This Time Next Year

This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I already had "This Time Next Year" on my radar when I was offered an advanced reader copy through G.P. Putnam & Sons publishing and NetGalley. Of course, I would appreciate a free copy. A British writer, a book timed around New Year's (I love seasonal reading), and a love story - what's not to be excited about? The premise of a birthday twin, a stolen name, and fate are clever and a fun twist on what can be a played out romantic genre. Cousens added lots of layered details to her characters and settings and made me wish over and over that I had a pie in the oven. My only complaint is that the main character Minnie sometimes came off as a little whiny or petulant. Overall though, the book is a really fun read, especially as it moves between current day and past New Year's holidays and a better way to experience New Year's Eve than actually going out.

Happy reading and Happy New Year!

ps. Reading Sophie Cousens is like reading a less sad Josie Silver (who you know I love) or a more substantive Sophie Kinsella. Also, this book would make a great movie. We can only hope it gets optioned soon.

Dearly

Dearly: New Poems by Margaret Atwood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don't typically read collections of poetry, but Margaret Atwood is worth trying. There are poems in this collection that are amazing - five star for sure, but there are others that are just not my taste. Her commentary on the environment and on aging was thought provoking and haunting. I'd love to read more of this book again in print, so I could appreciate more of her structure and language. Atwood truly has an incredible gift for writing--

Keep Moving

Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change by Maggie Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A perfect set of thoughts for wrapping up a strange and hard year. Smith compiled some short notes that she wrote to herself while in a tough season of her life, and so much of what she shares can be applied to 2020 or our own personal struggles. I appreciated her sentiments and myself making notes as I reflect on what I want 2021 to be like.

Happy reading and keep moving--

*This book would be great to gift someone who is going through a hard time or an unexpected life change.

Thoughts of note:
*Don't just be positive, do positive
*Keep moving
*Prepare for luck
*Let go of old narratives
*Commit to trying
*The power of yet
*The hopeful person will try

A Homemade Life

A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table by Molly Wizenberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am a sucker for food memoirs - so much of our lives takes place in the kitchen preparing food or around a table eating and laughing with family and friends, so I was delighted to go along with Molly Wizenberg as she reflected on her food experiences over the years. I am new to her work though I know she's been a popular food blogger for a very long time. The only drawback to my constant reading of these food memoirs is that I never make the time to prepare the recipes they talk about. I may need to work on that.

Happy reading and happy cooking--

The Middle Place - Round Two

The Middle Place by Kelly Corrigan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was in a funk, and Kelly Corrigan was the remedy. I love her work so, so much.

Happy reading--

Greenlights

Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ummmm - wow. I've never read anything like it. Borderline stream of consciousness at times with some of the most outlandish personal stories I've ever read. You don't doubt for a second that they're true, but you find yourself shaking your head over and over. I do appreciate his originality and voice - no ghost writer here, but as Charlie Sheen once said, some portions were like a "sober acid trip". This book makes me want to be a better journal writer. So much of what McConaughey included came from notes and diaries he's kept since he was fifteen.

Happy reading and here's to lots of greenlights in 2021--

When You Were Everything

When You Were Everything by Ashley Woodfolk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My friend Anna said I should read this, so I read it. Halfway through, I texted my three high school librarian friends and said it was a must for their libraries. All the way through, and I wish I was still teaching so I could recommend it to students. It's a book that features kids of colors as the protagonists. It covers friendship, divorce, disability, expectations, and so much more without being an issues book. Those topics are just woven in through the story. It also features a lot of fun Shakespeare references and a quality dating relationship that doesn't just build to sex. I like that Woodfolk validated the struggles so many teens deal with without oversimplifying or overdramatizing them. The overall book reads like a less lyrical Elizabeth Acevedo, who you know I love. Really well done-

One other thing to note is so few books discuss when friendships end - it's actually a common experience that we outgrow or end up parting ways, but it's rarely acknowledged in fiction. I appreciated that since so many teens (not to mention adults) go through it.

