books of 2020

When I counted up the books for this year, I was surprised to find that I hadn’t read as much as I had in the past couple of years, given that we spent most of 2020 under quarantine for COVID-19. But like a lot of people, I found it really hard to concentrate during the first couple of pandemic months. I followed a bunch of public health experts on Twitter, consumed political news like it was my job, and watched a LOT of TV. But here is what I did read in 2020:

January

The Dearly Beloved – Cara Wall. This was a great start. I loved this novel about two couples who meet when the husbands take jobs as joint pastors of a church. It’s a great exploration of all four personalities and two marriages over time. The writing is great too. A hearty recommendation on this one.

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk – Kathleen Rooney. This was a book club choice that I didn’t finish. I’ve started to be a little wary of books with these cute titles.

Less – Andrew Sean Greer. I reread this for another book club. Check out April 2019 for what I thought last time. I still thought the writing was great and the story of a formerly “promising young writer” turning 50 hit home. Also hilarious. 

February

The Newish Jewish Encyclopedia – L. Liebovitz, M. Oppenheimer, S. Butnick, Ed. I had heard all about this on one of my favorite podcasts, Unorthodox, so I couldn’t wait to get my copy. It was funny and interesting and I even met Stephanie Butnick and had her sign my copy when she spoke at a synagogue nearby!

The Overstory – Richard Powers. One of my book clubs read this Pulitzer fiction winner that ends up focusing on environmental activists in the Pacific northwest. I don’t remember a whole lot about it, other than that I felt kind of meh about it.

Nothing to See Here – Kevin Wilson. I was excited about this novel after reading his previous book, The Family Fang. This one had a great creative premise--a young woman takes a job caring for a couple of kids that spontaneously--and repeatedly--burst into flames. Yes, you read that right. I did enjoy that part of the story but there wasn’t much more to it. 

Talking to Strangers – Malcolm Gladwell. I always like Malcolm, but this wasn’t my favorite book of his. Read one of the older ones, or listen to his podcast Revisionist History instead.

Shattered Love – Richard Chamberlain. I stumbled on this memoir at the library. And I may or may not have rewatched the entirety of The Thorn Birds miniseries after I read it. I adore Richard Chamberlain and I don’t care who knows it. Was the memoir any good? Who cares?

The Gifted School – Bruce Holsinger. This was a terrific novel about a group of parents obsessed with getting their elementary schoolers into the new gifted school. Funny and insightful; great writing. If you’ve been a 21st century suburban parent, you will see yourself and (hopefully) laugh.

The Book of Speculation – Erika Swyler. I enjoyed this novel about a mysterious family with circus connections. The story wasn’t perfect, but it had some great imagery and nice twists and turns.

March

Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies – Hilary Mantel. The third book in the trilogy shipped in the middle of the month, so I spent a few weeks rereading the first two books. So, so good. (I also rewatched the PBS miniseries.)

April

The Mirror and the Light – Hilary Mantel. I have been waiting for this finale for literal YEARS. I was not disappointed. Please tell me there’s going to be a continuation of the miniseries too. This brings the story of Thomas Cromwell to its unhappy end. The picture of the unhinged Henry VIII felt particularly salient in the U.S. in 2020.

May

Let's assume I spent May bingeing West Wing reruns.

June

Polio: An American Story – David Oshinsky. Shout out to another great podcast for this one. An episode of historian Jon Meacham’s Hope, Through History told the history of the polio epidemic and recommended this book. It was fascinating and provided a great background on pandemic management and vaccine development that really helped me understand developments this year.

The Patron Saint of Liars – Ann Patchett. I am a big  Ann Patchett fan so I have long meant to read her first novel. I definitely enjoyed it, maybe not as much as her later books, but you can really see her warming up to them here.

July

The Big Rock Candy Mountain – Wallace Stegner. Like the Ann Patchett novel, this was an early work by an author I love. It was a little tough to track down, and I’m glad I read it to go all the way back to the beginning with Stegner, but I wouldn’t really recommend it unless you’re going for the completist thing. It has a pretty interesting historical sweep and some of the Stegner writing I die for, but it’s also pretty depressing and kind of plodding in places. Go read Angle of Repose again.

August

Leadership in Troubled Times – Doris Kearns Goodwin. I almost skipped this one about Lincoln, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt, and Lyndon Johnson, thinking I had read so much about each of them that I wouldn’t find much new here. So glad I was wrong! Doris Kearns Goodwin organized this in such an interesting way, examining how each of “her guys” handled a particular period of challenge in his life. Great writing, fascinating history.

The Female Persuasion – Meg Wolitzer. The latest from another one of my favorite novelists. Two friends meet a famous author they admire and what happens after that. A great exploration of female friendship and mentorship over many years. It made me think about one of my all-time favorites, The Finishing School by Gail Godwin. Read both of them.

My Grandmother Said to Tell You She’s Sorry – Fredrik Backman. I have to confess to not finishing this one. I thought Backman’s big hit about Ove was kind of clever, but I’m done with that shtick.

The Lazy Genius Way – Kendra Adachi. This is becoming a podcast list as much as a book list (which might explain why I got less reading done this year) but this is another podcaster I never miss. Even though I had heard a lot of the information on The Lazy Genius podcast, I still found more that was useful in this practical and good-humored self-help book.

September

Midnight in Chernobyl – Adam Higginbotham. I Could. Not. Put. This. Down. I am squeamish about crime or violence of most any kind, but give me a nuclear disaster with the destruction in graphic detail and I am THERE FOR IT. Even though I was aware of this event in real time, I was shocked to read about just how much we--and even the local population--didn’t know about what was going on with the nuclear accident at the plant in Chernobyl. Absolutely fascinating.

The Tiger in the Grass – Harriet Doerr. Harriet Doerr is one of my favorite writers but I had never read this story collection. The stories were written early in her career and published much later. You can see some warm-ups for themes and characters she explored later (and, I have to say, better) in her later books, Consider This, Senora and Stones for Ibarra.

The Poet X – Elizabeth Acevedo, read by the author. This coming-of-age novel in verse was a great book club pick. I recommend both the text and the recorded editions. In the text you can appreciate the visual structure of the poetry (especially the last poem), but in the audio version you get to hear the rhythms in the author’s own voice and accent.

