Book Log: March 2018

My youngest sister has been doing an annual post of books completed, and I always enjoy looking through it. I do keep a log of my finished books, so I thought cataloging my completed books at the close of every month would be a good way to dust off this blog and encourage me to jot down a few lines -- or a few paragraphs -- with my impressions (a compiled list will appear at the close of the year). I don't like spoilers, so while I put some initial thoughts after each title, when possible I'm purposely vague regarding plot specifics so as not to dissuade any of you from reading them. This is my third year doing this (here is a list of my 2017 books, and here is the list of my 2016 books; these pages don't have commentary, but if there's a title that interests you, click on the appropriate month to learn more).

The included Amazon links are affiliate links; should you be inclined to purchase one, these links only mean Amazon will give me a small percentage of the cost, at no additional expense to you.

17) 3/1: Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee

This was a Young Adult title. The setting is San Francisco in 1906. Mercy Wong lives in Chinatown but longs for educational opportunities not afforded to her as a girl and as a minority, so she cleverly concocts a way to gain admission to an elite private girls school. Mercy struggles with the transition, as a majority of the other students, all white, don't accept her.

A major historical event took place in 1906 San Francisco, and while most summaries mention it, I'll try to keep to my spoiler-free reflections in case you're the sort to want to pick up a book with little context beforehand. The girls are forced to find a way to work together, in spite of initial impressions. I could see this book having a place in a middle-school classroom for some interdisciplinary English and History unit.

18) 3/3: Bury Your Dead (Chief Inspector Gamache series, #6) by Louise Penny

I'm making quick work of the Chief Inspector Gamache series. Other than the first title, which had a long library wait, I've been able to get a hold of most of the series with minimal waits, and the audiobooks are such a treat that when I have a choice between actual book or audio, I select the latter.

This title I read instead of listened to, and I found myself completely engaged. Reading these titles back to back could backfire if the stories were too formulaic, but just when you thought you had things figured out, this book changes all that.

Throughout this book, three different story arcs are happening. Immediately we get a brief glimpse of something monumental that happened "off stage," and as the characters wrestle with the consequences of that, we are granted more and more details of what that event was until we get the full picture at the close of the book. Gamache is taking some time for himself but happens into a case, which is a second storyline (and that case has fingerprints that delve deep into the past, to the founding of Quebec). The third storyline is happening in Three Pines, as Jean Guy is sent there to re-investigate a previous case.

As I was reading, I had to put my book down at one point to rave to my husband about how much I was enjoying the clever storylines and how this title was my new favorite, even though my husband has read zero of these books and my words were probably vague and confusing. I just needed someone to gush to, and he was in the room. And lest we think these characters are tropes and don't transform, we see several instances of people altering their behaviors due to circumstances around them.

19) 3/4: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie

Here's the thing: I was first introduced to Sherman Alexie last year; some of his titles were familiar to me, but once I heard him speak I read his memoir when it was released and have been working through some of his other books.

As I was reading this short-story collection, though, I heard murmurings that he might be caught up in the #metoo movement for abusing his influence in the industry in an attempt to pressure women into uncomfortable encounters when they'd originally believed his interest in their work genuine and professional. NPR did a story when Alexie's accusers came forward.

I'm not yet ready to separate those accounts from Alexie's work, so I finished this book with little enjoyment just to move on. So there's my non-review review.

20) 3/8: I Thought It Was Just Me (but it wasn't): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power by Brene Brown

I only have one other Brene Brown title under my belt, but I picked this one up when the Audible title was deeply discounted.

It's been awhile since I've taken a tangent before tying it into my impression of a book, so let's meander, shall we? When I was in middle school, perhaps, I remember a drive with my dad. He was working through audiotapes for Men Are From Mars, Women are From Venus. I believe the author was setting up the framework of men and women using the same words but their meaning behind them is nuanced and different and their motivations for sharing information is different as well (I think that's basically the premise of the whole book, but I suspect we were near the beginning). Dad paused it to get my impression. I remember it was something like, "Well of course men and women communicate differently, Dad!" He was flabbergasted that I'd already known something that he was just realizing.

