For the Love of Reading: November 2024

Time for a look back at what I read in November. It’s a short list, this time, although I did hit my goal of reading 70 books for the year last month.

The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a thought provoking book that encompasses the challenges, joys, and complexities of teaching in today’s world. The characters are refreshingly honest and incredibly human and Mathieu does a great job of portraying them as people who care about their students and also struggle with the work load and confines of being a public school teacher. It’s witty and quirky, inspiring and eye opening and a true balance of humor and heartache. Definitely recommended.

Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book does an exceptional job of celebrating the beauty of ordinary lives and gentle souls. I was immediately drawn into the world of these two unassuming friends, Leonard and Hungry Paul, cheering them on in their victories and sympathizing with their sorrows. There are laugh out loud moments and also quietly funny moments and it all comes together in a heartwarming and deeply human story that is both comforting and inspiring. Highly recommended.

Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Ina Garten’s memoir is a blend of personal anecdotes, culinary inspiration, and self reflection on her life. She details her decision to leave her job as a Washington bureaucrat to enter the world of specialty foods and retail work. She is honest about her childhood, which was difficult and abusive, her struggles to achieve success as a lifestyle guru, and her relationship with her husband Jeffrey. While the book is undeniably compelling, the level of privilege which allowed her to have the experiences she had and take the chances she took is a little mind boggling. Recommended for loyal fans looking to bring some Barefoot Contessa sparkle into their lives.

Memorial Days: A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Geraldine Brooks takes us into her world for a raw and realistic view of grieving when her husband, journalist Tony Horwitz, died completely unexpectedly at the age of 60. In a back and forth narrative that spans the first moments and months after his death to the solitary trip she eventually takes three years later to come to terms with her grief, Brooks is vulnerable and honest. Her writing provides not just keen insight into the grieving process but also practical advice for those who find themselves in a similar situation. Memorial Days is a powerful testament to enduring love and the human capacity to heal. Highly recommended.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Clearly there were other things occupying my time during November and reading took a bit of a backseat. But the reading I did was mostly great and for that I’m glad.

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Comments (10)

  1. Thank you for alerting me to Memorial Days being on NetGalley — I’ve just requested it, as I’ve read (I think) all of Geraldine Brooks’s books and have been looking forward to reading this one!

  2. I still think about Leonard and Hungry Paul and wonder how and what they are doing. Ronan Hession has written several other books but none of those titles appealed to me as much as L&HP. I really want to read Memorial Days but don’t want to wait until February. Time to visit NetGalley!

  3. I have watched Ina’s shows… and I concur. She does have an off the charts level of privilege (and this is where I have the problem) that she seems totally unaware of.

    And thank you so much for highlighting Geraldine Brooks new book… I absolutely want to read it! XO

  4. Celebrity memoirs are usually like that . . . revealing how tone deaf they are when it comes to their privilege. (Which . . . well. I’m sure we all are.) I find it pretty annoying some of the time, but I think Ina kind of got away with it (better than many, at least) in her memoir — which I thought was kinda sweet and refreshing, and a great read for These Days. I also loved L&HP. So much. And Geraldine Brooks’ new memoir gives me something to look forward to in 2025! (I’d request it from NetGalley . . . but I have quite a backlog there now, and really shouldn’t . . . ) XO

  5. I’m in the (very long) queue for Ina’s book…but I’m ok with waiting to read it. I loved L&HP – what a great book! I have not read much of Geraldine Brooks’ books, but I loved “Horse” and I have “Year of Wonders” in my Audible library. Memorial Days sounds like a good read. Thanks!

  6. Thank you, Carole, for another great book post. I was unaware of Memorial Days. I have enjoyed reading all of her books, and of course, this one speaks to me for obvious reasons. I don’t know how I missed it, but thanks to you I now know of it.

  7. I also enjoyed Leonard and Hungry Paul. So many moments were memorable, especially the lunch date with Leonard and Shelly. I loved the ordinariness as well as the quirkiness. I found myself comparing and contrasting the characters with the more extreme characters in Baby Reindeer and their strategies for coping. I thought there were some parallels in the way that Donny Dunn in Baby Reindeer used comedy as a coping mechanism/career path and how Leonard did the same with ghostwriting. Thank you for the reviews of the other books – Memorial Days sounds exquisite.

  9. I’m so glad you mentioned Ina Garten’s privilege. When I saw the title of her memoir I did a huge eye roll and it completely put me off reading it.
    I’m interested in Memorial Days, though. I hadn’t heard about that one. As well as Leonard and Hungry Paul.

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