Catastrophic Happiness – Catherine Newman. I love Catherine’s blog Ben and Birdy, and she’s also the terrific advice columnist for Real Simple magazine, but I had never read one of her books. This one about parenting young children was laugh-out-loud funny and full of wisdom at the same time.

Yes Please – Amy Poehler. It was particularly fun to read this memoir at the same time we were making our way through Parks and Recreation for some uplift during quarantine. I’m sure if I ever met Amy we would be best friends. 

October

The Sympathizer – Viet Thanh Nguyen. I reread this one for book club--liked it again--and I’m interested to see that the author’s next novel is a sequel. Hope to read that in 2021.

November

Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era – James McPherson. Every year I love reading one of these glorious doorstops that are part of the Oxford History of the United States. This year was no different. I would like to go back and be an undergraduate again now knowing that I love history. This particular copy came with annotations from a previous reader who was VERY SALTY about the confederacy. Lots of underlining and commentary, but thoughtfully done in pencil, so I erased all of it. You’re welcome Fullerton Public Library. I’m sorry I sometimes have overdue books.

December

The Soloist – Steve Lopez. Yet another book club reread--but I was actually happy about all the rereads. No exception here. Definitely check out this poignant story of  an LA Times columnist getting to know a homeless mentally ill musician, and also enjoy the movie.

My Name is Lucy Barton – Elizabeth Strout. I had had this book on my list for a long time, and I liked other things by this author, but I found this novel just ok.

7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess – Jen Hatmaker. I followed Jen Hatmaker’s blog for a while and I liked her style, so I picked up this book about her family’s year trying minimalism in 7 different areas of their life. Not being a Jesus person, this was pretty heavy on the Christianity for me, but I still got a lot out of it and I enjoyed Jen’s friendly writing.

HRH: So Many Thoughts on Royal Style – Elizabeth Holmes. This author comes on the business-related public radio show Marketplace from time to time to talk about the British royal family and fashion, and that’s where I heard she had written a book about the language of style employed by Queen Elizabeth II, the late Princess Diana, Catherine, the Duchess of Windsor, and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. The book is gorgeous and fascinating. 

Fleishman is in Trouble – Taffy Brodesser-Akner. Darn. I had been so looking forward to reading this novel by a New York Times writer I love to read. But though I was interested enough to read all the way through, I just didn’t enjoy it very much.

Crampton Hodnet – Barbara Pym. A comfort reread after being disappointed by Fleishman. Barbara Pym wrote several of  these cozy, sly, and humorous novels about mid-20th century English country life. Listen to the audiobooks if you can find them.

Well that does it for 2020. It was still a good reading year, but good riddance to it all around. Here’s to better times in 2021.

books of 2019

Hey, when it takes me until August to get last year's list out it feels like I just did this. It feels like that because I just did this. 

What I read in 2019:

January

 The Trouble With Goats and Sheep – Joanna Cannon. I got 2019 off to a good start with this one. Sort of a community mystery story told from the point of view of the two children who decide to investigate. A believable and entertaining story from a child's viewpoint is a rare gem indeed. I got both book clubs and my mom to read this one. You're welcome, Joanna.

Molly On The Range – Molly Yeh. I enjoy Molly's blog and TV show, so I wanted to give this book a look. The styling was great though I'm not too interested in cooking these recipes.

My Name Is Mary Sutter – Robin Oliveira. This was ok but just ok. It suffered a bit from a little too much "Zelig"--putting the ordinary person main character into contact with every famous person and event in the path of the plot.

February

A Piece of the World – Christina Baker Kline. This was a book club choice and I will admit I was a skeptic. Fiction based on a famous painting has mostly left me cold. This was pleasant surprise. Haunting and well-written.

Fashion Climbing – William Cunningham. When we first started reading the New York Times online we were lucky enough to discover Bill Cunningham's On The Street section in time to enjoy several years of it before he passed away in 2016. This is a memoir of his early years in New York as a young designer. Please also watch the wonderful documentary "Bill Cunningham, New York."

Educated – Tara Westover. I thought I was the only person who didn't like this memoir (please see Wild by Cheryl Strayed -- NO DON'T) but luckily I went to a book discussion about it and discovered I wasn't ALL ALONE on this one. Just mostly. I just didn't believe her story. I think I could forgive inconsistencies in someone's telling of their story more if all of the inconsistencies didn't point in the direction of selling a sensational memoir. Fight me.

Stars of David – Abigail Pohgrebin. I have to admit to sampling this one. The author interviewed prominent Jews about their Jewish identity. Interesting tidbits.

Anne of Green Gables – L. M. Montgomery. A book club choice -- several of us had never read this as kids. It was fine but didn't really grab me. I'm not sure if it's possible for me to be grabbed by YA books I'm not already nostalgic for.

March

A Ladder to the Sky – John Boyne, read by Richard E. Grant, Richard Cordery, Nina Sosanya, Laurence Kennedy. I listened to this via a BBC4 Audio podcast. It was a bit of a thriller with great readers bringing it to life.

American Wife – Curtis Sittenfeld. This was a fictional story about a first lady loosely based on the life of Laura Bush. I thought it was an interesting speculation on what it might have been like to be her. I would love to hear what the real Laura thought of it. Also, listen to the interview with Curtis on Fresh Air.

Between The World And Me – Ta-Nehisi Coates. I am always interested in reading Ta-Nehisi's writing and hearing his perspective. Let me stipulate that I have no idea what it's like to be a black man in 21st century America, but after also reading his earlier long piece about Michelle Obama in the Atlantic in 2009, I feel like this was a little one-sided. But definitely generated a lot of discussion.

Outer Order - Inner Calm – Gretchen Rubin. Check previous years for Gretchen's other books. This is her latest. It could just be because I listen to her podcast and had heard this information already, but I didn't think there was much to this.

April

Less – Andrew Sean Greer. I loved this novel about the formerly promising, now middle-aged Arthur Less. Witty and terrific writing.

Grand Expectations: The United States 1945-1974 – James T. Patterson. This is another volume in the Oxford History of the United States series. I am wild about these histories. This one covers an amazing amount of transformation and change in the U.S. The more I read about this period, the clearer it seems that this era we use to define "normal" in American society was actually very unusual.

