I've had some major hits and misses this month. Nothing horrible, except for a novella that wasn't worth including in my picture collage above. This month does include two books that I think I'll be recommending for the rest of time.
How to Keep House While Drowning by K.C. Davis It's tough to recommend this book due to the title (of all of the things I care about in life, how anyone "keeps their house" is pretty much last on the list) - but it's so full of helpful ideas for everyone I know, whether they are drowning or not. It's unlike most anything I've read, and clearly written by a therapist, but I got used to it. I began implementing some of the ideas before I even finished this super quick read. The Gastronomical Me by M.F.K Fisher I've had this on my TBR for many years. While I found it interesting (food is always interesting), this memoir just felt so aimless and dated. I should've skipped it. Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson I listened to this on Audible and I absolutely loved it. This is the other book that I'm recommending left and right. It was incredible and thought-provoking, set in the Caribbean, London, and southern California through a span from the 60's to present day. I hear it is a series now!?! The Irish Boarding House by Sandy Taylor We read this for book club. The cover said that it is "completely heartwarming" which was certainly the case. While I typically like my books to have a little more grit than this, I feel like this sort of novel would be perfect for someone who has plenty of drama in their own life and could just use a nice, sweet read. The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue This novel kept my interest, but who do you cheer for? All of the characters were insufferable. Plenty of buzz has been generated about The Rachel Incident, and I can see why, but I personally have to like *somebody* in a book. Wellness by Nathan Hill Copy and paste my review from The Rachel Incident. I get that everyone has layers, but for these two books it was mostly just layers of suck. Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close I can't say I super loved any of the protagonists of this novel either, but I found myself cheering them on despite myself. It was heavy on both politics and Cubs baseball, usually a thumbs-down for me. But I actually found Marrying the Ketchups super satisfying. I listened to it on Audible and like the content of the novel, I found myself really enjoying this spoken story, despite the reader's somewhat grating voice. You'll see what I mean. Don't bother: I also listened to The Bookstore Sisters by Alice Hoffman. What a huge disappointment from Hoffman, who is typically marvelous. This was a novella, thank goodness. It actually could've been a decent novel, as it would've allowed Hoffman to actually develop the characters. What have YOU been reading lately?
2 Comments
Levi
12/10/2023 05:45:57 pm
Is the ketchup book humorous?
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Ramona Walker
12/11/2023 05:21:03 pm
I have the How to Keep house book on my amazon list for a good January read. I hate wasting time on a book that's not worth it and you've helped me dodge a few!!
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AuthorMom of four, wife of one. By day I fund-raise with coffee, by night I read with wine and chocolate. Archives
June 2023
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