Il Primo Caffé della Giornata Scegli la Tua Sedia Preferita by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

 Il Primo Caffé della Giornata Scegli la Tua Sedia Preferita by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

is the sequel of "Finché Il Caffè è Caldo" published by Garzanti.

Interesting, magical book, I found it enchanting. It is moving, I cried, I participated to these stories told with simplicity and at the same time tenderness.  There is not the same poetry that maybe this book would have with less dialogues and more descriptions, but it enters in the heart.

There is in the city of Tokyo a discreet, little cafè where people love to spend some time enjoying a good cup of green or black tea chatting, socializing or simply meeting some friends during the day. A special corner of the cafè is dedicated to temporal trips made by the most diversified people and for the most diversified reasons: they return in the past thanks to a magical coffeepot: drinking a cup of coffee (the trip starts when the person serves the coffee to the time-traveler) from that coffeepot people return in the past. They must know that they can't change their destiny or the one of the person that they want to re-meet in that café in a precise instant of the past: simply, they can still enjoy their presence, clarifying, trying to understand why their path has been a path of sufferance, for living a best present and a peaceful future; living with resignation and courage what it is lost, and much much more.

The guidelines of these special meetings with the past are simple: the person must drink the coffee still warm for return home safely; in opposite case he/she would become a ghost; people must remember that they can't change the past: they must remain sat, and they can only meet only people who had been in the café because these meetings have, de fact, the café as location. Nagare became with the time the owner of the café helped by other relatives when her mother left the activity for going in America. Everyone in the café know this particularity and magical time-experience and no one is surprised by it.

In general people must wait some time before to start these trips in the past, because there is a gentleman, a phantom, constantly sat in that special chair, and the chair becomes free only when he must go to the bathroom. No one knows why there is this ritual, being a phantom, but every place has its particularities, stories, special people...Or phantoms! 

Beautiful!

Original reading!

Highly recommended.

I thank Garzanti for the copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

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The Wuhan Lockdown by Guobin Yang

The Wuhan Lockdown

by Guobin Yang is a new book published by Columbia University Press, where it is chronicled also thanks to a lot of diaries entries, the so-called "Lockdown Diaries" of common citizens, what happened that first weeks of COVID-19 contagion in Wuhan. Wuhan is a city pretty populated, with circa 11 million of people and the city where, technically, people experienced the first, massive problems with  SARS-COV-2,  firstly classified as a sorta of unknown, but similar SARS-pneumonia. And the first case, let's remark it, unrelated to the famous fish market cases discovered later. 

The beginning of this epidemic in Wuhan, unfortunately, in the worsest period of the year: the end of the year in China is marked by beautiful and felt feasts, with familiar reunions, the case of the Lunar New Year: there were also two important congresses in the city, and other celebrations as well. People started to circulate a lot. The first case intercepted at Wuhan of Covid-19 has been reported in january first; but as you will read authorities tried all their best to keep this news secret. 

In particular when infected people became many more. It was embarassing, and the news that a new illness, potentially dangerous could kill wagons of people hadn't to be revealed. But...Pretty soon appeared clear that this one was an illness containing a temible human-to-human transmission, and some doctors reported it on WeChat. It was a disaster. Communicating via WeChat, in fact, a lady was discovered by other doctors, and was called by them: they asked her of speaking, personally speaking let me underline it!!! with all the people she had sent that message, explaining that the informations passed were strongly untrue. Another doctor, confirms that she hadn't told to her husband that there was a new serious illness spreading in her hospital, beause the news had to be kept secret.

Only January 23 Wuhan entered in the most severe lockdown seen in the world: WHO, on January 30 classified COVID a public health emergency of international concern, declaring that we were in a pandemic emergency on March 11. 

But...What happened to the doctors, nurses that at first interacted with this new, unknown illness, similar under many ways to the SARS that China had met along its way years before?