Happy reading--

ps. 4.5 stars

Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel

Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel by Ruth Hogan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really liked Queenie Malone's Paradise Hotel. It was like a less stressful "Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine". Tilda is quirky, but loveable and the characters around her are delightful just like in Eleanor Oliphant. The difference for me is that Eleanor's world views and, in turn, her behaviors are sometimes too awkward for my comfort level, and Tilda's issues are more relatable. This book is a powerful conversation starter for the need to share our stories more and to give people the benefit of the doubt. Plus it's set in a delightful coastal in England. What's not to love?

Happy reading--

ps. I read this in a single day so clearly I was hooked, and Seth was working late. 

Lift - Round Three

Lift by Kelly Corrigan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my favorite book on motherhood. I think I'll read it at least once a year for the rest of my life.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Clever, unique, and imaginative - it just wasn't quite for me. I can see why other people love it. I just wasn't as intrigued by some of the fantastical elements as I should have been. Good writing though.

Happy reading and happy almost January!

ps. This was the second book in short succession where the main character's name is January. So uncommon, but this book had a great set up for why January is named that.

pps. 3.5 stars, so can we all start begging Goodreads for half star options again?

In a Holidaze

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was looking for something season and light, and this was a bit too much for me. It was my second Christina Lauren book, and I just can't get on board with how juvenile her protagonists are. Exhibit A: the main character spends a whole chunk of the book figuring out that she should be helping in the kitchen at the holidays...and she's in her late 20s. Really?! I kept reading because I liked the premise (reliving the same holiday week "Groundhog Day" style) and the setting (Park City, Utah at Christmas) and honestly the ending was redeeming, but the overall book was just "meh". I won't be doing another one of these books. Too many others I want to get to.

Happy reading and happy holidays--

ps. 2.5 stars

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Modern Mrs. Darcy aka Anne Bogel mentioned this book on her podcast a few months ago - simply recommending it as a book about a girl who makes a bargain with gods who only come out in the dark, and that bargain allows her to live forever but be forgotten by everyone she meets. To be honest, when I picked it up again, I only remembered that Anne had recommended it, and that there was an element of magical realism to it. I am wary of books that edge on fantasy, but I really liked this one. The centuries of details and people met are fascinating and the questions of what it means to be remembered and what time means to a well lived life are thought provoking.

Full disclosure that there were times were I wasn't sure where the book was going, and I was getting a little bogged down in Addie's somewhat repetitive struggles. That said, the story is so unique and the atmospheric details so well set up, that I am rounding from 4.5 stars to 5. This is another book where the less you know, the better, and yes, this book has made me crave France, London, and New York in a major way. I think COVID is making me stir crazy.

Happy reading--

Florence Adler Swims Forever

Florence Adler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I honestly didn't have any clue what this book was about going in, and I'm glad I didn't. I might not have picked it up because there's a lot of sadness wrapped up in well constructed characters and the unique setting of Atlantic City in the 1930s. Still, those characters helped drive the story, and I was hooked from the moment Florence and her red swim cap went off for a swim in the ocean.

The thing that this book does well is show characters worthy of our love and attention that are still hopelessly flawed. It's more real that way because no one is all good or all bad. We're all somewhere in between.

Happy reading and happy daydreaming of swimming--
(Can't wait for COVID to be over so I can take my boys)

ps. I read this in a single day so to say I was hooked is a bit of an understatement.

A Promised Land

A Promised Land by Barack Obama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It is common practice after an American president leaves office for a detailed biography to be written about their life and their presidency. Obama's is unique because he wrote the book himself, which is why it has taken an extra couple years to come out and perhaps why his story will be two books instead of one.

I am not in the habit of reading presidential biographies. In fact, reading Ron Chernow's Alexander Hamilton biography (I know he was never president) is the closest I've ever come, and that was because I was obsessed as we all have been with the musical inspired by the book. But I really liked Michelle's memoir, and I really like Obama.

