oh, to look back at a different time, where i read books in restaurants and drove around enough to listen to audiobooks in large chunks...
in february i read:
this book is anti-racist, by tiffany jewell (this is the book i read in a restaurant, as i took myself out to a fancy dinner before going back to work for an evening event. the director of equity and inclusion at my school gave it to me to preview because she's considering asking the whole faculty to read it this summer. it's aimed at a high school audience, but is a great primer for talking about diversity work; i ultimately highly encouraged her to go forward with her plan. two phrases i particularly liked: instead of "minority" or "people of color," she prefers "people of the global majority." i was into that. and instead of "allies," she calls people like me "co-conspirators," which i also loved. if you work in education, this would be a valuable book to investigate!)
leaders eat last, by simon sinek (this took me a long time to read, as many professional development books do, but i finally finished it in february. a lot of valuable ideas in this and it's definitely worth familiarizing yourself with sinek's work if you do leadership work in your organization.)
there there, by tommy orange (i re-read this because tommy orange came to pittsburgh and i had tickets to see him! guys, in february we gathered together in large numbers. it was a thing we did. i loved his lecture, which was thoughtful and intimate. and this book is really incredible, so i continue to recommend it to you!)
the dutch house, by ann patchett (i listened to the first half of this on audiobook (tom hanks narrates - it's amazing) and then when it got auto-returned to the library because my time was up i read a hard copy of the remaining 2/3 of the book. i would highly recommend this book - the story of a family and a house that is just as much a character as the family is. it goes back and forth in time and thus unfolds in a really interesting way. read this book! it's just as good as all the hype says it is.)
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Monday, February 10, 2020
january: 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
new year, new reading list! i started off strong in january:
a woman is no man, by etaf rum (oh, i loved this book, the story of a palestinian woman who moves to america to get married, and also the story of her american-born daughter. this is one of those books that opened up my eyes to a world i hadn't encountered before and the story is SO well told. highly highly recommend!)
city of girls, by elizabeth gilbert (you just go ahead and skip this one, unless you're on a beach and need a really light read between sips of fruity drinks. it was too light and not terribly interesting, honestly...and also a horrible book to read following the super intense and really enlightening read of a woman is no man - it just couldn't compare to how much i loved that book.)
out of this furnace, by thomas bell (guys, my now-boyfriend bought me this book when he was just my friend and i had just moved to pittsburgh. it's his favorite book, and tells the story of three generations of immigrant mill workers in pittsburgh in the late 19th and early 20th century. it's beautifully written in places and a really compelling story of how my new city was built! he re-read it while i read it for the first time (all told, it took me about six months to finish this book as i kept putting it down while i waited for him to catch back up to where i was) and the act of read it alongside him was just as sweet to do as you're imagining it would be. i would highly recommend that pittsburghers read this!)
letters to a young poet, by rainer maria rilke (this is a tiny book that piqued my interested when it was referenced in the friend and i'm glad i picked it up and dived into it. i don't think it changed my life, but it does include the best line about love that i've maybe ever read: “
golden child, by claire adam (guys, this is another one of sarah jessica parker's recommendations through the publishing house that she's working with and i loved it. SJP can recommend books for me any day! this is the story of twin brothers in trinidad - one is the brilliant gifted student and the other appears to have some misunderstood learning difference. it's about family and tough choices and parental sacrifices and i found it an incredibly compelling story line. this would make a great book club read - so much to talk about! highly recommend.)
a woman is no man, by etaf rum (oh, i loved this book, the story of a palestinian woman who moves to america to get married, and also the story of her american-born daughter. this is one of those books that opened up my eyes to a world i hadn't encountered before and the story is SO well told. highly highly recommend!)
city of girls, by elizabeth gilbert (you just go ahead and skip this one, unless you're on a beach and need a really light read between sips of fruity drinks. it was too light and not terribly interesting, honestly...and also a horrible book to read following the super intense and really enlightening read of a woman is no man - it just couldn't compare to how much i loved that book.)
out of this furnace, by thomas bell (guys, my now-boyfriend bought me this book when he was just my friend and i had just moved to pittsburgh. it's his favorite book, and tells the story of three generations of immigrant mill workers in pittsburgh in the late 19th and early 20th century. it's beautifully written in places and a really compelling story of how my new city was built! he re-read it while i read it for the first time (all told, it took me about six months to finish this book as i kept putting it down while i waited for him to catch back up to where i was) and the act of read it alongside him was just as sweet to do as you're imagining it would be. i would highly recommend that pittsburghers read this!)
letters to a young poet, by rainer maria rilke (this is a tiny book that piqued my interested when it was referenced in the friend and i'm glad i picked it up and dived into it. i don't think it changed my life, but it does include the best line about love that i've maybe ever read: “
golden child, by claire adam (guys, this is another one of sarah jessica parker's recommendations through the publishing house that she's working with and i loved it. SJP can recommend books for me any day! this is the story of twin brothers in trinidad - one is the brilliant gifted student and the other appears to have some misunderstood learning difference. it's about family and tough choices and parental sacrifices and i found it an incredibly compelling story line. this would make a great book club read - so much to talk about! highly recommend.)
Friday, January 3, 2020
2019 in books
a recap:
2010: i read 15 books.
2011: i started my book challenge with the goal of reading 25 books; i read 38.
2012: 34 books
2013: 34 books again
2014: 32 books
2015: 35 books
2016: 58 books (fluke/who have i become?)
2017: 57 books (the new normal?)
2018: 42 books (which somehow feels like a failure even though i know it's not.)
2019: 54 books (i'm back, baby!)
17 of those were diverse books (as in, the main character or the author is not white) - this is my highest total in a year yet and i'm really proud of this!
my favorite books of 2019:
bone, by yrsa daley-ward
the heart’s invisible furies, by john boyne
a place for us, by fatima farheen mirza
all the ugly and wonderful things, by bryn greenwood
heavy, by kiese laymon
no one tells you this: a memoir, by glynnis macnicol
the testaments, by margaret atwood
2010: i read 15 books.
2011: i started my book challenge with the goal of reading 25 books; i read 38.
2012: 34 books
2013: 34 books again
2014: 32 books
2015: 35 books
2016: 58 books (fluke/who have i become?)
2017: 57 books (the new normal?)
2018: 42 books (which somehow feels like a failure even though i know it's not.)
