So Many Books. So Little Time.
What does it take for a book to make it to your book list? I’d love to know.
For me, I have to be in the right mood (and at my age who knows what kind of mood I’ll be in and when? I am so fickle about everything) and I prefer the book to be available to read on Libby…. almost exclusively. Why? I can’t tell you honestly. I love to support my libraries and I have trouble paying, what $14.99-$29.99 plus tax, average, for one book. Also the book has to hold my attention for longer than say 5 minutes (I may have Attention Deficit Disorder, undiagnosed of course) or I might find myself browsing a REAL book store, again another love of mine, and a book will just catch my eye and I say things like “ooooh…” and I spontaneously buy it. (Yeah, that rarely happens, but I never say never). The other thing I’ve learned is NOT every book is for everybody so when you I a friend who’s reading tastes are the same as mine, I tend to selfishly indulge in those connections.
Often I will check The New York Times bestseller list if I’m having trouble finding something good and see if anything there grabs me. Then I go check to see if it’s on Libby. Something new I’ve started doing is reading the “samples” and that helps me decide pretty quickly if I have found a book worthy of my attention (or lack thereof). I just love being buried in a good story.
Okay enough explanations… Here are some faves I want to share with you.
One of the first books I picked up this year was The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. Incidentally I happened to be at Griffin Bay Bookstore in Friday Harbor and this book caught my eye. I haven’t had a physical book in long time so on impulse I bought it.
What I fell in love with about this book was its compelling group of characters. The story is centered around female friendships and food, perfect combination for some intrigue and mischief. The story has lots of twists and turns that will keep you completely entertained. I finished this book while on holiday in Nicaragua and left it there with the other books lined up in their community social/game room. One of the joys of a real book is the ability to pass it along or drop it in a little free library. (Take a second look at the Featured Image)
Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb. If you’ve never been in therapy you might not get the absolutely hilariousness of this book. It is a laugh out loud, fabulous journey about a psychotherapist in therapy analyzing herself while trying to help her clients find their way. It reminded me of the show on Apple TV called “Shrinking”. I laughed almost all the way through. It highlights our humanness and trying to connect and help each other. Be careful where you read this laugh out loud adventure in self discovery.
This book came as a recommendation from a friend and pick it up as an audiobook, the narrator nails it in this duo drama. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. Fun, light, enjoyable, maybe a little predictable but again so funny you won’t want to stop listening. Check it out, quickly before it becomes a banned book.
When reading Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, I felt like I jumped into the story and became a part of it. A historical fiction, whodunit mystery with a character I could completely identify with; Martha is a firecracker and a kindred spirit. It’s like filling your cup full of delicious smelling coffee or slipping into your favorite comfy shoes, when you can connect with your protagonist. The main character is a mother, a wife, a midwife and healer, a friend and caregiver and she’s not afraid to say what she thinks. Love her! (I actually think I was her like 200 plus years ago.)
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid hooked me by the excitement of space exploration but kept me by the endearing journey of new love and discovery and the choices we are sometimes forced to make with the people we love. WOW! It wasn’t full of space like Hail Mary by Andy Weir (a little plug for AW-Also SO Good!), but it had me glued to its story and its characters.
What I loved about Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy is it had a little bit of everything, mystery, suspense and tumultuous relationships, characters appearing out of nowhere, science and innocence. I was fascinated by the real life struggle and relationship progression of the father-daughter in this story. And Pow! just when you think you might have it all figured out, it twists and turns, and Surprise! Intrigue keeps you dangling just the way I like.
I found this read on the NYT Bestseller list, The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb. I waited a long time for this book to drop (26 weeks) and luckily I was in the right mood to read it when it did. It’s poignant and sadly I could imagine it really happening. I found myself wanting to climb into the story and fix everyone’s problems, make all the characters feel better. Grab a box of Kleenex because this one definitely pulls at your heart strings in a good way I think.
I don’t usually go for Non-Fiction, like ever, but I never say never and this book had special pull for me. “Honey, Did you see where I put my estrogen?”
The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver, MD. The author has organized her book systematically and I like that she doesn’t repeat herself. Instead, she will refer you to the part of the book where she has covered that particular material rather than repeat it again. I found credibility in Dr. Haver based on the fact that she is a Gynecologist and has also gone through Menopause herself. She reports that she’s researched the science and she shares that with the reader. Now have I dug in to fact check her? No, however it was hard not to believe the things she was reporting on and she cites her references. If you are reading this I would like to impress upon you how important it is to advocate for yourself. Push and keep pushing.
The fact is that women’s health is lacking in so many ways in our modern 21st century society and it has been for like EVER. It’s time to change that. We change, things change and what we know has to evolve around the new science and the changing of what we know. If you are suffering from any ailment as you are aging I strongly encourage you to read this book and be open to the fact that we just don’t know enough about women’s health and how our hormones or lack of them affect us, but we can. This book has changed my life!! PS I skipped around in this book and read some parts over and over and ignored some that didn’t apply to me.
When my husband asks, “What are you reading, sweetheart?”, I say “Oh, I’m reading this happy, fluffy book”.
Funny Story by Emily Henry is just that. It’s light and funny, you can easily read this and not have to strain your brain too hard to keep all the characters straight or worry about anything because the rhythm is right and you know everybody wins in the end. There is a little romance and some tasteful sexy parts thrown in but if Happily Ever After is what you are in the mood for, this is your next read.
I surprised myself choosing Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. But I do love a good fiction tale. However, I found it to be a really hard read, maybe because it was written in 1816. It was like reading in a foreign language. I really struggled but didn’t give up. What a tragically superbly written story (Mary was only 19 when she wrote this story) you could almost feel the crushing anguish in your marrow reading this story and I just soaked it up. The story reminded me of Wuthering Heights.
Last but not least and certainly the BEST because I just finished it and I still am enjoying the memory of it. Oh my, did I stumble onto the most delightful tale with Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher. It’s a superbly plausible twist on the Snow White fairy tale. Anja the Heroine, the main character is the absolute BEST! She is self-consciously, ultimately so funny you can’t help but love her in the first few pages. She’s not a healer but has found enjoyment and lifework in finding antidotes to poisons. These pages drop some Fantastical Storytelling right in your lap. I found this read in Libby’s “Skip the Line”, an option where Libby features a few selected, really popular, high-demand books, as available immediately, but for only 7 days, instead of the usual 21 days. And you never know what will appear on the “Skip the Line”. It changes constantly. So I blew through this scrumptious read more quickly than I would have liked, trying to get to the end before I was forced to return it. Phew I made it. SO SO GOOD!!
So there they are - Let me know in the comments if you’ve read (or listened to) any of these books and what you thought of them. I’d love to hear about your experience(s). And of course I want to know what made it to your list.