May

The Red Tent – Anita Diamant. You probably read this one years ago. So did I, but it was really interesting to read it again now that I'm farther into my Jewish journey and more familiar with the biblical subject matter. Especially having spent a lot of time following Torah study with a feminist focus, I got a lot more out of it this time.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette – Maria Semple. Every year’s list seems to include a couple that everyone else loved and I did not. Here's another one. I think I was supposed to find Bernadette fun and quirky. Mental illness -- not fun and quirky. Sometimes I am a drag at book club.

Jews and Words – Amos Oz and Fania Oz-Salzburger. From my Jewish reading list. I wanted to read something by Amos Oz, but I can't say I really retained much from this. Maybe I will look for something else by him next year.

June

Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis – Jared Diamond. Fascinating. Diamond examines six countries that encountered upheavals throughout their history and how they coped. The histories of each country were super interesting and the implications for our time in this country were really thought provoking.

Hyperfocus – Chris Bailey. Confession: I bailed out before the end of this one. But I learned something important anyway. I heard an interview with the author and I was really excited to read the book, but by the time I got around to reading it I think I was less interested and it was very disappointing. Lesson: when I'm excited about some new non-fiction I should try to read it ASAP.

A Spool of Blue Thread – Anne Tyler. It had been a long time since I had read anything by Anne Tyler. I enjoyed this family drama.

Bee Season – Myla Goldberg. This was a book club re-read for me but I wanted to include it because I like it so much and I want to recommend it. It's about a little girl who turns out to be a spelling whiz. I found her to be a compelling character, there are interesting family relationships, Jewish themes are explored, and the description of one of the final discoveries knocked my socks off. Originally I listened to the audio version read by the author, which is terrific.

The Paris Architect – Charles Belfoure. Meh. This was a book club choice I didn't love -- more Nazis in Paris. 

Murder on the Orient Express – Agatha Christie. I had never read anything by Christie before, but I think I was too late for this one. As I got a little way into it I realized that I was already familiar with the plot twist.

July

Comedy Sex God – Pete Holmes. This is where I applied what I learned earlier in the year with Hyperfocus. I heard Pete Holmes interviewed on a podcast and then hurried right up and read this book. Still a little disappointing, but at least he was fresh in my mind. 

Mormon Country – Wallace Stegner. I found this pleasant surprise in Powells in Portland OR. It was part of the American Folkways series about the history of different regions of the United States. Each was written by an author familiar with their particular part of the country, and Stegner covered the area of the mountain west settled by Mormons in the 19th century. It was published in 1942 and tells all about a part of the country I love in Stegner's gorgeous prose. Heaven.

Underground Railroad – Colson Whitehead. I can't tell you too much about this book because I don't want to give away its secrets. Just read it. Let's just say I thought it was going to be a straightforward historical novel about a gruesome and shameful part of American history. Gruesome and shameful: yes. Straightforward: no. Pay close attention because it is not what it seems. You will not be disappointed.

Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots – Deborah Feldman. Memoir by a woman about her life growing up in an ultra-orthodox American Jewish community. Interesting experiences. I'm a little curious to go back and see why this memoir seemed believable to me when Educated didn't. Thoughts?

August

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland – Patrick Raddon Keefe. This was another author who made the rounds of nearly every podcast and publication I follow. After so many glowing recommendations I couldn't wait to read this -- I could not put it down. SO GOOD. The history of The Troubles in Northern Ireland framed by the story of a 38-year-old mother of 10 abducted from her home by the IRA. Was she an innocent bystander or a terrorist collaborator? Like the whole history, the answer is complicated.

Becoming – Michelle Obama, read by the author. I held out reading this until I could get the audiobook from the library and I'm so glad I did. I loved hearing Michelle narrate her own story and getting her perspective on events I watched from the outside. I was particularly interested in her take on being a working class kid who went way outside her comfort zone to an Ivy League university -- I didn't go through it as a person of color, but we had some similar experiences.

Garlic and Sapphires – Ruth Reichl. My whole book club enjoyed Ruth Reichl's memoir about her years as a restaurant critic and the crazy lengths she went to to preserve her anonymity. As a reader, you eventually get tired of her shtick -- it's satisfying when one of her friends calls her out for it right about the time you want to.

The Bullet Journal Method – Ryder Carroll. A few years ago I became a bullet journal devotee after my friend Mercedes told me about them. I had gotten the basics from Carroll's website but had never read his book. This is informative if you don't already know about bullet journaling, but there's not much more here. 

The Past – Tessa Hadley. I literally picked this book by its cover. Not bad. Another dysfunctional family story, this one set in the English countryside. Pretty jacket design.

September

The Library Book – Susan Orlean. All about the history of the Los Angeles Public Library framed by an account of the catastrophic fire in 1986. Both book clubs loved this one and both followed up with tours of the LAPL afterward. It left me even more devoted to the entire concept of libraries in America.

Counting By Sevens – Holly Goldberg Sloan. A YA novel that had been hanging around on my list for a long time. I thought it was ok, but nothing that memorable.

Modern Lovers – Emma Straub. A winner. I really liked this novel about a group of middle-aged friends and their coming-of-age kids.

East of Eden – John Steinbeck. After my ?th reading of this book, I will no longer deflect the question What is your favorite book. This. This is my favorite book. It is perfect -- a story you want to gobble up like chocolate cake, the most beautiful writing in the world, characters you want to name your future babies after. Just thinking about it makes me want to start it again right now. Timshel!

October

This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared – Alan Lew. More Jewish learning. This book about preparing spiritually for the High Holy Days made me think.

Frankenstein – Mary Shelley. We tackled this classic for Halloween book club. It was interesting to map the original story onto the plot of "Young Frankenstein," which I'm very familiar with. I also enjoyed reading an annotated edition, which fleshed out things not familiar to twenty-first century readers.

November

Kitchens of the Great Midwest – J. Ryan Stradahl. This was a light novel in the manner of a set of connected short stories that eventually interconnect. It was ok.

24/6: The Power of Unplugging One Day a Week – Tiffany Shlain. I did like this book about the notion of taking a tech Shabbat, though I think I probably got most of the information from an interview with the author. But her ideas have stuck with me and I continue to think about how and why to set aside some time each week.