2019: 54 books (i'm back, baby!)
17 of those were diverse books (as in, the main character or the author is not white) - this is my highest total in a year yet and i'm really proud of this!
my favorite books of 2019:
bone, by yrsa daley-ward
the heart’s invisible furies, by john boyne
a place for us, by fatima farheen mirza
all the ugly and wonderful things, by bryn greenwood
heavy, by kiese laymon
no one tells you this: a memoir, by glynnis macnicol
the testaments, by margaret atwood
december: 52, 53 & 54
here's how i finished up 2019!
political tribes, by amy chua (i listened to this on audiobook and it was interesting and ultimately good but could have been a longform essay instead of a book, which is how i feel about a fair amount of nonfiction. so don't rush out to get this, but i did learn some interesting stuff in this book about human desire to belong to a group and thus to create "out group members" and the problems that can create.)
this is my body, by cameron dezen hammon (i read this at the recommendation of a friend and it was fine and all but i think a more religious person was the target audience here. if you are that more religious 30-something woman, look into this book. otherwise, please skip.)
salt to the sea, by ruta sepetys (arron's aunt lent me this and i really enjoyed it. there are four narrators and each chapter is only a few pages long, so it was perfect to read in little snippets during winter break. a super easy and rewarding read and i learned a lot about an aspect of WWII history that i knew nothing about - the fleeing of refugees and wealthy germans by boat in 1945 as it became clear germany was going to lose the war. if you like historical fiction, i highly recommend!)
political tribes, by amy chua (i listened to this on audiobook and it was interesting and ultimately good but could have been a longform essay instead of a book, which is how i feel about a fair amount of nonfiction. so don't rush out to get this, but i did learn some interesting stuff in this book about human desire to belong to a group and thus to create "out group members" and the problems that can create.)
this is my body, by cameron dezen hammon (i read this at the recommendation of a friend and it was fine and all but i think a more religious person was the target audience here. if you are that more religious 30-something woman, look into this book. otherwise, please skip.)
salt to the sea, by ruta sepetys (arron's aunt lent me this and i really enjoyed it. there are four narrators and each chapter is only a few pages long, so it was perfect to read in little snippets during winter break. a super easy and rewarding read and i learned a lot about an aspect of WWII history that i knew nothing about - the fleeing of refugees and wealthy germans by boat in 1945 as it became clear germany was going to lose the war. if you like historical fiction, i highly recommend!)
november: 50 & 51
the testaments, by margaret atwood (this is atwood's sequel-of-sorts to the handmaid's tale and i put my name on the list at the library super early for this and was lucky enough to get it at the end of october - woo hoo! i'm actually a card-carrying member of two libraries - houston and pittsburgh - which was been a real boon to my reading. the pittsburgh carnegie library system is amazing and has much more extensive holdings than houston, btw, which you might not be surprised to hear given their namesake's endowment. but that's neither here nor there. i loved this book, which does not take us back to offred's story but instead gives us a few other women and their stories both inside and outside gilead. the book is set 15 or so years after the handmaid's tale ends. highly recommend!)
the great believers, by rebecca makkai (my friend kenley recommended this to me and i'm so glad she did. a really great story told in two time frames - 1980s chicago, through the eyes of a gay man facing the AIDS crisis in his friend group, and 2010s paris, as the sister of a man in that friend group searches for her daughter. this was a quick and satisfying read, though obviously pretty tough to read at points.)
the great believers, by rebecca makkai (my friend kenley recommended this to me and i'm so glad she did. a really great story told in two time frames - 1980s chicago, through the eyes of a gay man facing the AIDS crisis in his friend group, and 2010s paris, as the sister of a man in that friend group searches for her daughter. this was a quick and satisfying read, though obviously pretty tough to read at points.)
october: 45, 46, 47, 48 & 49
and here i am catching up on posting what i read this fall. sheesh - i should have posted this months ago! but here we go. in october i read:
educated, by tara westover (i listened to the audiobook of this one and loved it. it's just as incredible as everyone says it is and memoirs are one of my favorite genres. highly recommend!)
american spy, by lauren wilkinson (this book had such a great premise - black female CIA agent does lots of spying - but i found the book to be a bit ponderous and i kind of had to make myself finish it. even though obama liked it, don't run out to grab this one.)
the woman in the window, by a.j. finn (super creepy thriller that i read for a work book club - it's not my normal genre, but i did like gone girl and the girl on the train so i guess i read these kind of books when they get a ton of press. it gave me a nightmare so i guess it did its job. i was definitely intrigued and was trying to guess who was the bad guy through the book. this would be a great beach read or (what's the winter equivalent?)...a ski weekend read. definitely google the author after you read the book. he's got some weird stuff going on in his world, too...)
talking to strangers, by malcolm gladwell (i listened to the audiobook of this, too, which was worth it. i always like gladwell's books and this was no exception, but this book tackles some really tough themes - rape, police shootings, and waterboarding among others - so be warned that parts of this book are hard to get through ESPECIALLY if you listen to the audiobook, as gladwell includes some real audio clips from sandra bland's police stop, for example. i'm glad i read this and would recommend it!)
the handmaid's tale, by margaret atwood (i re-read this in preparation for reading her most recent book. i've watched the tv show and really enjoyed it, but i loved going back to the story the show is based on and seeing how atwood crafted this world before hollywood got involved. i pulled out several quotes from the book about love that really spoke to me. all in all, very glad i went back to this.)
educated, by tara westover (i listened to the audiobook of this one and loved it. it's just as incredible as everyone says it is and memoirs are one of my favorite genres. highly recommend!)
american spy, by lauren wilkinson (this book had such a great premise - black female CIA agent does lots of spying - but i found the book to be a bit ponderous and i kind of had to make myself finish it. even though obama liked it, don't run out to grab this one.)
the woman in the window, by a.j. finn (super creepy thriller that i read for a work book club - it's not my normal genre, but i did like gone girl and the girl on the train so i guess i read these kind of books when they get a ton of press. it gave me a nightmare so i guess it did its job. i was definitely intrigued and was trying to guess who was the bad guy through the book. this would be a great beach read or (what's the winter equivalent?)...a ski weekend read. definitely google the author after you read the book. he's got some weird stuff going on in his world, too...)
talking to strangers, by malcolm gladwell (i listened to the audiobook of this, too, which was worth it. i always like gladwell's books and this was no exception, but this book tackles some really tough themes - rape, police shootings, and waterboarding among others - so be warned that parts of this book are hard to get through ESPECIALLY if you listen to the audiobook, as gladwell includes some real audio clips from sandra bland's police stop, for example. i'm glad i read this and would recommend it!)
the handmaid's tale, by margaret atwood (i re-read this in preparation for reading her most recent book. i've watched the tv show and really enjoyed it, but i loved going back to the story the show is based on and seeing how atwood crafted this world before hollywood got involved. i pulled out several quotes from the book about love that really spoke to me. all in all, very glad i went back to this.)
