For the Love of Reading: Late October through Early December 2020

Can you handle it if we talk about reading two days in a row? I talk about reading every single day even though I don’t blog about it as frequently. Yesterday, though, I realized I haven’t done an updated list of books I’ve read since October and with the end of the year coming it seems prudent to do one now. Here’s what I’ve finished over the last little while:

Monogamy by Sue Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Character driven novels are not usually my favorites to read but this one changed all of that. These people felt so real to me, their daily struggles, the feelings of fear and loneliness that comes with being disconnected from those you love, the blessing and curse that is grief. I saw myself over and over again in Annie, in her concern of losing herself over to a love so big it’s all consuming and in her desperation with what to do when it’s finally gone. This is a beautifully written study of marriage, love, passion, family, and grief. Highly recommended.

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is sad and slow and it took me a while to get into it. But once I adapted to the rhythm of it, the non-linear narrative and the continuous weighing of faith vs science, I loved it. The ending is particularly satisfying but mostly because of the road Gifty traveled to get there.




Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A short but powerful book chronicling the early days of CTE and it’s impact on the family of a pro football player. I loved ZJ’s honest narrative and found his story both heartbreaking and hopeful. Highly recommended.




Modern Comfort Food: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s not secret that I love comfort food and there are some really great recipes in this collection. From fig and cheese toasts to spicy pimento cheese spread to smashed eggs on toast, I found a lot of things I want to try. I bet you will, too.




Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Maria Owens and how the curse on the Owens family came to be. While some part of the story felt repetitive, the ending was so satisfying I am able to overlook that flaw. Highly recommended for fans of the Practical Magic series.




Apeirogon by Colum McCann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.

Different. Extraordinary. Moving. And very hard to describe. Trust me when I say to read it. Or even better, to listen to it.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is good but it is repetitive and much too long. I finished for the sake of the story but it could have been about 200 pages shorter, I think.




The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Uplifting and delightful, full of quirky characters and a beautiful setting, this book will open your eyes to bias and prejudice in a new way, and it will make you cheer for the underdog with an ending that will leave you crying and laughing all at the same time. Highly recommended.




Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Powerful, beautiful, heartbreaking, and hopeful, this book drills down to the heart of grief and recovery. I read it in one sitting. You should, too.




Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I feel like this book started out strong but then it got repetitive. The idea of completing the stress cycle is valuable and I plan to use that for my own stress but the rest of the advice was comprised of things we all already know. Ultimately, they had too much for a magazine article but not enough for a book.




Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In many ways this book left me with more questions than answers and for that reason alone I keep thinking about it, trying to work out what was happening and what the future holds for these characters. It’s not an easy thing to read during a pandemic, it perhaps compounded my feelings of hopelessness right now, but the story is entertaining and the writing is good.




A Burning by Megha Majumdar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Who would you hurt and how far would you go to make your dreams come true? That is really at the crux of this heartbreaking and wonderful debut. Highly recommended.




The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

You would think reading a book about a pandemic in the midst of a pandemic would be unsettling, and you’d be correct. It’s also comforting, though, as it is a reminder that the human race has survived pandemics before and we will again, even at a terrible price. I do think the book got bogged down a bit in places and the ending then felt very rushed to me but I recommend it for the story and the writing style.

And that’s what I’ve been reading over here. I hope you’ll find something there that will inspire you to pick it up and read it.