Ohh two months in row, look at me! As I explained in my last post, January was a bit of a fluke on how many books I read because of Christmas break and having COVID (again) and being stuck in bed for a couple days.
This month wasn’t as prolific on the reading log, but it’s quality, not quantity, right? And I’m pretty happy with (most) of the books I read this month. So here we go.
Winter Garden, by Kristin Hannah. I really enjoyed this book from the historical fiction perspective. The setting of the book is divided between present day, and the siege of Leningrad in the 1940s. I found the beginning a bit slow, but I was hooked once it started flashing back to Leningrad. I think I’ve mentioned this before, but I really dislike when a character is self-sabotaging to an obvious degree that you just want to yell “JUST TALK TO YOUR HUSBAND.” This book has one of those characters that was difficult for me to get past, but like I said, I really enjoyed the historical fiction part. I love learning about history through “fictional” stories. A dear friend told me that The Nightingale is their favorite book by Kristin Hannah, so I’ve definitely added that to my reading list. I’ve also read The Four Winds by this author, and again loved the historical perspective it gave into the Dustbowl era.
The Making of Her, by Bernadette Jiwa. This book also spans two different time periods, but I’m not sure I’d call it historical fiction. It does give great insight into a time when women getting pregnant before marriage meant personal ruin, which makes me so thankful for the strides we’ve made. I really enjoyed this book, and it was interesting that this and Winter Garden both have mothers that lived with extreme guilt, to the point of ruining their relationships with their children.
Season of the Spirit, by Fern Michaels. This was one of those books that I finished but I was kicking and screaming while I did. I mentioned in my January reading log that I grabbed this book at the library because I wasn’t ready to let go of the Hallmark books. But I really should have been. I felt like this book was terribly written and super cheesy. Which, I know…holiday romance novels are supposed to be, buuuuuuuut this took it to a whole new level. I think this author has somehow managed to just churn out hundreds of books that somehow sell, so maybe this author is more quantity over quality.
Love & Other Words, by Christina Lauren. I’ve read two books already by this author (In a Holidaze and The Unhoneymooners) and unlike Season of the Spirit, they’re the right amount of romance and rom com. This book was another great, light, sometimes steamy read. I also really enjoyed that the two main characters were avid readers, and that many of their interactions as children/teenagers involved a library and reading. Not to mention, a vacation cabin house, which is a real-life dream of mine. Yep, right up my alley!
The Lost Ticket, by Freya Sampson. Another sweet and easy read. I loved following along with this unlikely trio of characters as they try to find one man’s long lost love. Also, I’m really starting to enjoy books set in England – I really want to find a little romance book that takes place in England and involves castles, ha! Any recommendations?!
Currently reading:
Spare, by Prince Harry. I’m listening to this on Audible and it’s narrated by Prince Harry. I think Audible is the way to go for memoirs that are narrated by the author. They provide nuances in how they read the text that I think would be missed otherwise. I can’t say I’ve followed the royal drama too much aside for general strokes, but listening to this is mostly sad. I think as sad as watching The Crown and seeing how isolating their lives are. It’s an interesting listen and if I had to pick a side, I’m on Harry’s side.
The Guncle, by Steven Rowley. I was on the waiting list for a while on Libby for this one, and so far I’m really enjoying it!
Next up:
The Reading List, by Sara Nisha Adams. I started this a while back, but it’s a book I own so it’s on hold while I get through some library rentals that have a time limit.
The Lost Apothecary, by Sarah Penner. I joined a new book swap group on Facebook recently and picked this one up from that group. Looks interesting!
Also: I’m doing my first book giveaway on Instagram if you’d like to throw your name in!
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Well folks, looks like I’ve turned a new leaf (pun 1,000% intended), and I’ve gone from one book post a year to a goal of sharing a monthly round up of what I’ve been reading. I make no promises. This might be the only monthly post I do, but it’s good to have goals, right?!
I think this was my first official read of 2023 and it DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT! I was on the wait list forever and I devoured this book in just a couple days. The story was beautiful and the points of view were so great.
Another great little Hallmark-ish romance read. As someone who has a weird obsession about creating family traditions with my little family, I loved reading about all the holiday traditions in this book and how important they were to the characters. I have some new holiday goals for next year, ha!
Eh. That’s the best I got on this one. Which I think comes back to me not being big on mysteries or thrillers, because this book is insanely popular and will soon be a movie starring Jennifer Garner, so what do I know…I guess I just know it wasn’t for me.
This was another big miss for me. I did like the “post-pan” relatability of what we all went through during the heights of COVID, but it just wasn’t an exciting book for me. I also didn’t enjoy the style of the first person writing (she would repeat things like “which I understood” over and over again). But again, 4.5 stars with 10,000 reviews on Amazon, ha!!
This is about when I realized I think I’m really into romantic comedies, and…I think I’m OK with it. I think these books are the perfect recovery from some heavier reads. I really enjoyed this one – it had a unique small town charm and I really enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters. Definitely some steamy scenes!
This was another book with a really long wait time on Libby, but another one I thought was worth the hype and the wait. This was the 2022 Barnes and Noble Book of the Year, and I can see/read why. As a woman, I can’t imagine putting up with or going through the shit women had to go through in a not-so-long-ago past. I enjoyed the time-period-ness of this book, and the insight into the struggles of professional women in the 1960s. The main character kicked ass and took names. I also just realized this one also had a unique point of view from an animal, like Remarkably Bright Creatures.
Oh man, this might be where I lose all credibility, because this was apparently one of Obama’s Best Books of 2022 and…I was not a fan, ha! I think it was an interesting exploration of social media and technology, but there were so many characters and so many story and time lines to follow that it was confusing. Of all the characters, there wasn’t any one that I became vested in. I really just kept reading because I wanted to see if and how the story lines intersected.