Thursday, October 24, 2019
september: 42, 43 & 44
dreamland, by sam quinones (oh guys, i was fascinated by this book. it's the (nonfiction) story of how the opioid epidemic got started, mixed with the story of heroin trafficking from mexico. it's narrative and focuses on some particular cities and people. i learned a ton and even though this book is a few years old the is obviously still news headlines and i feel a lot more able to understand the conversation. i'd highly recommend it!)
the friend, by sigrid nunez (my school's librarian has started a book club for faculty which is obviously totally my jam. this was the september pick - an author i'd never heard of, but this book won the national book award last year so i'm surprised i didn't know about her. i really loved this book. the story of a relationship and a dog and meditations on death and grieving. the author spoke in pittsburgh and i went to the event with three people from work (look - i'm making friends!) and it was really cool to hear her speak. this book is literary and really accessible all in one and i loved it. highly recommend!)
this tender land, by william kent krueger (this was my book of the month club pick and it was fine and all but didn't blow me away. it's a huck finn story set during the depression in minnesota, and the main characters are runaways from an indian boarding school. great premise, but the book dragged a bit. i didn't dislike it, i just am not running out to recommend it to others.)
the friend, by sigrid nunez (my school's librarian has started a book club for faculty which is obviously totally my jam. this was the september pick - an author i'd never heard of, but this book won the national book award last year so i'm surprised i didn't know about her. i really loved this book. the story of a relationship and a dog and meditations on death and grieving. the author spoke in pittsburgh and i went to the event with three people from work (look - i'm making friends!) and it was really cool to hear her speak. this book is literary and really accessible all in one and i loved it. highly recommend!)
this tender land, by william kent krueger (this was my book of the month club pick and it was fine and all but didn't blow me away. it's a huck finn story set during the depression in minnesota, and the main characters are runaways from an indian boarding school. great premise, but the book dragged a bit. i didn't dislike it, i just am not running out to recommend it to others.)
Thursday, September 26, 2019
august: 39, 40 & 41
in august i read:
transcription, by kate atkinson (i didn't love this book, and i really did love the few other kate atkinson books i've read. read life after life instead of this one! i just didn't find this story line compelling enough for me, and life after life is fantastic.)
how not to die alone, by richard roper (a super sweet and compelling story about a man who works for a government agency in england that tries to find the next of kin for people who die alone. while he also works in his personal life on not being that person who does alone. an easy read - would be perfect for the beach or another vacation, even given the somewhat grim subject matter - it's not a depressing book to read at all. i recommend it!)
the reckless oath we made, by bryn greenwood (this is the second book by this author that i've read this year and i really love her writing. this one, like all the ugly and wonderful things, is profoundly sad at times, but there's also a spirit to her characters that tells you they can overcome the bad things in their life. i think that's why i like her writing so much! i'd highly recommend you check out one of her books.)
transcription, by kate atkinson (i didn't love this book, and i really did love the few other kate atkinson books i've read. read life after life instead of this one! i just didn't find this story line compelling enough for me, and life after life is fantastic.)
how not to die alone, by richard roper (a super sweet and compelling story about a man who works for a government agency in england that tries to find the next of kin for people who die alone. while he also works in his personal life on not being that person who does alone. an easy read - would be perfect for the beach or another vacation, even given the somewhat grim subject matter - it's not a depressing book to read at all. i recommend it!)
the reckless oath we made, by bryn greenwood (this is the second book by this author that i've read this year and i really love her writing. this one, like all the ugly and wonderful things, is profoundly sad at times, but there's also a spirit to her characters that tells you they can overcome the bad things in their life. i think that's why i like her writing so much! i'd highly recommend you check out one of her books.)
july: 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 & 38
back into my bad habit of not updating this frequently enough! here we go...here's what i read in july:
a very large expanse of sea, by tahereh mafi (a decent but not exceptional YA book about a muslim-american girl right after 9/11. my new school actually picked it as the all-freshman read, but as an adult who likes YA i wasn't blown away.)
no one tells you this: a memoir, by glynnis macnicol (now this i was blown away by. a memoir of a woman around her 40th birthday, confronting being single / does she want children and also struggling with her mother's chronic illness. that sounds super depressing, but the writing was gorgeous and i could relate so much to the situation the author was in (minus the ill mother). i was recommending this left and right to women around my age!)
me and earl and the dying girl, by jesse andrews (another decent but not exceptional YA book. this one is set in pittsburgh, which is why i read it. i think i read the whole thing on the flight from london to pittsburgh on my way back from my european trip. i'd recommend it for a similar situation!)
thirteen ways of looking, by colum mccann (i loved this - short stories from an author i really enjoy. i got this at a used bookstore and was so pleased to finally read it.)
the sun also rises, by ernest hemingway (uh, guys? this didn't do it for me. i know other people adore it and i have loved other hemingway works - and really enjoyed some autobiographical stuff he wrote - but this felt very dated. pro-bullriding, pro-alcoholism, problematic language and discussions about people of other races. this is not hemingway at his best in terms of character. which is maybe me asking too much of him?)
heavy, by kiese laymon (adored this memoir. a must-read for you all. it's a memoir of growing up black in the south and also of growing up overweight. i found a lot that spoke to my own experience with the voices in my head about my weight, but a lot that was a window into a totally different world and experience. he's a GORGEOUS writer, and he read the audiobook. so if you have an opportunity to read the book that way i'd highly recommend it!)
a very large expanse of sea, by tahereh mafi (a decent but not exceptional YA book about a muslim-american girl right after 9/11. my new school actually picked it as the all-freshman read, but as an adult who likes YA i wasn't blown away.)