Anyway, back to Brene Brown's I Thought It Was Just Me. I appreciate the truths she articulated, like the differences between shame and low self-esteem, the importance of cultivating compassion, and expressing empathy over sympathy (especially towards ourselves before we can practice it outward). She also puts forward some "case studies" and for later sections she offers questions to work through, using the earlier case studies as a guide to demonstrate the personal reflections that could result.

So how does this tie in to my earlier story? I really appreciate her insights, but for the most part it wasn't an a-ha book for me, since I feel like I've come to these same conclusions. I do recommend this book, though, especially if you could use a practical way to reflect on any shame you feel regarding any area of your life (she has examples from people who struggle with parenthood, family dynamics, marriage tension, body image, employment, and so on).

21) 3/12: A Trick of the Light (Chief Inspector Gamache series, #7) by Louise Penny

Another Louise Penny mystery, big surprise, right? Here we find Clara has achieved success in the art community, but the death of someone from her past puts a damper on the celebrations.

This was, as always, a pleasure to listen to, but on the heels of Bury Your Dead, it was hard to compete. We continue to see characters evolve and deepen, though.






22) 3/12: Adam: God's Beloved by Henri Nouwen

Adam: God's Beloved was a beautiful read. I've been longing to read some Henri Nouwen after repeatedly encountering excerpts of his and I found this title at the college library.

This is the final book he wrote before passing away and it describes his experiences at L'Arche Daybreak Community. He served as their chaplain and was paired with Adam, one of the residents there; Henri was expected to wake up Adam and get him ready for the day. Adam was severely handicapped and couldn't speak, and Henri was intimidated with the responsibility in the beginning, but he credits Adam with transforming his faith. He sees Adam as a parallel to the biblical Adam.

Nouwen's insights were thoughtful and heartfelt:

"Could Adam pray? Did he know who God is and what the Name of Jesus means? Did he understand the mystery of God among us? For a long time I thought about these questions. For a long time I was curious about how much of what I knew, Adam could know, and how much of what I understood, Adam could understand. But now I see that these were for me questions from 'below,' questions that reflected more my anxiety and uncertainty than God's love. God's questions, the questions from 'above' were, 'Can you let Adam lead you into prayer? Can you believe that I am in deep communion with Adam and that his life is a prayer? Can you let Adam be a living prayer at your table? Can you see my face in the face of Adam?'" (page 55)

I found myself wanting to mark down passage after passage, no small feat for a short book. Adam transformed Nouwen's life and the lives of several people he encountered, even if only for a meal, that it's easy to see why Nouwen held him in such esteem.

At one point Nouwen mentions being disappointed in a peer who accused him of throwing his life away and doing such demeaning work that he wasn't trained for when he should be preaching and writing in ways that would have more impact. That would be an easy reaction to have, but Nouwen allowed himself to get past any self-importance and see Adam for who he was and what he could reveal about our true vocations. In their exchanges, even as Adam wasn't verbal, Nouwen humbled himself and opened himself up to learn from Adam, to the point that when Adam died, Nouwen has this to say:

"I couldn't stop gazing at his face. I thought, 'Here is the man who more than anyone connected me with my inner self, my community, and my God. Here is the man I was asked to care for, but who took me into his life and into his heart in such an incredibly deep way. Yes, I had cared for him during my first year at Daybreak and had come to love him so much, but he has been such an invaluable gift to me. Here is my counselor, my teacher, and my guide, who could never say a word to me but taught me more than any book, professor, or spiritual director.'" (page 101)

23) 3/20: Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood

Priestdaddy was our March book club selection. Time was tight for me, so I opted to listen to the audiobook during a long drive to and from Iowa.