I’ve read several books by Jodi Picoult, but this was not one of my favorites. I LOVED Small Great Things and thought it did a great job of addressing some really difficult topics. I think Mad Honey tried to do the same thing, but the legal drama in this book was too much for this short-lived lawyer. I’m realizing now that Small Great Things also had some legal drama, but I don’t remember the legal proceedings being a focal point of the story (but it’s been a while since I read it). I had to turn this one in to the library before I finished it, and I wasn’t upset like I thought I would be once I started it.
See? Are you sensing a pattern, a-la-Criminal-Minds? Another romantic comedy and I was fully there for it. This one had some laugh out loud moments for me, and again some very steamy ones (which I’m not complaining about). I actually liked this one so much that I used my Kindle gift card to buy another book by Christina Lauren, so Love and Other Words is in my TBR short list.
Currently reading:
The Winter Garden, by Kristin Hannah. I really enjoyed The Four Winds by this author, and although I’m only a few pages in, I think it’s the kind of story I’m going to like. Aside from romantic comedies which we now know I like, I really enjoy reading books that revolve around family history. This book already has me pretty invested in the characters.
Spirit of the Season, by Fern Michaels (what can I say…it’s hard to let the Hallmark Christmas specials go…hoping I can read this one before it’s due back at the library and it gets REALLY weird to be reading Christmas stories in July…)
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Ohhhh look at me! Two book recap posts in one year!!
I’ve actually been reading quite a bit lately, so let’s start with our Literate Lushes picks.
Literate Lushes
May 2022: Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr. This month was my pick and I picked a book I’d read and posted about before. It was a big hit, and there were some great discussions around the book and the ending.
June 2022: The Girl with the Louding Voice, by Abi Dare. I had a little trouble getting past the grammar at first, but then you get used to it and can hear the protagonist’s voice speaking that way, and it works. It’s heartbreaking, and heartwarming, and insightful. I truly appreciate books like this one that give me insight into something that is completely foreign to me, but I SHOULD be aware of. Human trafficking is beyond comprehension.
July 2022: The Housekeeper, by Natalie Barelli. Like I’ve mentioned before, mystery/thriller is not my favorite genre, but I told myself I’d stop skipping these picks, so I read it, ha! It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t my favorite. I will say that the ending had a pretty good twist at the end that I didn’t expect.
August/September 2022: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton. I did skip this one though, haha. I was pretty in to some other books on Kindle or from the library that were on a time crunch, and I had to pick which ones to finish. This one didn’t grab my attention right away so I didn’t get too far in to it. Other Lushes seemed to like it, so maybe I just didn’t give it enough time. I also was listening to it on Audible, and I think the voice was a little boring.
October 2022: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I’m actually quite surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I think I liked the honesty of Evelyn’s character, even if some of her behaviors are not ones I would approve of – she was never ashamed of them. I’m not sure it lives up to the hype, but it was a good read. And most of us wore green to our book discussion for this group, which was fun!
November 2022: The Witches of Moonshyne Manor, by Bianca Marais. I forgot to read this one! I’ll have to go back and read it.
Extra Kindle reads:
The Girl in his Shadow, by Audrey Blake. I love historical fiction like this one. This one takes place in London in 1845, and tells of a young woman that’s a gifted surgeon in training, but you know…she’s a woman…so she can’t be one. I really enjoyed this book.
The Surgeon’s Daughter, by Audrey Blake. I enjoyed The Girl in his Shadow so much that I read the sequel. Bit of a spoiler alert for the first book, but this one follows the main character’s journey through medical school at a time when women weren’t allowed to go to medical school. So interesting to read about that time and so thankful we’ve made a lot of progress (although obviously still not perfect).
The Good Left Undone, by Adriana Trigiani. I love me a good family story telling. And this one did not disappoint. It takes place in Italy and Scotland, and I just love exploring foreign countries through books. I think the stories of past and present were woven together really nicely, and one of the final scenes had me crying sad tears, in such a good way.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, by Lori Gottlieb. I borrowed this one through Libby, and it didn’t grab me enough for me to finish it before it was due. I may give it another chance later.
Me Before You, by JoJo Moyes. Books like these feel like guilty pleasures to me, like trash TV, ha! So if I’m being honest, as much as a part of me wants to be hyper critical so that I can look sophisticated in my reading preferences, I did enjoy this book! But, I also can’t bring myself to read the two sequels. I don’t really know why…maybe I should talk to someone about it…(see what I did there?)
The Last Letter from Your Lover, by JoJo Moyes. See above paragraph for my disclaimer, but I also enjoyed this book. It was a little disturbing at times, but I liked the love story woven throughout.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson. Back to historical fiction. Loved it! It’s very similar to A Giver of Stars – they’re both about the packhorse librarians in Kentucky around the 1930s, but this one has a totally separate plot line about the blue-skinned people of Kentucky. At first I thought it was a made up part of the book, then realized it was WAY too crazy to throw in randomly (it’s a historical fiction book, not sci-fi or fantasy..) so I googled it and lo and behold, it was a real thing! Bananas.
We Are Not Like Them, by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza. There’s a new local Facebook bookclub that I joined, and although I have yet to attend a gathering in person, I’m enjoying the book selections so far. I think this book would have been really good for discussion topics. It was great to get perspectives from both sides of the story regarding a police officer killing an unarmed black young man. So much work to be done in this area of social justice.
The Paris Library, by Janet Skeslien Charles. You guessed it: historical fiction. This one bounces between Montana in 1983 and Paris in 1939. I think what impacted me the most is the regret one can live with because of a bad decision, and how that can impact the trajectory of your life. Woof. Similarly: the positive impact one person can have, and totally change the trajectory of someone else’s life, without even knowing it.
Salt to the Sea, by Ruta Sepetys. Oh geez, I’m sensing a pattern and I’m not sure if I should apologize, embrace it, or try to expand my reading horizons. Historical fiction, present, again. I love/hate books like this: fictional, but based on an even that really happened, so you know the stories are true enough for many people that lived through that event. And that’s just devastating. This book follows a group of Prussian refugees as they try to escape the Russian army towards the end of WW2, and is based on the real story of the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, which had a much higher death toll than the Titanic. This was a book that I had to skip to the last pages to see how it ended just so I could cope with reading through it.