His writing is good and his story telling is compelling. Obama has always seemed eloquent, but I loved his candor and his random profanity. He made it feel like he was telling you a story over drinks rather than giving a presentation. Obama is honest about his missteps and short falls and adds humanity to what seems like a very heavy and lonely role as Commander in Chief. His pacing is good - giving just enough details of his early life to help you understand his background without getting too tedious (my one complaint of Michelle's Becoming). You have to be interested in both his political career and the specific experiences he had in his various roles, which should go without saying, but I feel like someone will say "there was too much political detail." This is a president's autobiography that only get us a few years into his first term and still 29 hours in audiobook form. The physical book comes in at over 700 pages.

There's no way for me to review this book without my political views affecting my rating. I have been captivated by Barack Obama since hearing his senate acceptance speech in 2004. I think he and Michelle have worked tirelessly to better the lives of Americans. I haven't always agreed with everything Obama has said or done, but on the whole, I think he's a good man and he was a good president. I'm only sorry he couldn't serve a third term. I didn't expect to tear up during this book, but I did repeatedly. Knowing that Obama finished this book before the election results were in somehow made this book even more impactful. His note at the end of the book, written in August, as the pandemic and election were at what we thought were their craziest point, was prescient and genuine. I really do love the Obamas.

Enough now - apparently my review length is matching the length of the book. Happy reading, and I have to say that despite everything, I am so grateful to live in this promised land.

No Time Like the Future

No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Because of Fox's Parkinson's and other ailments, he has had to face his own mortality repeatedly in recent years. This book is him pondering that mortality and what value life still has for him. I didn't love the book as much as I loved "Always Looking Up", but in many ways this book is more authentic. I still really admire Fox for his philanthropy, his values, and his example, and I'll gladly read any book he writes in the future.

Happy reading and happy optimistic living--

ps. I especially appreciated his afterword written in August of this year. The pandemic caught everyone by surprise, and I think the reflections he provides there were so timely and fitting with everything else he wrote.

Love & Gelato

Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Teenage love and loss with gelato and Italy mixed in. What's not to enjoy? Plus the main character's favorite gelato flavor is stracciatella, which is arguably the best gelato I've ever had. Great escape when we're hardly leaving home.

Happy reading--

Sitting Pretty

Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is exceptionally eye-opening and honest. I appreciate Taussig's warmth, candor, and humor as she details what it's like to be disabled and more importantly the lack of conversation about disability and ableism in our society. The images of young Rebekah playing and imagining that she could be someone's girlfriend or an adventurer or a whole host of other things only to realize later that no one sees that in her future because of her disability is haunting. We can and need to do better. Read it. It's worth your time--

Happy reading--

ps. Also - what a great title.

Fable

Fable by Adrienne Young
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Ummm - this is not my genre, but the book was getting a lot of hype, so I decided to give it a whirl. A fictional world and piracy set on the shoulders of a teenage girl (great cover art of her by the way) and her family drama has potential. It just didn't get off the ground for me. There wasn't enough emotional resonance and not enough rise and fall in the action to care. And by the time I did want to know where it was going, it just stopped. I don't mind a series set up, but come on-- no resolution at all for this first book. I'd give it two stars, except that I think this has more to do with my personal preferences and not loving the audiobook narrator than the book itself. I know past students of mine would love it. So I'd probably say don't read it unless you have a strong leaning towards young adult fantasy novels.

As ever though, happy reading--

One Day in December...Round Two

One Day in December by Josie Silver
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

November 2020
I love reading books that fit the season, and as I already have my Christmas tree up in November, "One Day in December" was a perfect choice. Love, tinsel, and England You can't go wrong.

Happy reading--

Welcome Home

Welcome Home: A Cozy Minimalist Guide to Decorating and Hosting All Year Round by Myquillyn Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I fell in love with Myquillyn Smith when I was gifted with The Nesting Place years ago. It was a perfect discussion on how to make a rented space a home. Welcome Home isn't quite as magical, but I loved her ideas for making your home feel seasonal and warm without buying a bunch of extra things. I love decorating for the holidays and seasons, but sometimes the decor feels inauthentic. This isn't critical to life, but it feels important for me, my little family, and those who I welcome into my home.