This was mixed for me. Lockwood's father had been a married Lutheran minister before converting to Catholicism. He received a special dispensation from the Pope to become a priest. That in itself is interesting, but while the title is Priestdaddy, the book is really about her and her parents are peripheral. Early on she and her husband move back in with her parents, which brings old memories to light. Unfortunately, I felt like she was always trying to make us laugh and the characters seemed like caricatures instead of fully formed individuals.

Lockwood is a poet, so towards the end as she wasn't trying as hard to be funny and delved into more serious, introspective areas, I found my enjoyment increase.  As often happens when I have a middling opinion of a book club selection, though, hearing others' enjoyment and insight does challenge me to revisit certain passages and realize I do appreciate them, even if the overall impression isn't very positive.

24) 3/27: The Beautiful Mystery (Chief Inspector Gamache series, #8) by Louise Penny

I continue my progress in this mystery series. I believe this book is the first that hasn't had a Three Pines component. There is a death at a remote monastery that is being investigated.

One aspect I haven't mentioned yet that I appreciate is that, while these cases often have Inspector Gamache away from his wife for long stretches during investigations, they are dedicated to each other and there's no question of his loyalty. He will process cases with her because he appreciates her perspective, and they have a deep love and affection for each other that isn't dimmed when they're apart. We see how other relationships are similar and different to theirs, and what that suggests about their ultimate success or failure.

Book Log: January 2018

My youngest sister has been doing an annual post of books completed, and I always enjoy looking through it. I do keep a log of my finished books, so I thought cataloging my completed books at the close of every month would be a good way to dust off this blog and encourage me to jot down a few lines -- or a few paragraphs -- with my impressions (a compiled list will appear at the close of the year). I don't like spoilers, so while I put some initial thoughts after each title, when possible I'm purposely vague regarding plot specifics so as not to dissuade any of you from reading them. This is my third year doing this (here is a list of my 2017 books, and here is the list of my 2016 books; these pages don't have commentary, but if there's a title that interests you, click on the appropriate month to learn more).

The included Amazon links are affiliate links; should you be inclined to purchase one, these links only mean Amazon will give me a small percentage of the cost, at no additional expense to you.

1) 1/1: Christmas Bells by Jennifer Chiaverini

This was our December book club selection, but as we couldn't find a time that worked for everyone to meet until the new year, I took my time reading it so the details would be fresh.

This book has an interesting structure. The chapters alternate points-of-view, with half of them being in the past, focused on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and the other half set in present-day Cambridge with various individuals whose lives and stories intersect. The centerpiece is Longfellow's poem "Christmas Bells," which many of us know because it became the song, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day."

In the Longfellow chapters, we learn about his life before, during, and after the Civil War; in the present-day sections, a church choir is the focus, with us getting to learn more about the director, the accompanist, the priest, members of the choir, patrons of the church, and so on. Most of the present-day is focused on a single day, although each character does end up revealing experiences from their past.

The author did her research on Longfellow and I found I knew little of his life before picking up this book. It was an easy, sweet read if you're looking for something light.

2) 1/1: Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum

This was a light YA read. Take a girl who is still processing her mother's death and her loving father who remarries and moves her away from everything familiar. Have her start at a new (private, fancy) high school.

Jessie receives an email from a fellow student wanting to answer any questions and help her adjust, but preferring to stay anonymous in the process. We fluctuate between seeing their online conversations and her daily life. It's a pleasant, easy read with some predictable outcomes -- I think anyone could guess from the early pages who her correspondent is, but much like movies like You've Got Mail or books like Dear Mr Knightley, some of the fun is knowing something that the protagonist doesn't.

There's a sense of real, believable grief in some of the exchanges, so I wasn't at all surprised to learn the author also lost her mother as a child and used some of that experience to shape Jessie's processing of the grief. It's not a heavy, deep read, though, and there's a frankness with drugs, drinking, even sex that could turn off those that don't want that in a book or want to be aware so they can delay offering this to a younger teen.

3) 1/6: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

As you may remember, I encountered Sherman Alexie at UntitledTown last year, and after hearing him speak, I first read his memoir You Don't Have to Say You Love Me (it was one of my favorite reads last year).

