I haven’t posted about books I’ve read since I got my Bingo cover all back in early August. Time to catch up on the ones I’ve finished lately!

There There by Tommy Orange
4 stars
Devastating and brilliant, this debut is a must read for it’s unique story. I had issues with some of this – too many characters that were had to keep track of and an ending that, while beautifully written seemed to leave out some important details. Still, I’m looking forward to reading more from Tommy Orange, I think he will be a very important new voice for Native American literature.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
5 stars
This is a beautiful book. The prose is gorgeous, it deserves to be read slowly, with plenty of time to reread certain passages and ponder the meaning of grace, mortality, and community.

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
4 stars
It’s been over 60 years since this book was published and yet the message still resonates – particularly among women – today. The concept of a woman spending time alone, of seeking peace and being mindful, was new then but luckily it has become accepted. As the author writes, “Women need solitude in order to find again the true essence of themselves.” That couldn’t be more true for me and spending some of that solitude reading this book has been not only lovely but also enlightening.

Everything Here Is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee
3 stars
An interesting study on the effects of mental illness on an individual and their family and friends. I thought it dragged on a bit too long but still enjoyed the story and the writing.

Summer Hours at the Robbers Library by Sue Halpern
3 stars
Odds are that I’m going to like a book set in a library and this one is no exception. I found it dragged on at times and then the ending felt a little quick and forced but overall it’s an enjoyable story with interesting characters and a great setting.

Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
4 stars
I read this in practically one sitting, which says a lot about the pace of the story. Overall, I enjoyed it immensely, the characters and community, the subtle humor and the satisfying ending. I think the transition from part one to part two is a little abrupt and I had a hard time connecting aging Willa with Willa from part one but still, Anne Tyler is a terrific storyteller.

Varina by Charles Frazier
2 stars
I had to force myself to finish this one and I’ll admit that I skimmed quite a bit. It too often felt like nonfiction, and dull nonfiction at that. It had great potential but it just never took off for me.

Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof
4 stars
An easy read, a delightful cast of characters, somewhat predictable but utterly satisfying; life really is about recognizing the small blessings that come our way.

Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years
3 stars
Entertaining and nostalgic, it made me long for the days when Obama was in the White House.

And there you have it – a bunch of pretty good books!

On Friday, friends, I got my Book Bingo Cover All! Woot!

I finished strong with the following:

Square #22: Borrowed: The Bookman’s Tale by Charlie Lovett
4 stars
Very readable, this book has a lot going on: romance, historical bits, intrigue and mystery. I enjoyed the back and forth between time periods and, while some of the dialogue fell flat and a few of the characters were stereotyped, it was a fun read. Reminiscent of The Historian and The Thirteenth Tale, this is a must read for those who love old books.

Square #11: Already Own: Sleeping with Pancho Villa by Rick Skwiot
5 stars
This book, which is more a series of vignettes than a traditional novel, is brilliant. I love the stories and the characters, and the setting, which is the thing that truly unites them all, is so real I felt like I could feel the dust on my skin and taste the cerveza and tequila they were drinking. Highly recommended.

Square #16: Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
4 stars
I love the way Alice Hoffman sets a scene and creates a mood and I found this book to be lovely and entertaining. Her prose really shines in this one and I love the magical world she creates here.

Square #21: A Collection of Poetry: Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins
4 stars
I don’t read a lot of poetry but I enjoyed this collection, particularly the poems dealing with nature.

Square # 13: Any Book: Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum
3 stars
The story is great and fast-paced, a definite page turner. But – the dialogue is quite awkward at times (and I am annoyed when an author doesn’t use quotation marks) and it gets repetitious, particularly when it comes to sex. (The Nazi officer likes weird sex. I get it already.) I liked the resolution at the end but felt it was a bit contrived and I was frustrated that the author didn’t allow for the characters to mend their relationship. Recommended for those who like Holocaust fiction and want to know more about things from the perspective of German citizens, but honestly, The Book Thief and All the Light We Cannot See did it much better.

Thank you, Mary, for inspiring another great summer of reading! Even though my card was pretty easy this year I’m still looking forward to reading whatever I want for the foreseeable future!

It’s been just over a month since I last shared my Summer Book Bingo Card with you and I’m happy to say that I now have FOUR Bingos!

(ya’ll definitely need to click this to read it)

Here are the books I’ve finished, along with their corresponding Bingo squares, and reviews:

Square #18, About Food: Beach Music, Pat Conro
5 stars
This is a long book with a big amazing beautiful heartbreaking story. It made me cry, it made me laugh, and it will stay with me for a long long time.

