I read some books in April. Want to hear about them?

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
4 stars
I loved the premise of this book and the back and forth between Nao in Japan and Ruth in Canada. The writing is excellent and the philosophy is sound. Highly recommended.

Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner
3 stars
The plot is compelling and the writing is good although I do take some exception to the main character’s maturity – it just seems like she would have taken her responsibility over her rather childish ambition. Still, that decision was necessary for the plot and I was able to overlook it since the descriptions of the Blitz and the terror that went along with it were very good. I appreciate that it’s told from the perspective of a young girl and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in WWII historical fiction.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
5 stars
An amazing book about the impact of tragedy on a young marriage, I couldn’t put it down. Contemporary, relevant, heartbreaking and hopeful, I highly recommend this one.

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
3 stars
A fast paced thriller, sure to be liked by fans of Gillian Flynn, this is certainly not literary fiction but still very entertaining.

Sourdough by Robin Sloan
4 stars
Delightful and fun with a touch of magic, a perfect light read for time on an airplane!

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
3 stars
A wonderful story about living a long long time but finally recognizing that there is only one thing that really matters (the present) and only one thing that really makes life worthwhile (love). Some of the writing is quite brilliant and beautiful but I never completely connected with the main character and that’s what kept me from giving this a higher rating. Still, a pleasant read and I’d recommend it.

The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race edited by Jesmyn Ward
4 stars
Powerful and timely, I’d recommend this to anyone interested in race relations in the USA.

Winter by Ali Smith
5 stars
Ali Smith is just brilliant. The things she doesn’t tell us, the words she leaves out, are just as profound as the things she includes. I loved this even more than Autumn.

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer
4 stars
The reviews on this are pretty mixed but I truly enjoyed it. So many good thoughts and ideas on feminism are in here and the author’s style, at times almost stream of consciousness, is great. It’s long and the ending is a little too neat for my taste but I’d recommend it to anyone with an interest in women and their place in America.

One of the best things about not campaigning (aside from winning, that is) is having time to read again. Hurrah for the magic of reading!

Reading has slowed down considerably over the last little while since my Saturdays are no longer spent with a book but are rather spent holding signs and knocking on doors. Nevertheless, I have finished a few books and I’d like to share my reviews with you today.

The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
5 stars
Beautiful, clever, wonderful, there aren’t enough adjectives to describe this one. It’s a work of art, I think. Read it.

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
4 stars
If you knew the exact date you were going to die how would you live your life? Would it hang over your head and remove any feeling of free will? Or would it give you the freedom to live life to the fullest? I’ll just say, I wouldn’t want to know.

In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende
4 stars
Isabel Allende is a terrific story teller and this tale, which goes back and forth from the present to the past, does not disappoint. Each character has been broken by their past but when the three come together, in a somewhat unrealistic way, they manage to build relationships and heal each other and move into the future with hope.

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
4 stars
Timely and relevant, I enjoyed this book a lot. It covers some hot button issues without sensationalizing or stereotyping and it’s very well written. It’s a tad long but it never really dragged and I definitely recommend it.

Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
2 stars
A rehash of Where’d You Go Bernadette only not as good. The best thing I can say about it? It was short.

Hum If You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais
4 stars
A moving story of South Africa in the 1970s during Apartheid and the Soweto upraising, told from the perspective of two characters, a 9 year old white girl and a 50 year old African woman. Some parts are really beautifully written and the overall message is one of hope despite the heartbreaking circumstances of the plot. There were a few too many coincidences and the ending felt a little rushed but overall it’s a great book and I’d recommend it.

Even though I didn’t read as many there were some great books in this bunch – one five star and 4 four stars – that’s some excellent reading!

Whenever I find myself with nothing to blog about I think – when did I last talk about books? Have I read enough books for a post? Sure enough, it’s been just over a month since I last shared my current reads. Here are the books I have recently read:

The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish
4 stars
A beautifully written tale of two women living in very different times yet under very similar constraints. Epic, historic, and literary, it’s a book for those who love research, books, academics and history. It’s long and not a light or easy read but it’s so worth the effort.

The Memory Box by Eva Lesko Natiello
1 star
I finished this book only because I was curious about the plot but it was a struggle, I’ll tell you. The writing is not good, the characters are completely horrible, and the whole thing is just a giant cliche. The author may have been going for a Gone Girl type story but this one completely missed the mark.

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
5 stars
This heartbreaking and amazing story will be with me for a long, long time. The writing is gorgeous, the characters are flawed and realistic and damaged, and this is a truly important book for everyone to read.

This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison
3 stars
A super fast and easy read, this story was entertaining, with more depth to it than I anticipated. I enjoyed the way the chapters depicted Harriet at different ages (although I’ll admit the narrator of those sections was annoying at times) and showed how the things that happened to her throughout her life shaped her into the woman she became. It’s an interesting exploration of family relationships, struggles, feminism, love, betrayal, loss and more. Recommended.

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
4 stars
This is considered a YA book but the characters are older than in most YA novels out there and the themes of grief, loss, life and love are universal. The setting, references and quotes from well known books like Cloud Atlas and Great Expectations are fabulous and some of the writing is really beautiful. Recommended for those who enjoy the genre.

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich
3 stars
I hate to admit, as much as I love Louise Erdrich, I didn’t love this book and it’s a disappointment particularly because it follows the brilliant and gorgeous LaRose. The writing is wonderful and Erdrich still includes her Native American roots but I found the dystopian setting disturbing and honestly feel like The Handmaid’s Tale handled it better. But – if you’re a fan of Erdrich and you like the post apocalyptic stuff, you will probably love this book.

The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman
3 stars
Super short, I would have enjoyed this book more if it was a full length novel and not a brief reflection on what makes a successful life.

