Thursday, May 14, 2015

Reading, lately

I know, I know. I don't post in over a month and then hit you with an enormous list of books with no pictures. I promise I'll have some more posts up soon. I'm gradually realizing that I'm still deep in the grieving process and it's not easing up so much as going through phases. I'm mostly over the part where I didn't want to get out of bed or buy groceries or shower, but I still get slammed with emotion several times a day and pretending to be okay in public uses up a lot of energy. But somehow life goes on and we're busy making progress around our new place and trying to find a rhythm to our days. I'm trying to make myself get back into running (and reminding myself that the first few weeks after a long break are the most discouraging) and cooking (signed up for our CSA box again as motivation - I'll update you on how that works out). And I'm reading again. I had a few weeks where all the words would blur together and I just couldn't, and it feels good to be able to drop into a story again, even if I've been going a little heavy on the thrillers.

This is a huge catch up situation, since I haven't done one of these in months so I'm just going to scrap the tail end of 2014 and start with what I've read since January. The only reason I can remember that far back is because I joined an online book club and we have to record them all in a Google doc. I'm not including re-reads this time around, just the fresh stuff.

One Boy Missing by Stephen Orr - I'm a sucker for literary crime novels, so it's no surprise I really liked this one set in a small Australian town. The story ends up being surprisingly gentle, due to the semi-sad-sack detective in charge of the case. It's interesting, unusual, and the characters stick with you.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt - I read The Goldfinch last year when it was making the rounds and was thoroughly underwhelmed, but I decided to give this a try anyways. And it was better than The Goldfinch! I wasn't in love with it but I thought it was solid and it held my attention. I'm not as enamored with New England boarding school culture as Tartt so I tended to get a little frustrated with the ridiculous eccentricities of the main characters. But once I settled into it I found it pretty interesting. It's a twisty plot, involving a murder and a bizarre clique of Ancient studies majors and the writing is good.

The Spellman Series (#2, #3, #4, #5) by Lisa Lutz - I love the Spellman series. They are mystery-comedy (a genre I can't get enough of, when it's done well), following the Spellman clan, a family detective agency with some serious boundary issues. The mystery in each one if never the main focal point, so don't bother if you're looking for a really good whodunit. But the voice is good, they're very funny and you get lots of SF scenery, if that's your thing.

Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs - Meh. I'm always on the hunt for a new thriller/mystery series to love, but I don't think this one will be it. The main character is a forensic anthropologist who is called in for murder cases both old and new. I thought the plot in this particular one was pretty good, but the writing wasn't tight enough to convince me to continue with the series, although I'd read another one in a pinch.

Crooked by Louisa Luna - Whoops. I think this book might be meant for teenagers? And not in a good way. It follows a young woman's experience of getting out of jail after being in three years. The main character is unpleasant and the writing and plot are just passable. I think it's supposed to be raw and keep you on the edge of your seat (there's a reveal at the end) but it just wasn't good enough. Come to think of it, it probably isn't intended for teenagers, given the risky behavior going on. So I guess I don't know who is meant to enjoy this book.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by David Shafer - A madcap adventure novel set in the near future. A small group of people work to prevent a conglomerate from gaining control over everyone's data. Cloud intrigue! I'm torn on this one. It's entertaining but heavy handed and a little longer than the plot can support. I got really, really sick of hearing the cloud conspiracy explained x1000. But maybe I was just in an impatient mood? I'd heard good things about this one, so maybe I got my expectations too high.

Crooked Little Heart by Anne Lamott - Adolescence, tennis, and other difficult topics. I love Anne Lamott and I found this little novel endearing and well described.

Instruments of Darkness by Imogen Robertson - Way back in the day I used to devour regency romances and I still go through a huge number of mysteries, obviously. This is a regency mystery, so I figured it would hit a sweet spot but it didn't quite work for me. The plot was pretty transparent and the book was long, which meant I was skimming by the end because the "reveal" was so obvious and I just wanted to get to it already so I could be done.

The Magician's Land by Lev Grossman - I've read the previous two and been a little harsh about them. I decided to keep going because I'm incapable of quitting a series once I commit but as it turns out, I actually liked this one better than the others. Sometimes my stubbornness pays off! The protagonist has grown up a bit, there's less fawning over boarding school pretensions, everyone is less annoying. The tone (like all in the series) is very flip, packed full of pop culture references (half of which I'm probably missing because I grew up without a TV and am therefore missing two critical decades of TV and movie knowledge) and can grate on me. I do love the descriptions of magic as a really physical, grueling challenge.

