Season's Readings

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

One novel I would like to recommend is Gilead, the first in a trilogy by the wonderful writer Marilynne Robinson.  Gilead is written in the voice of an aging minister, reflecting back on his life and his family history. The plot in this book is less important than the tone, which is pensive and often deeply moving and lyrical. The second volume in the trilogy, Home, is about the lives of a neighboring family, which sometimes intersect with the minister's life. There's a lot more drama in this book, but similar themes of family love, forgiveness and coming to terms with one's past. Both books also touch on the deep roots of racism in our country, and on questions of religious faith and doubt. Though I have not read the final work in the series, Lila, I'm sure it's an equally compelling read.

 

Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson 

 As I got into it, it reminded me of Coleridge’s poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” though in the novel there was no wedding, and the storyteller was one old college classmate telling another about the time he saved a man’s life and all the events that happened afterwards. There is an interesting (possible) twist at the end. I enjoyed it.

 

Tom Lake by Anne Patchett

 Gorgeous story that roots the love between a mother and her family in the cherry trees of northern Michigan and Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. Like the protagonist, I spent lockdown with my family on a farm that goes back generations; like the protagonist, I went to high school and college in New Hampshire, but I spent my formative years in Michigan. The book reads like a dream! Give it to a friend or relative along with a copy of Wilder’s play, and they too will get lost in Patchett’s orchard of memory, loss, and love.

 

The Wandering Mind: What Medieval Monks Tell Us About Distraction by Jamie Kreiner

I have recently been enjoying this wonderful exploration of medieval monasticism. Kreiner shows that though our digital era seems to have become highly distraction-filled, the search for focus is ancient and was just as difficult for monks living in the Middle East, around the Mediterranean, and throughout Europe during the Late Antiquity and Early Medieval periods. As a lifelong learner with ADHD, reading about the struggles these men and women had with distraction has given me a feeling of camaraderie. Though our goals and beliefs are incredibly different, we share in the journey toward finding peace of mind.

 

 

In League With America: The Story of an Excellent Adventure by Bill Craib

 This book is a must-read for anyone who loves travel and understanding the American landscape. While it is centered around baseball, it offers a unique look at America from small towns to big cities. You don't have to be a baseball fan to find this engaging and entertaining - not to mention inspiring!

 

The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair by Dicker Joel

Is it possible for a book to be thrilling, terrifying, engaging, romantic, and hysterically funny all at the same time? This book proves that it is possible! This is a thriller that is impossible to put down. Better still, once you've read it you can watch it as a limited series on Apple TV. (*It is a great series, true to the book, but I strongly advise reading the book before watching the show.)

 

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

A new book by a perennial favorite! We learn the present and history of a family spending 2020 on their family farm. Interesting to see daughters re-evaluating their parents through old stories while the parents are allowing room to acknowledge their children’s growth. 

 

Beast by Peter Benchley

If you’re looking to escape the cold weather this winter break, be careful what you wish for when you crack open this Bermuda set thriller! Thanks to the iconic film directed by Steven Spielberg, author Peter Benchley will forever be remembered for his debut novel, JAWS. However, the titular shark was not Benchley’s only aquatic antagonist. This 1991 novel (available in our library!) is packed with action and suspense as our hero, Whip Darling, does battle with a giant squid. Upon its release, reviews described the squid as making “the shark from Jaws look like a pet goldfish." Also noteworthy: the novel’s 1996 TV film adaptation was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award!

 

La Sombra del Viento (The Shadow of the Wind) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

 Barcelona, 1945: A city slowly heals from its war wounds, and Daniel, an antiquarian book dealer's son who mourns the loss of his mother, finds solace in a mysterious book entitled The Shadow of the Wind, by one Julian Carax. But when he sets out to find the author's other works, he makes a shocking discovery: someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book Carax has written. In fact, Daniel may have the last of Carax's books in existence. Soon Daniel's seemingly innocent quest opens a door into one of Barcelona's darkest secrets--an epic story of murder, madness, and doomed love.

 

Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution by Cat Bohannon

Obviously not a light read for anyone, but fascinating and it's a book you can pick up anywhere and read in spurts. 

 

Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut

My daughter is directing a miniseries and I'm reading it with her. It's so prescient. It was his first novel in 1952 about a dystopian society (like the one we have now!) based on his time working at General Electric.

 

Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad

A deeply personal and honest look at a young woman’s battle with cancer and her struggle to face what one’s sense of life, love, and identity truly mean when it’s all at stake. A new Netflix film, American Symphony, documents the life of Jaouad and her husband Jon Batiste. While I can’t yet speak to the film, I can attest to a terrific memoir that can, at times, be both heart wrenching and inspiring.

 

I’ve been enjoying Fredrik Backman’s Britt-Marie Was Here. It is an unusual story with interesting characters - bleak and funny at the same time. No spoiler alerts! Except to say that if you have ever known a very particular person who needs things to be just so, this could be a good read for you and perhaps a good gift for them! 

 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

I have recently read Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. This was my first fantasy book and it did not disappoint! Looking forward to reading the sequel Iron Flame over break!

 

The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine by Serhii Plokhy

Serhii Plokhy, an award-winning author of many books, is the Mykhailo Hrushevsky Professor of Ukrainian History and director of the Ukrainian Research Institute at Harvard University. This book was revised and updated less than one year before Russia's invasion of Ukraine.  It offers a comprehensive story of Ukraine's past and provides a picture that helps to explain the issues behind Ukraine's struggle to exist and persevere.  As Russia's war of aggression now continues through its second year, Serhii Plokhy describes the ways in which Ukraine, the second-largest country in Europe, has had to fight to survive attempts to conquer and destroy it throughout its history.  The present turmoil it is undergoing is just one example of how Ukraine's people have had to struggle to preserve its territorial integrity and independence. Slava Ukraini!!

 

The Old Boys by William Trevor

I would recommend anything by William Trevor. The Old Boys is British boarding school stuff and a hoot! It (as I recall…) centers around planning for a reunion and all the 50-year -old behavior seems to reappear. Hilarious.