Reading Challenges - What To Do??

I have seen so many social media and blog posts that a. sum up the readers’ stats for the year and b. articulate specific reading goals for the following year. I have been an avid - quite avid- reader my entire life. I can very clearly remember once weekly trips to the Bovard Memorial library in the summer where I would acquire 6 books to get me through to the next visit. We can talk about the books I read before YA as a genre…but that is another entry. Beyond those visits to the library and an occasional series ready, I did little to plan my personal reading. So as a newly retired reader, with some more time on her hands (not as much as I thought!) I at least gave those processes some thought. I have seen challenges that range from reading a book based on every episode of The Gilmore Girls to reading a book written by an author from every country in the world and a bunch of things in between. 

Anne Bogel of What Should I Read Next and Modern Mrs. Darcy  is kind of a reading guru for me. For 2024 she produced a pdf to help her listeners set a more personal kind of  reading challenge. In it, she asks us to consider what we want from our reading life. I chose focus - since for the first time I was considering reading in a way that was not just random. I also chose enjoyment for obvious reasons. The rest of the options didn’t speak to me as strongly as these two.  I put connection because vaguely I have some notion of trying to come up with a book discussion group in which I feel comfortable. She then asks what our reading life needs. Well…I put a tracking app (though the notion of tracking numbers of books and pages feels just a bit weird to me - because I never have? I also chose priorities because I guess that’s what this whole thing is about. The next section involves choosing mini projects to help along the way. 

O, but mini projects!  Here is where I shine. Of course, I need; I must, organize my TBR collection (I exceeded a pile long ago.). They are housed in a variety of places throughout my house to the point that I don’t even know what I have. Declutter my bookshelves? Yes! I am trying to simplify (see here). I have plenty of books that I’ve grown out of and tired of. I am currently mulling over a What We Keep: Books entry on the blog. Donate books? That follows naturally. Oh yes. Mini projects. I can wrap my head around setting tasks for myself in that way. 

So at the end of the day-several days. I have not chosen a prescribed challenge for reading . Loosely, I want to do better with ARCs and netgalley and reduce my TBR piles. (Again, probably another blog entry.) But in terms of what to read? I will still be relying on recommendations from all over my reading life and what Libby has available at any given time. Maybe less random next  year? Maybe not. What do you do?

Above the Salt - Katherine Vaz

Genre: Literary/Historical Fiction
Sometimes a book leaves me wordless. I’ve been trying to think of how to write an engaging hook and am failing. Katherine Vaz’s epic tale Above the Salt that spans countries and decades is a delight for me. She tells the story of Mary and John beginning at their first meeting in their native Portugal. Though young, they feel a connection immediately. Both victims of religious persecution, they travel to the United States with their families. Years later, they meet again and the angst of their relationship begins. Vaz follows their separations, reunions, and marriages through decades - including the Civil War, reconstruction, and the gilded age. Folks, this summary is a terrible one. I can’t adequately describe the spiritual and magical aspects. I can’t give enough attention to the impact of the secondary characters. The attention to the science of hearing and botany aren’t properly noted. The scope of the novel (I listened to the beautiful narration by Gisela Chipe - 23 hours) cannot be summarized in a fair way. 

The language of the novel is absolutely poetic. Sometimes I had to rewind and listen again - because I just loved the music of the words - and thanks Gisela for the interpretation.  I loved the albeit sad reminder that religious conflict and prejudice has existed for as long as humans have. I am often overwhelmed by what feels like historical division when in fact division has existed throughout history. Such a reminder provides hope for the future! I love the allusion to Emily Dickinson who is one of my favorite poets - would love to have lived in a world in which she is alive. I like the meetings between Mary and John at Abraham Lincoln’s house - Just a friend you know? I loved the complexity of the characters. I wanted to find easy categories to put them in, particularly, Edward, but their behaviors were honest and human and defied easy classification.The book spanned decades, and Vaz allowed her characters to develop and change in expected and unexpected ways. I like learning that sitting above the salt can indicate a change in social status - which of course is more acceptable for some than others. I love the idea of magic berries and a tablecloth beautifully embroidered with a lifetime of memories. 

Perhaps most importantly - I admired and learned from these folks. We have a pretty easy life in 2023 in many ways in terms of transportation and communication and generally just knowing what is going on in the world and with the people we love. In fact, I often bemoan constant texting and worry about the damage it can cause in relationships. However, Mary and John are plagued with delays and miscommunication often to heartbreaking results. What I admire is that they simply forge on. They live with the results of their decisions and their mistakes and while devastated, they live with honor and with hope. I admire their fortitude. I have much to learn from it. 