Autumn by Ali Smith
4 stars
The parts I understood I really loved. And the parts I didn’t get, well, it’s Ali Smith so they were still well written and interesting. The timeline jumps around a lot and it can be confusing but it’s over all an intriguing book.

Girl Underwater by Claire Kells
2 stars
A lot of build up but no real pay off.

Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo
5 stars
Well written and sad, it’s amazing what people will do when they are pushed to the point of desperation. I loved the trail of breadcrumbs approach to understanding the challenges facing this couple as they failed to conceive and the ending was truly satisfying in a way I could not have predicted.

The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff
2 stars
The plot had great potential (WW2, Nazis, hiding Jews, the circus) but the writing was simplistic and, despite the author’s attempt at drama, I just never connected with any of the characters. Overall I found this tedious and predictable and not really worth my effort.

There were definitely a couple of clunkers in this batch but I’m grateful for the good ones like Autumn, Stay with Me and Sing Unburied Sing.  Sometimes I feel bad when I write a negative review but then I think – I’m just sharing my experience and, as we love to say, your mileage may vary.

What have you been reading lately?

Let’s talk about some books I’ve read lately, hmmmm? But first, let me tell you a funny story.

Last Wednesday when I got home from work I knew that Thursday would be a snow day. I changed into pajamas and wondered on Facebook if I’d get dressed again before I had to go back to work on Monday. I mean, I knew I would have to but it was still fun to speculate about spending the next 5 days in my jammies doing nothing but reading and knitting. At the suggestion of a friend I started a contest and asked my friends to guess how many books I would finish over the extended weekend. I figured it would be at least 2 and perhaps 3 and a lot of people guessed that – some, however, were crazy and suggested I might finish 8 or more. Seriously? Maybe if I’d read Jack a half dozen board books I could have met that quota.

Anyway.

I finished Reservoir 13 on Thursday and I started The Weight of Ink, a 576 page book. Do I have to tell you? I did not finish it by Sunday night which meant that I only finished ONE book that weekend. I was definitely surprised and at one point on Sunday I found myself rushing to get through The Weight of Ink when I thought, STOP. Stop reading so fast just to finish a book so you can say you finished two. Stop rushing through this book that’s really quite good and should be savored and enjoyed. So I slowed myself down and yesterday I posted that I’d only finished one. Nice person that I am, I gave everyone who commented a chance at the prize (a home baked pie) since no one actually guessed that I would only finish one book. I pulled my friend Steve’s name out of the basket so I’ll be baking him the pie of his choice very soon.

Now let’s talk about the books that I did finish in December and the first week of January!
Still Me by JoJo Moyes
4 stars
Louisa Clark is back and just as quirky, thoughtful, insecure and hopeful as ever. She learns a few more life lessons in this book, reflects back on things that happened with Will and Sam in the previous books, and ultimately discovers that reinventing yourself again and again isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Recommended for fans of the series and for those who enjoy the genre. I was given a copy of this book by Net Galley for review.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
3 stars
John Green tackles mental illness (OCD) in this book and I found his portrayal of Aza to be realistic and enlightening. The description of her thoughts and how they control and frighten her was enlightening and I found myself contemplating what it must be like to experience the world in that way. That said, not much else happens and I didn’t love this the way I loved The Fault in Our Stars.

Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
4 stars
Timely and relevant, this story is a modern adaptation of Antigone – which works very well although I thought the ending was forced. I found the plot relating to jihad recruiting fascinating and couldn’t help but reflect on how the political climate of the world is feeding the extremists. The themes of loyalty, love, tragedy, ambition and justice are interwoven through the novel and, although parts of it feel disjointed, it’s very good.

Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
4 stars
A sentimental and magical tale of how Mr. Dickens came to write A Christmas Carol. Highly recommended for those who love Dickens and London and Christmas.

We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
4 stars
A collection of essays Coates wrote during Obama’s presidency that illuminate in a very sobering way just how the election of a black president perfectly set up the election of Trump. Heavy and thoughtful, at times a bit dull, but always important, I enjoyed the prologue to each essay more than the essays themselves because of the memoir aspect of those pieces. A tough but important book and one I will think about for a long time.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
3 stars
The premise of the book is great – a murder mystery manuscript being read by the editor – and a real life mystery tied to it. But the book is too long and I felt like it really got bogged down about half way through. Despite the tediousness of getting to the conclusion I did enjoy it, particularly the references to Agatha Christie.

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
4 stars
I really enjoyed this prequel to Practical Magic, which I haven’t actually read yet. Hoffman delivers a beautiful tale full of magic, longing, despair and love. Highly recommended.

Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor
4 stars
This is a wonderful book for the reader who loves a setting that feels alive and real. Not a lot happens but the cycles of the seasons, the repetition of nature, the birth and death of everything living is beautifully told in a way that reminds me of Brian Doyle’s Mink River. There are a lot of characters to track but if you can give yourself over to knowing that it’s all very fluid and not necessary to remember all the details I think you’ll find this well deserving of the praise it has received.

Those were all mostly great but I think We Were Eight Years in Power is the one that has stayed with me the most.

What are you reading these days?

Are you ready for another year end type post? This one is about reading and it’s super long. It took SEVENTEEN screenshots from Goodreads to get all of these books imported here for you!

That’s a LOT Of books! Not as many as in 2016, though. I’m thinking it was all that baby holding I started doing back in October. Still, 78 books and 26,515 pages is lot. And most of it was really really good. Stand outs include Geek Love, News of the World, South of Broad, The Nix, Homegoing, Lincoln in the Bardo, Exit West and 4 3 2 1 – I’d recommend any one of those in a heart beat.

I hope you read awesome books last year and I hope you will continue to do so this year, too.