Then I picked up this book and was struck at how much true-to-life it seemed, given what I knew of Alexie's experiences growing up. I was not at all surprised to learn in the afterword that he was going to include this in a memoir but it didn't seem to fit. When he was approached to write a Young Adult book, he (slightly) adapted this. One addition was working with a graphic artist to create little doodles, drawings, and comics throughout, which fit well.

Sherman Alexie has earned a special place with me -- I connected with his memoir and I find myself wanting to work through his titles (I have one or two of his poetry books I've acquired at thrift stores, so we'll see when those rise to the top of the reading pile).

4) 1/6: A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny

I do love a good mystery - they're nostalgic for me, harkening back to the many Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie titles I devoured growing up, as well as the car trips when Grandpa Claire would play audiobooks of their mysteries and I would be riveted. I appreciate Louise Penny's books, giving me new material to work through.

This is the second in the Inspector Gamache series. In it, we revisit Three Pines, the idyllic village, when during an annual curling match an unlovable woman is killed.

I can see myself revisiting this series again, after working my way through (there are thirteen published so far). Penny does a believable job in casting suspicion on any number of people that you don't know until the big reveal who is the guilty one. It would be fun to pay more attention to the plot once you know who the perpetrator is and see better what bread crumbs we received.

5) 1/14: The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay

A couple years ago I'd read and enjoyed Dear Mr Knightley by Katherine Reay, and as people enjoy her books, I pick them up now and again. I didn't really appreciate A Portrait of Emily Price from last year, but this was a new release I spotted at the library and spontaneously checked out.

Take two friends from childhood who have grown a little distant but decide to take a retreat to an Austen experience. The protagonist ends up living through her own Austen novel (love triangle, misunderstandings), even if she doesn't realize it.



6) 1/15: Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

My boss in Indiana recommended The Glass Castle to me about a decade ago; it's a riveting book that sometimes hit too close to home (although Walls' family was far more dysfunctional than mine ever was or will be). The Glass Castle is the story of the author's childhood with a father who was always dreaming up the next get-rich-quick scheme (then having to run out of town when they backfired) and a dreamy, artistic mother who wasn't prepared to handle the responsibility of parenthood. I found myself gasping at some of her experiences (the moving-truck scene was heart-palpitating, for starters).

Anyway, that story was memorable enough and Half-Broke Horses was released later as the story of the author's maternal grandmother. By the end, you can see how certain personality traits of Walls' mother were already firmly entrenched in childhood. And there is no doubt that Walls' grandmother had grit.

7) 1/20: The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny

This was the third book in the Inspector Gamache series, and my first audiobook listen in the series (a new favorite way to encounter them). In this series, a death happens during a seance.

Another dynamic of this book is that Inspector Gamache's a past case of Gamache's is coming back to light -- we hear more specifics of the Arnot case (previously mentioned in brief, vague snippets) and how Gamache's just actions didn't sit well with everyone involved. So in addition to investigating the Three Pines murder, Gamache also must navigate leading his team when he understands not all are loyal to him.



8) 1/27: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

Here was the January book club selection (look at us, meeting twice in one month!). As we were going to have short turnaround from our last meeting, we picked this book from our list given how quick it can be to read.

Harold Fry is retired, driving his wife a little batty with his constant, uninspired presence. There's a distance between them; although we get snippets that reveal they used to be very close and loving, we recognize something more than time has come between them.

Harold learns a former co-worker of his is in hospice and writes a letter. When he goes to post it, though, he just keeps walking. Although he lives in the south of England and she is in the north, he decides he's going to hand-deliver it to her. He is ill-prepared in shoes, clothing, and provisions, but he feels he can't stop. He crosses paths with varied personalities and learns he should stop making assumptions about others based on their age, how they dress, and so on. Some of my favorite passages were him reflecting on the universal experiences we all face, how we all have stories to share and burdens to carry.

