What Are You Reading?

I love having a stack of good books in my to-be-read-next pile.  Having just plowed through a bunch of good ones recently (novels/memoirs: Unmarriagable, Inheritance, Becoming, and YA reads: No Fixed Address, The War That Saved My Life, and Nowhere Boy).

I'd love any recommendations!  What was the last great book you read?

image/bbb

Last Great Book I Read: A Place For Us

This book.  There are very few books that I could say "took my breath away," and this is one of them.  Undoubtedly in my top 5, up there with Gone with the Wind and The Fountainhead.  I listened to the audiobook, which is excellent! It is narrated by Deepti Gupta, who reads Fatima Farheen Mirza's words with a soothing, gentle grace.  Also probably the best audiobook I've ever listened to.  I found excuses to run errands just so I could pop my headphones on and keep listening.

I first learned about this book on this podcast episode, A Place for Us is the first novel from Sarah Jessica Parker's new imprint, SJP for Hogarth.  The story chronicles an Indian-American Muslim family, as they reconnect for the oldest daughter's wedding.  The story is told throughout a series of flashbacks spanning decades and offering perspectives through the lens of different family members.  Perhaps what captured my attention most about this novel was the intimacy of a family Mirza is able to capture.  The thoughts we think but do not say aloud.  The wonderings had after challenging conversations. The worry parents carry for their children and hold close to their chest.  Every nuance of this story is told with such poise and clarity, honoring the devotion parents have toward their children and children toward their siblings.  If there ever was a well told story, this is it. I have nothing but good words.  I can always justify a good book if I'm still thinking about it days, weeks, even months after reading it...which I am.

Read it.  Trust me.

Last Great Book I Read: Educated, A Memoir

WOW, this book...  It's hard to conjure up words worthy to describe its power.  I tend to love the memoir genre, and this memoir is compelling, gripping, and epic.  Truly, truly epic.  I listened to it via audiobook which I think made it an even more powerful experience.  Highly recommend!

Here's a little background about the author and her story.  Tara Westover grew up in rural Idaho, the youngest of a family of seven, born to survivalist Morman parents who constantly drilled the fear of the illuminati and impending end of the world into their children.  Tara was taught to fear the government, and distrust any medical establishment.  Until she was an adult, Tara never saw a doctor or nurse.  Born at home, her parents disagreed on her exact birth date, and she was never issued a birth certificate.  Isolated from mainstream society, Tara never received an education,having never attended any form of organized school.  Instead her days were spent salvaging metal in her father's junkyard, stewing herbs with her mother to make tinctures and essential oils, and fearing the wrath of her unpredictable and often aggressively violent older brother.

When another brother left to attend college and returned singing its praises, Tara decided to follow suit and leave the mountain and the only kind of life she'd ever known.  She self taught herself enough math, grammar, and science to take the ACT and be accepted into BYU. It was here that she first began to notice her own ignorance of the world, the ramifications of her isolated upbringing, soon learning that the version of history she'd been taught by her father looked nothing like that of her university textbooks.

This memoir is raw, vulnerable, and at times, quite difficult to read.  Tara spends her early adulthood learning how to exist in her new world of academia which is such a stark contrast to her life on the mountain.  She struggles to reconcile the lectures of her father, begins to understand his erratic behavior, and questions the values that have been ingrained into her as a child. Westover's coming of age story examines what an education is, and what it can offer someone, but also, at what cost?

image/amazon

Last Great Book I Read: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

I just finished this book in a manner of days!  Eleanor Oliphant is quite a character, literally like no other I've ever read.  She's practical and frugal, struggles with reading and interpreting social cues, and says exactly what she's thinking in all situations; the good, the bad, and the ugly.  As such, she's cultivated a life of isolation where her primary relationships with frozen pizza and vodka rather than people.

As the story unfolds, we get flashes of Eleanor's unconventional upbringing, insights into some of the terrible circumstances of her childhood that shaped who she is and how she acts.  There is a significant shift in Eleanor's life when she meets Raymond, the carefree, happy-go-lucky IT guy at her office. In an unexpected right-place-at-the-right-time moment, Eleanor and Raymond find themselves rescuing an elderly man who has fallen on the sidewalk.  