Where the Crawdads Sing – Delia Owens. This super-popular novel was a book club choice -- I have to say that I was not impressed. Some significant plot holes and the author just skips over the part where an elementary schooler cares for herself in swamp for about 5 years. Sorry if I spoiled that for you. I warned you that sometimes I am a drag at book club.

Mrs. Everything – Jennifer Weiner. I had tried another of her novels a long time ago but I didn't really like it much. After a ton of great reviews and a charming interview on the podcast "Call Your Mother," I deciced to try this one. Jennifer Weiner seems very nice but I don't think her books are really my cup of tea.

December

There There – Tommy Orange. This was a difficult book with important things to say about the Native American experience in our time. I had a hard time getting through the violence and misogyny, but there were a couple of story-setting chapters that gave more of a sweeping view that I loved. The writing there was great. A book I think I'd rather read about than actually read.

Normal People – Sally Rooney. This novel about a young man and woman coming of age in Ireland who come together and fall apart over and over. It was sort of lost on me since I didn't find either of them very appealing.

Mister Rogers Neighborhood: A Visual History – M. Wagner, T. Lybarger, and J. McGuiggan. I am the world's biggest Mister Rogers fan and I absolutely loved this coffee table book all about the beloved PBS show. 

The Dutch House – Ann Patchett. One year I said that every year's list should include something by Ann. I'm sticking with that. Another crazy family story, my favorite kind. 

The Swerve: How the World Became Modern – Stephen Greenblatt. This was not at all what I expected -- but it was really interesting and I'm glad I read it. About the Renaissance rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman thinking and writing in general, and one particular text and book hunter in particular. Great history.

books of 2018

Better late than never! Here's what I read in 2018:

January

Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire - A 500 Year History- Kurt Anderson. It seems like the post-fact, "fake news" situation we find ourselves in right now is a completely modern one. Think again, says this book. Anderson lays out the ways our national character has been shaped from the beginning by fantasy. Fascinating and convincing.

Kristin Lavransdatter: The Cross- Sigrid Undset. The third book in a trilogy from Norway written in the 1920s about a Norwegian woman in medieval times. Like the first 2 books, I loved this one. Such an interesting portrait of life in this period.

Best American Short Stories 2016- Junot Diaz, ed. I didn't get off to a great start with book club this year. We specifically looked for a short-story collection, a genre I don't gravitate to, and I only read a few of the stories. Most of the time the story doesn't grab me, and when it actually does, I'm disappointed that it's so short. I think if you like short stories, these annual anthologies edited by amazing authors are great.

One Nation After Trump- Norm Ornstein, E.J. Dionne, Thomas Mann. Clearly I am still trying to work through what is happening to my country. These are 3 scholar-journalists whose work I respect. Really interesting.

February

Empire of the Summer Moon- S.C. Gwynne. A book club selection that concerns the history of the Comanche people in general and the particular story of one Anglo woman who was captured as a child and went on the become the mother of the last Comanche chief. How do I put this? White people had such a narrow vision of Indian society--and human nature--that they had trouble understanding this woman's experience after she was recaptured by whites. Things were not necessarily that much clearer in 2018. Enough said.

Here I Am- Jonathan Safran Foer. I really enjoyed this novel about a Jewish family in Washington, D.C. It was serious and funny, and the writing was terrific.

Underground Airlines- Ben H. Winters. I think I have recommended this book to every single reader I have talked to since I read it. Made a book club read it too. A fascinating counter-factual imagining of a present day United States in which the Civil War never took place. The detective story that serves as the main plot is pretty good, but the part that really blew me away was the world Winters imagined--how the U.S. might have developed and the way things might be now. Go read it. And then read Colson Whitehead's Underground Railroad. You'll have to wait for next year's list to hear about that one.

Big Little Lies- Liane Moriarty. I have to admit it--I didn't want to read this. It seemed like a not-very-interesting, way-too-popular chick book. But I really enjoyed it. It was approachable and witty, and also managed to deal with some heavy stuff. 

The Sabbath World- Judith Shulevitz. Some Jewish curriculum. I was interested enough for a book about half this length.

One Child: The Story of China's Most Radical Experiment - Mei Fong. I found this book after I heard the author interviewed on the radio. Super interesting all about the history of the policy, its execution, and the consequences for China and the world going forward. We should probably understand more about China. Recommend.

March

Born A Crime- Trevor Noah. I enjoyed this memoir--a good writer with an interesting story. But wait--I don't like memoirs. Spoiler alert: as of this writing, I also really liked Michelle Obama's memoir. I'm going to have to think about this some more.

Kaaterskill Falls- Allegra Goodman. It looks like I read this a long time ago, but I reread it after I inherited a copy. A story about a woman in an orthodox Jewish community trying to establish some independence. I liked it again.

Chasing Light: Michelle Obama Through the Lens of a White House Photographer- Amanda Lucidon. I bought and absorbed this, along with Obama: An Intimate Portrait, as part of my shrine to better times. Inspiring people, beautiful photographs.

Station Eleven- Emily St. John Mandel. Imagines a virulent plague wipes out most of the population. How it happens and what comes after. Both my book clubs read it and it has gotten a lot of press attention. Very interesting book.

Janesville: An American Story- Amy Goldstein. What happens to a Midwestern town when the main employer, a GM factory, closes. I thought this was really interesting, both the larger historical and sociological situation, and the individual families that are profiled. Read this and then go watch a documentary called "American Factory" which describes one thing that can happen next. As it happens, this sort of thing happened in the rural area where I grew up--the mine that was our main employer shrunk down to almost nothing. I was a teenager and largely unaware of what was going on. Maybe this is part of why I keep returning to this kind of book. Hmm.

The House of Mirth- Edith Wharton. A turn-of-the-20th-century novel about a single woman trying to make her way in New York society. Tragic. Over 100 years old and it still feels so modern. I love Wharton's writing. This is a classic you can enjoy without having to work hard for it. 

April

We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves- Karen Joy Fowler. A modern family novel with a twist. Such an interesting story with a big dose of questioning what it truly means to be human. If you're interested, go ahead and start it without reading anything else about it to preserve the surprise. Also it has a great title. Thanks to Emily Bazelon on the Slate Political Gabfest for this recommendation.

