee; the orange slices are the latest batch I made (dried in a very low oven for a very long time). Next fall I will gather more pinecones in different sizes.

I was busy!

Goodbye and Good Riddance!

 

A House of Ghosts by W.C. Ryan

 This is a perfect read for the long, cold, winter nights. Kate and Donovan are two government agents in 1917 sent to a lord's manor on a remote island in the hopes of discovering who's been selling secrets to the German army; complicating matters are the actual, literal ghosts Kate sees all around her, some of whom are dead soldiers angry at the lord's arms-dealing. 

In other words, it's an Agatha Christie-type story but with a supernatural bent and a willingness to address the legacies of a pointless war.  It's spooky and serious without being grim or depressing, and does a good job of illustrating the messy complexities of everything from relationships to the military-industrial complex to grief. Add a romantic subplot, and you have a thoroughly satisfying read. I'd love to see more of Kate and Donovan's adventures.

Advent Blog Hop

 Welcome to my stop on Jo's annual Advent blog hop! As usual, I have a few ornaments to show off (I prefer to stitch small projects; I'm more likely to finish them in time 😛).

"Tres" by Monsterbubbles (Just Cross Stitch August 2008):

This has been on my to-do list for a long time, but stitching on metal mesh/screen is a pain; the beaded edge was fun, though.

Here's "Meowy Christmas" by Fern Ridge Collections (Christmas Ornaments 2019):

It's true to life, too! There's a reason why I keep my fragile ornaments on the top of the tree ....

(I also stitched "Mary & Jesus Stained Glass" by Snoflake Stitchery (Christmas Ornaments 2019), but  I forgot to take a picture before I sent it to my mom.)

Jo also asked us to write about our favorite Christmas book. Mine's a new one, that I discovered last year:

I loved it so much I bought my own copy this year. This collection of stories, memories, and recipes is moving and insightful, and I highly recommend it.

I hope you all have a lovely and peaceful Christmas, and a much-improved new year!