no one tells you this: a memoir, by glynnis macnicol (now this i was blown away by. a memoir of a woman around her 40th birthday, confronting being single / does she want children and also struggling with her mother's chronic illness. that sounds super depressing, but the writing was gorgeous and i could relate so much to the situation the author was in (minus the ill mother). i was recommending this left and right to women around my age!)
me and earl and the dying girl, by jesse andrews (another decent but not exceptional YA book. this one is set in pittsburgh, which is why i read it. i think i read the whole thing on the flight from london to pittsburgh on my way back from my european trip. i'd recommend it for a similar situation!)
thirteen ways of looking, by colum mccann (i loved this - short stories from an author i really enjoy. i got this at a used bookstore and was so pleased to finally read it.)
the sun also rises, by ernest hemingway (uh, guys? this didn't do it for me. i know other people adore it and i have loved other hemingway works - and really enjoyed some autobiographical stuff he wrote - but this felt very dated. pro-bullriding, pro-alcoholism, problematic language and discussions about people of other races. this is not hemingway at his best in terms of character. which is maybe me asking too much of him?)
heavy, by kiese laymon (adored this memoir. a must-read for you all. it's a memoir of growing up black in the south and also of growing up overweight. i found a lot that spoke to my own experience with the voices in my head about my weight, but a lot that was a window into a totally different world and experience. he's a GORGEOUS writer, and he read the audiobook. so if you have an opportunity to read the book that way i'd highly recommend it!)
Thursday, August 8, 2019
june: 29, 30, 31 & 32
finally catching up on telling you what i read in june!
american pop, by snowden wright (this is a fun quick read about a fictional family creating a fictional soda company to compete with coke and pepsi. it moves around in time through different members of the same family and i found it easy to follow and an enjoyable story line. not changing my life or anything, but i'd recommend!)
march, by geraldine brooks (oh, i loved this book - the retelling of little women from the absent father's perspective. i really like geraldine brooks' writing and this book did not disappoint. if you have read little women i would highly recommend this! if you haven't, i think you can skip...much of the appeal is that i already "knew" the family.)
ask again, yes, by mary beth keane (this book is getting a ton of press right now and jimmy fallon just picked it to be his summer book club book and he's talking about it on his show on august 15th! i really loved this book and would highly recommend it. it's one of those books that doesn't fit a specific pattern and you don't totally know where it's going or how far into these characters' lives you will follow them, but you are super eager to find out more. there are a few really good cliff hangers. it's a perfect summer read - i'd highly recommend!)
daisy jones & the six, by taylor jenkins reid (everyone was talking about this book and it's a great vacation read. it is set up in interview style, with a fictional band looking back on how they formed and their early years traveling the road together. i legit would forget this wasn't a real band, and when they talked about specific songs or albums i'd almost get up to go listen to it on spotify. ha! this book didn't change my life but it was an enjoyable read.)
american pop, by snowden wright (this is a fun quick read about a fictional family creating a fictional soda company to compete with coke and pepsi. it moves around in time through different members of the same family and i found it easy to follow and an enjoyable story line. not changing my life or anything, but i'd recommend!)
march, by geraldine brooks (oh, i loved this book - the retelling of little women from the absent father's perspective. i really like geraldine brooks' writing and this book did not disappoint. if you have read little women i would highly recommend this! if you haven't, i think you can skip...much of the appeal is that i already "knew" the family.)
ask again, yes, by mary beth keane (this book is getting a ton of press right now and jimmy fallon just picked it to be his summer book club book and he's talking about it on his show on august 15th! i really loved this book and would highly recommend it. it's one of those books that doesn't fit a specific pattern and you don't totally know where it's going or how far into these characters' lives you will follow them, but you are super eager to find out more. there are a few really good cliff hangers. it's a perfect summer read - i'd highly recommend!)
daisy jones & the six, by taylor jenkins reid (everyone was talking about this book and it's a great vacation read. it is set up in interview style, with a fictional band looking back on how they formed and their early years traveling the road together. i legit would forget this wasn't a real band, and when they talked about specific songs or albums i'd almost get up to go listen to it on spotify. ha! this book didn't change my life but it was an enjoyable read.)
Monday, June 3, 2019
may: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 & 28
this month i read:
american primitive, by mary oliver (when mary oliver died, i finally bought a book of her poetry after loving the few poems of hers that i had already read. this book won the pulitzer prize, and was SO lovely. highly recommend!)
the art of gathering, by priya parker (guys, i can't stop talking about this book. brilliance about how to lead parties AND work meetings that are meaningful and purposeful. i folded a ton of pages down and will be trying to implement some of the concepts at my new job. HIGHLY recommend!)
beartown, by fredrik backman (i was really looking forward to this book, as i loved backman's other books. this...didn't do it for me. the book is about a sexual assault and the community's reactions to the aftermath. processing it with some friends, i realized i didn't like it because it's TOO real and it was painful to spend like 60% of the book dwelling in how horrible the "after" was for the young woman and her family and the community. so maybe that's actually a compliment for this book? but it's the first of his books that i wouldn't recommend. read something else of his instead!)
all the ugly and wonderful things, by bryn greenwood (uh guys this was incredible. the [fictional] story of a girl called wavy who grows up the child of meth addicts. i loved the characters and the relationships but it was heartbreaking at times. HIGHLY recommend this one - the good stuff was so wonderful that it was worth the hard parts to read.)
the second mrs. hockaday, by susan rivers (a fine but not exceptional civil war epistolary novel about a woman and a man and a baby who dies. i'm into that kind of book, but i know it's not everyone's cup of tea.)
how to raise an adult, by julie lythcott-haims (lythcott-haims came to the school where i work and spoke this fall; my book club read her memoir of growing up biracial in the 1980s, and then i finally read this education/parenting book this spring. highly recommend, if you work in education or are a parent! i folded down a lot of pages.)
goodbye days, by jeff zentner (young adult - another book by an author i loved but this wasn't the right book for me because it was too real and too sad. in this one, a kid texts a friend who is driving a car. in responding to the text, he gets into an accident and the three kids in the car die. SO DEPRESSING OMG I CRIED A FAIR AMOUNT. another one i can't recommend because, though it was super well written, it was too sad to foist upon another person.)
american primitive, by mary oliver (when mary oliver died, i finally bought a book of her poetry after loving the few poems of hers that i had already read. this book won the pulitzer prize, and was SO lovely. highly recommend!)