Well, there is to say that it was impossible to speak openly: who did it became an hero, like mr Li Wenliang became: largely treated in the book, this young doctor of just 37 years, died because of Covid-19: he was one of the few courageous doctors who denounced the arrival of a novel dangerous coronavirus with and an aggressive human-to-human transmission. At the same time, authorities, when understood that they had committed a horrible error treating bad Li Wenliang, dead at the beginning of February 2020 (also the precise moment of the departure of this poor doctor is still unknown) declared him a national hero. People haven't forgotten what this doctor did for them. Li was a spectacular, simple man, a bit over-weight, he wrote that his dad was more slim than him, once: passionate of food, he was a genuine person and that's why people loved him and love him for what he denounced. 

The entries of the diaries will give you an idea of how people lived the days of lockdown. These diaries are still existent and maybe they will remain online forever. 

The numerous entries of these online journalis were a cathartic way for expressing feelings, ideas, escapism in a moment of great emotive stress and big fear. 

Absolutely fabulous! The book can be read by everyone and I highly recommend it.

I thank Columbia University Press for the physical copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

The Mindset of Home Activities Stay at Home Boredom Busters for Kids of All Ages By Jane Holder

 The Mindset of Home Activities Stay at Home Boredom Busters for Kids of All Ages

By Jane Holder is a newest work born because of the COVID-19 pandemic, proposing an answer for that parents in search of some inspiration for activities that can be done at home. Toddlers, elementary age, children, and pre-teens/teens, these groups are taken all in consideration by the author. Jane adds that "activities contained in this book are meant to keep its participants engaged, either by

moving their bodies or by exercising their minds."

You will notice that the next  chapters will be of great inspiration for you, and for having a lot of fun with your children!

Highly recommended!

I thank the publishing house https://imris-kdp-publishing.com/ for the copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Crochet Yarn for Crocheting Easy Crochet by Magnus D'Jango

Crochet Yarn

for Crocheting Easy Crochet by Magnus D'Jango wants to be a guide mostly for beginners, so that you can start to crochet successfully till now. In the past, crochet was a pretty appreciated  hobby that it is returning thanks also to the fact that we stay closed at home more often.  There is also to remark that this hobby is appreciated by a lot of women of the most diversified ages.

In the book you will also find, as writes the author  " The various yarn types best for crochet, as well as different methods to carry your yarn around comfortably so you can crochet wherever you go; we will even give you a couple of new ideas for projects to crochet for gifts."

You can crochet wherever you are. At home, while waiting in a studio a visit, in the bus, if you live in a countryside, wouldn't be wonderful to crocheting outside, sat on a bench, under a tree, or simply as a form or relaxation?

Enjoy! Life will be more warm and colored, because you will donate something made by yourself to your family members or your friends!

Highly recommended.

I thank the publishing house for the copy of this book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

Dans ma rue, y’avait trois boutiques…by Anthony Palou

 Dans ma rue, y’avait trois boutiques…

by Anthony Palou is a book that you must read! Written with love, tenderness and attention, this french book will involve all your senses: smells and tastes, flavours and perfumes of old and recent food; it's a multiform and colored universe in an original trip at the discovery of our past and our present; it's a work of memories rediscovering the past that has been with melancholic touch: it's the story of french people, their unicity and strong connection with food, smells, flavours, and.... old customs and old little shops, dead because of the advent of new ways of selling products: supermarkets have killed many singulars, delicate and strong realities, characteristics of little towns and big cities.

There is Moroccon's blood in the veins of Anthony, and his grand-parents and parents have been merchants of fruits and veggies. Born delicate, without a strong body, little Anthony helps his parents and relatives starting to read avidly every sorta of book and later, becoming an important signature and editor of Le Figaro one of the oldest French newspapers.

Written during the lockdown, in 2020, this book wants to be the most important witness of the state of things regarding little commerce also thanks to interviews with merchants. 