They later befriend the man, Sammy, and all of a sudden, Eleanor finds herself with not one but two potential friends.  This is a heartwarming, uplifting story about finding friendship out of isolation and light from darkness.  Eleanor Oliphant, in spite of her peculiar, unusual nature will surely charm you as she comes to fully realize that the world is not even close to what she's been told.

Read this one!!  Also - worth noting, this is soon to be a major motion picture produced by Reese Witherspoon, so you know that means you better read the book first!

image/amazon

Last Great Book I Read: Landline

Normally I'm a paper book kind of person.  I tried the kindle for a while, but honestly, I love the tactile nature of a book in the hand.  The passage of pages, seeing your bookmark slowly creep through the volume.  The sound of an aggressive page flip when you can't wait to find out what happens next.  There's just something about it that can't be replicated digitally (in my humble opinion).  

However, there have been a few books that I just couldn't get into in paperback form, but that I really loooved via audiobook.  Landline by Rainbow Rowell is one of those.  After reading Attachments for my book club which I absolutely adored, I picked up Landline at the library and was underwhelmed.  I don't know what it was exactly about this title, but after several attempts and impending boredness, I just couldn't get into it.  

Normally, I'd just let it go and move on, after all there are plenty of books in the sea...but I kept hearing friends mention this title, offering their own rave reviews, which led me to try it once more via audiobook.  Boom!  Such a difference!  Rainbow Rowell write great dialogue and there was just so much energy and life brought to these conversations when listened to that was somehow missing in the written word.  

I felt the same way about Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette and Gabrielle Hamilton's cheffy memoir, Blood, Bones, & Butter, which I could not get into in paperbook, but have now listened to twice on audiobook.  

So moral of the story is, when in doubt, try the audiobook!

image via rainbowrowell

Last Great Book I Read

This book...just...wow!  Easily my top pick for 2017 undoubtedly one of top 5 favorite books ever, a title I don't give lightly.  Celeste Ng is a masterful storyteller.  This is a story of three families dwelling in the idyllic suburb of Cleveland, Shaker Heights.  The town is beloved for its preplanned nature; carefully mapped neighborhoods, orchestrated to be functional while aesthetically pleasing, even down to the paint color.  Hand in hand with its predictability is the perfect parks, friendly businesses, and foundational schools, which aim to produce a consistent output of successful future residents.

Embodying this spirit more than anyone is Elena Richardson, mother of four children, whose virtue is playing by the rules, her family a postcard of Leave it to Beaver perfection. Enter Mia and Pearl Warren, new tenants of the Richardsons whose single-mother status alone flags the antithesis of Shaker Heights convention.  Mia is a gifted artist with a mysterious past and Pearl, her kind, intelligent teenage daughter is drawn to the perfection that the Richardsons exude, having never lived a life as stable as they.  Then there's the McCulloughs, dear friends of the Richardsons who endeavor to adopt a Chinese-American baby, when a custody battle ensues, pitting Mia and Elena against on opposite sides. It's hard to elaborate much more without giving away significant plot lines, so I'll leave it at that...

However, may I say,  Celeste Ng is a truly gifted writer.  Her characters are cultivated with such depth and intimacy, their stories woven together into an immense, intricate, complicated fabric... I was so sad for this book to end.  One of those books you want to reread and wish it anew, just to experience the story again for the first time. 

I'll leave you with this quote, which resonated with me so soundly, I found myself rereading it over and over again, wondering how she was able to capture such a feeling in words.

“To a parent, your child wasn’t just a person: your child was a place, a kind of Narnia, a vast eternal place where the present you were living and the past you remembered and the future you longed for all existed at once.  You could see it every time you looked at her: layered in her face was the baby she’d been and the child she’d become and the adult she would grow up to be, and you saw them all simultaneously like a 3-D image.  It made your head spin.  It was a place you could take refuge, if you knew how to get in.  And each time you left it, each time your child passed out of your sight, you feared you might never be able to return to that place again."

p. 122

image/amazon

Last Great Book I Read: My Lady Jane

Historical fiction with a substantial heaping of magic is not my typical read.  While I do appreciate a good love story, especially one amongst royals - I tend to opt out of books parading magic (with the exception of Harry Potter and Twilight...of course).  But My Lady Jane is a clever, charming read, and I couldn't get enough.  Truth be told, I polished off the hefty thing in four days.

And for those skeptics, don't let the presence of magic deter you.  While I resist telling you more of the plot, consider this book an fictional explanation of real life character, Lady Jane Grey's 9-day reign as the queen of England (more on the real Lady Jane Grey here).