Wonder- R.J. Palacio. This was a sweet, positive YA novel that hit it big as a movie. 

May

The Boston Girl- Anita Diamant. Another novel about a young woman coming of age in the early 20th century. This heroine fares a lot better than Lily Bart in The House of Mirth. A quick, enjoyable read.

The Republic For Which It Stands: The U.S. During Reconstruction and the Gilded Age 1865-1896- Richard White. This glorious doorstop of a book is the latest volume in the Oxford History of the United States. I have loved each and every one I have read--they are fantastic history seminars you can carry around with you. This look at the second half of the 19th century is riddled with parallels to our time. I can't wait to read another one!

Rebecca- Daphne Du Maurier. This was a book club reread and it did not disappoint! A dark and brooding story about the naïve bride of a mysterious man, it is also a terrific 1940 Hitchcock film starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. Read it and then watch it!

The Alice Network- Kate Quinn. I didn't think much of this novel that bounces back and forth between a plucky young American woman in post-WWII England and a plucky young Frenchwoman who is a spy during WWI. Naturally they are both beautiful. Read All the Light We Cannot Seeinstead.

June

The Secret Chord- Geraldine Brooks. A novel based on the Biblical King David. I think every year there is probably a Geraldine Brooks on my list, and I have enjoyed every one of them. This was no exception.

The Finishing School- Gail Godwin. I can't remember what prompted me to reread this old favorite of mine, but what a good idea. It's a coming of age story about a high school age girl named Justin during one pivotal summer. Gorgeous writing, vivid characters. When I first read it at 20 it was all about Justin, but at 53 I was really interested in her mother, aunt, and older friend. It is inexplicably out of print but if you are really nice to me I might let you borrow it.

July

Bridge of Sighs- Richard Russo. Another nice long witty family drama from Russo. If he keeps writing them, I'll keep reading. 

Life of Pi- Yann Martel. This was a book club reread--totally worth reading again. It's weird and beautiful and surprisingly funny. I keep meaning to see the movie, but I haven't managed it yet.

The Magnolia Story- Chip and Joanna Gaines. I think I tripped over this at the library while I was in a mania of watching all their Fixer Upper reruns. It's an interesting if light memoir and all their charm and appeal comes through. I did enjoy the alternation of their different narrations.

August

The Light Between Oceans- M.L. Stedman. You desperately want a baby and suddenly one washes up on your shore. Literally. What would you do? This good novel explores that and other human dramas. A winner.

The Interestings- Meg Wolitzer. Another book club reread but I liked it all over again. Following the characters from teens to adults is so interesting and I love Wolitzer's writing. 

September

No Ordinary Time- Doris Kearns Goodwin. I love everything about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and anything by Doris. I had been meaning to read this for years and I'm so glad I did.

October

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince- J.K. Rowling. I thought this would be a fine rereading diversion during the down time at jury duty.

A God in Ruins- Kate Atkinson. I have to confess that I don't remember this one much at all, even after refreshing my memory from the description. It follows up on the story of one of the characters from Life After Life, which I loved last year. 

November

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder- Caroline Fraser. This is a new book about the life of one of my favorite authors so I was excited to get hold of it. I liked the parts about her, but I was much less interested in the roughly half that is about her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane.

Rules of Civility- Amor Towles. This was a book club choice after we all loved his A Gentleman in Moscow. We all liked it fine but it's not too memorable.

December

Meet You In Hell: Andrew Carnegie, Henry Clay Frick and the Bitter Partnership that Changed America- Les Standiford. An interesting history about a couple of the most famous big American fortunes. You have to appreciate how people can be driven, visionary, and also complete assholes. People are complex.

Prep- Curtis Sittenfeld. I remember getting The Preppy Handbookwhen I was a working-class high school girl in a small western town. I was enchanted by the idea of going off to a fancy boarding school. It hardly seemed real, so imagine my surprise when I actually met these Preppy people at my fancy college. Seventeen-year-old me is still in here and was fascinated by this novel.

News of the World- Paulette Jiles. Finished off the year with a book club winner! This is a great novel about a man in the 19th century who rode around small towns and read the current newspapers to packed halls of locals. He inherits a young orphan girl. Complications ensue. Recommend.

books of 2017

I have to warn you, my husband left for a one-year work assignment in Washington D.C. at the end of the summer, so the list gets a little long!  ; )

What I read in 2017:

January

Team of Rivals – Doris Kearns Goodwin. I was really late to the party on this one, but after I saw the terrific film “Lincoln” with Daniel Day Lewis, I vowed to get right on it. I just looked—that film came out in 2012. Better late than never; this is a fascinating read.

The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood. Along with many others I’m sure, one of my book clubs decided to reread this in light of the current political situation. Still interesting and of course chilling, but it didn’t really feel like so much of a commentary on current events, given that so much of what is distressing about today has occurred without any coercion at all.

The Time In Between – Maria Duenas. My first book club bailout of the year. The story just didn’t grab me. At the meeting when other readers said that it really did pick up around THE 350 PAGE MARK, I felt justified in my decision. No time for that nonsense.

February

In the Unlikely Event – Judy Blume. For the other book club. This was a really good read. I have loved Judy’s young adult writing all my life (read Everything I Needed To Know About Being A Girl I Learned From Judy Blume and then we can talk about Forever making the rounds on the volleyball bus) but I wasn’t crazy about her previous adult novel. This was a really engaging story about a New Jersey community terrorized in the 1950s by a series of plane crashes.

The Man in the High Castle – Philip K. Dick. Oh my word this book was terrible. Whoever took this idea and translated it into the Amazon series deserves some kind of award for making silk purses. I am addicted to the show (please come back) and wanted to read the foundation. Trust me, don’t bother. Just terrible and terribly racist to boot.

A Man Called Ove – Fredrik Backman. I don’t have to tell you because you read it too. This was an entertaining, warm and funny book with engaging characters. A light read that should make at least a couple of good movies.

Family Life – Akhil Sharma. Ok, David Sedaris, I read this on your recommendation but I found it way too depressing and demoralizing. I guess David has more tolerance for all the horrible things that can happen to an Indian immigrant to the U.S. I don’t even remember the specifics—I think I blocked them out.