The Cartographers, by Peng Shepherd. Hey, NOT historical fiction! I really liked the fantasy/magic of this book, and the slow unraveling of all of the characters and how they relate to each other. I did thing that the flashbacks were oddly placed sometimes, or cut off for the sake of the story development rather than the flow of the story. But overall I really enjoyed this one.
That Summer, by Jennifer Weiner. Mmmmm, I’m not sure exactly how I feel about this one. Definite trigger warning for sexual assault. I enjoyed reading the story line and seeing how it developed, following the threads, but I didn’t like how the ending was a slap on the wrist (spoiler? Sorry…).
The House of Broken Angels, by Luis Alberto Urrea. I really enjoyed this book, especially coming from a Hispanic culture. There were cultural and language aspects I enjoyed relating to, and also many that I was thankful I couldn’t relate to. My grandmother went to great lengths to raise my aunts and uncles away from gangs and drugs, and I’m so thankful she had the grit and conviction to do that. I quite literally would not be around if she hadn’t: she packed up her children and moved to Arizona, which is where my mom met my dad. But back to the book: it was a great reflection on life and death, and the impacts we make when all is said and done.
In a Holidaze, by Christina Lauren. Another pick from my Facebook book club that I probably wouldn’t have picked on my own. This one leaned a little heavier on the romance, and you know what? I’m here for it! I even got the butterflies on some of the passages! I love my husband tremendously, but there’s nothing quite like those butterflies when you’re first getting to know someone. It was nice to relive that without cheating on Jeff!
Extra book buys
The Winners, by Fredrik Bachman. Oh man, all the feels. For those that know or have read prior book posts, Fredrik Backman is my man. My literary man. I love ALL of his books (literally and seriously, they’re all amazing to me). This is the third (and fiiiiinaaaaal?) installment of the Beartown series, and man, it did not disappoint. I bought a presale book from Barnes and Noble and…IT. WAS. SIGNED. I’m not kidding when I say I got a little teary eyed when I opened it – Jeff is my witness. So, yes, I liked this book. His writing is just so beautiful, about life, and loss, and love. And it’s heartbreaking – I stayed up until 1am one night to finish it, and had to change my shirt because I was crying and wiping the snot off my nose with my pajama shirt. Also, I MIGHT have started a very rough Etsy shop with Beartown items because I couldn’t find any already made (and the author posted on his IG that he has no desire to make any and people can sell stuff…so that made me feel better).
Extra library reads:
The Island of Missing Trees, by Elif Shafak. I loved the premise of this book: parts are told from the perspective of a tree, which seemed pretty weird at first. I think this might be considered historical fiction? I definitely learned about Cypriot and the Greek and Turkish divides within it. This was a beautifully written story.
The Ten Thousand Doors of January, by Alix Harrow. No historical fiction here! And I loved it. This book was so unique and such a great story, I couldn’t put it down.
(I think I’m missing one or two here…I’ll have to keep better track of library books…)
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Well this has become an annual literary post, so here we go. (If you decide to purchase any of these books, in any format, through Amazon, please consider purchasing through Amazon Smile and selecting Haiti Scholarships as your nonprofit.)
June 2021: The Vanishing Half, by Britt Bennett. I remember enjoying this book (it’s been a long time!), but in reading the reviews on Amazon I can understand some of the low ratings: there was A LOT going on in this book. But I appreciated the insight it gave and it provided great topics for discussion on race and society.
July 2021: Miracle Workers, by Simon Rich. I REALLY enjoyed this book. It was light hearted and funny, and I enjoyed the small innuendos and hidden stabs at religion. This book is about angels saving the world, but really turns our idea of heaven a little sideways.
August 2021: Anxious People, by Fredrik Bachman. It is well known that I love Fredrik Bachman. I was so excited when someone else in our book club picked this book. I don’t think it was an unanimous hit with our Literate Lushes, but I, of course, loved it. It revolves around a group of strangers that are held hostage in an apartment. Random side note: I decided to make my own calendar for 2022 with book quotes that I love, and many of them are from this book (or other Fredrik Bachman books). So many lines that just hit all the feels.
October 2021: The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig. Another book I really, really enjoyed. It goes through many of the different outcomes in life that one person can have (make one choice and become a rockstar, make a different choice and become a bar owner). I have thought of this book often since I read it, and tried to remind myself that this one life I have is pretty great and the choices are mine to make to decide where it goes (to some degrees, I will argue that to other degrees generational wealth, luck, determination and drive – that I lack – are just as crucial).
November 2021: This Must be the Place, by Maggie O’Farrell. This was my pick, after A LOT of internal debate. I usually pick something in the non-fiction realm that creates social awareness about important topics (gross, right?), but doubted myself and whether the Lushes were sick of my idealistic picks, so I went with a recommendation I saw on a book blog. It was okaaaaaay. It’s about a marriage with lots of complications. I enjoyed reading it, but like The Vanishing Half, there was a lot going on that made it feel a little over the top.
January 2022: The Upstairs House, by Julia Fine. I’m realizing now that I have a pattern of skipping over books that are in the murder/thriller arena. This book was not an exception. It was also technically a December pick, which is just a crazy month with holidays and kids, so it was easy for me to say “no thanks.” But I will make an effort to give the genre a try next time one gets picked ;)
February 2022: It’s Kind of a Funny Story, by Ned Vizzini. I tried to get into this book because I think it would be super insightful, but I just couldn’t. I was also reading a couple other books that I was enjoying more, and decided to let this one go unfinished *gasp* BUT, I think it was interesting to get a very personal perspective on what someone with suicidal tendencies is feeling and going through.