In a nutshell, a historical fiction spinoff love story, infused with magic, with a twist.  And for the record, you can always tell the hallmark of a good book is when you finish it only to be disappointed that it's over.

image/amazon

Last Great Book I Read: A Man Called Ove

It's been a while since I've read a book I could emphatically recommend.  Until last week, when I read the final pages of A Man Called Ove. For me a good book is markedly met with happiness and sadness.  Happy that you found such a captivating gem of a read, and sad in that the story is over, and there's no more to be had.  

If my review isn't enough, the Amazon review speak quite highly of this book as well, with over 3,000 enthusiastic review after review, overall just shy of five stars.

So you want to know about Ove?  He's a curmudgeonly old man.  He subscribes to philosophies of the old world; routine, order, and following the rules.  Some might call him a grump, a bugger, a mean old fart, but he is staunch in his beliefs, respects honest labor, hard work, and as a strong sense of justice.  As such, he is wary of new people, and change he can't comprehend, namely technology, laziness, and situations that can't be fixed with the contents of a workman's toolbox.

The story is woven together, vacillating between Ove's past and the present; as he navigates a new chapter with the overtly friendly, though absurdly unhandy neighbors next door, countered with glimpses into Ove's past which shed light on why he is the way he is.  The story is quite charming, flecked with moments of sadness, laughter, and unlikely friendship.

It's pretty good.  You should check it out!

image/amazon

Last Great Book I Read: Better Than Before

Okay, before I begin, let me state: this is not my typical read.  I typically gravitate toward novels, memoirs, generally fiction from the New York Times bestseller list.  Better Than Before, a book based on habits research and personality tendencies was not something I normally would pick up.

However...I cannot say enough good things about this book!  It has changed the way I think about myself, family members, and friends, and helped me to understand why certain people do things a certain way - because we all have different habit tendencies!  If this sounds a bit bizarre, I suggest you start here.  I first discovered this book via an interview on The Lively Show with the author, Gretchen Rubin (you may have heard of her, author of The Happiness Project, among other titles).

She explains the four habit tendencies: questioner, obliger, upholder, and rebel.  After listening to this podcast, I was pretty sure I was a questioner, but took the 5-minute quiz to confirm.  Inspired by a new understanding of why I do things the way that I do them, I badgered my family into taking the quiz as well, and learned our habit tendencies are all over the board!  We have a bunch of upholders, a few obligers, no rebels, and I'm the lone questioner.  Still feel like I'm talking gibberish? Here's a quick blurb about the four tendencies.

• Upholders respond readily to outer and inner expectations 
• Questioners question all expectations; they’ll meet an expectation if they think it makes sense–essentially, they make all expectations into inner expectations
• Obligers meet outer expectations, but struggle to meet expectations they impose on themselves
• Rebels resist all expectations, outer and inner alike

Okay, here's one thing little habit I read about that might help it click.  Are you one of those people who moves things closer to their destination?  For example, you found a book in the kitchen that you want to return to your bedside table.  But the bedside table is just too far to walk for whatever reason (oatmeal on the stove, baby on the play mat, too lazy, whatever).  So instead, you put that object close to the path to that destination, knowing that when you do walk upstairs, you'll bring it with you, making for less trips back and forth.  Make sense?  

For the longest time, I didn't understand why my husband wouldn't help me along with this process.  He'd see the book as he'd pass it going up the stairs, why didn't he take it to the bedside table for me?  After hearing about this being a frequent habit of many people, I thought "Why don't I ask him why he doesn't move these things," thinking it was so obvious.  To my surprise, he said, "well I just thought you liked leaving stuff around the house, it never occurred to me to move it for you."  Light bulb!  We're different habit tendencies, we think differently!  Something I thought was so obvious he was completely oblivious to.

I could go on and on.  If this sounds remotely interesting to you, I encourage you to check out the book or Gretchen Rubin's podcast Happier for more info.  Onward and upward!

image/amazon

Last Great Book I Read: If You Find This Letter

I came across a recommendation for If You Find This Letter while perusing a "books you should read this summer" list, and was almost instantly captivated.  This memoir is quite unlike any I've ever read, and an emotional, thought provoking testament to the dying art of letter writing, a personal hobby of mine.