Harold spends a lot of the time walking thinking back over his life, reflecting on moments he hasn't thought about in decades. I think all of us can recall times we had similar experiences - time alone outside, perhaps, with no distractions, allowing your mind to wander and pull up old memories and experiences.

His wife, while confused and resentful, fearing she has lost her husband to this ill woman, goes through her own transformation.

I couldn't help but remember the title Absent in the Spring (written by Agatha Christie under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott). In that book, we also have a protagonist with unexpected time on her hands, and with her forced isolation, she ends up spending a lot of time thinking about her past and gaining new insight about herself and those around her and is faced with a choice to make when she returns home.

9) 1/30: The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen

This was a short-story collection, with each chapter focusing on the Vietnamese refugee experience. I first learned of this author after his book The Sympathizer won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2016. While I haven't yet read it, when this came across my radar I grabbed it.

It was okay. I generally am drawn to both books of short stories and stories of the immigrant/refugee experience, but this fell a little flat. I'm not sure if it's because I encountered it as an audiobook (those tend to have to work harder to earn my love), but I wasn't invested enough in the characters. I still plan on picking up The Sympathizer sometime, though.

Book Log: July 2017

My youngest sister has been doing an annual post of books completed, and I always enjoy looking through it. I do keep a log of my finished books, so I thought cataloging my completed books at the close of every month would be a good way to dust off this blog and encourage me to jot down a few lines -- or a few paragraphs -- with my impressions (a compiled list will appear at the close of the year). I don't like spoilers, so while I put some initial thoughts after each title, when possible I'm purposely vague regarding plot specifics so as not to dissuade any of you from reading them. This is my second year doing this; here is a page containing the 2016 posts (or here is a list of all 2016 books, without the commentary on each one).

The included Amazon links are affiliate links; many of these titles I check out from the library or already own, but should you be inclined to purchase one, these links only mean Amazon will give me a small percentage of the cost, at no additional expense to you.

35) 7/2: Hand to Mouth: Living in Bootstrap America by Linda Tirado

Here's another audiobook listen (accomplished while finally reclaiming my craft room, which has been in a sorry state for way too long and is now a welcome oasis when I can retreat there, if even only to read than to create).

It was a friend's recommendation after I shared a Kindle sale for Hillbilly Elegy (covered in my February book log).

Like JD Vance's book, it articulates what life is like for someone barely getting by. There have been just enough conversations lately with friends about the importance of listening to stories like this. With frequent debate about what healthcare in our country should look like, for instance, it appears the people making the decisions haven't considered how it legitimately impacts individuals at every level because their experience hasn't been a typical one (issues like not every employer offers healthcare, or birth control is prescribed for more than just preventing pregnancy, and so on).

Tirado goes through her life experience, both sharing what led her to her current situation and how hopeless and dehumanizing it can be (for instance, she has great shame -- and pain -- about her teeth, but she doesn't have the financial means to address the situation because when money comes up, it's earmarked elsewhere).

36) 7/8: You Don't Have to Say You Love Me by Sherman Alexie

Green Bay held UntitledTown, an inaugural book and author event, this past spring. It fell during a busy weekend, so while many events intrigued me, I was only able to attend the capstone talks, given by Sherman Alexie and Margaret Atwood.

I was familiar with Atwood and read The Handmaid's Tale before her talk (see my April log). I'm embarrassed that I was previously unfamiliar with Sherman Alexie (although a couple of his book titles were known to me). He opened the evening, and I was blown away. He is a talented speaker, weaving a series of stories that seemed entertaining and flippant at the start, only to reveal at the end that he's been intentionally working to a emotionally moving close.

This memoir was his focus, as it was released this summer. It covers his complicated relationship with his mother and the emotional processing of her death. So much of it resonated with me. My mother struggles with depression and schizophrenia, so while our experiences haven't been identical, I could easily relate with the complexity surrounding a nontraditional parent-child relationship. It was a powerful, beautiful read. Alexie writes essays as well as poetry, and it's a perfect blend. I highlighted repeatedly, and if I dwell too long on the passages I marked, it makes me want to weep for the truth of the words.