March 2022: The Giver of Stars, by JoJo Moyes. I loved this one and couldn’t put it down. Yes, it’s a bit of a romance novel, but I really love the historical portion of it too. It’s about a group of women that begin a mobile library, riding donkeys out into the mountains of Kentucky to deliver books to people that are initially not so keen on books (or you know, women working). Now I want to go to Kentucky!
Extra Audible listens
Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics, by Dolly Parton. This wasn’t a page turner, but it WAS interesting to learn the background to certain songs and follow along the rise of Dolly, and to learn more about who she is. She narrates the book, which is great!
Half Light, by Tayari Jones. This was an extended short story, which I don’t think I realized when I started reading it, so it seemed to go by a little too fast for me. It explored some interesting dynamics, but given the length of it, it was pretty superficial and didn’t cover much ground.
The Paper Palace, by Miranda Cowley Heller. I have such mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the storyline that dips between the past and present, but hate the choice the main character has to make between the man she’s made her life, and had her children with, and a man she’s obviously passionately in love with.
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, by Abbi Waxman. This was another easy, pleasant read. I’ll confess I have a soft spot for books about books or about people who love books.
The Lager Queen of Minnesota: A Novel, by J. Ryan Stradal. I really enjoyed this book, as unrealistic as some parts were. I loved the journey of the main character, and happy endings are always pretty great.
The Four Winds: A Novel, by Kristin Hannah. This was LONG but I really, really enjoyed it. I am a big fan of historical fiction and the insight it provides into a specific time-period. This book provided such a vivid picture of what the dust bowl was like: it was insightful and heartbreaking, and definitely made me super thankful I didn’t have to live through that. I also loved that the timeline was LINEAR! I feel like modern writing is all about flashbacks and storylines that constantly intertwine different characters and timelines. This one started at point A and finished at point B – it was honestly refreshing.
Fates and Furies: A Novel, by Lauren Groff. I don’t say this often since my book standards are pretty low, but I DID NOT LIKE THIS BOOK. But also: I couldn’t quit it. It went on and on and on, and I just couldn’t NOT finish reading it, just to find out HOW fucked up the characters were. The book is divided into two, and told from the perspectives of the two main characters. I didn’t like either of the characters. The first half I found so boring with all of the retelling of operas and plays, and the second half was just disturbing. But what do I know compared to 3500 Amazon reviews…
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music, by Dave Grohl. I LOVED this book, and definitely needs to be listened to since Dave Grohl is the narrator. My favorite is the passion he uses when ever he uses the f word, which is very, very often. I felt like it was a lesson in the music industry and culture, and entertaining insight into a pretty amazing person. I don’t think the passing of Taylor Hawkins would have affected me as much if I hadn’t read this book – you almost have to grieve with Dave Grohl after reading this book and learning of their relationship.
In progress:
Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The idealist in me really, REALLY wants to listen to this book, but I’ll confess it’s been difficult for me to get hooked. I’ll have to give it another go after my next round of podcasts…
Extra Kindle reads
A Bramble House Christmas, by CJ Marmichael. This was or will be a Hallmark movie, so take it for what it is! It was sweet and cute and romantic, and perfect to read around Christmas!
Dying to Read, by Lorena McCourtney. This was another “filler” book – it was cheap and an easy read. Not my favorite, but I didn’t hate it like others I’ve mentioned previously, and it was entertaining.
Cloud Cuckoo Land: A Novel, by Anthony Doerr. Another book that I LOVED. This book is set in three different time periods, but it really does it well! At first I was super confused because I couldn’t figure out the relation between the three different stories, but then once they connected, I couldn’t wait to see how each of the stories overlapped and fit together. It all surrounds one book: from its rescue during the fall of Constantinople, its translation in our modern day, and its resurrection in the long distant future. This is easily my next pick for Literate Lushes.
West with Giraffes: A Novel, a Novel, by Lynda Rutledge. I wasn’t sure there would be much to write about with a story surrounding two giraffes, but I quite enjoyed reading their journey from NYC to San Diego. This novel is based on a true story: the survival of two giraffes from a historic hurricane in NYC, to their cross country trip to the San Diego Zoo. This is another flashback style story, but I enjoyed reminiscing with the old man as he told the story of his journey as the driver of the two giraffes.
Extra book reads
The House in the Cerulean Sea, by TJ Klune. Yes, LOVED it. It’s magical and mystical and tears at the heart strings. And I love characters that do the right thing. Unlike Fates and Furies, I loved ALL of the characters in this book (except the ones you’re supposed to hate, obviously).
People We Meet on Vacation, by Emily Henry. Another little romance read, which I really enjoyed, but also found very frustrating. I hate when romance plots include tiny miscommunications that get blown way out of proportion.
In progress:
How To Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question, by Michael Schur. Another book I really want to fall in love with because I love so many things Michael Schur has created (The Good Place, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine Nine, etc.), and I also love the general gist of it (just be nice), but it is VERY philosophical. I’m not super far into it, so maybe it’s just laying the groundwork. I’m hopefully I’ll be able to get back into it and enjoy it.
What are you reading lately?
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It’s been a busy literary year! I was finally able to start reading more than just my selected monthly book club each month, so lots to share!
May 2020: The Witches Are Coming, by Lindy West. It’s been so long that I can’t remember exactly how I felt about this read. I think I enjoyed it for the most part, but it didn’t blow me away.
June 2020: The Winner, by David Baldachi. I’m not a fan of murder/mystery/thrillers, and to be honest, I think I was already in a fragile place mentally in June after being in quarantine with three kids for three months, so I chose to skip this one.
July 2020: Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng. This was a nice and easy read. I liked the intrigue in the story although I couldn’t quite figure out the motivations for some of the characters. I enjoyed the contrast of two very different households in totally opposite socioeconomic stratas.
August 2020: Where’d You Go, Bernadette, by Marcia Semple. It took me looking back at my reading list for this post to realize I purchased this book on Audible but never listened to it! Again, I blame COVID and quarantine and children…but now I’m excited to listen to it!