the art of gathering, by priya parker (guys, i can't stop talking about this book. brilliance about how to lead parties AND work meetings that are meaningful and purposeful. i folded a ton of pages down and will be trying to implement some of the concepts at my new job. HIGHLY recommend!)
beartown, by fredrik backman (i was really looking forward to this book, as i loved backman's other books. this...didn't do it for me. the book is about a sexual assault and the community's reactions to the aftermath. processing it with some friends, i realized i didn't like it because it's TOO real and it was painful to spend like 60% of the book dwelling in how horrible the "after" was for the young woman and her family and the community. so maybe that's actually a compliment for this book? but it's the first of his books that i wouldn't recommend. read something else of his instead!)
all the ugly and wonderful things, by bryn greenwood (uh guys this was incredible. the [fictional] story of a girl called wavy who grows up the child of meth addicts. i loved the characters and the relationships but it was heartbreaking at times. HIGHLY recommend this one - the good stuff was so wonderful that it was worth the hard parts to read.)
the second mrs. hockaday, by susan rivers (a fine but not exceptional civil war epistolary novel about a woman and a man and a baby who dies. i'm into that kind of book, but i know it's not everyone's cup of tea.)
how to raise an adult, by julie lythcott-haims (lythcott-haims came to the school where i work and spoke this fall; my book club read her memoir of growing up biracial in the 1980s, and then i finally read this education/parenting book this spring. highly recommend, if you work in education or are a parent! i folded down a lot of pages.)
goodbye days, by jeff zentner (young adult - another book by an author i loved but this wasn't the right book for me because it was too real and too sad. in this one, a kid texts a friend who is driving a car. in responding to the text, he gets into an accident and the three kids in the car die. SO DEPRESSING OMG I CRIED A FAIR AMOUNT. another one i can't recommend because, though it was super well written, it was too sad to foist upon another person.)
Monday, May 6, 2019
april: 18, 19, 20 & 21
evicted, by matthew desmond (this is a re-read of an incredibly powerful and important book - i re-read it because i led a faculty book club at school on the book this spring. reading and talking about it with others was so rewarding - but also a reminder of how depressing it is to enter the world of people constantly facing eviction. it's as if looking at that world alongside other people forces you to confront how truly horrible it is. sigh. READ THIS BOOK, even though parts of it will be hard to get through.)
normal people, by sally rooney (this was my book of the month club pick last month, and it's getting a ton of good press, but this book did not do it for me. the relationship was messy and both main characters had some real flaws and self-destructive qualities that i was like YOU NEED TO SEEK THERAPY FOR THIS and it wasn't escapist - it was just messy and occasionally bad like real life is messy and occasionally bad. so it didn't do it for me, and i was glad that others on goodreads agreed with me - with the articles in the major newspapers being so positive, i wanted to make sure i wasn't being too judge-y. goodreads gave me permission to feel the way i feel about it.)
the library book, by susan orlean (i read this for my book club - what a lovely meditations on libraries and los angeles and (the main point of the book) the library fire from the 1980s. this was an easy book to pop in and out of because a lot of the chapters could stand on their own - and weren't terribly long. highly recommend!)
uncommon type, by tom hanks (on a friend's suggestion, i listened to the audiobook of this one, which hanks reads. i liked this but didn't love it - it was well worth a listen while i drove around town, but i won't be running out to purchase it for anyone. the common theme throughout all these short stories is typewriters, and seeing how the typewriter played a role in each story was fun. there are also three or four stories that feature the same set of characters, which i really enjoyed.)
normal people, by sally rooney (this was my book of the month club pick last month, and it's getting a ton of good press, but this book did not do it for me. the relationship was messy and both main characters had some real flaws and self-destructive qualities that i was like YOU NEED TO SEEK THERAPY FOR THIS and it wasn't escapist - it was just messy and occasionally bad like real life is messy and occasionally bad. so it didn't do it for me, and i was glad that others on goodreads agreed with me - with the articles in the major newspapers being so positive, i wanted to make sure i wasn't being too judge-y. goodreads gave me permission to feel the way i feel about it.)
the library book, by susan orlean (i read this for my book club - what a lovely meditations on libraries and los angeles and (the main point of the book) the library fire from the 1980s. this was an easy book to pop in and out of because a lot of the chapters could stand on their own - and weren't terribly long. highly recommend!)
uncommon type, by tom hanks (on a friend's suggestion, i listened to the audiobook of this one, which hanks reads. i liked this but didn't love it - it was well worth a listen while i drove around town, but i won't be running out to purchase it for anyone. the common theme throughout all these short stories is typewriters, and seeing how the typewriter played a role in each story was fun. there are also three or four stories that feature the same set of characters, which i really enjoyed.)
Sunday, April 7, 2019
march: 13, 14, 15, 16 & 17
a place for us, by fatima farheen mirza (this book was fabulous - the story of a muslim-american family with three children, told from different points of view within the family over a 25-ish year span. you revisit events and see them from different perspectives. you see the impact of gender and expectations and birth order and the immigrant experience. i LOVED this book and the characters in it, and it made me want to read other books that sarah jessica parker is promoting through her new imprint with hogarth press.)
year of yes, by shonda rhimes (i don't often buy "self help"-ish books, but this one seemed like a good one to bring into my 2019. it was a super easy read and i loved her story. not too much in terms of take aways (i had no huge "aha!" moments while reading it), but i enjoyed it. it would be a perfect read for an airplane or on vacation.)
queenie, by candice carty-williams (my newest book of the month club selection, set in london with a main character who is jamaican-british. she's going through a rough patch - both of her own making and of things outside her control - so parts of the book are hard to read because you are watching the main character be self-destructive. but she was so vividly brought to life as a character that i enjoyed this story and the journey she went on. don't rush out to buy it, but i give it a thumbs up.)
dead wake, by erik larson (i listened to the audiobook of this, which is about the sinking of lusitania. you get the story in alternate chapters from onboard the boat, on board the u-boat that ended up sinking it, and in the british intelligence office that had cracked the german code and was monitoring u-boats in the english channel. i was fascinated by all the details in this story. erik larson is really great at his job as a writer of narrative nonfiction. big thumbs up, and i would recommend this even if you don't think you care about the lusitania!)