A few years ago, some good friends of mine were relocating from California to Colorado. I think all of us who had enjoyed their hospitality for many years were a little bereft thinking about how the glue of group was leaving. The parting advice at their going away party from these great people was to just do it - to just invite people. To not worry about the food and whether you had a clean house, but to just welcome friends and family into your home as often as you could. I think about that advice often. Smith's hosting advice is a perfect compliment and set up to feeling comfortable having people over without much thought or planning. And man alive - when this pandemic is over, I want to have people over all the time. I really, really can't wait.

Happy reading and happy hosting--

The Guest List

The Guest List by Lucy Foley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Guest List is like if The Great Gatsby's murders took place during one of Gatsby's parties. You don't love the characters, but you're intrigued by them the way you're intrigued by a car wreck. Like I've said before Foley is like Agatha Christie meets reality television - which means Foley's books are just as clever, but more salacious and dramatic.

I didn't love this one, but I was still hooked. The Hunting Party is better, but the way the characters' lives and motivations intersected all the way to the final pages was great.

Happy reading--

ps. I love how Foley takes innocuous phrases for her titles and makes them mean something completely different. 

The Home Edit Life

The Home Edit Life: The Complete Guide to Organizing Absolutely Everything at Work, at Home, and on the Go by Clea Shearer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The only excuse I can give for reading this was that I was so damn stressed watching election coverage that I had to read something light and borderline mindless. These women are fun, but I don't aspire to be more like them....the book was available and I was trying to calm my nerves. Who knew that day two of election coverage was nowhere near the end?

Happy organized living and happy reading--

ps. Can we just acknowledge how batty the rainbow organization strategy is? It does not make sense in 95% of situations. 

The Home Edit

The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals by Clea Shearer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For the record I bought this book way before The Home Edit was on most people's radar...I just didn't read it. The book caught my eye a few times while I was shopping at The Container Store, and eventually I just couldn't resist. I love organizing and sorting things. I've considered that as a profession because taking an unorganized space and finding order calms me down in a way few things do, but the book was just okay. Honestly, if I'd watched the show first, I probably wouldn't have bought the book. Their ideas aren't earth-shattering and some of them are pretty unrealistic. I'm not sorry to have some visuals to try and sort out some hard-to-figure-out spots in my house, but there are better home organization books out there. They're just not as pretty.

All that said, this book was a good fit for a distraction from the insanity of tiny humans and the news - hence the three stars, instead of two.

Happy reading and happy organizing--

Magic Lessons

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't know how I have slowly worked my way through the Practical Magic books because I rarely seek them out intentionally. I just pop Alice Hoffman books in my library queue, and this time it landed me in Salem during the 1600s with Maria Owens. It was a happy surprise for an October read and for a person who loves Miller's play, The Crucible. Hoffman weaves details included in her other books as backstory into a full blown novel while also weaving in details from Salem's witch trials. Most incredibly she includes Judge Hathorne, who infamous both in history in and fiction. While I didn't love the book, it was really good writing and a very captivating story. It made me wish I was still teaching The Crucible. There would have been great tie-in pieces.

Happy reading and happy magical living--

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One Way or Another

One Way or Another by Kara McDowell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Like I've said, "Sliding Doors" or dual reality stories are having their moment in fiction right now. This is the holiday YA version. It's fun and entertaining, albeit overly simplified sometimes. That said, I read it 24 hours, so clearly I was enjoying it.

Happy reading--

Atomic Habits...Round Three

Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

October 2020
As I'm trying to navigate a new phase of life, I revisited Clear's book to try and get inspired for how to better structure my days and prioritize what's more important. The idea of 1% changes and not just thinking about doing things are what stood out this time. Jury is still out as to whether any sort of routine will ever be established with two tiny boys.

Happy reading and happy habit building--

A Man Called Ove...Round Two

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

November 2020
I reread this because a) people said they loved the audio version (I read the print ebook before) and b) Seth and I just watched the Swedish version of the movie. Rereading it made me fall in love with Sonja all over again. Such a good book--

Happy reading--

The Pull of the Stars

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A hospital - specifically a maternity ward - in the middle of the pandemic. This book couldn't be more timely or more horrifying in its scope. As a person who was in a maternity ward during a pandemic, I was pretty nervous, but it's nothing compared to the situation women faced in Dublin, Ireland in 1918. I can't say I loved reading this book. You know from the outset that it's going to be a sad book. I just didn't realize how sad. That said, it's well written and so interesting. Donoghue, perhaps best known for Room, does not shy away from the grim realities faced by women during that time or by children in the Irish orphanages. I'm glad I read it, but I will not return to it.

