Another popular read, which I am a bit late getting around to,Sweetbitter was every bit as entertaining as promised. I have not watched the television adaptation, but I can imagine it is also quite fun.
NEVER LET ME GO
Continuing the dystopian theme, I recently got around to reading this 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winner and completely loved it. Unlike The Girl with all the Gifts, an action packed story where everything goes wrong, in Ishiguro’s dystopia, it is almost hard to distinguish the differences between his world and ours.
EDUCATED, A Memoir
Several people told me that I really needed to read Educated. When I finally began to read it, I wondered if it could possibly live up to all the hype. Well, add me to the book’s long list of admirers. Educated will draw you in and bowl you over. It is the true story of Tara Westover, the youngest child of seven, who was raised by survivalist parents in Idaho.
THE GIRL WITH ALL THE GIFTS
Full disclosure, Dan and I listened to this one on tape, so I can’t technically say that I “read” it, but what I can enthusiastically say, is go read/listen to it! The audiobook is read by Finty Williams, who is an incredible voice over artist (and actress), which certainly increased my enjoyment.
THE STARS ARE FIRE
Anita Shreve was one of my favorite authors for a while. Every time I saw that she had published a new book, I’d happily buy it and enjoy every minute reading it. (Remember The Pilot’s Wife? Fortune’s Rocks?) For the past few years, I hadn’t been aware of any new books by her until The Stars Are Fire.
THE PERFECT COUPLE
If you’re an Elin Hilderbrand fan like I am, then you know that all of her 20 previous novels have been set on Nantucket. The Perfect Couple is no exception. What sets this 21st novel apart is that Hilderbrand has written a murder mystery. Not being a particular fan of that genre, I was dubious that her new book would live up to her previous offerings – which I eagerly devour as soon as they’re published. I’m happy to report that this new novel is right up there with her best.
FALLING ANGELS
Beginning on the day of Queen Victoria’s death,Falling Angels tells the story of two households with wildly differing philosophies as they navigate the changing world of London in mourning and beyond. The relationship between the two families begins, very appropriately, in a graveyard, when they discover their family plots are side by side.
EVERY NOTE PLAYED
I think Lisa Genova is a fascinating author. With a PhD in neuroscience, she writes novels with characters who suffer from some form of brain disease. Her breakthrough novel was Still Alice, and if you haven’t read it (even if you have seen the movie), I highly recommend that you read it.
THE AGE OF INNOCENCE
Every once in a while, I like to read a classic novel that I feel I should have read, but haven’t. Especially when I can pick it up for a few bucks at a library sale! And although I enjoyed my trip to Victorian-era New York, I was expecting more from the first novel by a woman ever to win the Pulitzer Prize. For example, that it might have a female protagonist…
ALTERNATE SIDE
After recently reading the wonderful Jane Austen Book Club, I decided to re-read (or read for the first time) all of Jane Austen’s books. Critics agree that one of the reasons for Austen’s continued popularity is her stunning ability to accurately portray the manners of her time. I think that Anna Quindlen has a similar ability.
SING, UNBURIED, SING
Having read about this National Book Award winner, I knew it was the story of a family making a road trip to pick up their father as he is released from prison. What I didn’t know is that the book is set in Mississippi, the mother is a young black woman, the inmate is a young white man and their two children and her best friend make the long road trip with her. The writing is gorgeous.
VICTORIA
It wasn’t until I got to the end of this book that I realized how it came to be. My assumption was that Goodwin wrote the novel and then was asked to turn it into a mini-series. Come to find out, she was writing the mini-series when someone suggested to her that she should novelize her scripts and sell that too. I mention this because, if you have seen the BBC/PBS mini-series, you probably don’t need to bother reading the book.
BIRDIE
This debut novel by a young Cree woman was the first I’ve read by a First Nations author. It has been widely praised and publicized in Canada, and has been on my reading list for quite some time. I think, if you are open to her writing style, and a more metaphorical subject matter, this book might just break your heart and give you hope.
THE VINEYARD, A Novel
My wonderful husband gave me The Vineyard for Christmas based on the fact that we both love all things wine-related, and the back of the book mentions a love story. And although these qualifications are more than enough for me to read something (as a youngster I would pick anything with a pink cover), neither the vineyard nor the love story showed up until the final third of the book. That warning aside, I enjoyed The Vineyard, though it took a while for me to warm up to it.
OPTION B, Facing Adversity, Building Resilience And Finding Joy
Anyone who has read Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In knows that she writes well and has a compelling story to tell. Anyone who has read Adam Grant’sOriginals or Give and Take knows that he also has an interesting set of beliefs and is able to articulate them clearly. When these two successful authors teamed up to write Option B, it’s no wonder the resulting book is a real knock-out.
STAY WITH ME, A Novel
This was a fascinating book to read while eight months pregnant, though I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t be captivated by such a compact and beautiful narrative. The central topic is a young woman desperate for a child, and all that ensues as she struggles to conceive.
WALKING TO LISTEN: 4,000 Miles Across America, One Story At A Time
I saw Andrew Forsthoefel speak at Wellesley College last year at one of their semi-annual Authors on Stage presentations – where three authors talk about their latest books – always a treat! He held me captivated as he explained the genesis of the idea of walking across the US (and then writing his book): a combination of graduating from college without being sure what direction he wanted to take in life and looking for more meaning in the life he led.
SWING TIME
This was my first Zadie Smith experience, and I plan to read as much of her as I can as soon as possible! Her books are split almost evenly between fiction and essays which is unusual, and makes me even more eager to get inside her mind.
THE SELLOUT
The Sellout has been on my reading list for a while now, not only by recommendation, but also because it won Beatty the Man Booker Prize, the first time an American had done so. I began with high expectations and was nearly stopped in my tracks by the prologue. Here Beatty’s roots as a slam poet are on full display, and without much plot to grab onto, the reader is thrown hundreds of references in a giant swirl of politics.
THE TEA GIRL OF HUMMINGBIRD LANE
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane will transport you to another place and time. The novel opens in a remote, tiny village in a mountainous part of China, where extended families live in community with their neighbors, all of whom pick, dry and sell tea just as their ancestors did. Li-yan, our adolescent main character, introduces us to her people’s way of life – their customs, rituals and beliefs.