When Worlds Collide
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The lead singer of my favorite band, U2, has written a memoir. Bono’s book Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story was published on 11/1. I have been a huge U2 fan since I was about 14 years old. I was ecstatic when my hubby got us tickets for his solo show in Nashville last week. For over two hours we listened to Bono tell stories and sing selections from a lifetime of song writing. It was absolutely brilliant. I love when my reading life collides with other passions, and this was THE BEST. Can you tell I had a good time? No photos or videos though as our cell phones were put on lockdown at the venue. If you are curious about the book - it is being well reviewed (click here and here) on both sides of the Atlantic and I can’t wait to dive in.
Travel Reading
I took an amazing trip to Rome and the Amalfi Coast in October and one of the main motivations of this trip was Anthony Doerr’s memoir Four Seasons in Rome. It is a love letter to the sprawling, complex, historic city of Rome. I also did some additional reading set in Italy prior and during our trip, including:
Stanley Tucci’s Taste: My Life Through Food, which inspired me to order Roman artichokes, Cacio Pepe, and Carbonara throughout my trip.
One Italian Summer, set in Positano, where we stayed. I enjoyed the fabulous and fun Trattoria La Tagliata, just like the main character in the book.
Angels and Demons by Dan Brown had me spotting obelisks and Bernini fountains all over Rome.
I often read books set in destinations both before and after I travel to them. They pave the way for me and, when I am home, they whisk me back to the place I was. If you are planning any trips in 2023 and want to do some reading for your trip, I highly recommend starting with the Strong Sense of Place podcast for location-based book recommendations. Hosts Dave and Mel are delightful to listen to and they give great suggestions. There are 44 episodes, each set around a geographical or themed location. Even if you are not planning a trip, their podcasts make you feel like you have taken a trip to that place. Their website is also full of fabulous book recommendations.
Give a Book Subscription
The holidays are just around the corner and I usually spotlight some clever “bookish” gifts this time of year. But what book lovers really want is more books! This November I am bringing a few book subscriptions to your attention that any reader would love to receive as a gift. (As always, I do not receive any compensation for product or book recommendations.)
Book of the Month is probably the most well known book subscription and is best for readers who want the newest titles. Recipients choose one book from five options each month (additional books can be purchased too). Gifts can be given in any increment (1, 3, 6, or 12 months.)
The Shelf Subscription from The Bookshelf is an awesome way to support a local bookstore. Each month newly released titles are handpicked by Bookshelf Staffers. I love that you can pick that staff member whose taste most matches up with the recipient. I am linking here specifically to the descriptions. There is something for everyone, including children’s options. (Subscriptions can be purchased for 1, 3, 6, or 12 months.)
Page1 Books offers fun book bundles (that include themed gift items along with a book) and a book subscription for 3, 6, or 12 months. They offer a personalized book subscription; you include some favorite authors/books and a couple that you or the recipient didn’t enjoy and they customize it. You can even include a link to someone’s Goodreads account. They also offer large-print and ebook subscriptions as well.
Book Passages has a Signed First Edition Club. Their goal is to encourage people to build meaningful libraries that go beyond today’s bestsellers. If you know someone who likes to read thoughtful books that not everyone else is reading, this sounds perfect for them. Click here to see a list of past picks. The store charges list price for the signed book plus the media mail cost and also includes articles, reviews, and author interviews related to that book. They also allow books to be returned within two weeks if you don’t like the selection.
RECENT READS
Note: It is nonfiction November and I am spotlighting two nonfiction books this month. I love all four of the books below and think they would make great gifts this holiday season!
The Measure’s premise is intriguing. One day, out of the blue, everyone above a certain age receives a box on their doorstep containing a string. It soon becomes clear that the strings are different lengths and predict the length of your life. From here the author introduces us to a number of characters all struggling to live in this new world where suddenly the unknowable is known. This is a debut novel and Erlick clearly thought out the implications of her plot. She does an amazing job of creating a picture of what might occur in our world if this were to happen. I flew through this propulsive novel. My only complaint is that, as the story unfolds, it actually becomes less exciting and a bit more mundane - both for the characters and the reader. The second half of the novel feels more like literary fiction rather than a dystopian thriller. That said, I still found the premise fascinating and thought Erlick does a great job figuring out the implications of knowing how long your life will be. This is a great book club pick because the premise provides so much to discuss.
[Published 6/22, pages 368]
I waited months to get The Palace Papers from the library. This is a sizable book and before I knew it, the ebook was returned and I was only half way through. At this point I immediately ordered my own physical copy. This is the most popular Royals book you have never heard of (it has over 10,000 4+ Goodreads reviews and over 6000 4.5 start reviews at Amazon). Written by Tina Brown, former Vogue Editor and author of The Diana Chronicles. Here, she walks us through most of the current Royals in fuller detail than I have read before. She covers Queen Elizabeth, Phillip, Charles, Diana, Camilla, Kate, William, Prince Andrew, Harry, and Meghan. She also provides a more nuanced view of these less than perfect people which generally made me more sympathetic to each of them (except Prince Andrew who is clearly horrid). Brown goes in depth about the negative role the press has played in most of the Royals’ lives - eavesdropping on phone calls and email, outing private information, harassing their love interests, etc. Much of this is illegal and though they are financially penalized and taken to court, the harassment continues. This book is very readable and makes a great background read if you are planning to read Prince Harry’s memoir Spare (expected in early 2023).
[Published 4/22, Pages 592]
Maggie O’Farrel took historical fiction to another level with Hamnet, and she has done it again with The Marriage Portrait. Though it took me a couple chapters to get into this book, before long I was entranced. O’Farrell again takes a minor person in history and creates a bright and vivid world for them. Set in Northern Italy during the Renaissance Period, Lucretzia, the third daughter of a grand duke is married off to the Duke of Florence at an early age. After experiencing freedom growing up, she is now forced to acquiesce in every area of her life and soon finds out how constraining it is being a Duchess. This book focuses on the first year of her marriage. As she continues to remain without child, life in the Villa becomes more precarious. O’Farrell writes in gorgeous prose, and carefully weaves an intricate plot in a brilliantly drawn historical setting. If you read and liked Hamnet, you will like this. If you haven’t read either Hamnet or A Marriage Portrait, I implore you to do so. I am positively gushing about how beautiful this story is!
[Published 9/22, Pages 352]
The Dirty Life is the story of a woman who left her tiny studio apartment and big city life for the sprawling acres but smaller life on a farm. Kimball unexpectedly falls in love with both a farmer and farming. In this very readable memoir, she chronicles the first year of starting a farm with the goal of providing all of a family or person’s food. They are growing vegetables, milking cows, tapping syrup, gathering eggs, and butchering a lot of things. She and her partner are doing this mostly alone and using horses rather than tractors to do the field work. Kimball is definitely not glamorizing farming but despite the hard work and endless chores, she is committed to it. This book is about 10 years old now and I am so happy that Essex Farm continues to flourish. If I lived in New York I would be tempted to become a member of their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), though I am not, in any way, tempted to farm.
[Published 4/11, pages 301]