Born in Quimper, Paolou at the age of 6-7 years with her sister loved to spend some time in a little store where there was a little guy: Ce Petit Vélo was the name of the local. This man, called Poulidor smelled of rubber, writes Anthony. 

As editor and journalist of Le Figaro, Anthony travelled all along France, but also in Switzerland and Italia, falling sick in Ireland. 

Interviewing the old artisans appear clear something: newest generations are less interested in that kind of jobs. 

Pharmacists  are the most original ones in terms of anecdots: it's a weird world the one of this category during their nights populated by toxics, and prostitues: there are exilarent episodes involving their days with patients!

Quimper in the past had a little boutique, pretty claustrophobic where it was possible to  buy everything. These emporiums are disappearing. 

Cafés in little towns are centrals: you can eat a soup, buying cigarettes, chocolate. 

An important question asked to himself and the readers: "… et nous, que sommes- nous devenus ? Des pousseurs de caddies, des arpenteurs de rayons Leclerc, Intermarché, Auchan, Carrefour, Lidl, Leader Price, Netto…" 

Anthony doesn't forget bookstores. The President of France considered books at a certain point of the lockdown as an essential item.

Angélique, Léa and Erwan are owners of a french bookstore: Angélique spent time in Italy, Bologna. They agree: being owners of a bookstore is a passion: "Being a bookseller is a dream." The smell of paper is their tobacco, writes.

But...Which are the little merchants and artisans disappeared or not in great state? "Marchandes de soupes qui réchauffaient les passants, chapeliers, couteliers, horlogers, marchands d’instruments de musique, apothicaires, herboristes, barbiers,rempailleurs, rémouleurs, ramasseurs de crottes, marchandes

des quatre saisons, matelassières."

Historical theathers, papeteries, kiosks are in peril or they have closed as well.

During the lockdown Palou has thought that life was becoming something else.

He writes: "Notre vie n’a plus grand sens, il paraît qu’un virus nous a réduit à l’état de rats, nous a enfermés dans les égouts, nous qui aimions tant la lumière." Our life doesn't have anymore great sense. It seems that this virus is reducing us like rats: we, so in love for light!"

Saint- Germain- des-Prés  doesn't have anything anymore of intellectual: forget it. Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir became with the time Emporio Armani and Louis Vuitton. Considered by Palou a thermic choc.

Bernard Frank once said that Restaurants and cafés remain centrals and crucials in a city and in a town: why? Because there, people are more relaxed, tensions are over:  at the same time people meet  friends, colleagues. It's a way for socializing.

Bernard Frank is also sure that : "Une ville sans bistrots, c’est une ville sans rencontres". A city without bistrots is a city without encounters. 

Then moving in Bretagne, Palou introduces us the land of feasts, elves, cider and beautiful women. 

There are towns in France celebrating with big feasts peaches, and in the entire territory of France people are in love for the sardine with olive oil. 

Great sense of humor, Anthony reports the situation of the first lockdown when supermarkets were assaulted by people. That's why most of them ate lentils, potatoes, topinambours, cereals with immense flatulations, lol, added. 

He doesn't forget books, Anthony returning to the topic for seeing the differences between France and USA. While the USA have largely adopted the use of ebooks, french people remains affectionated to the physical books. Anyway, no one should panic because nothing will replace reading. In a traditional or more modern way. 

Highly recommended.

I thank Emmanuelle de Boysson for the copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori 

The Strawberry Thief, La Ladra di Fragole by Joanne Harris

The Strawberry Thief,

La Ladra di Fragole by Joanne Harris is her latest book sets in Lansquenet. We meet again the several, beloved protagonists of the sfirst chapter, Chocolat, Monsieur Le Cure, Vianne Rocher, Anoux, the new daughter Rosette, and then Narcisse, Roux, Josephine. Another complicated story filtered with the sensibility typical of Joanne Harris.

The real protagonist of this book is the wind: impetuous, real, wild, calm, soft...The wind in grade of giving back peace: the wind that brings bad novelties: the wind as signal of important changes in the existence of the several characteristics, the wind and the Incidents, the wind as the signal that it is arrived the moment of leaving a place.