An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England by Brock Clark -  I heard this compared to A Confederacy of Dunces and had to check it out. The hapless narrator is completely infuriating and the entire story is crazy, but I enjoyed it. And I did think it was a little bit CoD-like, which I consider a high compliment. If you don't like ridiculous, comedic plot lines, you won't like this. It is super over the top.

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo - You know what I think about this one.

Hotel World by Ali Smith - I was somehow expecting a tell all about the hotel business, which started me off on the wrong foot. This is actually a novel consisting of five interwoven stories and one of the narrators is a ghost (p.s. I really, really dislike ghost stories even when they're well done). It's conceptually interesting and I did get sucked in eventually, but I think my initial misconception (and the ghost) threw me off a bit.

The Republic of Love by Carol Shields - A complicated love story where the main characters keep almost meeting each other until they finally do, with lots of emphasis on how small the social circle is. I liked it and was absorbed the whole way through, but didn't love it. Great title, though.

Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman - Read this on the plane while going up to meet my new niece! I don't have a baby, so I'm probably not the best judge of whether or not this is a worthwhile book, but I do think it's encouraging to believe that children could be less tyrannical. I had a hard time liking the narrator, though, so maybe stay away if you have issues with privileged people who still manage to whine about their lives (pot, kettle, what?).

All Joy and No Fun by Jennifer Senior - Heard this one discussed on NPR and then it was lying around my sister's living room so I read it over the course of many early mornings sitting up with the new infant. Nice way to get an overview of many studies on parenting. It doesn't particularly make you want to have kids, but I guess it's at least a good warning of what to be aware of if you do have them.

The Age of Grief by Jane Smiley - I like short stories and I fell right into these. It's a great collection.

No Going Back and No Holds Barred by Lyndon Stacey - New to me crime series starring an ex-policeman in England and his ex-police dog. These are the first two in the series and they are okay but not stand outs. The writing is a little simplistic.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - Is it weird to describe a novel set during a systematic genocide as gorgeous and ethereal? This is a teenage (the characters, not the intended audience) love story set amidst WWII. The writing it lovely and poetic and the plot is good.

Get in Trouble by Kelly Link - I don't even really want to describe these short stories because I think they're more magical if you just happen upon them. This was a Lauren rec, so I knew it would be good.

The Burning Air and The Dark Rose by Erin Kelly - I read The Poison Tree by this author and it was a great, twisty, creepy novel. These two ..... weren't. The plots didn't grab me. I was so bored by the end of The Dark Rose that a literal conflagration failed to rouse me. I can't recommend either of these.

A Necessary End by Peter Robinson - I like the Inspector Banks series and I've read a few of them, but because I check them out from the library as they're available I'm reading in a really haphazard order and I think there are a LOT of them. I should buckle down and make a list and try to be more systematic, because they're pretty solid and they do build on one another. It's another British detective series, set in modern times, not too gruesome (or at least, this one wasn't, and I don't remember the others being over the top either).

I'm on the waitlist for a few books, and JUST got my notification that Station Eleven is ready for me. I've had several people recommend it so I'm looking forward to diving in. What are you reading? Anything I should pick up?

35 comments:

  1. Love this list, so many things I'm adding to my to-read list! I really liked Station Eleven, excited to hear your thoughts on it. I think you'd really dig the Kingkiller Chronicles, if you haven't read them yet. Also, do you have a Goodreads account? Would love to follow you there!

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    1. I'm not on Goodreads, and I realize that's crazy! I'm not sure why I'm reluctant to join. I think I'm reluctant to add one more online thing. Even my online book club is hard to keep up with (but I guess I could basically cut and paste from that into Goodreads). I will definitely let you guys know if I end up joining! And thanks for the rec - the first one is available from the library now, so I checked it out!

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  2. Love your recs - have you moved yet?

    I'd also recommend:
    Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill
    The storied life of AJ Fikery by Gabrielle Zevin
    A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
    The interestings by Meg Wolitzer

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    1. Ooooh - thank you! I loved Dept. of Speculation and I've added these others to my library list. A couple were available right away, so now I've probably bitten off more than I can chew in the next three weeks!

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    2. If you have time, and are up for it, I'd love to know what you think of the recs. I absolutely LOVED Dept. of Speculation - so interesting and so beautifully written - but not everyone else I know has loved it.

