What I Read in May

Books *about* the Garden & Books Read *in* the Garden

As Robert Browning says of the month of May: “You’ve summer all at once.” The gentle hues of spring always disappear so swiftly; the more flaunting greens and full leaves of summer have already covered the hills around my farmhouse. There has been lots of good gardening progress, however…and of course, lots of good reading!

I included some clips of my reading journal catch-up in this month’s vlog, and I thought I’d type up the quotations I chose with some quick reviews…

Acts of the Apostles

“We also are men of like nature with you and bring you good news that you should turn from vain things to a living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all nations to walk in their own ways; yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

I hear different excerpts from the Bible every Sunday at Mass and read them in my Magnificat prayers, but I’d like to make my way through different books from cover to cover, as it were. This month was my first time reading through the whole of Acts of the Apostles. I love that quote above from the apostle Paul about how, even though God wasn’t present to the gentiles before Christ in the same way that He was to the Jewish people, He was still there, speaking through the beauty of the world. If you’re interested in the life of Paul, I would highly recommend his biography by N.T. Wright, which I read a few years ago. I was thinking of it as I read Acts; it really brings Paul and his travels to life.

Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie

“Why on earth do you wear shoes like that in this sort of country?” Poirot put his head a little on one side. “I like to have the appearance soigné,” he said.

How can you not admire a man who spares a thought for the shine on his shoes even while traveling to exotic locales and solving impossible murder cases? Poirot’s sangfroid is always a delight, although I’ll admit I was disappointed he did not indulge in any chocolat in this book. I suppose that’s not surprising given that this Agatha Christie novel takes place in the heat of Jerusalem and Jordan. The dramatic cliffs of Petra are a vivd backdrop for the story, and I really enjoyed this one.

Heretics of Dune by Frank Herbert

“Understanding requires words. Some things cannot be reduced to words. There are things that can only be experienced wordlessly.”

The original Dune by Frank Herbert is excellent, and I would highly recommend it. While there are still elements in the Dune sequels that I enjoy, unfortunately I feel like the plots go more and more off the wall with each book I get through. 😆 Heretics of Dune has been my least favorite so far, and I have very low expectations for Chapterhouse: Dune which is the last unread Dune book on my shelf. I bought the Penguin Random House editions in mass market paperback because the covers were so dramatic and cool, but now I’m not sure I really needed to own them, lol.

Unearthing the Secret Garden: The Plants and Places That Inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett by Marta McDowell

“As long as one has a garden one has a future; and as long as one has a future one is alive. It is remaining alive which makes life worth living - not merely remaining on the surface of the earth. And it is looking forward to the future which makes the difference between the two state of being. There are a number of things and conditions which will provide futures if time and interest are given to them, but no one of them seems so natural, so simple and so alluring as making a garden.”

I can already tell you that Unearthing the Secret Garden will certainly make it onto my “top reads of 2022” list - it was utterly charming! This was one of the recommendations from subscribers that I got a few months ago, so thank you so much to Teresa for the tip!

I’ve enjoyed Frances Hodgson Burnett’s children and adult books (just thinking of The Making of a Marchioness makes me want to read it again - or at least the first half of it), but I didn’t know much about her life. I loved hearing about her work ethic and her beautiful homes and gardens all over the world. The last third or so of the book was a collection of short, lesser known works written by Frances herself about gardening, her friend the robin and more. I especially related to this sentiment…

I really try to keep my rule that I will not allow myself to hate anything on earth, but I am afraid that I absolutely know what hate is when I come upon a dozen flaunting ragweed which while my back was turned have sprung up in a bed of lovely, tender colored snapdragons, trying to pretend that they are only part of their foliage.

Lately I have been waging war against dandelions, and I am sure there are many more battles with weeds to come, but it’s good to know every gardener goes through the same struggles! I also feel inspired by Frances’ garden writing routine - she had a little table in her favorite rose garden, the one that inspired The Secret Garden, where she would work every morning. I just bought a new table and chairs for my garden, so I’ll be making use of them to make some progress on The Book of Cymbeline. 😊

Hope it’s been a wonderful reading month, friends!