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.
42) 8/5: Jesus Cow by Michael Perry
This was our book club selection for the month, as a light-hearted palate cleanser after
A Canticle for Leibowitz. I listened to the audiobook (while painting trim, surprise surprise) and I couldn't help but think about how it reminded me of Garrison Keillor's Lake Woebegone stories.
Michael Perry gives us insight into small town life through the various characters we follow. At the beginning, Harley discovers a calf born on Christmas Eve with one spot resembling the face of Jesus. The calf certainly leads the action, but we get entertaining asides as we learn the stories of the other personalities in the town. An easy, simple read.
43) 8/7: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
I joined our neighborhood book club in the summer of 2016, and if I've learned anything, it's that I leave every meeting with several more recommendations to add to my reading list. I'd read praise for this book and had checked it out in late spring on a whim, but I didn't get past the introduction before it was due, and it was a popular enough title that renewals weren't an option. When a member of the book club raved about it, I promised myself I'd be more diligent about reading it at another time and I was able to pick it up during an evening hermit date at a library.
It's truly a beautiful book. In the preface, we learn the protagonist is being sentenced to live the rest of his life within the walls of the hotel. His opulent room is taken from him and he ends up in a cramped space with a minimum of possessions, but as the hotel is spacious with every convenience (barber, seamstress, restaurants, bars, florist, and so on), he isn't constricted. He learns to see beyond his normal routine to explore, with the guidance of a young friend, every inch of his surroundings.
Decades pass and I found myself enjoying the relationships the Count developed and nurtured. Several hotel employees become like family, and I found myself treasuring this book.
44) 8/10: Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
This was an impulsive audiobook listen (while I painted the last of the doorways/trim, thus concluding my summer painting projects).
I've read a couple of Edith Wharton's books before this one, and there's a familiar melancholy through them all. With this being more of a novella, it can give you a quick taste of her style if you're unfamiliar with her and want to experience her work. In order to give nothing away, I'll just state that Ethan Frome is a hard-working, struggling farmer who starts to find joy and hope and wrestles with what to do next.
45) 8/15: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
Another pleasant listen as Jim Dale narrated. I hope to find times to listen to the rest of the series (although maybe my impatience for library waitlists will have me pulling my copies down from the my bookshelves).
46) 8/20: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
I kept encountering this title in an online book group I found myself in but I hadn't yet gotten my hands on a copy. It's an epistolary book (a favorite style of mine), and to sweeten the deal, it's non-fiction. It just so happened that when my three sisters came for a visit, my youngest sister had a copy and knew it was just the sort of book I'd adore (she was right).
Helene, a New Yorker, writes a London bookshop, requesting help acquiring some titles. Over the years, friendships form and we get to watch it all play out. Helene can be brash, amusing, pushy, and kind in her letters. Her generosity to this bookshop is touching. This is a book I hope to add to my library. It's not all that long (I read it in one day), but it's such a pleasant read.
47) 8/21: Maus: A Survivor's Tale (I: My Father Bleeds History) by Art Spiegelman
Maus is a graphic novel that also falls into other categories, including biography and memoir. The author interviewed his dad about living as a Jew in Nazi-occupied Europe. Art recorded the interviews and then added the artwork. The storyline shifts - we see Art in present day interacting with his father (perhaps
enduring interactions with his father is more accurate), asking questions about his father's life. Then we get transported to the past as his father tells his story.
This is the first volume of two, and I plan on reading it, as well. Art Spiegelman's created a compelling work. Even his portrayal of Jews as mice, Nazis as cats, Poles as pigs, etc., adds an interesting dynamic.
48) 8/22: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
I have read some other books by Jhumpa Lahiri and appreciate her style of writing and her portrayal of immigrants trying to adjust to life in America. This was one of her short story collections I hadn't yet read and was also the one she won the Pulitzer Prize for. I yet again appreciated her ability to make the characters so relatable - I can have strong emotions come up as I read her stories as she makes the regret, anxiety, disappointment, and so on so palpable.
49) 8/27: The Angel Knew Papa and the Dog by Douglas Kaine McKelvey
This book is relatively short, a pleasant children's fiction chapter book. While I read this book, perhaps it's not fair for me to count it. Sometimes I struggle with falling and/or staying asleep at night, and in those situations, I'll grab my Kindle to read until I'm tired again. This was a book I read during a couple of those middle-of-the-night stretches. All that to say, my memory is foggy in points.
Here's what I do know: it's beautifully written, and the ending seemed abrupt to me after the lovely pace of the rest of the book.