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  3. I am currently reading The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers and I love it. I am on the waiting list for Dept. of Speculation!

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    1. Man, I love, love, love that book! It is such a good one. And Dept. of Speculation is great too! Sounds like you're on a good streak.

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  4. Awesome! I always need a good book list!
    I just finished The Bone Clocks, by David
    Mitchell. It was a super quick and engaging novel. (he also wrote Cloud Altas, which is one of my all-time favorites, so I was stoked to read his newest book)

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    1. The other one of his books I love is "Black Swan Green." Have you read it? It's the most "normal" of his books in narrative structure--but the writing and everything else is on point as always.

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    2. I will shame-facedly admit that I haven't read ANY David Mitchell, even though I feel like everyone I know is in love with Cloud Atlas! I need to get on that.

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  5. Hi! Longtime reader, first time commenter. Your book recommendations are always so good. I LOVE the Spellman series, too! Can't get enough of that family. I just read a book that reminded me of these but now I'm blanking. I'll think of it :). ANYWAY, a few others I'd recommend:

    Rosie and/or Imperfect Birds by Anne Lamott - the other two novels in her series about Elizabeth & Rosie. SO good
    Liars and Saints by Maile Meloy (and then the sequel/companion A Family Daughter)
    Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (except it's realllly sad so maybe wait!)
    Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff
    Anything by Megan Abbott, she writes great literary thrillers

    Ok I'll stop here. Happy reading and happy thoughts as you continue to move through this difficult time. I'm happy you're coming back into blogging, I always love what you share! xo Liz

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    1. Yay, another Spellman fan! If you think of the other series, hook me up!

      Adding these others to my library wish list. Thank you!

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  6. Sorry to hear you are grieving, but glad you are in a stage that makes it easier to cope with life. Stories can take you away from it all, so I hope reading helps!

    "Get in Trouble" sounds great--I'm going to look it up.

    I've read all three of Donna Tartt's books and wasn't too impressed either with "The Goldfinch" or "The Secret History," but I adored "The Little Friend" and I think you might too. "The Little Friend" follows a young girl (12, I think) over the course of a summer as she tries to solve the mystery of her brother's unusual and horrific death over a decade ago. It's kind of like a combination of "Harriet the Spy" and "To Kill a Mockingbird," but longer, so you get lots more pages of the good stuff. It's also a great summer read--it took me back to my own childhood and those long, empty summer days begging for adventure. It also features a great cast of supporting characters. Such a great book--I think I'll re-read it this summer!

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    1. Thanks - I will check out Little Friend! I was deeply obsessed with both Harriet the Spy and To Kill a Mockingbird, so it sounds like I'm the target audience!

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  7. You will LOVE LOVE LOVE Station Eleven. I just. It's the best book I've read in a while.

    Currently reading: The Art of Fielding, a book about college baseball. It's great. AND I don't like sports!

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    1. So excited to get into it! I'll report back. I bought The Art of Fielding for my dad when it came out, but I forgot about it. I should check it out!

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    2. I LOVED Station Eleven too. I'm generally a slow reader and I ate that one up in a couple of days. You will LOVE it!!

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  8. Currently reading The Dark Adapted Eye by Barbara Vine. Only halfway through but it's a totally gripping crime story about an utterly dysfunctional British family that ultimately ends in sororicide (just looked up this term, didn't even know it existed! Because fratricide is more common?). Vine is the alter ego that Ruth Rendell used to write psychological thrillers. I've always been very "meh" about her Inspector Wexford novels. But this one is very good!

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    1. So good to hear, because I am also meh about the Inspector Wexford series! I always feel like something is wrong with me because they seem to be so popular but they just don't grab me. Excited to try this other one!

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  9. Hi Rachel,
    Firstly, sending lots of hugs your way. I've missed you but re-joining the world after a tragedy takes time. There will never be a need for an apology.

    As tight as my time allows, I have just finished several books after a hiatus of two years - what the? 'Gone Girl' was incredible and then I watched the film and thought that it was incredible too and sometimes (okay, most times), the films are never as good as the books. 'American Sniper' was also really good and I only read it because several of my Year 11 History students told me I should. I confess, I watched the film first and then read the book but it's told in a diary entry sort of style with entries from his wife included as well and it's a very interesting story. It reminded me a lot of a good friend of mine and my husbands who has served three tours of Afghanistan and struggled to 'come home' mentally. Now, I'm reading 'Call the Midwife,' after a friend lent it to me. It's good - mostly in the form of diary entries too but in Chapters. Very descriptive.