September 2020: Girl, Serpent, Thorn, by Melissa Bashardoust. I really liked that this book took place somewhere completely foreign to me. I enjoyed the exposure to a different culture and traditions that I’ve never learned about. The plot itself had some challenges, but generally an enjoyable read.
October 2020: Hocus Pocus: the All New Sequel, by A.W. Jantha. This was a nice seasonal read around Halloween, but the beginning was super frustrating to get through. It retells the entire original Hocus Pocus, which at that point my boys had been watching on repeat for a while. It didn’t seem necessary to retell the entire story just to get to the sequel. Once I got past that, it was a good enough YA book to enjoy during Halloween.
November 2020: Red at the Bone, by Jacqueline Woodson. I really liked this book. It was heartbreaking and beautiful. As a mother of three, I just can’t quite comprehend the decision’s that Melody’s mom made or how she acted towards Melody, but it is beautifully told.
January 2021: The Flight Attendant, by Chris Bohjalian. The Literate Lushes had fun poking through all the plot holes in this one, but I really enjoyed that it was such a light and easy read.
February 2021: Maid, by Stephanie Land. I love the awareness this book brings: it provided so many different topics to discuss during book club, mostly revolving around how a country like the United States can still be so behind on providing basic necessities to all of its inhabitants.
March 2021: Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family, by Robert Kolker. This book was impressive in its subject matter: following the lives of a family with twelve children, six of whom suffered from mental illness, and following the developments of how schizophrenia was diagnosed and treated. The story wasn’t exactly captivating to me, but I did enjoy learning about the scientific developments and how the family got a long. It’s another book that makes me want to tell my children: “You’re so lucky! You have great parents!” Jeff and I have our shortcomings, as we all do, but generally I think our children are safe and happy and know they’re loved. I thought the end of the book dragged on a little – I felt like every paragraph could have been the last, but it kept going!
April 2021: The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls. Although the Audible version was challenging for me at first, I was quickly swept away by this memoir. Holy shit, the things some people put their children through. I still find it hard to believe that Jeannette Walls’ parents were intelligent enough to raise incredibly smart children (outside of the traditional school system, for the most part), but lazy and maybe mentally disturbed enough to put them through such a difficult childhood. I also found it amazing that most of the children could have a relationship with their parents as adults. Kudos to you, Jeannette (and siblings)!
A quick note on my extra reads: I picked up my reading last year, but starting in January I decided to not check Facebook and Instagram as much, but realized I still gravitate to my phone. I’m trying to make it a point to open Kindle instead…or you know…put the phone down.
Extra “reads” on Audible
All Adults Here, by Emma Straub. I really enjoyed this book, although along with The Most Fun We Ever Had (below), it makes me think that no matter how we raise our children, we’ll still be able to fuck them up somehow. You love them too much, or not enough. You pay too much attention to them or not enough. Someone tell me where the balance is! Anyhow, great read…great read.
Green Lights, by Matthew McConaughey. I think this book HAS to be listened to on Audible – Matthew McConaughey (“MMC”) reads it himself, and it’s just hilarious. It’s filled with random, and sometimes unbelievable anecdotes of his life and childhood, but hearing them read them by MMC is pretty great. It’s also exactly what I expected from someone whom I think is a bit quirky and off the beaten path. Something that really struck me with this book (and many others, to be sure), is just how different all of our lives are. I know…duh. Just read me out. For one, I can’t relate to someone that is talking about lounging outside the cabana on his privately rented beach (I might be exaggerating a little) and taking leisurely walks with the woman he’s trying to woo. Someone that can wake up from a crazy dream and go to Brazil to figure out what it was all about. But also, there’s a scene where he talks about the first time he met his wife, and I can’t stop wondering what HER trajectory was to be in that place. This is obviously personal since she’s only a year older than me, and I just can’t imagine having her confidence at the age that she met MMC – I can see why he fell for her! I mean, I feel like I’d still be a fumbling idiot next to her even at 37. I’m sure part of it is jealousy: not that she snagged MMC (nothing personal MMC), but that they have such a rich and affluent lifestyle. But I also just find it amazing that all of our lives have such varied, yet “set”, trajectories, if that makes any sense? Meh, I’m rambling now – maybe this should be a flushed out, separate post…but I’ll leave as is for now…
I Miss You When I Blink, by Mary Laura Philpott. I really enjoyed this book. Quite the opposite of Green Lights, I found this book very relatable. It’s books like these that really make me want to write a book – about what and who would read it…who knows!
The Most Fun We Ever Had, by Claire Lombardo. This one was a long read, but a good read. As I mentioned above, it makes me think about whether I can raise my boys without saying or doing something that will have a long-term and negative impact on their lives; maybe it’s unavoidable to some extent? It’s also a good reminder that we’re not perfect, but we can still be good people.
The Education of an Idealist, by Samantha Power. This was my current read when I wrote my last Literate Lushes post. And I gotta say I was right: it was an intimidating read, but wow, what an amazing woman! It was great to get insight into how she got to be who she is, how she handled international situations, and some wonderful anecdotes about Barack Obama and her time in the White House.
Extra reads on Kindle
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer. This book was HIGHLY recommended on a book blog I follow, and I was not disappointed. I found it be surprisingly lighthearted given that it recounts events from WWII, although it also had it’s fair share of emotional moments. Funny side note on this one: I often talk to Jeff about what I’m reading, and often he’ll ask if I think he’ll enjoy it, to which I almost always say “no,” even if I’ve just declared the book is amazing and I couldn’t put it down. I just know we have very different taste in literature…but he pointed out before that he likes genres other than sci fi or…I don’t know…dark/heavy fiction? So when he asked me if I thought he’d like this book, I said “sure,” even though I really didn’t think he would. Given that he’s with the kids all day, Audible is an easier format for him, so even though I had already purchased this book on Kindle, I graciously gave up my Audible credit for him to listen to it on Audible (by gracious, it sounded something like “you better like this book…”). I don’t think he made it past the first ten pages….he wont’ stop making fun of the fact that it’s an epistolary novel (aka, all letters back and forth). MEN!
