Carole Knits

october zinnia
october zinnia
martinis with a view
martinis with a view
gettysburg fence for
gettysburg fence for
germinate shawl on rocks
germinate shawl on rocks
field of flags 2
field of flags 2
color affection with edge
color affection with edge
cedar leaf shawlette 2
cedar leaf shawlette 2
3_27_2014
3_27_2014
3_18_13
3_18_13
2_24_2014
2_24_2014
1_11_13
1_11_13
peony-bouquet-for-carole-knits
peony-bouquet-for-carole-knits
dale-and-jackie-for-carole-knits
dale-and-jackie-for-carole-knits
nightshift-progress-for-carole-knits
nightshift-progress-for-carole-knits

ABC Along Adventures of Dale and Carole Arthritis Ask Me Anything Birthdays Bloggers Books Buy More Yarn Charity Knitting Circular Sock Machine Contests Crochet Dyeing Epic Sock Blanket Eye Candy Friday Feeling Crafty Fiber Festivals Food Good, Bad, Ugly Hmmm Joyful Wednesday Knitting Knitting Olympics Macro Monday March Money Madness Memes Mittens Monday On My Mind Movies Museum of Me Mutterings My Backyard NaBloPoMo One Little Word Patterns Photography Project Spectrum Quilting Random Ravelry Read With Us Reenacting Run For Your Life Saturday Posts Selfies Sewing Show & Tell Sock Knitting Spinning Sunday Funnies Swaps Ten on the Tenth Ten on Tuesday Thankfulness That's Life Think Write Thursday Three Things Throwback Thursday Thursday Things Uncategorized Vacations Wordless Words in the Wild

  • Home
  • Carole Julius Photography
You are here: Home / Books / For the Love of Reading: May 2022

For the Love of Reading: May 2022

June 1, 2022 By Carole

It’s the first of June and I’m taking full of advantage of that by posting today about what I read in May. Here they are:

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
there’s another kind of hole, and that is the wound that divides family. Sometimes this wound occurs at the moment of birth, sometimes it happens later. We are all fixing what is broken. It is the task of a lifetime. We’ll leave much unfinished for the next generation.
This book came highly recommended by a friend and, I have to admit that if it weren’t for that I might have stopped reading it as it felt slow to me. Verghese wanders off on some tangents I sometimes felt were unnecessary, but I’m truly glad I stuck with it. The writing is exceptional and those tangents enriched the story and rounded out the characters. I think this will stick with me for a long time.

Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this insightful and fascinating look into Paul Simon’s life and music. The conversations were nuanced and thoughtful and enhanced beautifully by clips of Simon’s music, both past and present. Highly recommended for fans hoping to further understand this master songwriter, musician, and humanitarian.

Good Intentions by Kasim Ali
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Can two people from different cultural backgrounds fall in love and stay in love? That is the premise of this book, but it is decidedly not a romance and more of a contemporary character study. I’m probably not the intended audience and, while I enjoyed the story, I would have liked more background and less dialogue. I generally don’t mind a timeline that isn’t straightforward but, in this case, it hopped around too much and it felt contrived. Recommended as a fast read.

Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
The sequel to Good In Bed is ejoyable, the writing is even, the characters have evolved, and I enjoyed seeing how Cannie adjusted to being a wife and mother and her relationship with her surly and confused teenage daughter was very realistic. It’s an easy read, with moments of joy and sadness, mistakes and triumphs, and a big twist that I never saw coming. In other words . . . it’s a lot like . . . life.

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a bitingly honest and beautifully written book on living with mental illness. The characters are real, the dialogue is sharp and witty, and the whole thing comes together perfectly. It’s particularly poignant if you or someone you care about has dealt with mental illness. It’s a story of love, family, forgiveness, frustration, pain, and ultimately hope. Highly recommended.

When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An alluring and powerful debut, this book gave me all the feels. I loved the atmospheric setting, the rich characters, the charming magical realism, and the beautiful lessons of love, hope, and forgiveness.


