First Half Favorites
Plus thoughts on organizing book shelves, Crawdad controversy, and recent reads
First Half Favorites
I am having a very up and down reading year. Books that I highly anticipated, ended up being disappointments. This happened over and over with follow-up books by authors that I previously loved. Some new releases, particularly those getting a lot of advance praise fell short for me as well. I paused my Book of the Month membership this summer and don’t miss it. That said, I have read some wonderful stories that have made me feel and think deeply. I don’t want call out specific books but I do want to choose better going forward. The five books below have brought me the most enjoyment or have stayed with me the longest.
Love and Saffron by Kim Fay- My favorite all-around read. I was surprised how much joy I felt reading this epistolary novel about food and friendship. [Publish Date: 2/22, Pages: 208]
Honor by Thrity Umrigar - This was a hard read about honor killings in India and what it means to honor others. It stuck with me long after the last page. [Publish Date 1/22, Pages: 336]
This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub - A delightful trip through the past and a celebration of friends, family, and NYC. If you could go back and change your life would you? [Publish Date: 5/22, Pages: 320]
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman - This nonfiction read has me thinking about time in a new and less stressful way. [Publish Date: 8/21, Pages: 288]
The Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner - Historical fiction at its best, at least for me: post-war London, strong female characters, and a bookstore. [Publish Date: 5/22, Pages: 368]
I know I wrote about Four Thousand Weeks and This Time Tomorrow last month so excuse the repetition, but those books really stand out. I also loved These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant, and The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth (I will read everything she writes). A few books on my To Be Read (TBR) list include One Italian Summer, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, The House Plant, and Taste.
I love the many ideas in this article on How to Organize Your Book Collection from Bibliolifestyle. Generally, I default to groupings based on color but keep my “fancy” hardcovers in my living room. I love a rainbow book display but there are strong feelings on both sides. Some people argue that it is harder to find books when they are not alphabetized by author or even genre, but I am a visual learner and books often exist in my head based on the cover, not by title or author. I also keep specific shelves for unread books but I am noticing a lot of mix up there; it may be time for a reset.
Bookish Links:
I enjoyed this story about a woman’s quest to finish a reading list from her high school English teacher. Here is the list of books Steph Clemence read. [Note: I found the ads and unrelated links in this article on the website really disruptive but for some reason, on my phone, the ads were taken out and it is much easier to read.]
Where the Crawdads Sing is now in theaters and I have my ticket for this Saturday. I have never seen such a disparity between the audience and critic score on Rotten Tomatoes as this one! I will report back next month. Along with the movie’s opening, news reports resurfaced about author Delia Owens involvement in an unsolved murder.
When you are traveling afar or just exploring your hometown this summer, don’t forget to check out local indie bookstores and Little Free Libraries. You can find indie locations here and download the LFL App here.
Recent Reads
Remarkably Bright Creatures is a charming book told from three perspectives. There is Tova - a grief stricken widow, Cameron - a lost and less than mature thirty year old, and an octopus. Yes that's right, Marcellus the Octopus. Marcellus has keen powers of observation and is a talented escape artist. I loved two out of three of these characters from the start, and then finally I grew to appreciate the third character. This is a sweet story about grief and loss, friendship and found family. It's about new beginnings and accepting endings. Even when the author lets the reader in on the thread that ties these characters together, she continues to patiently weave the story together. This is a kind story, a warm hug, a comfy sweatshirt that feels just right. [Publish Date: 5/22, Pages: 368]
Hidden Valley Road deep dives into the topic of schizophrenia and more specifically, the Galvin family, which was ravaged by the disease. Mimi and Don had twelve children, and six of their ten boys suffered from schizophrenia. I learned so much about this disease, how it has been studied and treated over time, and the trauma for families experiencing it. This book reminds me of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Sacks in that this family is at the center of both a tragedy and a medical mystery. This book is well researched and written and I listened to it compulsively. The back and forth by researchers trying to decide the role of nature and nurture is fascinating. That being said, Hidden Valley Road is also pretty depressing; reading about the experience of the Galvin family is sad and getting to the end of the book and finding out the medical community doesn’t have a lot of answers is disappointing. [Publish Date: 4/20, Pages: 400]
The Narrowboat Summer is a calm enjoyable read that fits the lazy days of summer. Through a chance meetup, Sall and Eve find themselves committing to stepping away from their current lives and taking a narrowboat a few hundred miles down the river as a favor to its owner. Both women are at a crossroads in life (one has lost her job and the other is evaluating her marriage) and are wondering what is next for them. As they meet the challenges of handling the boat, working the locks, and connecting with other boaters, they both feel empowered and changed. This is not a book with high stakes, just a meandering journey down a river, taking notice of what life has to offer. [Publish Date: 1/22, Pages: 336]
Thanks for taking the time to read my newsletter, I would love to hear what your favorite recent reads are!