Book: Bread & Wine
I already reviewed this one in detail here, but since then, I've given the book as a gift and sold multiple copies to friends and family members. It's still one I highly recommend, and it has me craving Shauna's books I've read before, Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet. I'm just in a stage of life, I think, where her words are important and life-giving to me, and perhaps they could be what you need too? If cooking's not your thing (though I personally think Bread & Wine is about so much more than that), try one of Shauna's other books. She has a way of revealing exactly what I need to hear.
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Finished: Early April
I read a lot of good fiction this month, but this is the book I read and thought, "I must talk about this with someone." (Sadly, no one I knew had read it yet.) I thought it was comparable to Gone Girl; it kept me on the edge of my seat, and once I started, I simply had to finish. You'll get swept into the story of Amelia, a high school student who commits suicide, only for her mother to receive a life-changing text a few weeks after, claiming: "Amelia didn't jump." It's fast-paced and relevant. I'd recommend for a book club, since you'll want to discuss with friends after reading.
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Book: The Dinner
Finished: Mid-April
Another page turner, I thought The Dinner was original and intriguing. The entire novel (translated from the author's native Dutch) takes place over dinner; each part, then, takes place during a different course, and the tension builds into the book's final scenes. The Dinner didn't move at the fast pace Reconstructing Amelia did, and Koch is a quieter, more subtle writer than McCreight, but the book is still suspenseful and intense, filled with twists and turns and uneasy relationships. A little heavier than your typical beach fare, but I think it deserves a place in your getaway bag.
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I'm not a reader of Glennon Melton's blog, Momastery, so I was totally unfamiliar with her work before picking up her book. (I think it's better that way.) I personally really enjoyed Carry On, Warrior. It came at the right time for me, filled with quotes and truths and encouragements I really needed. I believe some of the essays included in the book were straight from the blog, which I'd imagine might be slightly disappointing if you're a longtime reader of hers. Since I'm not, I wasn't disappointed; all the material was new to me, and even the essays I may not have agreed 100% with were well-written and thought-provoking. I can see why Glennon has such a loyal following, and while I'm still not a regular reader of her blog, I did underline her book like crazy. This one's easy to put up and down (short, readable essays), so I'd recommend for reading throughout the summer or for moms (or non-moms) who may not have a lot of reading time on their hands.
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The Journal of Best Practices was our overwhelming book club choice for April, and everyone appeared to really enjoy it. The book, written by a man who discovers he has Asperger's five years into his marriage, highlights the ups and downs of a married couple and the truths and practices it takes to make their marriage healthy and stable after years of turmoil and frustration brought on by a misunderstanding of the author's behavior. I thought David Finch was extremely likable and funny, and like most of my fellow book club members, I found some of his behaviors to be eerily similar to my husband's. Some book club members commented they would have preferred a female narrator -- we all agreed Finch's wife Kristen is a saint -- but I think hearing the perspective of Finch was valuable. I actually think men would really like this book; it loses steam about halfway through (a little redundant, I thought), but overall this is a great, funny book about sticking with the one you picked, even when the one you picked is a little challenging. A lovely tribute to marriage and making it through.
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Toward the end of last month, I was in desperate need for some escapist fiction. I was sick of memoirs and craving something light. The Unbearable Book Club for Unsinkable Girls was almost a book club selection for April, so I decided to give this YA novel a try. It was just the thing for my weary, frustrated mind. The book is a quick read, at times suspenseful, and reminiscent of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants -- with a bit of edge and classic literature thrown in the mix. If a mom came in looking for a book for her teenage girl to read this summer, I'd recommend this one. It's light without being totally mindless, and I think teen girls will find themselves and their friends in the characters. Pack this one in your beach bag and read it by the pool.
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The minute I found out Lauren Graham was publishing a book, I ordered it for the store, not really caring if anyone else would want to read it or not. I wanted to know if Lorelei Gilmore was as clever a writer as she was an actress, and it turns out: I wasn't disappointed. I went in with low expectations -- I didn't want to build it up and be frustrated if the novel wasn't as good as I thought it could be. Maybe those low expectations made the novel more enjoyable than it would have been normally, but I ended Someday, Someday, Maybe thinking Graham was a pretty good author. The book was funny and clever, and although I suppose it falls into that "chick lit" category, I think it's definitely on the better end of that spectrum. I loved Graham's protagonist, and even though I found the story predictable, I enjoyed going along for the ride. (Plus, I found some truths hidden in the book's final pages. Turns out, the main character and I had some similar challenges we needed to overcome, and it's comforting that one of us made it through before the final page was turned.) Highly recommend, particularly if you're a 20 (or 30!)-something wondering if time's running out on your grand plans.
2 comments:
I hadn't heard of The Journal of Best Practices before, but I'm adding it to my to-read list. Memoirs are my go to lately.
Have you read the Glass Castle or Half Broke Horses (both by Jeanette Walls)? I love an honest, no nonsense, straightforward narrator who resists the urge to sentimentalize and she kills it in that regard.
I haven't heard of The Journal of Best Practices, but I'm adding it to my to-read list. Memoirs are my go to lately.
Which, speaking of memoirs, have you read the Glass Castle or Half Broke Horses (both by Jeannette Walls)? I love an honest, no-nonsense, straightforward narrator and she nails it, not to mention her story is pretty incredible.
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