I read some pretty good books last month and I hope, like always, that there’s something on this list that sparks your interest. The best news is that anything I finish now is part of my free-wheeling no-rules summer reading!


Related posts:

Default ThumbnailFor the Love of Reading: April 2022 Default ThumbnailFor the Love of Reading: February 2022 Default ThumbnailFor the Love of Reading: January 2022 Default ThumbnailFor the Love of Reading: March 2022
« One Little Word Update: May 2022
Three On Thursday »

Filed Under: Books

Comments

  1. Kym says

    June 1, 2022 at 7:57 am

    Always love your reviews, Carole! XO

  2. Becky says

    June 1, 2022 at 8:12 am

    Thanks, Carole! I love your book reviews. Cutting for Stone is one of my favorite books of all time, so I am glad you enjoyed it. I have not heard of the other books, so I will check them out.

  3. Sarah says

    June 1, 2022 at 8:42 am

    I think I need to put Cutting for Stone on my summer reading list. I know Kym loves it, and my brother has been raving about it for years. I really loved Sorrow and Bliss (just finished it over the weekend). I’m so excited about summer reading!

  4. Bonny says

    June 1, 2022 at 9:11 am

    Thanks for your great reviews, Carole! I think I read Cutting for Stone but I don’t have a Goodreads record of it. Maybe it’s time to read it (again). I love the cover of When We Were Birds, and am off to place a hold.

  5. Kat says

    June 1, 2022 at 1:59 pm

    I, too, love your reviews! And thank you for adding a couple of books to my list! XO

  6. Amber says

    June 1, 2022 at 10:41 pm

    I also recently read Sorrow and Bliss. I really enjoyed it, but honestly felt we never got to the “bliss” part – she was only happy for about 2 pages. Lol. Despite that, it was a really good read that I couldn’t put down. I would also recommend!

  7. Margene Smith says

    June 2, 2022 at 8:54 am

    I’m still figuring out how to track my reading for the summer and may just end up writing down books, or making a Goodreads tag. It’s been many years since I’ve read Cutting for Stone and I wouldn’t mind rereading it as it was worthy of diving deeper. Sorrow and Bliss was a stand out on the Woman’s Prize list. I wonder if it has a chance to win?

  8. Vera says

    June 3, 2022 at 7:32 am

    I always enjoy your book reviews Carole – thank you! “Cutting for Stone” keeps coming across my screen – recommended by numerous folks, so I need to check that out. Likewise, I’ve been hearing a bit of buzz about “When We Were Birds” and will be checking that out as well.

Archives

carole AT caroleknits DOT net
my read shelf:
Carole's book recommendations, liked quotes, book clubs, book trivia, book lists (read shelf)

