november: 39, 40 & 41

black woods blue sky, by eowyn ivey (this was an odd book, creepy and mysterious, that i think i really enjoyed.  great to read in the winter, as it's set in alaska...if you're up for a little mysticism, i would highly recommend this!  but i don't think i can give it a wholehearted recommendation for everyone.)

little town on the prairie, by laura ingalls wilder (book 7 of 9!  i don't think i'd ever read this one...the blackface scene, which i knew was coming, was interesting to encounter.  as with all the little house books, we take the bad alongside the nostalgia...)

lightbreakers, by aja gabel (this was a book of the month club pick that i don't imagine i would have picked up without that recommendation.  a main character had a child die at age 3...he joins a time travel experimental project with the promise that he can go back and relive moments with his kid.  can he change the past?  we find out the answer to that in the book.  again, hard to know who to recommend this to: i can't imagine i would recommend it to anyone with young kids.  i'm glad i read it - it's well written - but it's in my free little library right now ready for someone out there to grab it.)

october: 35, 36, 37 & 38

the river is waiting, by wally lamb (there are a few wally lamb books that i LOVED and had a big impact on me, but some of his newer books haven't made the same impression on me.  this was a tough read (father goes to jail for accidentally killing his child - you find that out in the first chapter) and didn't ever reach a super uplifting place.  lamb is a great writer, but this was a tough one.)

how to be perfect, by michael shur (this is a tour through philosophy and different takes on how to live a good life.  i listened to this audiobook, which was a great listen (and had some celeb appearances) and enjoyed this book - and learned a bunch! - though i'm not sure i have retained much of what i learned...)

everything is tuberculosis, by john green (i loved this book, the nonfiction telling of what tuberculosis is and its history as a disease, interspersed with the contemporary story of a boy in sierra leone who is fighting TB. there is so much here about public health and what we prioritize or don't as a society.  i was really moved by this book and would highly recommend it!)

slow dance, by rainbow rowell (i like rowell as an author and this was in line with other books of hers that i've read - relatively light but well written.  i can't imagine this will stick with me long term, but i enjoyed reading it!)