March

The Little Red Chairs – Edna O’Brien. This was over the violence line for me, though I did finish it. A doctor shows up in a small Irish village and stirs up quiet life there. But then he turns out to be a notorious war criminal and bad things ensue. Well written, but read with caution if you’re squeamish about violence like me.

Dead Wake – The Last Crossing of the Lusitania – Erik Larson. Oh, Erik Larson, how the book clubs love you. As with many of his previous books, I would recommend about half of this one. He writes half a straight non-fiction on the subject at hand, which I found informative and interesting, and half a slight dramatization of the lives of some of the people involved, which I found a little too dramatic and clever.

April

The Portable Veblen – Elizabeth McKenzie. A winner! This was a quirky, well written novel with interesting characters and a great title. The main character, a young woman named Veblen, is named after an economist named Thorstein Veblen. Unsurprisingly, she had an unusual upbringing and we follow her attempts to negotiate grown-up life and love. And there’s a squirrel. Read it!

1984 – George Orwell. Another book club review of classics with modern implications? But see the earlier review of The Handmaid’s Tale—like that one, the plot of this dystopian story revolves around control and coercion, whereas I feel like the maniacal pursuit of mindless happiness and the rejection of knowledge and ideas at the center of Fahrenheit 451 speak more to our time.

May

All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr. I enjoyed this novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths cross in Paris in World War II. The story is gripping and creatively told. This is a keeper.

Commonwealth – Ann Patchett. Every year’s list should include something by Ann Patchett. Read this family story for the memorable characters and beautiful prose. And then go back and reread her earlier novels.

The Sandcastle Girls – Chris Bohjalian. This is another one of those that I remember having read, but I can’t recall a thing about it. Even the synopsis on Amazon isn’t unsticking any memories. I guess it didn’t make much of an impression.

Strangers in their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right – Arlie Hochschild. In yet another attempt by a self-described liberal writer to understand a red state point of view, Hochshild made an interesting choice to narrow her focus to a single issue, environmental threats, in southern Louisiana. As with many other narratives like this, she lays out the ways that the community seemingly votes against their own interests, and examines why this makes sense from their point of view. But ultimately I felt like she failed to push back against some of the nonsense, either in person with her interviewees or later in the book’s analysis. If you are a podcast listener, there’s an interesting discussion about the book in the September 22, 2017 episode of Trumpcast. Search for the title “Strangers in Their Own Land.”

June

Sisterland – Curtis Sittenfeld. I really enjoyed this novel about the complicated relationship between twin sisters with a mild form of ESP. It makes me think of last year’s The Girls from Corona del Mar which also dealt with women’s friendships over time. I see Curtis Sittenfeld has a number of other novels I look forward to checking out.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian – Marina Lewycka. Two grown daughters deal with their widower father and his completely inappropriate new love interest. Some of the characters and situations were pretty over the top, but this novel had some funny and poignant moments. I particularly liked the final scene.

The Rise and Fall of American Growth: The U.S. Standard of Living Since the Civil War – Robert Gordon. This was an interesting book that I used to substitute for the economics classes I didn’t take in college. I want to know more about how our present day economic situation fits into the bigger picture.

July

Five Came Back – A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War – Mark Harris. A fascinating account of arguably five of the most important and influential directors in Hollywood and how they joined the war effort in the early 1940s. Also a great documentary series on Netflix narrated by five contemporary movie directors. If you love films  of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, don’t miss either the book or the movie.

Nobody’s Fool – Richard Russo. I had been meaning to read this one for a long time (probably since the 1995 movie) and I was not disappointed. I love Russo’s writing, and he’s particularly funny and sharp in the story of small town life. The movie starring Paul Newman as Sully is also terrific.

August

Life After Life – Kate Atkinson. I’m not even sure how to describe this one. An English girl is born on a snowy night in 1910. You follow along for a while and then the timeline goes haywire. I don’t want to tell you anything else and spoil it. Just go read it. I LOVED this one.

The Sympathizer – Viet Thanh Nguyen. In the midst of the anniversaries of the Vietnam war era, this novel was a really interesting portrait of a North Vietnamese undercover agent who flees to the U.S. after the fall of the South Vietnamese government where he’s been embedded. So complicated—I had to constantly remind myself who the characters were really working for. There’s some heavy sledding there, especially at the end.

A Wrinkle in Time – Madeline L’Engle. I actually didn’t read this one as a kid and I think I may have come to it too late, given how much other dystopian fantasy has come along since. The good news is that since I’m not so attached to the book, I can look forward to seeing the movie.

Brown Girl Dreaming – Jacqueline Woodson. A lovely narrative of a young girl’s experience told in verse. Very approachable poetry to share with the young people in your life.

September

Everybody’s Fool – Richard Russo. The sequel to Nobody’s Fool from above. A continuation of the stories of several of the characters. As good as the first book.

My Jewish Year: 18 Holidays, One Wondering Jew – Abigail Pohgrebin. This has become a bit of a genre—I’m calling it a Calendar book. Sometimes I like them but sometimes they get too gimmicky. This one was ok; I liked the information about the holidays, but the author, an incredibly well connected young woman in Manahttan, got a little too name-droppy for my taste.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith. I had read this many years ago from the Pulitzer Prize list so I was happy to have it come up again as a book club choice. Such a slice of life from just after the turn of the 20^th century in Brooklyn.

The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah. Another story from WWII France. I didn’t think this was as good as All the Light We Cannot See—there were some plot points that didn’t completely make sense and the author made some of her characters really too good to be true.

The Four Tendencies – Gretchen Rubin. The latest from my friend Gretchen (I got to meet and talk with her at a meet-up in LA this fall). This book goes into her personality framework, which I find very interesting and useful. You can take the quiz at GretchenRubin.com if you want to find out more! (Gretchen and I are both Upholders.)

The First Love Story: Adam, Eve, and Us – Bruce Feiler. Continuing in his vein of Biblically related non-fiction, this book looks at the ways the story from Genesis weaves through our literature and culture. Feiler is always interesting.

Niagara Falls All Over Again – Elizabeth McCracken. I liked this novel about a Vaudeville turned Hollywood pair of comedy actors. I liked McCracken’s earlier novel The Giant’s House even better. Maybe start with that one and if you like it, give this one a try.