Happy reading and for the love, wear your mask and stay home so this current pandemic will end someday soon.

ps. I did appreciate the imagery of Julia Power's markings on her watch. Very well done.

The Book of Longings

The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What an ambitious and brave thing to decide to write a book from the perspective of the wife of Jesus. I heard Sue Monk Kidd interviewed on Brene Brown's podcast and had to read this book after hearing her talk through how this was the book she was born to write.

It's such an interesting and insightful book about what life might have been like for women in that time period. I can't say it was fun to read because you know that ultimately the main character's husband is going to be killed, but it was a compelling story from beginning to end. I appreciated the exploration of female voice and the value of those voices. As someone who personally believes that Jesus was married, though that detail is not recorded, I liked Kidd's imagining of who that woman might have been.

Reading this book was not a spiritual experience for me. It was a novel through and through, and I don't think you need to be religious to appreciate Kidd's attempt to fictionalize one of the world's most powerful narratives.

Happy reading--

The Midnight Library

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I didn't know this book was going to be so popular when I added it to my library queue. I simply liked the title, that people compared it to "Sliding Doors", and that Carey Mulligan was narrating. The actual book is much more than that. Haig takes on mental health and suicide along with the ever-captivating idea of dual realities. Just like female spies have been a large part of recent fiction, multiple realities or universes have been playing through so many titles this past year. The Midnight Library is darker than other books that deal with the same topic - even The Two Lives of Lydia Bird which carries a heavy note of grief - but it's well written and held my interest the whole time. I couldn't help but think of the Ready Player One library while envisioning Nora's library. Full disclosure that either Haig's tone and/or Mulligan's reading style makes the experience a bit understated, but that felt so classically British that I was happy to go along for the ride. Now I just need to go watch Sliding Doors to fully complete the experience--

Happy reading--

Life From Scratch

Life From Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and Forgiveness by Sasha Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When I'm stressed, I do better listening to non-fiction because people's telling of real life events is easier to follow. So I picked a book about food that honestly wasn't enough about food. There was too much drama, not enough cooking. Martin writes well and tells an interesting story, but I wanted more focus on her cooking a meal from every country in the world, and we didn't even get to that until the last third of the book.

In a world where we don't have infinite time, I'd say that while this book is decent, there are better choices when it comes to food writing. Ruth Reichl and Tamar Adler are the ones that come to mind first.

Happy reading and happy eating--

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The Glass Hotel

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't think I've ever read writing like Emily St. John Mandel's. There's nothing like it. To reduce this book to its major plotlines wouldn't begin to describe it because Mandel operates differently. She manages to intersect characters in a way that it is not immediately apparent and plays with time and reality, so that even if you've guessed the twists, you're still caught off guard. Her books are some of my favorite finds this year.

One quick disclaimer - this book is heavy, and in a year that already feels like it has a decade's worth of tragedy, this may not be for everyone. Also, it's probably more of a 4.5, but like a dewy-eyed groupie, I would follow Mandel anywhere....which is to say that I will work my way through her entire backlist after reading Station Eleven and this book.

Happy reading--

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All The Devils Are Here

All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Louise Penny mystery set in Paris-- what more could I want? I was so excited for this book to come out that I actually didn't start it right away once I got it. I couldn't bear the thought that it was going to be over before I'd even started it. And amazingly - it lived up to the anticipation. I loved hanging out with the Gamaches in Paris, even if they were trying to work out a murder case. Uniquely, I think I will reread this one soon because there were so many clever details that came together in the end.