2021 Reading Challenge

2021 Reading Challenge
Carole has read 15 books toward her goal of 75 books.
hide
15 of 75 (20%)
view books

carolejuliusphoto

Watching Gaslit with a view. It’s another beauti Watching Gaslit with a view. It’s another beautiful night in Bayside. #baysidemaine #gaslitstarz #alaptopwithaview #porchsitting #coastofmaine
A donut the size of my hand! This one is called Th A donut the size of my hand! This one is called The Homer 🤣 @theonlydoughnut.belfast #theonlydoughnut #belfastmaine #thewaylifeshouldbe #donutsforbreakfast
I can’t get enough of this view. #baysidemaine # I can’t get enough of this view. #baysidemaine #thewaylifeshouldbe #maine #theviewfromhere
Friday night snacks look better from here. And als Friday night snacks look better from here. And also, I’m not oblivious to today’s news, I’m devastated. I’m also extra grateful to (a) live in Massachusetts and (b) be privileged enough to ignore it for right now while on vacation. #fridaynightsnacks #martinitime #baysidemaine #cheeseandcrackers #myhappyplace
Pizza night. What can I say? Wednesday is the new Pizza night. What can I say? Wednesday is the new Friday. #oonipizzaoven @ooni.it #pizzanight #outdoorliving #margaritapizza #imadeitmyself #homemadeisbest
Happy FriYay, friends! #fridaynightsnacks #friyayn Happy FriYay, friends! #fridaynightsnacks #friyaynight #helloweekend #martinitime #cheeseandcrackers #charcuterie #outdoorliving
Happy Sunday from Fred and George! #sundaymorningv Happy Sunday from Fred and George! #sundaymorningvibes #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecats #fredandgeorge
Friday night is pizza night these days. And those Friday night is pizza night these days. And those napkins? They sum up the secret to our 25 (next Tuesday!) year marriage! #oonipizzaoven #fridaynightsnacks #peaceloveandcocktails
It’s a perfect June morning for Sunday brunch un It’s a perfect June morning for Sunday brunch under the pergola. #sundaybrunch #brunchalfresco #pergolaliving #outdoorliving #inmybackyard #juneismyfavoritemonth
My patriotism is sorely lacking at the moment. Sti My patriotism is sorely lacking at the moment. Still, I’m grateful to head into Memorial Day weekend focusing on the good, remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country, seeking common ground and (always) looking for hope. If all that fails, at least I’ve got a martini. And snacks. #fridaynightsnacks #memorialdayweekend2022 #cheeseandcrackers #martinitime
I love a hotel conference room with a view! #massl I love a hotel conference room with a view! #masslib2022 #libraryconference #aroomwithaview
Flower haul, day 2. #flowersaremagical #containerg Flower haul, day 2. #flowersaremagical #containergardening #timetoplant #givemealltheplants
It was a good day for plant shopping, my annual tr It was a good day for plant shopping, my annual tradition with my gardening bestie @doemack87 . I think we even left some plants behind … maybe. 🤣 #plantshopping #containergardening #plantsgalore #flowersaremagical
Pizza perfection tonight! Margherita for me and pe Pizza perfection tonight! Margherita for me and pepperoni for him. I’m loving our @oonihq pizza oven. #oonipizzaoven #ooni #margheritapizza #pepperonipizza #homemadeisbest #imadeitmyself #summernights
Fred has assured me that there is no pea under tha Fred has assured me that there is no pea under that pile of quilts. #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecat #princessandthepea #pileofquilts
First al fresco breakfast of the season, air fryer First al fresco breakfast of the season, air fryer hash browns with avocado and crispy fried eggs. Delicious! And so nice to enjoy under the pergola. #breakfastalfresco #inmybackyard #airfryerhashbrown
Fridays on the deck are the best Fridays of all. # Fridays on the deck are the best Fridays of all. #fridaynightsnacks #martinitime #cheeseandcrackers #happyhourathome #itsspringbutfeelslikesummer
Ranunculus season is short, gotta enjoy these beau Ranunculus season is short, gotta enjoy these beauties while we can. #ranunculus #flowersaremagical #springblooms #crossstreetflowerfarm
Two kitties in a basket! #fredandgeorge #siameseca Two kitties in a basket! #fredandgeorge #siamesecatsofinstagram #siamesecorner #siamesecats
It’s Friday night, friends. Time for snacks. Ooo It’s Friday night, friends. Time for snacks. Ooof, what a week. #fridaynightsnacks #cheeseandcrackers #martinitime #thosenapkinsthough #iwishiwasaunicornsoicouldstabpeoplewithmyhead #fuckyouscotus
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Categories

ABC Along Adventures of Dale and Carole Birthdays Bloggers Books Charity Knitting Contests Eye Candy Friday Feeling Crafty Fiber Festivals Food Good, Bad, Ugly Hmmm Knitting Knitting Olympics Macro Monday Memes Monday On My Mind Movies One Little Word Photography Project Spectrum Quilting Random Read With Us Reenacting Run For Your Life Saturday Posts Selfies Show & Tell Sock Knitting Spinning Sunday Funnies Swaps Ten on Tuesday Thankfulness That's Life Think Write Thursday Three Things Throwback Thursday Thursday Things Uncategorized Vacations Wordless Words in the Wild

Copyright 2014 Carole Knits · Log in