October

Love and Trouble: A Midlife Reckoning – Claire Dederer, read by the author. I listened to this one on audio. She’s about my age, so there were certainly some cultural touchpoints we shared. It was a little uneven, but worth it over all.

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet – David Mitchell. A novel about a Dutchman in Japan in 1799. Great story with suspense and history. It reminded me a little of Shogun by James Clavell, which I loved with a passion when I was about 17. I suspect that this one is a lot better, but I’m not going to reread Shogun and instead leave my memories intact. I’d probably recommend you read this one and leave Clavell on the shelf.

March 1917: On the Brink of War and Revolution – Will Englund. During this one month there was a series of consequential events that led to both the entry of the United States into World War I and the outbreak of the Russian Revolution. I had to keep reminding myself that all this happened over the course of a single month.

A Girl Called Zippy – Haven Kimmel. I have been toting this book around for a very long time. I think Haven Kimmel may have been a personality on public radio in North Carolina when we lived there. The memoir was ok.

A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles. This seems to be another book club favorite and it’s easy to see why. A good story, well written, though I did object a little to the very end. But not so much that I’m not looking forward to reading his other book.

Hillbilly Elegy – J. D. Vance. Rats, I was so disappointed in this one. Partly my fault—I was expecting more of a sociological exploration, whereas this was more of a memoir. But partly because I thought it felt like one of my hated genre of Narcissistic Screw Up memoirs, though it was a variation “My murderously insane Appalachian relatives are so CUTE!” I found some of the reminiscences contradicted each other, I thought there was a lack of internal consistency, and the Kentucky-holler-Appalachian-ness of his relatives seems less convincing given that they had moved to Ohio as young teens. Also I’m just cranky about how popular it is.

Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wreath – Sigrid Undset. The first novel in a trilogy from Norway written in the 1920s about a Norwegian woman in medieval times. I had never heard of these books until someone on a podcast named them as her all-time favorite book series. I was not disappointed. Such an interesting portrait of life in this period. These books are so popular in Norway that people go on Kristin Lavransdatter tours around the settings.

November

The Dolls’ House – Rumer Godden. Oh, dear, this was a children’s novel by one of my favorite authors recommended by my new best friend Gretchen Rubin, and they really let me down! I’m so glad I didn’t read this book about the lives of a group of dolls belonging to a little English girl when I was a child—one of the dolls gets burned up in a fire! I would have been completely traumatized. But don’t hold it against either Rumer or Gretchen. Go read my favorite Godden, The Greengage Summer, instead.

Happier at Home – Gretchen Rubin. I let Gretchen make it up to me with one of her Calendar books in which she tries different research-based strategies to improve happiness in her home life, with each month focused on a particular area of life.

Department of Speculation – Jenny Offill. A short novel about a marriage. Spare and beautifully written.

The Sense of an Ending – Julian Barnes. Another short novel, this time about a man remembering a love triangle from his past and the ways these memories bleed forward into the future. It seems that there is a movie coming out that looks really good too.

An Extraordinary Time: The End of the Postwar Boom and the Return of the Ordinary Economy – Marc Levinson. More econ curriculum. The U.S. experienced a huge and anomalous rate of economic growth between the end of WWII and the 1970s. We’ve come to view this anomaly as “normal” and we’re always talking about how to return to it, which shapes a lot of our political discourse. Interesting examination of the circumstances that led us here.

No One Can Pronounce My Name – Rakesh Satyal. This novel followed the lives of several Indian immigrants in their integration into American society. It was interesting to see how the stories came to intersect, but overall this was just ok.

December

Kristin Lavransdatter: The Wife – Sigrid Undset. Part 2 of the trilogy. See above.

The Burgess Boys – Elizabeth Strout. Another just ok. Adult siblings with an misunderstood family tragedy in their past come together over a crisis in the next generation. The characters were all pretty unlikable and I still don’t understand why the author went with The Burgess BOYS when it seems to be equally about their sister. I guess The Burgess SIBLINGS just doesn’t have the same ring.

Happy reading in 2018!

books of 2016

Well, 2016 wasn't a complete wash. At least I got to read some stuff. Here it is:

January

The Happiness Project – Gretchen Rubin. Thus begins my obsession with my Upholder doppelganger, Gretchen. (Don’t know what an Upholder is? At gretchenrubin.com you can take the 4 Tendencies quiz.) Gretchen writes about happiness and good habits from an analytical and practical point of view. In this book, she writes about her year-long project of trying various empirically supported happiness-boosting techniques. If she hooks you here, there’s another book down there in July, and you’ll want to catch her Happiness podcast.

The Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett. I’m sure I was the last English reader alive not to have read Ken Follett. As I’m sure you already know, this was a historical novel about the building of a medieval cathedral. I liked it pretty much through about the first third, at which point the cathedral burned down and I felt like the entire plot just repeated. At about the two-thirds mark, I think the cathedral burned down again and we got another plot repeat. I guess that’s about enough Follett for me.

The Big Short – Michael Lewis. If you lived through the financial crisis of 2008, this is required reading. Don’t worry, you will not be bored, though you will probably be fascinated and horrified in equal measure. Better still, first see the fantastic movie adaptation, which even manages to be funny while horrifying you, and then read the book, which will fill in the gaps. You must also listen to the podcast This American Life episode “The Giant Pool of Money” and its sequel “Return to the Giant Pool of Money.” The more you understand about the shenanigans that led to the melt-down, the more enraged you will be. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Where God Was Born – Bruce Feiler. I listened to this one as an audiobook. Very interesting and enjoyable. Feiler narrates his travel around Israel, going back and forth between biblical and modern stories. That and the fact that SO MANY of my friends visited Israel in the past few months is making me want to go.

February

Lucky Us – Amy Bloom. Ok, I remember liking it but I had to go back to the Amazon page to remind myself that it was about two orphaned sisters in the 1940’s who try their fortunes in Hollywood. I guess the fact that I couldn’t remember that probably tells you that you could pass some time reading it but I didn’t think it was much to write home about.

The Whistling Season – Ivan Doig. This one, on the other hand, I remember well. This was a gorgeous novel about a motherless family of boys in early 20^th century Montana. Laura Ingalls Wilder for grown-ups. Good story; funny and beautifully written.