Happy reading and happy dreaming of Paris--

ps. Great title and great cover!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince...Again

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really am appreciating the political angles of these books this time through as we are in the midst of chaos in 2020. Certainly feels like we too have dementors and imperioused politicians among us. This is still a perfect October read. Happy fall and happy reading--

Bibliophile

Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Seth and I started going to the Napa Valley regularly starting in 2013. In between eating delicious food and strolling the towns and vineyards, we sometimes visited galleries. That is where I discovered Jane Mount. I visited the same gallery in Yountville over and over again dreaming of being able to afford one of her book stack canvases for my kitchen or a future child's playroom. Then Bibliophile was gifted to me last year. As you may have guessed from the title, this book is for people who love books and random lists about books, their writer's, etc. Mount's artwork and research is fantastic and my to-be-read list is even longer because of reading it. I also have new bookstores and bookish locations to visit once this pandemic madness has settled. So while I still don't own any Jane Mount's actual art, I am thrilled to have this book to peruse over and over again. 

Happy reading--

ps. This would make a great Christmas gift for any book lovers. :)

The Hunting Party

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Hunting Party is a modern day Agatha Christie. Many of the characters are unlikeable, but like a car crash, you can't look away and you're just dying to know who did it. The title is clever and the characterization so vibrant, that each person seemed to jump off the page trying to plead their innocence. Foley also did a great job of not sharing who, in fact, had died until far into the book. Trying to guess the killer and the killed is a captivating twist.

Are these types of books for everyone? No. I wouldn't even say that they're for me, except that apparently I love these types of books lately. Macabre taste for a rough year, I guess?

Happy reading and happy fall--

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More Myself: A Journey

More Myself: A Journey by Alicia Keys
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don't read a lot of celebrity memoir, but I admire Keys' musical ability and her activism, so I decided to give this one a try. After all, I woke up to Empire State of Mind for a least a year as my alarm ringtone of choice, and I loved Keys' role as June in The Secret Life of Bees. This book is probably a 3.5 and definitely higher for others who know her work better, but I got bogged down in some of the details. I wanted a little less philosophizing and more tangible details about specific projects she has been a part of. That said, I still think she's remarkable and the audio version is a must if you're going to read this. Not only is Alicia a good reader, but she has guest narrators like Bono, her husband, Oprah, and Michelle Obama who chime in.

Happy reading and happy musical living--

ps. I loved the details about why she chose Keys as her stage name, and I appreciated her commentary on finding her voice as she got older. I strongly identify with that experience.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix...Again

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Seems pretty fitting to read a book where some government officials are unwilling to acknowledge reality and others are just blatantly evil. Also, I love reading Harry Potter books in the fall.

Happy reading--

Station Eleven

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm not sure reading a book about civilization's collapse because of a pandemic is advisable during a real pandemic, but I didn't know what Station Eleven was about. I only knew that many people highly recommended it, and it was available through my Libby app. I had no idea what a great book it would be - how timely and how profound. To strip away the lights, the noise, and the chaos of current life and to just focus on survival is hard to imagine, yet Mandel managed to create a believable world post-collapse. I loved how the characters were subtly linked and that the early repercussions of choices and relationships resounded throughout the story. I also loved the Station Eleven story references and how they applied to the lives the characters were actually living. The concluding portions about the characters, especially Arthur, were such that I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

I know our pandemic is nothing like the one in Station Eleven, but I do think it's had a similar effect. People are making hard decisions as they realize that life is short and we shouldn't wait to live the life we want. I know that's not all that this pandemic has brought us - despair, discordance, etc are rampant. The political ridiculousness and faulty logic in our country is horrifying, and crazily enough, Mandel does manage to capture some of that fanaticism. But the simplicity and the focus on life at home during our real life pandemic has been interesting and caused me a lot of introspection. I'm glad to be able to be safe at home and not forced to face a scary world like the characters of Station Eleven.

I highly recommend this book, but it could be triggering for some readers.

Seems to strange to say happy reading after such serious topics, but in this crazy time, I'm grateful for the simple things like reading that make life more meaningful.

ps. If the review makes you think of Cormac McCarthy's The Road, you are not wrong. That said, The Road was so disturbing and so dark. Though Mandel's world collapse is just as severe, it is not nearly as hard or devastating to read.

pps. Another book read in a day - couldn't stop listening.