The author, Hannah Brencher, details her journey of becoming a love-letter writer to the masses starting as a recent college grad, feeling lost and anonymous among the crowds of New York City.  Feeling a need to connect with those like her, desperate, lonely, and alone, she started leaving random letters around NYC, simply addressed as "If you find this letter, it's meant for you..."  What started as an outlet to find her place in the world has since evolved into a network of letter writing to the helpless, the hopeless, and those craving heartfelt words of sympathy, encouragement, and support.  

Her website www.moreloveletters.com is still very much active and alive today, and even if you skip the book, I suggest you take a gander.  It's worth a few minutes of your time.

image/amazon

Last Great Book I Read

I devoured this book.  I'd heard buzz via the blog scene likening its gripping nature to Gone Girl.  This is true.  It sucks you in.  Plot-wise, while it does have some similarities but is also significantly different as well.  

I bought this on amazon and sent remotely to my kindle before realizing my kindle was out of power. I told my husband I was going to bed early, anticipating I'd just read a few pages before retiring for the night.  Not the case.  He found me curled up in bed, swiping quickly as I read the book on my iphone.  Ultimately, I finished the book within three days - an astounding feat for this working mom!

Have you read it?  What did you think?

image/amazon

Last Great Book I Read

The Boys in the Boat - have you read it? Perhaps I'm partial being a University of Washington alum myself (the setting for this true story).  Also, I did have a brief stint on the UW Women's Novice Crew team, so I can literally picture where much of their rowing occurs.  The author weaves much of the story through the lens of one of the oarsmen from the epic boat, Joe Rantz.  Joe's difficult childhood and upbringing cast a light onto what life looked like for some in the early 1930's in rural Washington.  The author also does an exceptional job of depicting a pre-depression Seattle (fun to read as a Seattleite).  

He goes on to describe the other eight oarsmen and coxswain, and describe the genuine trust and camaraderie these boys were able to harness together to fulfill their dreams.  I love a good sports story, and this book captures the heart and spirit of these athletic, strong-willed, and lion-hearted individuals in their quest for success.  Cons: there is a lot of crew jargon, which at times is tedious, however, the overall book is a solid read.  One of those books I wanted to make time to finish, always a good sign, right?

Last Great Book I Read

I don't think I can say enough good things about this book, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.  When I sought out book recommendations a few weeks ago, a few of you suggested this title.  I'd never heard of the author, and to be honest I was really not impressed by the cover art (yes, I know, don't judge a book by its cover and all that, but sometimes it's hard not to…).  

Anyway, I bit the bullet, and bought it on my kindle.  The first chapter didn't instantly captivate me, however a few pages in something happened; characters developed, plots thickened, and this beautiful, unusual story unfolded before me.  I found myself eager to read, seeking out free minutes to pick up where I last left off - always a sure sign of a genuinely good book.  And lastly, once it ended, I found myself still continuing to think about it.  In a nutshell it had all my hallmarks of a must read: thought provoking, moving, memorable.  Go for it!

Divergent

Don't let the overzealous CGI fire swirl of a cover deter you.  This book is pretty gripping!  At a girlfriends dinner a few weeks ago, I realized all of my closest friends had read this book, and peer pressure got the best of me...I downloaded it via kindle that evening to catch up in order to fully participate in the "Divergent dialogue" that I know will ensue at our next gathering.  Yes, we are that cool!

So…Divergent.  It kind of has a futuristic post-apocolyptic Hunger Games world combined with Hogwart's sorting hat and a splash of The Giver for a plot.  Does that help in the slightest?  It's the first in a trilogy, and it's pretty good so far.  And of course, there's already a movie debuting March 21st, I swear Hollywood moves at lightening speed these days, remember when it took years, decades even for a book to become a movie?!

Have you been sucked in yet?

image/amazon

Last Great Book I Read: Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Technically, I didn't actually read this book, I listened to the audiobook on CD.  I tried reading this book in the flesh, and perhaps it's the plot or my recent lack of attention span, but I just couldn't get into it.  However, my mom's book club read it and she recommended I try again, hence - the audiobook.  A brilliant way to keep myself occupied in transit and make traffic to and from work far less mundane.  

Where'd You Go, Bernadette is a unique story.  It vacillates between different viewpoints, monologues, character narratives, letters, and chains of emails to piece together the story of this unique family, it's matriarch and her unusual past that contributes to her odd personality and unorthodox behavior in a variety of situations.  

