Noticing
Recent take-aways from my reading life, fun links, and a couple great fall book recommendations.
If ever there is a season for noticing, it is fall. There are slight changes in temperature, until one morning I wake up freezing because the window has been left open too wide. The gentle variations in color in the fields and trees - more gold, brown, yellow till suddenly my heart says “yes - it’s here, fall is here.” The full moon, the changing shadows, mums on porches, fall is all about noticing. I have been doing some noticing about my reading life recently.
I can be my own worst reading enemy.
After a spectacular spring, I struggled this summer to find books to sink into. There have been a few standouts but I’ve also DNF’ed1 so many books. Then I noticed that people were raving about books I had abandoned. It occurred to me that perhaps I am setting books aside too soon. I’m not giving them enough time for the plot to unfold or the character to be fully drawn. In the spirit of this realization, I returned to a couple of the books that I probably should not have set aside. Specifically, in August, I finished two books that took me a couple tries to get into and I am so glad I did. This is a good lesson for me - to be more patient both with books and with myself. I do not need to be in such a hurry all the time. I also am thinking about giving myself a metric of around 20% or 50 pages before quitting (DNF’ing).
Short but sweet is the way to go.
I also noticed that I leaned towards shorter novels this summer. This also feels like a trend in publishing - I am seeing a lot of thin novels come in the shop and sometimes these are just what I need. These are fully developed books around 200 pages long. These stories don’t waste time on excess characters or slow plot development. The authors seem to find just the right words and phrases, like a poet. A few I finished in August are The Hounding (review below), Peril at End House, and Bear-Tooth. Sipsworth and Clear are past favorites that come in at around 225 pages.
Why a short book?
It's a quick win. No need to return day after day for weeks to finish. It can usually be read in one or two sittings (or listened to on a longish drive.)
It can get me out of a reading slump. Reading slumps create confidence problems. I start asking myself what is wrong with me that I don’t like a certain book, is there something else I should be reading, and so on.
Finishing a book brings me a dopamine hit.
Fun Links
I would love to visit The Twisted Spine, a new bookstore in Brooklyn specializing in horror and dark liturature.
For a delicious fall, you can not beat this list of King Arthur recipes. Cinamon Roll Focaccia sounds amazing
A great essay on the pleasures of reading (and maybe why I shouldn’t be trying to “get through” books).
I had a great time teaching two embroidery workshops at Middleburg Books this summer, so I clapped when I saw this Good Housekeeping article.
I cannot wait for the film version of Hamnet to release on November 27th. If you have not read Hamnet (one of my favorite historical fiction novels ever) there is still time!
Behold the most fabulous reading nook:
Watch how it was created:
Recent Reads
The Hounding, which I reference above, is the perfect read for a chilly fall day. Set in a small village in eighteenth century England, the plot revolves around a family of five girls, being raised by their elderly grandfather. He is losing his sight and is barely managing the farm, let alone being able to handle his granddaughters. The girls catch the eyes of the townspeople for all the wrong reasons - they are too free, too vocal, too independent. Though they attend church and say the right things, rumors begin to fly. A few men step forward accusing them of turning into dogs. One man in particular finds the girls and their manner threatening and wants to stir up trouble. Deeply atmospheric, this excellent debut novel is set in a time when superstition and the fear of witchcraft reign. The accusations eventually lead to dramatic consequences. This short novel is filled with beautiful prose and provides a growing sense of dread as the story unfolds. There is a great payoff, and my only quibble with the book comes at the very end. This would be a great bookclub pick as there is so much to discuss. Short but so worth the read, and the cover is fabulous! [Published 8/25, Pages: 250]
The Witch’s Orchard is a propulsive and haunting mystery set in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. A small town has been irreparably changed since three young girls were abducted in seperate incidents. The perpetrator left an apple doll in each case. Oddly, one of the girls was returned later, but two have never been found. Now the brother of one of the missing girls hires Annie Gore, a former Air Force investigator turned private eye, in a last ditch effort to find out what happened. She is also from a small Appalachian town dealing with her own past trauma. Gore uncovers small town secrets, local folklore and myths, and things everyone would prefer to forget in her search for the truth. I never want to give too much away, but this stand alone mystery has great fall vibes with the mountain setting and emphasis on local folklore. [Published 8/25, Pages: 320]
These Summer Storms has been a hot seller in the shop. If you are a fan of The Wedding People, or if you are looking to keep your summer reading vibes going, don’t miss this one. This beach read with a bit of substance is told from the perspective of Alice Storm, one of four children of a wealthy tech magnate who has died unexpectedly. While a successful businessman, Franklin Storm was also a deeply controlling and alienating father. Nonetheless, Alice returns home to the family’s coastal island to pay her respects. Despite her plans for a short stay, Franklin is still pulling the levers from the grave. He assigns his four children and his wife tasks to undertake over a period of a week. Each task perfectly targeted at each person. As Alice wrestles with his legacy and her problematic family, she is also forced to face the facts that she too isn’t perfect and maybe her family are better working together than apart. A very handsome lawyer her father employs to oversee all of this brings a romance aspect that lights up the pages. If you aren’t ready to say goodbye to summer, this is a fun read. [Published 7/25, Pages: 400]
DNF - did not finish
The Hounding sounds so good. Thanks for that rec! I hadn't heard of that one.
Enjoyed your newsletter-always! I appreciated you sharing your introspections and how self aware you have become about your reading habits. Reading for job and pleasure must be a juggling act as you have so many other interests too. Loved the links (I want the doggie in the cute reading nook!)