The Birdcage – Marcia Willett. This was a very enjoyable audiobook that made me quite enthusiastic about afternoon dog walks for the duration. About a British family with a buried secret.

Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth – Reza Aslan. I have always enjoyed hearing Reza Aslan speak so I had been meaning to read this one for quite a while. Though it was a little drier and more scholarly than I had expected, I did find this exploration of the historical Jesus and the period of early Christianity very interesting. Try also “From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians” on video from PBS’ Frontline.

Stones for Ibarra – Harriet Doerr. One of my very favorite authors. Terrific novel about an American couple making a home in Mexico. The scene in the restaurant where the wife imagines her life looking forward a year will absolutely break your heart. I’m not going to tell you anything else. Just go read it. Then read Consider This, Señora by the same author. You’re welcome.

March

Um, there’s nothing on my list. I have no explanation for this. As I said last year, I hope I at least got caught up on The New Yorker.

April

The Cold War – John Lewis Gaddis. Another audiobook that made me a very enthusiastic dog walker. Fascinating history of the period from the end of WWII through the Reagan administration. The author is a real expert with a gift for making things clear.

Into the Beautiful North – Luis Alberto Urrea. A book club selection with some really memorable characters and engaging scenes, but on the whole, not the best story. I give him credit for a great title, though.

About A Boy – Nick Hornby. I have read several other books by Nick Hornby, and like those, I found this one to be smart and funny and a great story. I love the way he writes. Several of his books have been turned into quite good movies, and he is also a fine screenwriter, notably he wrote the screenplay for the movie “Brooklyn” from a year or two ago.

Alexander Hamilton – Ron Chernow. No, I cannot get any Hamilton tickets either. But I can check books out from the library. This is the biography the musical is based on, and when Lin-Manuel said he’d enjoyed all 800+ pages as light vacation reading, I followed suit. It really is a great story, and if you are familiar with the songs from the show (or, say, if you know them all by heart) you will already have the bones of the story to hang all this detail on.

Back When We Were Grown-Ups – Anne Tyler. It has been a long time since I read Anne Tyler. I enjoyed this family comedy/drama a lot—it had a good story with some crazy interesting characters, though I was disappointed in the ending.

May

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry – Rachel Joyce. A lot of people seemed to have enjoyed this book; I was not one of them. I thought it was a little too cute for its own good, neither fanciful nor realistic enough, while at the same time filled with unappealing characters. The good news is that when other books are recommended as being “in the style of The Unlikely Pilgrimage…” I know to steer clear of them too.

The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work – John Gottman. I don’t go in much for self help, but this was quite interesting; research-based, practical suggestions for improving relationships. These folks observe couples in the lab and can predict with startling accuracy which relationships will last. I’m still happily married, so you do the math.

June

Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg – Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik. I am a big fan of Justice Ginsburg, so this scrapbook-style biography was a real pleasure to read. Full of her life story, annotated speeches and opinions, and lots of photos of artifacts of the cult of the Notorious RBG.

Heads in Beds – Jacob Tomsky. This was a humorous account of a long-time hotel employee’s experiences up and down the pay scale of various luxury hotels. Light, but might not make you very enthusiastic about your next vacation.

July

Better Than Before – Gretchen Rubin. As promised from above. This selection from Gretchen focuses on establishing good habits and putting them to work for you to achieve other goals. This is also where she first gets into her personality framework that I find so interesting.

Burr – Gore Vidal. After Hamilton, what did you expect? This is a historical fiction rather than a straight-up biography, but it really didn’t contradict anything the Chernow bio put out there about Burr. What a character.

August

Five Days at Memorial – Sheri Fink. An investigation into what happened in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina at Memorial Hospital in New Orleans. Certainly an interesting and tragic story, but I was left wishing that instead of reading about the horrible, predictable, ultimately understandable ways everything went wrong at Memorial (and 2 other similar hospitals), I had gotten to read a book about what went RIGHT at another charity hospital across town. That hospital’s staff was able to maintain a basic level of patient care and general sanity in the face of the same hardships. Somebody write that book, K?

Purity – Jonathan Franzen. This guy really has a knack for creating the most unappealing characters whose story I still can’t put down. Must be the writing. This book assumed a little more significance with its plot about an Assange-like character when WikiLeaks burst back into the news last year.

The Royal We – Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. Really pretty dreadful novelization of the relationship of Prince William and the former Kate Middleton. I am embarrassed to admit that I did finish it though.

September

The Little Paris Bookshop – Nina George. I did not, however, finish this. It was about a bookseller on a barge in France. Useful in the future for weeding out other similar recommendations.

The Girls From Corona Del Mar – Rufi Thorpe. I loved this one though. A long friendship between two women. Not always a happy story but the way the relationship between the friends was written just rang so true.

Cleopatra: A Life – Stacy Schiff. An interesting biography about a historical character I didn’t know much about. It also went into the history of Egypt and Rome during this time.

Every Day is a Holiday – George Mahood. This was a very light memoir by a guy noting a variety of holidays from around the world. For bookclub.

October

The Expatriates – Janice Y. K. Lee. This was even better than her book that I read last year (The Piano Teacher.) A story of a group of expatriate women living in Hong Kong and the family tragedy that brings their stories together. Beautifully written and a terrific story. Read it!

The Reluctant Fundamentalist – Mohsin Hamid. A book club selection. It was interesting to begin with examining the life course of a young Muslim man in the United States, but I thought it failed to really justify the transformation of the character into a dangerous fundamentalist.

November

Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier. Another time I have been way way late to read a really popular book. A Civil War homefront story; it was a pretty good one but I probably enjoyed the lovely writing even more than the story.

The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America – George Packer. This fantastic book was suggested by the NY Times on their list of 6 Books to Help Understand Trump’s Win. Think The Big Short but encompassing a wider angle of American life, spanning from 1977 through the second Obama election. Fascinating – I couldn’t put it down.

December

Animal Dreams – Barbara Kingsolver. This was a reread for book club. Always good, though the romance story line definitely hit me harder at 25 than at 51. But I always love Barbara and this is a winner of a book any time.

This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage – Ann Patchett. A recommendation from my mama and I really liked it. I’m always a big Ann Patchett fan. This one is a collection of her essays over the years. The one about the word game made me laugh out loud.