Square #1, Seen on Gilmore Girls: A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
5 stars
Readers seem to fall into two camps with this book, they love it or despite it. You can count me as one who loves it.

Square #17, Person on the Cover: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Gail Honeyman
4 stars
I truly enjoyed this book. Eleanor is a great character and I loved the progression of her story and the way she developed and overcame her past in a realistic and heartfelt way.

Square # 7: One-word Title: Less, Andrew Sean Greer
5 stars
Truly delightful and captivating!

Square #12: Set in a Different Season: Due or Die, Jenn McKinlay
3 stars
A light cozy mystery set in a library, perfect for a quick summer read.

Square #10: Written in the Second Person: Every Note Played, Lisa Genova
4 stars
A brutally honest depiction of what it’s like to live with and die from ALS, this is not an easy read. It’s sometimes gross, truly heartbreaking, and also absolutely beautiful.

Square # 6: Classic: Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson
4 stars
A haunting story of neglect and abandonment, this book tells a bleak and sad tale of a family’s inability to come to terms with tragedy, resulting in mental illness that lasts for generations. The sadness and loneliness of the characters is palpable, leaving me feeling wrung out and sad. Still, it’s beautifully written, worthy of praise, and I’m glad I read it.

Square #3: Magical Realism: Kindrid, Octavia Butler
4 stars
I read this book in practically one sitting as I could not put it down. The story is compelling in today’s time but would have been ground breaking in 1979. Highly recommended.

Square #1: Seen on Gilmore Girls: Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance
3 stars
I found this to be an interesting memoir of the author’s difficult childhood and how he rose above it to become successful. I think it’s good and worth reading but it’s not a treatise on our entire nation or even an entire region, it’s simply one man’s experience of poverty.

Square #2: Wanted to Read for More Than a Year: Etta and Otto and Russell and James, Emma Hooper
4 stars
Delightful, fluid and quirky, I enjoyed this book immensely. The ending is left to the reader’s interpretation and, while I find that slightly annoying, it forced me to really think through the entire story and fit all the pieces together in the way I found best.

Just 5 more books to go for my cover all!

I’ve been reading up a storm the last couple of weeks and I’m filling in squares and I even got my first Bingo over the weekend!

Here’s my updated card:

And here are the books I’ve finished since I last shared about books with you:

Square #23, Set in a place you’d like to know more about: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
4 stars
I thought this book was quite good. The subject matter is difficult at times and there is a fair amount of violence but there is an underlying theme of love and hope that surpasses the despair. The descriptions of Alaska are beautiful, it’s almost as if the state is another character in the story. I will say that I think it could have benefited from more aggressive editing, some parts were repetitious and it did drag a bit at times. I’m glad to recommend it but it’s definitely not for the squeamish!

Square #8, Recommended by a friend: This is Water by David Foster Wallace
5 stars
Short and profound, this little book tackles big ideas, promoting the most important thing of all: being present.

Square #19, Historical Fiction: Grace by Natasha Deon
3 stars
I have mixed feelings about this book, a story of a runaway slave who is killed at the very beginning of the novel and is then told from her point of view prior to her murder and for years afterwards as a ghost following her daughter through life. The plot is good although the switching of time lines is sometimes confusing. My issues, however, are with the stereotypical characters and the use of language and descriptions that just don’t fit the time frame. Profanity that wasn’t used at that time, phrases that are modern, and more, are jarring and out of place and make it hard to immerse yourself in the historical context the author is attempting to create. And some of the characters are way overdone, the cheated on and abandoned plantation wife, the drunk and cruel plantation owner, etc. Underground Railroad is a much better novel covering some of the same issues.

Square #5, Debut: The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
3 squares
This book makes for a great summer read – fast and (mostly) light and full of flowers. I do think there could have been a little more character development and I definitely got frustrated with Victoria’s inability to see that she was loved and accepted but all in all I enjoyed it and was quite satisfied with the ending.

Square #15, Audiobook with one narrator: The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman
4 stars
Fascinating and full of facts, this book will forever change the way you look at birds!

Square #24, Mystery: Banana Cream Pie Murder by Joanne Fluke
2 stars
This series has really declined, the dialogue is way too simple, the plot is non-existent and the recipes are like something from a church cookbook in the 1970s. And yet I keep reading. I was sure this one would be my last but the cliff hanger ending will probably make me read the next one . . .

Square #8, Recommended by a friend: The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott
5 stars
Literary fiction at it’s best, read it for the prose and fabulous character development but don’t expect a lot of plot. It’s beautiful and moving and I highly recommend it.