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab. Oh ma gawd. One of my new favorites. I LOVED this book (and I very clearly told Jeff he would NOT like it). I loved how Addie’s relation with the devil/demon shifted across the centuries, and of course the historical events that were referenced throughout.
Raising Good Humans, by Hunter Clarke-Fields. I never finished reading this book, but it really did help us through a particularly rough parenting patch we were having with Josh a few months ago. And yes, I made flashcards. And posted them on our fridge.
The Year of Living Danishly, by Helen Russell. It took me a while to finish this one – it was not necessarily a page turner for me, but I really, REALLY enjoyed reading it and learning about the differences in the United States and Denmark. Basically, I want to move to Denmark and be a happier person. I mean…I probably won’t move to Denmark….but I was constantly frustrated by how much better Denmark is at A LOT of stuff (which also coincides with some of the conversations the Literate Lushes had about Maid). But I know their population size and homogeneity are a big part of why they can do what they do…I just wish there was a way to make incremental improvements here.
Rosie’s Travelling Tea Shop, by Rebecca Raisin. This book is literally 99 cents…it was an impulse buy but a nice read if you’re looking for something light and semi-romantic.
Wow – if you’ve made it this far, you deserve a gold star! Do you have any recent favorite reads to share?
I also just saw that our local library is having a 100 Book Challenge to celebrate its centennial. I’m thinking of signing up the family. Join me?
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Wow. I couldn’t even keep it within a year! Let’s get to work.
August 2018: The Cabin at the End of the World, by Paul Tremblay. It’s obviously been a while since I read this one. It’s an apocalyptic scenario, and I gotta say, not my preferred scenario to read about, haha.
September 2018: Circe, by Madeline Miller. This book has the same author as The Song of Achilles, which I LOVED. I also really enjoyed this book. It’s an engrossing story, and I loved learning a little more about Greek mythology through it.
October 2018: Sharp Objects, by Gillian Flynn. We’ve read a couple books by this author before. Also not my favorite category of books, but an easy and entertaining read. Definitely had some good twists and turns.
December 2018: Still Alice, by Lisa Genova. This book was heartbreaking and heart warming. I loved the “insider’s” perspective of someone going down the path of Alzheimer’s.
February 2019: Tin Man, by Sarah Winman. Another book that was entertaining, and an easy read.
March 2019: What Dreams May Come, by Richard Matheson. I skipped this one, and can’t really remember the movie, haha.
May 2019: Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens. This book has made it to some pretty popular book clubs, including the Literate Lushes! A good read – although I have to agree with some critics that some of it was unbelievable to the detriment of the story. But intriguing and definitely kept me hooked to the end, which I kiiiiiiinda saw coming.
June 2019: Eva Luna, a Novel, by Isabel Allende. I’m a huge fan of Isabel Allende, but not a fan of this book. It was sometimes fiction, sometimes surreal, and the mix was just confusing (not sure I’m using the right literary terms…). It also seemed at times like a collection of vignettes rather than a novel.
July: Small Great Things, by Jodi Picoult. I had read this book a while back and chose it as my pick for the month. It was a big hit, and provided for some great conversations.
September: The Power, by Naomi Alderman. This book was giving me the major creeps until I realized what the author was doing, and then it was genius. I thought it was a very clever way to show the challenges and disadvantages some women have in our world.
December: The Vine Witch, by Luanne G. Smith. I felt like the wine metaphors and descriptions were a little over done, but I guess to be expected from the title! A nice, easy read.
January 2020: Educated: a Memoir, by Tara Westover. With the holidays and a baby in the house, I didn’t have a chance to finish reading this one, but enjoyed what I did read. The challenges some humans overcome amazes me, and makes me so thankful that my life is not book-worthy. A really good read from what I read, and from the discussions at book club, very relatable for many people on the front of domestic violence and family relationships/dynamics.
February 2020: Less, by Andrew Sean Greer. Not gonna lie, it was hard to believe this is a Pulitzer Prize winning book, ha! An easy enough read, but I didn’t think the writing was that great, nor the story super entertaining. I never grew to like the main character, which makes it hard to stay engaged.
March 2020: A Murmur of Bees, by Sofia Segovia. One of my new favorite books! I read this book in the original Spanish version, but heard that the English version translates just as well. This book was heart wrenching and also, oddly relatable to our times since some chapters talk about the original Spanish influenza. We actually had to cancel our book club meeting for this book because of the COVID-19 developments, and ended up eventually doing it via Zoom once we realized we wouldn’t be able to do it in person for a while. The writing was spectacular, I loved so many of the characters, and loved the surrealism that was woven into the story.
April 2020: The Silent Patient, by Alex Michaelides. This felt like a super quick read, but maybe that’s just because I’ve had a lot of down time while nursing all the time at home! I enjoyed this book and definitely was surprised by the ending.
Extra reads:
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine: A Novel, by Gail Honeyman. I think I’m coming to realize that I really like European novels. This was a great read! Funny and sad, light and heavy.
Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore: A Novel, by Robin Sloan. Another fun read! This one involves book stores, mystery solving, and secret societies – what’s not to like?
Beartown, A Novel, by Frederik Backman. How have I not written about this book yet?! I know I’ve mentioned this before, but I love everything this author has written. This book is heartbreaking, and beautiful. “We are the bears, we are the bears, we are the bears of Beartown!”
Us against You, by Frederik Backman. A sequel to Beartown. My review is the same as above.
The Century Trilogy, by Ken Follett. I read book 1 (Fall of Giants) and 2 (Winter of the World). I love historical fiction, and really enjoyed reading these books and the historical moments surrounding them. I loved that the characters spanned generations. I read some pretty terrible reviews about book 3, and given how long they are, I just couldn’t invest the time based on the reviews.