    Some of your books always make me feel I should challenge myself more in my reading. I think I might look into some of yours.

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    1. Thank you, dear. It's appreciated, truly.

      Sounds like you're on a reading streak! I loved Gone Girl too. And re: challenging vs. not, I think you just have to go with what you're feeling sometimes. I used to have a rule that I checked out equal numbers of "quality" books and "fun" books, just because otherwise I tend to go nuts on mysteries and ignore literature. I've veered away from it, but do try to remind myself to pick up something decent if I notice that I've been devouring thrillers back to back! But ultimately, I do think any reading is good reading. It's just that books function differently. Sometimes you need to think and sometimes you just need to escape.

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  10. Sad you didn't like The Secret History more -- I am a huge Donna Tartt fan. BUT YES Station Eleven and Last Night in Montreal both by Emily St John Mandel are GREAT! My favorite reads of this year so far

    I would also recommend Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher and both Special Topics in Calamity Physics and Night Film by Marisha Pessl

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    1. I did like, just didn't love it! But I added The Little Friend to my waiting list, so maybe that will win me over.

      I really enjoyed STiCP when I read it a few years ago. Wish I'd been keeping track on the blog from the start so that I could remember more details about what I thought about it.

      Just added Night Film to my wish list, thanks! Oddly, I'm having trouble finding Mud Vein on my library website (even when I search by the author's name!), so I might have to try to get it in person. Weird.

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    2. Do you have a kindle? I believe in Mud Vein so much that I will gift it to you!

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  11. Have you read Girl on the Train yet? I just started but I was curious if you had any thoughts about it.

    I liked Bebe. Her 'pause' sleep trick worked like a charm!!

    I found myself agreeing with a moderate amount of all joy and no fun- although I didn't want to..

    Love chatting books! Xoxo

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    1. I haven't read Girl on the Train and I can't decide if I should! Is it getting overhyped?

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    2. Definitely overhyped, but still a super quick and entertaining read. It's not particularly elegantly written, but still very worth it... as a borrow, not buy.

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  12. Great to have you back in any form, love your book reviews/what you've been reading.

    Just lost a very dear family member a few weeks ago, but my dear parents are still here and in good health, I so admire your strength and honesty here, thanks for sharing and I hope you will have more good days than bad in the near future.
    I go to work and shower etc, but have not been out much otherwise nor been reading. I ordered Liane Moriartys Big Little Lies, unopened on my desk still - but think I will get into reading again this weekend :)
    Putting Station Eleven on my list, since you and commenters here are discussing it, as my next read!

    Hugs (from Europe/long time reader, your site is still bookmarked in my favorites and opens up from when I marked it, with the post regarding your save the dates before your wedding, so cute.)
    xx Heiðdís

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  13. Sending you lots of positive energy! Thanks for sharing!

    Kate
    www.lamiabellavita.com

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  14. Would you be able to do a cookbook version?

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    1. That would be such a fun idea! Sadly, all my cookbooks are packed up right now, and I won't have them out again until we live in a larger place. So right now I'm just getting by without any cookbooks!

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  15. I like your book lists--thank you! I'm going to check a couple out.
    After my dad died, I felt like various shades of shit for a year. That one-year anniversary was important to me; I felt that since I had survived the all the firsts--birthdays, holidays, important moments-- without him, I could keep on surviving. Grief is still there, lurking and painful, but I feel much, much better.
    Everyone is different...but it does get better. Keep taking care of yourself and just let yourself feel the ups and downs. xo

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    1. Thanks hon, I think that's how it's shaping up for me. There are so many firsts right now and they keep hitting me hard. Hugs to you.

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  16. I just read Girl on the Train and enjoyed it, sort of in the vein of Gone Girl. My favorite book of this year is We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler. It was so good - part mystery, part family drama, part social commentary. The author's voice was so fresh and funny. Do you know when you have to keep reading the sentences over and over again because you recognize truth when you read them and want to commit a particular phrase to memory? All.through.this.book.for.me

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    1. I read We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves at the end of last year and loved it! I went into it knowing absolutely nothing, which made it more fun because I didn't know who Fern was for a while.

      I'm still debating Girl on the Train. I guess I should just add it to my library list already - I probably won't get it until the end of summer anyways!

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