the terrible, by yrsa daley-ward (i read this in one day, on the yoga retreat i went on at the end of march. i loved daley-ward's book of poetry called bone, and this is a poetry-prose memoir of her childhood. i LOVE memoirs and this one did not disappoint. a fascinating look into a different word, and crazy to imagine that she has become as successful as she has with the obstacles she's had to overcome. love her work, and i would LOVE to see her read or speak in person.)
year of yes, by shonda rhimes (i don't often buy "self help"-ish books, but this one seemed like a good one to bring into my 2019. it was a super easy read and i loved her story. not too much in terms of take aways (i had no huge "aha!" moments while reading it), but i enjoyed it. it would be a perfect read for an airplane or on vacation.)
queenie, by candice carty-williams (my newest book of the month club selection, set in london with a main character who is jamaican-british. she's going through a rough patch - both of her own making and of things outside her control - so parts of the book are hard to read because you are watching the main character be self-destructive. but she was so vividly brought to life as a character that i enjoyed this story and the journey she went on. don't rush out to buy it, but i give it a thumbs up.)
dead wake, by erik larson (i listened to the audiobook of this, which is about the sinking of lusitania. you get the story in alternate chapters from onboard the boat, on board the u-boat that ended up sinking it, and in the british intelligence office that had cracked the german code and was monitoring u-boats in the english channel. i was fascinated by all the details in this story. erik larson is really great at his job as a writer of narrative nonfiction. big thumbs up, and i would recommend this even if you don't think you care about the lusitania!)
the terrible, by yrsa daley-ward (i read this in one day, on the yoga retreat i went on at the end of march. i loved daley-ward's book of poetry called bone, and this is a poetry-prose memoir of her childhood. i LOVE memoirs and this one did not disappoint. a fascinating look into a different word, and crazy to imagine that she has become as successful as she has with the obstacles she's had to overcome. love her work, and i would LOVE to see her read or speak in person.)
Sunday, March 24, 2019
february: 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12
lots of reading this month, too!
there there, by tommy orange (this got a lot of press - including being on obama's reading list for last year - and i had tickets to see orange and valeria luiselli - see below - speak in houston and i was eager to finish a book from each of them before going. long story short: it POURED the night they were speaking and the streets were starting to flood and i stayed home. sadness. but! there there is absolutely worth a read. it's described as an "urban indian" story, in contrast to most indian stories we see in literature. a lot of characters - write them down so you don't get confused! - who all come together at a pow wow near the end of the book. it's also clear as the book goes on that something big is going to happen at the pow wow, so there's this thick creative tension as you read, which i loved. highly recommend!)
the mars room, by rachel kushner (this is the story of a woman going to prison for killing a man. "the mars room" is the name of the strip club where the woman works; the man is a customer. this is not, as you might have gathered, a super uplifting book, but a really interesting story that goes back and forth before and after the murder. this won't be my favorite book of the year, but i liked it just fine.)
the heart’s invisible furies, by john boyne (this will probably be my favorite book of the year. oh, how i loved this book. i won't say much so i don't spoil anything in case you read it, but it's the story of the life of a man born in ireland in 1945, told in 75-ish page chapters that are each 7 years apart. so the first one is his birth, then you flash to when he's 7, then 14, etc. i am a book of the month club members, and this was voted by readers as the best book they offered in 2017, which is why i picked it up. so worth it!)
the story of my teeth, by valeria luiselli (this book was...weird. latin american lit is not my favorite genre so perhaps i should have seen this coming, but this book is bizarre. i think perhaps this woman is brilliant and was doing something with literature that an english major would get a ton out of, but i had a hard time connecting with the characters and making it through some weird lists and more tedious parts. her newest book is getting a ton of great press, though, so try her writing if you're interested!)
different seasons, by stephen king (this is four novellas put together in one book - it includes the story that the shawshank redemption is based on. i tend to like the less scary stories by king, and this fits the bill. worth a read if this is your genre!)
there there, by tommy orange (this got a lot of press - including being on obama's reading list for last year - and i had tickets to see orange and valeria luiselli - see below - speak in houston and i was eager to finish a book from each of them before going. long story short: it POURED the night they were speaking and the streets were starting to flood and i stayed home. sadness. but! there there is absolutely worth a read. it's described as an "urban indian" story, in contrast to most indian stories we see in literature. a lot of characters - write them down so you don't get confused! - who all come together at a pow wow near the end of the book. it's also clear as the book goes on that something big is going to happen at the pow wow, so there's this thick creative tension as you read, which i loved. highly recommend!)
the mars room, by rachel kushner (this is the story of a woman going to prison for killing a man. "the mars room" is the name of the strip club where the woman works; the man is a customer. this is not, as you might have gathered, a super uplifting book, but a really interesting story that goes back and forth before and after the murder. this won't be my favorite book of the year, but i liked it just fine.)
the heart’s invisible furies, by john boyne (this will probably be my favorite book of the year. oh, how i loved this book. i won't say much so i don't spoil anything in case you read it, but it's the story of the life of a man born in ireland in 1945, told in 75-ish page chapters that are each 7 years apart. so the first one is his birth, then you flash to when he's 7, then 14, etc. i am a book of the month club members, and this was voted by readers as the best book they offered in 2017, which is why i picked it up. so worth it!)
the story of my teeth, by valeria luiselli (this book was...weird. latin american lit is not my favorite genre so perhaps i should have seen this coming, but this book is bizarre. i think perhaps this woman is brilliant and was doing something with literature that an english major would get a ton out of, but i had a hard time connecting with the characters and making it through some weird lists and more tedious parts. her newest book is getting a ton of great press, though, so try her writing if you're interested!)
different seasons, by stephen king (this is four novellas put together in one book - it includes the story that the shawshank redemption is based on. i tend to like the less scary stories by king, and this fits the bill. worth a read if this is your genre!)
