I am continuing my literary trip around the world with finishing 3 books this week.

The first one is my first nonfiction book on this trip, Seamless Embroidery by Japanese artist Yumiko Higuchi. She has beautiful designs for practical projects, with full size patterns included in a pocket in the back. Definitely a useful book if you are like needle point.

The 2nd book I finished is Phantastes: A Faerie Romance for Men and Women by Scottish writer George MacDonald, published in 1858. According to Google, it is:

“widely recognized as the first modern fantasy novel written in English for adults.

Protagonist: Anodos (whose name comes from Greek meaning “pathless” or “ascent”)
Plot: The story follows 21-year-old Anodos as he enters a dreamlike, episodic Fairyland following his father’s death. He navigates various temptations, encounters tree spirits and his own mocking shadow, and searches for an ideal of female beauty embodied by the “Marble Lady” until he learns to surrender his ego and personal desires.
Literary Significance: The book deeply influenced later fantasy legends, most famously serving as a profound spiritual awakening for C.S. Lewis, who stated that reading it “baptized” his imagination, as well as inspiring J.R.R. Tolkien.”

It will not be one of my favorite books, but it was interesting.

The third book I finished, which I listened to as an audio book, was The Summer Book, a 1972 episodic novel by Finnish author Tove Jansson, translated into English by Thomas Teal. Here is what Google says about it:

“Overview and Plot

• Setting: A tiny, unspoiled island in the Gulf of Finland.
• Characters: Six-year-old Sophia, her grieving father, and her wise, cranky grandmother.
• Premise: The family spends the summer on the island while quietly mourning the recent death of Sophia’s mother.
• Structure: Composed of twenty-two crystalline vignettes that capture daily life, exploration, and quiet companionship.

Key Themes

• Nature and Mortality: Explores life, death, and the natural world through the shared perspective of a child beginning her life and an elder nearing its end.
• Grief and Resilience: Touches on loss indirectly, grounded in the unpretentious rhythm of island living and outdoor adventures.
• Community Consensus: Readers on Reddit generally agree that the book excels through its restrained, tender writing style and vivid slice-of-life vignettes.”

I really enjoyed listening to this book, set in a very simple island setting. I loved Sophia’s child questions, and her grandmother’s honest and slightly snarky answers and reasoning. I would read this book again.

What are you reading? Where should I travel next on my literary journey?