Hold On, But Don't Hold Still

Hold On, But Don't Hold Still by Kristina Kuzmic
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's not often that I would say you should a read a book written by a person who has gotten famous because of YouTube and Instagram, but I love the content Kristina Kuzmic creates. Her honesty about parenthood and life mixed with her hilarious commentary was a perfect distraction from a tricky parenting day. I didn't expect her to open up so much about her experiences getting divorced and becoming a single parent or having to flee her home country as a teenager, but she manages to convey her experiences with the same relatable candor that she exhibits in each of her posts. It's not a perfect book, but it was thoroughly entertaining.

Happy reading and happy parenting--

Ps. Literally read this book in a single day. So fun to have Kuzmic as the voice in my head for a few hours.

Anxious People

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. While the plotline is unconventional, the characterization is exceptional. Backman's ability to describe people and their relationships is unparalleled. They are not overly simplified, overly flawed, or overly heroic - they're just people. They have hopes, dreams, and disappointments. They love their kids, aren't sure how to save for the future, or explain to their spouse that they're having a hard time. They have to go to the bank. They want to order pizza for dinner. And yet - the humanity Backman conveys is more than the mundane. I love his work, and I loved this book.

This story is one that you're better off not knowing specifics about it and just diving in. But trust me - it's a really great book.

Happy reading--

ps. What a perfect title for 2020!

The Screwtape Letters

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Despite being a religious person, I tend to shy away from religiously themed texts. I literally have started and stopped this book a half a dozen times in years past. The evidence of that was a piece of Netflix DVD envelope advertising Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince being used as my book mark. Still like so many others, I love C.S. Lewis' unconventional approach to Christianity. While I may get bogged down in his writing style, the messages he conveys are incredibly powerful. I'm glad to have finally read The Screwtape Letters cover to cover. Can't say I'd immediately recommend it to lots of people, but I would gladly discuss his ideas with anyone.

Happy reading and happy better living--

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (as Told to Me) Story by Bess Kalb
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When we were in college, my then-roommate, Maria, came over to my grandparents' house for dinner. On our way home, she said, "I didn't know you were so much like your grandma." I was taken aback initially. How many times do you compare yourself to a person 45 years older than you are? But as we drove, Maria explained the similarities she noticed and in the weeks that followed I realized how much of who I am can be directly tied to my beloved Grandma Joan. She is evident in my love of books, my love of hosting, and my desire to have everyone I love best live on the same street. She's quick to laugh, unfailingly supportive, critical of those who hurt her family, and my dad's number one fan. She instilled in me my love of the Oscars, Diet Coke (cheese, chocolate and bread are her close seconds), Italy, Trivial Pursuit, decorating, the perfectly smelling candle, and a dozen other things. I haven't been able to hug her since this COVID madness began, and it breaks my heart a little each time that I see her from the frustrating six feet away.

Enter Bess Kalb's "Nobody Will Tell You This But Me" - a book about her grandmother, told in the voice of her grandmother but written by Bess. I loved it. It's strange and a little hard to follow initially, but once I fell into it, the cadence of Bess' storytelling about beloved bubbe is everything. It's heartfelt, inspiring, hilarious, and sad. The great women that shape our lives all deserve this kind of notice. I was left wanting to write down every little detail about the people I love most from the sound of my family laughing around my grandma's table eating pumpkin stew in the fall to the sight of the little fake snow flakes around her Christmas village when I was a little girl. My first real memory is being in my grandparents' house, and it seems pretty fitting to me that it and so many other memories came to mind as I read about Bobby's life through her granddaughter's eyes. Read it. It's the kind of book that restores your faith in humanity, and I think we all need a bit more that right now.

Happy reading and happy appreciating the people who know you best and love you most--

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire....Again

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

September 17, 2020
While my love of all things Harry Potter continues, I have to be honest that this book frustrates me most because of how much backstory Rowling uses throughout this story. It's seriously 200 pages too long. That said, the Quidditch World Cup and the Tri-Wizard Tournament are such great features. I love the Weasley twins' attempts at creating joke shop items and Hermione's quest to get revenge against Rita Skeeter. Happy reading and happy fall(the reason I picked up the Harry Potters again :)).

