Halfway Through...
My Year in Books So Far
We are more than half way through the year, or as some unfortunate souls like to remind me: it is only 22 weeks till Christmas. This prompted me to look back to see what my reading life has looked like so far and to determine where to focus my efforts in the second half of the year. Between January and June, I have read 56 books spread out over 10 countries and 10 different states. About a quarter of them have been non-fiction, and the rest fiction. Mysteries are still my jam and I have read 14 so far. I am ok with that since I love mysteries and could spend all my reading time in this category. I also have been devouring audio books this year - I have completed 14 through June, whereas I only listened to 8 in all of 2020.
Here are my top favorites (in no order) so far. I have reviewed many of these in past newsletters, so I will just say a few words about them:
Hamnet - A stand out for depth of story and beautiful prose
Sun Down Motel- A horror-mystery combo where both components are excellent
A Knock at Midnight - Compelling non-fiction about excessive drug sentencing
Deacon King Kong - Great characters and sense of place; fun and clever
The Girl with the Louding Voice - Inspiring heroine overcoming odds, unique voice
Between Two Kingdoms - A young woman’s journey through cancer and across the country
When Stars Go Dark - A trauma-informed literary mystery with complex characters
Longbourn - Beautifully written, engaging historical fiction
What are some of your reading goals for the rest this year? What is the book you were so excited to read a few months ago? What about that classic you want to dive into or the unread books on your shelves? Did you want to read a book in translation or about a topic you find facinating?
I can’t stop dreaming of visiting one of these bookstores on the beach. Unfortunately, I will need to visit TelAviv, Bulgaria, or Australia. Why don’t we have beach-bookstores in the US?
Even though I track the number of books I complete, not all books need to be finished or read cover to cover. We all have these types of books around the house - poetry, art, and essay collections, short stories and devotionals. Rather than read from front to back, I dip in and out of them again and again. I am more likely to buy the print version of this kind of book than one I finish in a few days or a week. Here are few that are currently laying around my house:
Recent Reads
I mentioned Malibu Rising as a great summer read in my last newsletter. This book follows four beautiful and talented siblings living in Malibu in the 1970s and 80s. It traces their complicated family life and current crises while following, hour by hour, the day of their big ‘End of Summer Party’. I liked but didn’t love this story - it is a great beach book but none of the characters will stick with me. This book felt like a fast food meal meant to be consumed for the salt, fat, acid (beach, bodies, booze) not the nutritional value.
Set in 1930s colonial Malaysia, The Night Tiger is a mystical story that follows Ren, young house boy, and Ji Lin, who is trying to escape her domineering step-father. These parallel story-lines are destined to cross and creates a sense of anticipation that is rare in books. There are also mysterious deaths, a missing finger, and a tiger on the loose. Underlying all this are old world superstitions combined with the modern world of medicine. Intrigued yet? Night Tiger has a wonderful sense of place and the characters are endearing. This is a delightful read if you want to escape without the superficiality of Malibu Rising (ouch- did I just say that?).
Another excellent 2021 memoir from a young female author! (I also read and loved Finding Freedom & Between Two Kingdoms this year.) Crying at H-Mart chronicles Michelle Zauner’s life as it is turned upside down by her mom’s cancer diagnosis. She looks back on their divisive and fraught relationship as a teen. Her mom is Korean (her dad is American) and she often feels caught between the two worlds. But where Michelle finds strength and healing is through making & eating traditional Korean dishes. This memoir takes the idea of “comfort food” to a whole other level. Listening to the book, I was able to enjoy the beautiful sound of the ingredients and dishes that Michelle recalls from childhood and attempts to recreate without struggling over the pronunciation. I also enjoyed listening to Michelle discuss her book on Happier Podcast with Gretchen Rubin.
Backlist Mysteries:
Iron Lake is Krueger's first book in the Cork O’Connor series. As the ex-sheriff of a small Minnesota town, O’Connor can’t seem to leave things well enough alone. When a powerful judge commits suicide and a local boy goes missing the same night, Cork has questions that no one wants to answer. Think Longmire: a crusty older cop struggling in his personal life, and the impact of the new casino that the native Ashinobi tribe operate. In this case though, our protagonist is part Ashinobi. This is book one of 18 in the series! So if you enjoy this, there are plenty to read after.
Laura Lipman is known for her gritty crime novels set in Baltimore MD. After I Am Gone is less a mystery than a tale of a complicated family. A retired cop takes up solving cold cases for extra cash. His first case is about a missing woman who was the mistress of a gangster that disappeared years ago. It is assumed she went with him until her body was discovered years later. Now, 10 years later, the detective revisits the case to see if he can uncover the truth. Much of the book is told first hand by the people involved - particularly the family of the gangster. It feels more like a complicated family drama than a police procedural. Even so, I had trouble pushing the pause button on this audio book.
What have you been reading this summer?
Great summation--as always. At some point I will read Malibu Rising because hey, it's Malibu and my era. Those pop ups on the beach? So, so clever. The beach is where you take a book NO MATTER WHAT! I read To Kill a Mockingbird at Torrance Beach summer before starting 8th grade. Game changing. Continue the year fruitfully Shayne! xo Les
Your newsletter came just in time as I was looking for a new book! Read Between two kingdoms based on your earlier recommendation and really enjoyed it! Mysteries aren't my thing but I've read many of your other recommendations ... and look forward to your newsletter! This is the first year I've listen more than I've read!!