Girl, Wash Your Face, by Rachel Hollis. I had mixed feelings about this book. Part of it was motivational, another part felt like high school peer-pressure to be a cool kid. It didn’t change my life, haha.
Handcrafted: A Woodworker’s Story, by Clint Harp. En enjoyable read. My take-away: sometimes you just have to be in the right place, at the right time. It does give me some hope that maybe someday Jeff and/or I will strike out on our own to do whatever it is that we find our passion for.
Currently reading/listening to: The Education of an Idealist, a Memoir, by Samantha Power. As someone who dreamed of being an ambassador as a child, I’ve been avoiding reading this book. I’m afraid it will point out how I’ve fallen short in my professional achievements. Which leads me back to “letting go of expectations,” and it becomes a vicious circle, haha.
What are you reading these days? What’s been your favorite?
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August: The Song of Achilles, A Novel, by Madeline Miller. As I mentioned in my last Literate Lushes post, I couldn’t put this book down. I started reading it was I waited to board the plane to Florida for one of my best friend’s weddings, and finished it in the uber on the way to the hotel (in between getting pulled over and telling the office my name so he didn’t think I was the female that had a restraining order against my uber driver). It is a heartbreaking rendition of a Greek classic.
September: The Underground Railroad, by Colson Whitehead. This past year has been the year of some pretty heavy books. This book was recommended by a dear friend of mine, and I’m so glad I chose it as my book club pick. The title is self-describing, but it goes into heartbreaking detail on the tragedies suffered by people in slavery. I still can’t wrap my head around how cruel people can be to one another. I feel like we all learned a lot from this historical fiction book, and our discussion was great.
October: Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King. A nice and easy vampire read for the Halloween month! Slavery followed by vampires wasn’t exactly what the doctor called for, but it was a nice change of pace and a good read.
December: The Girl With All The Gifts, by M. R. Carey. So slavery followed by vampires followed by zombies! Another book that I would have never picked to read on my own, but once I started it I couldn’t put it down. An interesting spin on the zombie story line, with an ending that I couldn’t stop thinking about for days. I heard that’s a second book to this series that I have yet to get back to.
January: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. A non-fiction story on the first immortal strand of cultured DNA (I’m not a science person, so possibly the worst science lack of terminology there, but…maybe 80% correct), and how it was obtained without consent from an African American woman in 1951. A truly amazing story, and the conflict between morality, medicine, and racism (and so many other things). The science-y parts bogged me down a bit, but an enthralling story nonetheless.
February: Turtles All The Way Down, by John Green. This one really took me a while to get into. It’s a young adult novel written in the first person, so sometimes the thought dialogue was a bit hard for me to keep reading/listening to. I did up the speed on my audible on this one which made it more bearable. But once I got a third of the way in or so, it made me realize how hard it must be to have some form of OCD or depression or anxiety. It was good to be in someone else’s shoes to try to understand the difficulties that face others-we just never know how hard something can be for someone else.
March: The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern. After all the intense books we’d read in the months prior, this was such a pleasant and nice read. Just a love story full of magic and time travel (story lines, not actual time travel). This book totally had me hooked and I loved the ending.
April: The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom. Another emotionally difficult book, this one about the holocaust and work/extermination camps. This book started a little slow, but the storyline picked up a little bit, and then it was just astounding, once again, to read about how horrible people can be to each other.
May:Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman. This book was a collection of short stories, which is not my most favorite, but it was cool to read some new and some familiar about Norse mythology. Jake is starting to get into the Avengers, so reading stories about Thor and Loki were pretty cool. The audible version is narrated by Neil Gaiman, and he did a great job.
July, White Chrysanthemum, by Mary Lynn Bracht. Have I mentioned heart breaking? I almost didn’t continue reading this book-it starts with a pretty heavy amount of rape and sexual abuse, and it’s the first book I’ve considered not finishing because it was just hard to listen to. This book is about the Japanese occupation of Korea, and the only reason I continued reading it was because I thought it was important for me to read about what happened. I’ve never studied anything about this chapter of history, and my goodness, how awful. How a human being can endure so much pain is just beyond me. But, a great read and a wonderfully told story.
Bonus reads:
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, by ZZ Packer. This was a pretty quick read. I saw it highly recommended somewhere online and thought I would give it a try. Like I mentioned above, I’m not a fan of short stories, so this book was a little disappointing in that respect. Each individual story had a little heart break, but kind of like Small Great Things, helps to put me in someone else’s shoes, shoes that I’m thankful I haven’t had to walk in.
Capital Gaines, by Chip Gaines. A fun, quick read. We’re obsessed with Chip and Joanna over here, so it was nice to learn a little more about them and gain some insight on how they’ve become so successful.
My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry, by Fredrik Backman. Another great read from Fredrik Backman. I really do love his style of writing, and the characters in his stories. Britt Marie comes back in this one, and she’s hilarious and heartbreaking yet again. And again, I laughed, and I cried.
The Keeper of Lost Things, by Ruth Hogan. This was a great light read, that got me through some of the heavier books listed above. Just a light hearted story that follows two different story lines, that end up intertwining at the end (in a way that I think was very obvious if I had read more carefully, but thankfully caught me by surprise).
What have you been reading lately? Or in the last year? :-P
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I recently moved on to Audible. I still would MUCH prefer the actual book, but realized I just am not able to read as much as I’d like when it requires having a book in my hand. I come home for lunch every day, so decided to try the audio route and I’m averaging almost two books a month now, rather than just scraping by one. I know, WOW right? TWO WHOLE BOOKS, haha. I’m pretty impressed with myself though, haha. So, here we go.
February: Catch 22, by Joseph Heller. I think this was before my transition to Audible, so I did not get around to reading this one. I remember reading it in high school though and fairly liking it…
March: Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America’s Class War, by Joe Bageant. This was my pick. I was really trying to look for something to explain the Trump phenomena and how he got elected: I really do want to understand why so many people voted for him (I know, not a majority of our country, but still…a lot of people thought he was a good option) and what they’re feeling. After I picked and started reading this book I realized that it’s actually quite old, which made Trump’s election even more frustrating: we’ve known what’s been wrong for a long time and have done nothing to address those issues. The book wasn’t everything I was looking for, but it did provide some good insight and a different point a view to certain arguments (like the right to bear arms). All in all, I thought it was worth reading, although I’d love suggestions on anything along this topic that is more recent.