Sunday, February 3, 2019
january: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7
i kind of lost my mind in january and all i did was read haha. 7 books this month! though one is a book of poetry and one is a tiny book that contains two essays only. but hey. i get to count what i want to count because THIS IS MY BLOG haha. this month i read:
children of blood and bone, by tomi adeyemi (this is a YA book that reminded me of black panther - set in africa with main characters who have some magical powers. it's pretty good YA but has characters with somewhat predictable characteristics...i liked it a lot, but if YA isn't your thing you have permission to skip it.)
perfect little world, by kevin wilson (liked this one a lot - a social experiment in the US to raise children collectively and how that works (i love world building like that!) and how it goes awry. i enjoyed this one a lot, though it won't be my favorite book i read this year, i'm sure.)
i feel bad about my neck, by nora ephron (i laughed out loud, i clutched my chest in poignant moments, i thought i might appreciate the book more if i was older?, but i am determined to appreciate my neck now, since apparently it will start to get droopy promptly when i turn 42. i've got 6 years of good neck left. let me enjoy them! this would be a fantastic present for any woman in your life. this book. not a new neck.)
ghosted, by rosie walsh (a great beach read book that i read quickly because the story makes you want to know what will happen next. a nice twist / it wasn't totally predictable. not great literature, but would be an excellent vacation read, and i wholeheartedly recommend it for that reason.)
bone, by yrsa daley-ward (THIS WOMAN IS BRILLIANT AND YOU SHOULD BUY THIS BOOK. if you liked rupi kaur's books of poetry, this is just as good. i folded many pages back and i know i will read this one again. since finishing, i have purchased her memoir, the terrible, and can't wait to dive into it.)
golden state, by ben h. winters (i really enjoyed his book underground airlines and liked this one almost as much but not quite. another post-apocalyptic book that imagines a present world very different from our own. i like his writing style a lot and loved the details he put in to build this world. highly recommend.)
why i am not going to buy a computer, by wendell berry (a lovely tiny book that contained one essay - the title of the book - and then a response to readers who critiqued that essay, calling him un-feminist. thought provoking and worth reading, though i'm sure you can find both essays for free online.)
children of blood and bone, by tomi adeyemi (this is a YA book that reminded me of black panther - set in africa with main characters who have some magical powers. it's pretty good YA but has characters with somewhat predictable characteristics...i liked it a lot, but if YA isn't your thing you have permission to skip it.)
perfect little world, by kevin wilson (liked this one a lot - a social experiment in the US to raise children collectively and how that works (i love world building like that!) and how it goes awry. i enjoyed this one a lot, though it won't be my favorite book i read this year, i'm sure.)
i feel bad about my neck, by nora ephron (i laughed out loud, i clutched my chest in poignant moments, i thought i might appreciate the book more if i was older?, but i am determined to appreciate my neck now, since apparently it will start to get droopy promptly when i turn 42. i've got 6 years of good neck left. let me enjoy them! this would be a fantastic present for any woman in your life. this book. not a new neck.)
ghosted, by rosie walsh (a great beach read book that i read quickly because the story makes you want to know what will happen next. a nice twist / it wasn't totally predictable. not great literature, but would be an excellent vacation read, and i wholeheartedly recommend it for that reason.)
bone, by yrsa daley-ward (THIS WOMAN IS BRILLIANT AND YOU SHOULD BUY THIS BOOK. if you liked rupi kaur's books of poetry, this is just as good. i folded many pages back and i know i will read this one again. since finishing, i have purchased her memoir, the terrible, and can't wait to dive into it.)
golden state, by ben h. winters (i really enjoyed his book underground airlines and liked this one almost as much but not quite. another post-apocalyptic book that imagines a present world very different from our own. i like his writing style a lot and loved the details he put in to build this world. highly recommend.)
why i am not going to buy a computer, by wendell berry (a lovely tiny book that contained one essay - the title of the book - and then a response to readers who critiqued that essay, calling him un-feminist. thought provoking and worth reading, though i'm sure you can find both essays for free online.)
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
2018 in books
2018 in books
a recap:
2010: i read 15 books.
2011: i started my book challenge with the goal of reading 25 books; i read 38.
2012: 34 books
2013: 34 books again
2014: 32 books
2015: 35 books
2016: 58 books (fluke/who have i become?)
2017: 57 books (the new normal?)
2018: 42 books (which somehow feels like a failure even though i know it's not. i look around my apartment at all these unread books and think, "i could have read 10 more of these this year." but it's not about the number, of course. the number helps keep me accountable, but it's about having an active reading life as part of my greater life.)
12 of those were diverse books (as in, the main character or the author is not white)
my favorite books of 2018:
unsheltered, by barbara kingsolver
varina, by charles frazier
less, by andrew sean greer
americanah, by chimamanda ngozi adichie
the sun and her flowers, by rupi kaur
the immortalists, by chloe benjamin
go get reading, friends.
a recap:
2010: i read 15 books.
2011: i started my book challenge with the goal of reading 25 books; i read 38.
2012: 34 books
2013: 34 books again
2014: 32 books
2015: 35 books
2016: 58 books (fluke/who have i become?)
2017: 57 books (the new normal?)
2018: 42 books (which somehow feels like a failure even though i know it's not. i look around my apartment at all these unread books and think, "i could have read 10 more of these this year." but it's not about the number, of course. the number helps keep me accountable, but it's about having an active reading life as part of my greater life.)
12 of those were diverse books (as in, the main character or the author is not white)
my favorite books of 2018:
unsheltered, by barbara kingsolver
varina, by charles frazier
less, by andrew sean greer
americanah, by chimamanda ngozi adichie
the sun and her flowers, by rupi kaur
the immortalists, by chloe benjamin
go get reading, friends.
december: 40, 41 & 42
finishing up 2018, a year in which i didn't read as much as the past few years...though other good things happened...and 42 is not a number to be disappointed in! in december i read:
where the crawdads sing, by delia owens (i really liked this book, set on the coast of north carolina and vividly described. interesting storyline about a woman who lives in the marsh alone and is accused of murder. this was perhaps overhyped for me - the school librarian said it was the best book she read this year and i didn't quite agree with that - but i really liked it!)
unsheltered, by barbara kingsolver (now this book was glorious. set in the same house in two time periods - the 1870s and the present. a long book but beautifully told and i loved reading her gorgeous prose. this was my november book of the month club book and i'd highly recommend it!)
varina, by charles frazier (okay, this book was fantastic, too. varina howell davis was the wife of jefferson davis. the main plot of this book is her at 80 looking back on her life, in particular when she and her children and some slaves fled richmond when it was burned, headed for florida and then cuba. i did SO much wikipedia-ing of her when the book was done, and there's a lot of historical truth to this fictionalized story. i found varina FASCINATING and this is another author who knows his way around his words. loved this book! read it!)
where the crawdads sing, by delia owens (i really liked this book, set on the coast of north carolina and vividly described. interesting storyline about a woman who lives in the marsh alone and is accused of murder. this was perhaps overhyped for me - the school librarian said it was the best book she read this year and i didn't quite agree with that - but i really liked it!)
unsheltered, by barbara kingsolver (now this book was glorious. set in the same house in two time periods - the 1870s and the present. a long book but beautifully told and i loved reading her gorgeous prose. this was my november book of the month club book and i'd highly recommend it!)
varina, by charles frazier (okay, this book was fantastic, too. varina howell davis was the wife of jefferson davis. the main plot of this book is her at 80 looking back on her life, in particular when she and her children and some slaves fled richmond when it was burned, headed for florida and then cuba. i did SO much wikipedia-ing of her when the book was done, and there's a lot of historical truth to this fictionalized story. i found varina FASCINATING and this is another author who knows his way around his words. loved this book! read it!)