The death of Narcisse and a testament, with a confession written for Monsieur Curé will be the heart of the story.

Rosette is the special kid of Joanne: she is her Winter-Daughter, the one who, being special, will always have special exigencies and won't never leave her. 

Anouk is in Paris, differently, and lives with her boyfriend. 

Vianne, sad, would have preferred to see Anoux close to her, understanding at the same time the exigencies of the daughter: after all, her same exigencies, and the same one of her mother. 

Sometimes Vianne is still called by the wind who brought her once at Lansquenet: a wind whispering of moving on: but Vianne understands that roots are important and in Lansquenet she has found the best existence: plus, Rosette was born from her union with Roux, a gypsy, someone who doesn't want chains, constrictions: without a real name or last name, an identity. 

Fresh and wild like only the wind can be.

When the children of Narcisse discover that the old man has left to Rosette one of his most beloved fields where the girl enjoyed to go often for eating strawberries, they are furious. They would want to read the confession of Narcisse, thinking that maybe that words will bring them to a mysterious treasure that the man wants to donate to Rosette.

The story is more complicated. I can't tell you anything else.

At the same time, the little community of Lansquenet, in pain for the departure of Narcisse discovers that the store of flowers owned by Narcisse has been rent: but this time the owner is  an ageless lady, a tattoist called Morgane. A normal activity but weird in a town like Lansquenet: Vianne understands that that woman for several reasons is not "normal" but too similar to her for not being diffident. Morgane anyway is not a bad character at all: she will be much more helpful than Vianne with Rosette and Anoux, as you'll see, healing the first one and letting her discover her work, being optimistic and helpful for the future of the second one...

In the story there are inserted also the demons and secrets of Monsieur the Cure, Francis Reynaud.

Less intransigent than the past version we knew from Chocolat, he is capable now of eating also some trasgressive food and beverages during the period of Lent. In his heart there is a terrible secret, and the written pages by Narcisse reassures the poor priest that maybe Narcisse knew what he had done in the past. 

What to add? Superlative. I really enjoyed reading this new chapter of the stories and adventures of Vianne&Co. Waiting for a new one I hope, and another full-immersion in Lansquenet.

Anna Maria Polidori 

The Happy Challenge: Thriving During Social Distancing Don’t Just Survive – Thrive! By Brooke Bradley

 The Happy

Challenge: Thriving During Social Distancing Don’t Just Survive – Thrive! By Brooke Bradley wants to help people to see the positive sides in a pandemic and in particular during a lockdown or the so-called forced social-distancing. We don't know if this pandemic is at the end or not: measures are relaxed somewhere; other countries are still in bad waters: so during moments so difficult like these ones, what should we do? 

The book was written for this reason. 

Of course this one is not a medicine, so if you, after having read it won't feel a best vision of your existence and you will continue to express negative thoughts, please search for help, underlines the author.

This book covers several ideas about how to make the most of the time you have to spend, forcely, at home. A first and wise advice is to detox the soul from all the news on Covid-Omicron, and not just that, on TV: better, after your daily work, a session of yoga, a tea, a conversation with a friend or a walk for keeping light your mind and brain and seeing things from the right distance. 

An important activity that you can develop is writing. Writing on creativity, recognizing the help of other people in your existence, but also what you accomplished during the day.

Do not neglect of taking great care of yourself at home: add make-up, a lipstick, your favorite perfume; just for you. 

Drink a lot of water, organize a gym session in a daily base; re-put things in order, considering the extra-time; read books and learn new languages. Take good care of your car, write more letters and postcards. 

Delete unnecessary pictures and files from your technological devices; clean your home, listen to some good music.

First of all, be happy! Everything will be over, soon or late.

Interesting self-help book on lockdown and Omicron times.

Recommended for sure!

I thank the author for the copy of the book-

Anna Maria Polidori