One thing I really enjoyed about this book?  Learning about Antarctica! Yes, you read that correctly. Early in the story, Bea (Bernadette's daughter) propositions her parents to take her to Antarctica as a graduation present.  While I never thought Antarctica would ever sound appealing as a travel destination, author Maria Semple somehow portrays the mystery, intrigue, and adventure of the white continent as incredibly captivating.

Have you read it?  What did you think?

P.S. - Other great audiobooks I'd recommend:

* Blood, Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton

* My Life in France by Julia Child

* Left Neglected by Lisa Genova

image/amazon

Goodreads

One thing you probably know about me, if you've ever read this blog before is that I am an avid reader.  I rarely turn down a book recommendation from a friend, colleague, or family member, and am always eager for my fave blogs to update their own "recent read" posts, just so I can scour the stacks for a copy of my own to promptly devour.

But keeping track of all those books is a tiresome task, that's hard to keep up with.  Hence - Goodreads.  Ever heard of it?  I love it!  Essentially this website tracks all of your past, future, and recent reads, let's you rank and/or comment accordingly.  This is sooo helpful to me as I tend to scrawl book recommendations down on post-its, stuff in my purse, and then proceed to lose...  

Once you have friends on goodreads, you can peek at their recent reads, recommendations and go from there!  Easy peasy!  

So, you want to trade reviews and be my goodreads friend?

image/homesweethome

Last Great Book I Read

I have a double dose of "Last Great Book I Read" for you today, since I've been trying to maximize my last few weeks of summer vacation by catching up on my reading.  

I Never Promised You A Goodie Bag by Jennifer Gilbert

This book hooked me right away, always a good sign!  This memoir details the life of Jennifer Gilbert, a groundbreaking female entrepreneur working the event circuit in NYC. Gilbert shares her experiences about a violent event that happened to her in her young adulthood, moving on, letting go, and learning how to really live.  Throughout the memoir, she speaks candidly about all of the insecurities behind her wildly successful facade in refreshingly honest, relatable way. Highly recommend!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

This book is topping the bestseller charts right now, and I now understand why. I devoured this book, seriously, I read this in less than 48 hours!  It is an incredibly engaging, often dark read, peppered by endless unpredictable twists and turns throughout.   The chapters alternate narrators in sequence, so the back and forth point of view keeps you anxiously hanging on for more.  Not sure how I feel about the ending, but this book is a page turner if there ever was one!

 What have you been reading lately?

images/amazon

Last Great Book I Read: Blood, Bones, & Butter

Always a fan of memoirs, it was only a matter of time before I picked up Blood, Bones, and Butter by New York City chef Gabrielle Hamilton.  This book has officially become one of my favorite books...EVER.

Yet, if we're being honest...the first time I picked up this book, I couldn't really get into it.  I had a stack of books on my bedside table, and sipping in a few precious minutes of reading before drifting off to sleep simply didn't suit this book.  However, I couldn't shake the notion that this book was worth my while, especially since I had heard such glowing reviews.  Inevitably, I decided it merited a second look.  On my second attempt, I checked out the audiobook from my local library, and once the CD began rolling, I was captivated!  

The audio book is narrated by the author herself, Gabrielle Hamilton, who recounts her childhood, trials and tribulations in the world of chefdom, and many a culinary and familial experience with a beautiful grace and sharp wit.  She swears, she makes analogies dripping with description, and writes with such beautiful fluency, it was hard to stop listening.  I found myself making excuses to drive my car, simply so I could continue listening to her articulate her story, and I was quite sad when the last chapter of the last disc ended and the story was complete.  

Here's a sample from the audiobook to wet your appetite.

image/beattiesbookblog

Last Great Book I Read

I brought this book on our honeymoon for poolside reading and devoured it. Season to Taste is a very unique, interested read. I'd heard about this book via another blog, and I'm glad I decided to pick it up.

The premise is this; an aspiring chef looses her sense of smell in a horrible car accident. Having to shelve her dreams of culinary school for the lack of having an ability to smell and therefore taste - the book details her journey through coping with this loss, and understanding how to live a life without smell. It is a very engaging story, unlike any other I've read. I had never ever contemplated NOT having a sense of smell, so it was very interesting to read about this experience is like firsthand.

It was a quick read - with some science woven in (but in an interesting way - I swear!)

Check it out!

image/amazon