Sunday, December 30, 2018
november: 38 & 39
in november i read:
the power, by naomi alderman (so the premise of this book is that women have discovered a power to cause pain (and kill) using their mind. what happens to society once women have this power? this was a book where i really liked the premise, but all the steps of the plot to get us to the ending weren't as interesting. this needed to be a short story, not a novel. but that said, it *was* really interesting and i'm glad i read it!)
less, by andrew sean greer (i LOVED this book and could totally see why it won the pulitzer prize. it's that great novel that you/me, a common reader, can actually appreciate instead of being like "i bet there's another level i'm supposed to be understanding this book on, but i am not." it's a book of travels, a book about relationships, a book about growing old, a book about being young. i really really enjoyed it. might be my favorite book this year - at least it's my favorite book of the last few months.)
the power, by naomi alderman (so the premise of this book is that women have discovered a power to cause pain (and kill) using their mind. what happens to society once women have this power? this was a book where i really liked the premise, but all the steps of the plot to get us to the ending weren't as interesting. this needed to be a short story, not a novel. but that said, it *was* really interesting and i'm glad i read it!)
less, by andrew sean greer (i LOVED this book and could totally see why it won the pulitzer prize. it's that great novel that you/me, a common reader, can actually appreciate instead of being like "i bet there's another level i'm supposed to be understanding this book on, but i am not." it's a book of travels, a book about relationships, a book about growing old, a book about being young. i really really enjoyed it. might be my favorite book this year - at least it's my favorite book of the last few months.)
Monday, December 10, 2018
october: 35, 36 & 37
this month i read:
the line that held us, by david joy (i joined the book of the month club (so fun!) with the caveat that i would not let it mean i accumulated books that i didn't read. book of the month lets you skip months, so my rule for myself is that i have to finish the previous book before i can get another. this has resulted in me getting books about every other month. this was my first! "appalachian noir" is the genre they listed for this, which is pretty spot on. i love books set in the appalachian mountains, so this was a winner for me. not the best book i've ever read, but a gripping murder/kidnapping mystery nonetheless!)
the great alone, by kristin hannah (so i had super high hopes for this one...that were kind of dashed. i LOVED the nightingale, and this was her most recent release...and while this was a fine book i wanted it to be as amazing as the nightingale and it wasn't. the school librarian said it well when we talked about it - i'm tired of reading books about domestic abuse. so depressing! and while there were some good relationships and love stories in it, it was a pretty depressing read. it was...fine? read the nightingale instead!)
an absolutely remarkable thing, by hank green (another book of the month selection...this is the first novel by the brother of the great YA author john green, and it was a great mystery around the appearance of a bunch of statues all around the world on the same night, how people react to them, and the role of the media in all of that. just truly original as a story line, which i loved. highly recommend! i kept wanting to see what would happen next.)
the line that held us, by david joy (i joined the book of the month club (so fun!) with the caveat that i would not let it mean i accumulated books that i didn't read. book of the month lets you skip months, so my rule for myself is that i have to finish the previous book before i can get another. this has resulted in me getting books about every other month. this was my first! "appalachian noir" is the genre they listed for this, which is pretty spot on. i love books set in the appalachian mountains, so this was a winner for me. not the best book i've ever read, but a gripping murder/kidnapping mystery nonetheless!)
the great alone, by kristin hannah (so i had super high hopes for this one...that were kind of dashed. i LOVED the nightingale, and this was her most recent release...and while this was a fine book i wanted it to be as amazing as the nightingale and it wasn't. the school librarian said it well when we talked about it - i'm tired of reading books about domestic abuse. so depressing! and while there were some good relationships and love stories in it, it was a pretty depressing read. it was...fine? read the nightingale instead!)
an absolutely remarkable thing, by hank green (another book of the month selection...this is the first novel by the brother of the great YA author john green, and it was a great mystery around the appearance of a bunch of statues all around the world on the same night, how people react to them, and the role of the media in all of that. just truly original as a story line, which i loved. highly recommend! i kept wanting to see what would happen next.)
Sunday, November 25, 2018
september: 33 & 34
in september i read:
killers of the flower moon, by david grann (this is a nonfiction account of some nefarious activities and murders in the osage indian tribe in oklahoma in the early part of the 20th century, with some interesting history (did you know that native people who had oil rights had to have white guardians to manage their money?!) and the rise of the FBI. it's not *incredibly* well written, but it's an interesting story and if this little blurb interests you, i'd recommend you check it out!)
real american, by julie lythcott-haims (this is a memoir of a biracial woman growing up in the 1980s and then struggling with her own identity as she parents her own biracial children in the 2000s. an incredibly poignant and well-written book about race, identity, history, politics. if you are parenting a multiracial child this is a MUST READ. and honestly? it's a must read for anyone who cares about race in this country at all.)
killers of the flower moon, by david grann (this is a nonfiction account of some nefarious activities and murders in the osage indian tribe in oklahoma in the early part of the 20th century, with some interesting history (did you know that native people who had oil rights had to have white guardians to manage their money?!) and the rise of the FBI. it's not *incredibly* well written, but it's an interesting story and if this little blurb interests you, i'd recommend you check it out!)
real american, by julie lythcott-haims (this is a memoir of a biracial woman growing up in the 1980s and then struggling with her own identity as she parents her own biracial children in the 2000s. an incredibly poignant and well-written book about race, identity, history, politics. if you are parenting a multiracial child this is a MUST READ. and honestly? it's a must read for anyone who cares about race in this country at all.)
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