37) 7/8: A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr.

This was the July book club selection, my recommendation, as it had been suggested by my husband several (many?) years ago as an interesting read.

It is a thought-provoking post-apocalyptic piece written in three parts, with 600 years passing between each section (the section titles, in Latin, translate to "Let there be man," "Let there be light," and "Let thy will be done").

The book asks you to consider the role of faith, science, and technology in our world. It was written in 1960, and our book club mentioned how forward-thinking Miller was in imagining the future as well as how relevant the book was today, as if it had just been published. Even with each section being unique in its scope, the book reveals how cyclical the world is when it comes to how people behave in power, and there's much to consider with morality and how church and government act in the world.

38) 7/21: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

I'd picked up this book from a recent school book order for my older daughter (she's an accomplished enough reader that the 1st grade offerings were typically beneath her, and I learned I wasn't limited by grade, so I began eyeing the chapter books meant for older elementary students).

She hasn't jumped into it yet, but I saw the audiobook at the library and picked it up. While painting around the house (an outside door and the landing trim/bathroom cabinet, to be exact), it was pleasantly completed.

It's a delightful listen. Two siblings run away, and given that comfort is a factor, the older sister decides to live in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The mystery surrounding a recent museum acquisition focuses the children into learning as much as they can about the authenticity of the statue in question. The story is told from the point of view of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the reasoning of which is made clear towards the end. Since I'm so critical of audiobook readers, even though I often listen, I should articulate that this one was perfectly done.

39) 7/27: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

I had acquired this audiobook free when Audible gave it away in January. I held off listening to it, even though it was getting rave reviews, because it had come up as a possible book club selection. It hasn't been mentioned lately and I didn't want to miss out any longer, so the majority of it was enjoyed while I painted the girls' playroom (yes, the theme this summer is "listen to podcasts or audiobooks while tackling painting projects").

First, Trevor Noah does an exceptional job reading it, and it easily seems one where you should try, if at all possible, to listen to it instead of reading it; even setting aside his accent, hearing him jump into other languages adds a great dynamic, and he modulates his voice to diversify the various individuals.

Trevor discusses at length his experience growing up in South Africa under apartheid and how things altered when apartheid ended. He has a white father and a black mother, which played a large role in how he was treated under apartheid as well as how his experiences in school played out (he shares how people differentiated among white, black, colored, mixed, Indian). He is well read and seamlessly shares historical details. I found myself often grinning as he shared about his relationship with his mother.  She holds her own with him, and there's no doubt where his strength and resilience came from.

I highly recommend this one; Trevor Noah tells a fine story, and while sometimes gushing recommendations from others can lead me to have overly high expectations and be disappointed, that was fortunately not the case here.

40) 7/29: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

This was a well-done read that I started in January and have been plugging at pretty steadily ever since. It's a dense book at 545 pages, but it's an eye-opening read.

In it, Wilkerson takes three individuals who left the South in different decades to frame her research about the migration of blacks out of the South, an event that began around 1915 and is understood to have ended around 1970. I read it on my Kindle and have what amounts to pages and pages highlighted.

My earlier descriptive of "dense" might turn people off, but it's one of those non-fiction books that's very accessible and I would get invested with the various characters, rooting them on and hoping they found success. I highly recommend this one.

41) 7/30: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

I have read the Harry Potter series previously (perhaps only once before...), but I've been wanting to revisit them. Even though we own all the books, I'd heard high praise for the Jim Dale audiobooks, so I've taken to knitting in my craftroom or tidying up there while listening. It's been a pleasant routine.

Right as I began this book, though, my husband began reading the series to my 6-year-old daughter, and I found myself cringing when they'd get ahead of me and I would even try to leave the room if I could (I know the general arc, but since it's been awhile since I read them, I want to be revisit the little details in chronological order). We plan on halting the read-aloud after the third book until she gets older, so then I can devour the final books, spoiler-free!