April: The Storied Life of A.J. Fickry, by Gabrielle Zevin & Scott Brick. This was a nice read. Mostly light, with some twists and turns, but above all the story of the love you can have for a child (even if not biologically yours). There were a couple small points that bothered me but I think they would give too much away, so I’ll keep them to myself. I do believe I cried a little towards the end.
June: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the F.B.I., by David Grann. This book was GREAT. I did read it through Audible and the first voice was difficult to handle, but it was still a great book (I don’t understand why readers have to use different voices for the different characters-it’s quite annoying). The story is told from three different perspectives, and tells the true story of a plot to murder Native American’s for their “head rights” to oil and mineral reserves in Oklahoma (I think it’s Oklahoma…). It’s a sad story but great to finally learn about it, and this book has inspired me to read more historical books.
July: Defending Jacob: A Novel, by William Landay. I’m still reading this one, but I’m not enjoying it too much, unfortunately. There’s A LOT of dialogue which I’m not enjoying, and I think this is one of the few times that I just don’t like how the author writes. The plot seems to drag a bit for me too, but I’m hoping the end will have a good twist that will make it worth it to keep listening, haha.
EXTRAS (thanks Audible!)
Small Great Things: A Novel, by Jodi Picoult. I can’t rave enough about this book. I think it should be required reading. It touches on so many issues that we have on race relations in the United States, and definitely gave me another perspective to see and analyze things through. It made me cry, cringe, cry some more, and smile a little. Did I mention already how great I think this book is? You should read it now.
Britt-Marie Was Here: A Novel, by Fredrik Backman. One quick side bar observation: I’ve apparently been reading a lot of novels! This is from the same author as A Man Called Ove. As great as A Man Called Ove was, I really, truly, think this book is so much BETTER. Another book that I can’t recommend enough. This book made me laugh out loud, smile, and cry. It has the full range of emotions. It’s so well written and tells such a great story of human interaction and compassion, and the inevitability of some things in life. Oh, and the power of soccer! Warms my heart just thinking about it again.
When Breath Becomes Air, by Paul Kalanithi. This is the real life story of a man who gets diagnosed with lung cancer at a very young age, and he decided to write this book. I thought it was good, but not great. I don’t think I ever quite found what I was looking for in this book…it seemed like he was building up to something but just never got there. I do think my favorite part of the book was the end that his wife ended up writing. It’s still a good read to appreciate the life we have, and to understand just how quickly things can change for any of us, so embrace the now, life your life to the fullest and do the things you want to do.
I will give the disclaimer that this post is NOT sponsored by Audible…but it should be.
Books I’d like to read in the near future:
Who am I kidding. I just looked at my Amazon and Audible wish lists and there’s too many to list, and this post has already taken me the span of four days to write, so I’m just gonna hit the publish button now before one of the boys wakes up from their nap.
What have you been reading lately?
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Bonus: because thanks to audio books, I listen to them while I pump at work and on my way to work and home. It’s not quite the same as reading them myself, but it’s better than not reading at all. I do think this is pretty life changing for me…so, I finished our January book with time to spare and decided to start reading Yes, Pleaseby Amy Poehler. An enjoyable “read” so far!
I also missed reading quite a few of these books…with having a toddler, then being pregnant, then adjusting to life with two kids…time was harder to find and I was much pickier about what books I chose to read. I’ll usually give anything a try, and I’m really looking forward to Literate Lushes in 2017 and hopefully reading all the books that we pick, and MORE! I have so many books written down in the Notes section of my phone and it would be nice to scratch some off instead of just continuously adding more books I want to read.
Same author as Gone Girl, our pick from March (2013). This book was pretty dark, but it was a nice, suspenseful read! It’s honestly been so long that I don’t remember the details of our book club discussion, but some minor things aside, I think most of us enjoyed reading this one.
It’s a classic, but I never got around to reading it. I read the first few pages, but it didn’t grab me from the get-go and it was such a busy time that I just never went back to it. I hope I do some day, I love reading “classic” books just so I can be in the know!
Again….I failed at reading this one…but I still feel like I should give you guys a complete listing of the books that other people in the Literate Lushes have read ;) Even though I didn’t finish this book either, I did like what I read, and the discussion at book club was actually quite excellent.
Most people have probably already read this book or are at least familiar with it. I could not put this book down once I started it. Although I tried at the beginning because it opens with a heart-wrenching story–I almost didn’t want to keep going, but I’m glad I did. I think the author did a great job with this one, sharing different stories from the perspective of different characters (one chapter is even a letter from one character to another). The basis of the story is how one act can have repercussions that last a lifetime, and that affect people around the world. It was sad and uplifting at the same time.
This was my pick. I heard about it on NPR and it sounded amazing. I like picking books that expose me to something different or allow me to see/understand a different culture or country: this book takes place in Nigeria, and revolves around the main character returning to visit Nigeria after he’s been living in the U.S. for a while. The book had promise but it wasn’t written very well: it was almost a little House on Mango Street vignette-esque, and I just am not a fan of short stories, especially when it’s supposed to be one long story. The author had so many opportunities to grab your attention, but failed every time. You never got a chance to really get into the book, it seemed like you were always just reading the first couple chapters of the book. However, it did provide for amazing discussion points during book club about democracy, development, poverty, education, access to self-improvement, cultural differences, etc., which I LOVED, so I’m still happy with my pick :)
Next up: If I stay, by Gayle Forman
Don’t forget: if you shop on Amazon for these books or ANYTHING else, please shop through smile.amazon.com and select Haiti Scholarships as your charity of choice!
Finca Cielo Azul 