The Exiles

The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read The Exiles because of my previous reading of Kline's work. I honestly knew nothing about The Exiles, and so I was surprised to find myself reading about Australia in the 1840s when Great Britain was still sending their convicts there to work and help populate the country. I had no idea that Great Britain did that, so the story took on an added layer of complexity as I tried to wrap my head around first a seven year sentence for a minor crime and then having that sentence essentially become a life sentence because of being sent halfway around the world. Though the overall book is not something I would normally gravitate towards, the writing is good and the storylines compelling. The book mostly feels like a tragedy as the injustices faced by the convicts and the Aborigines are based on real events (though the characters are not real). That said, like Jean Val Jean's story in Les Misérables and others like that, there are moments of triumph where you can't help but root for the character's and their chance at a normal life despite all their hardships.

In short, if The Exiles sounds interesting, read it. It's worth your time.

Happy reading--

ps. And happy learning. I am continually stunned at how much history I am unaware of despite being actively interested in historical topics.

Outer Order, Inner Calm

Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness by Gretchen Rubin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Outer Order, Inner Calm is not groundbreaking, but I really liked it. I've said before that Rubin's approach to life, her structure, and her willingness to not do things that don't fit with her way of living totally appeal to me. This book is basically good reminders and tangible ways to live more simply and to have more order. As I am in the midst of a very chaotic season of life, more simplicity and more order are what I crave more than anything. This was a perfect middle-of-the-night baby feeding book.

Happy reading and happy calmer living-- What a dream in 2020!

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban...Again

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

September 10, 2019
My sister and I were talking a couple days ago about how the start of fall makes us want to read Harry Potter. With that thought, I couldn't seem to focus on any other book until I had revisited Hogwarts. Sirius' story stands out more this time through. I want so many more details about his and Remus' missing years. Maybe someday Jo will write books about her side characters. Dare to dream-

Happy reading--

The Things We Cannot Say

The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I came to this book after The Stationery Shop and Next Year in Havana - two other books that deal with fleeing a country, a past and modern day element, and separated lovers. I don't know that this style of book is trend per se, but it seems to be one in my own book choices. I was captivated by this story because we don't see parents of children with special needs featured very often and because the idea of not sharing your story while you can is always compelling to me....plus, I read more books about World War II than any other period in history. I loved Tomasz and Alina's mother and liked Alina enough to push through to when she became a more fascinating character. I always liked Alice. I saw twists coming, but figuring them out only made me sadder and more invested. This is a 4.5 star read rounded down because occasionally some of the character details or conversations needed more depth.

Happy reading and hopefully, happy story sharing--

At the Water's Edge

At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The premise of this book was so odd - I have no idea how Gruen decided to write about Philadelphia socialites traveling to Scotland to look for the Loch Ness monster during World War II. I didn't love it, but I was hooked from the beginning. It helps that my husband was working late, and I had no adult contact all day so I literally listened to this book for hours as I cared for my boys and took care of the house. A couple things - this not a typical WWII book even though it takes place during the war. The main characters are just okay. The man and women who run the Scottish inn are more interesting for sure. This is one of those books that I would say to read only if you read a high volume of books....

Happy reading--

Next Year in Havana

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Next Year in Havana is a dual narrative that tells the story of an exiled family and the generations that follow. It's not a perfect book. Some of the characterization is odd, but learning a bit more about Cuba's history through fictional characters was fascinating. My knowledge of Cuban history is spotty and filled in only by headlines. The proximity of Cuba to the United States is part of what makes its history and realities so heartbreaking. Not to mention, Cuban "history" is so recent in terms of what has happened there. I'll be on the lookout for more stories like this one.

Happy reading--

ps. I adored a boy during my sophomore year of college that we often referred to simply as The Cuban. It took reading this book to remember that. For the record, he too was a great dancer.

pps. 3.5 stars rounded up