Please read Above the Salt by Katherine Vaz. Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Keep Your Friends Close - Leah Konen

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

What does it mean to be friends? How do we know we can really trust? Leah Konen explores this in her upcoming novel Keep Your Friends Close. Mary is in a dark place. She is in the process of divorcing her very wealthy husband George and is desperate to keep custody of their son. She plans to leave New York and move to Woodstock to be closer to her mom and her sister. Imagine her surprise, when she spots Willa, a friend who betrayed her in the worst possible way back in New York, with a brand new family. Even more surprising is the presence of her almost ex brother-in-law and husband in her rented home. After a particularly upsetting incident with George, she attempts a visit to find George brutally murdered. Who can she trust when she finds herself the prime suspect? Anyone?

I enjoyed this book. I like to think I’m a bit of a sleuth, and I often think I am one step ahead of an author. I found here that when I thought I had things figured out, Konen would surprise me. The twists and turns were believable and kept me engaged until the very end. Interestingly, I didn’t like Mary all that much. While I didn’t wish her harm, I sure was frustrated by what I thought were obviously thoughtless, perhaps even dumb, decisions. I suppose that makes her human, not thinking clearly in a very difficult situation, but I’d have advised her differently numerous times. As with Rachel Hawkins’ The Heiress: a Novel, I am amazed by the lengths that the very wealthy will go to protect that wealth. Konen provided an interesting glimpse into their world. 

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy of this book.

The Evolution of Annabel Craig - Lisa Grunwald

The Evolution of Annabel Craig - Lisa Grunwald

Genre: Historical Fiction

My favorite history teacher was so because she taught us history through the telling of stories. I love historical fiction for that very reason. I had a cursory knowledge of the Scopes Trial, but experiencing it through the eyes of Annabel Craig in Grunewald’s novel The Evolution of Annabel Craig was a much deeper look into this historic event. Annabel Craig is forced to mature quickly when she is orphaned as a teenage girl. She moves into a boarding home, gets a job, and with the help of her community grows into adulthood. She meets and marries a local lawyer and is looking forward to a better future. A group of local residents decide to draft a young teacher to be charged with teaching evolution in his biology classroom leading to the historical Scopes trial featuring Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryant. Their goal is to bring attention to their small town of Dayton, Tennessee. Annabel’s world is upended again as the trial challenges everything from her faith, to her notions of friendship, to her understanding of her husband and what being married means.

I didn’t know as much as I should about this trial, so I welcomed learning more through this work of fiction. I have done some reading since and appreciate how well Grunewald captures the spirit of the town, the trial, and many of the participants. She really does make history come alive. The town, the cast of supporting characters, are exceptionally developed given their large number. So, too are the trial guests - the reporters and the lawyers. My favorite part though is the development of Annabel. Grunewald does a remarkable job of presenting the extremists from both sides of the trial while exploring Annabel who remains a devout Christian who comes to understand and accept more fully the science of evolution. Grunewald’s thoughtful exploration of Annabel’s conversations with friends and family who have different ideas provides nuance that is often missing in political and religious discourse. Of course Annabel struggles - losing the love and respect of some closest to her, but she emerges strong, and we are given hints of what her future life might hold. I’d read about this life to be sure. 

I can easily become discouraged if I focus too closely on issues of politics and religion. I am a person of faith who has moved position from most of the people with whom I currently worship. I am of a political party that is not exceptionally popular where I live (I consider myself moderate and independent.) I often feel like I'm living in the gray. The gray can be an exhausting place for a people pleaser like me. I guess I can find hope in the notion that division is deep  in our American culture. I can hear folks talk about how “awful” things are just now. While they probably are, history reminds us that it has been “awful” before. 

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this title.

Absolution: A Novel - Alice McDermott

Genre: Historical, Literary Fiction
Audiobook

I was thrilled to learn that this Absolution: A Novel by Alice McDermott  was set in 1962. I have recently become fascinated by 1962 with the discovery of my mom’s nursing cape awarded on her graduation from nursing school in 1962. I have longed to hear the stories that I didn’t know I needed about 1962. What was it like - attending school? dating my dad? starting a first job looking sharply professional in that cape?

Told in the forms of letters - we are first introduced to Patricia who is living in Saigon in the early 60s while her husband is working there. We are immediately immersed into the life of a woman in the 60s from the hairdo, to the girdle, to the role of a lovely and helpful wife. A simple garden party is presented as a bit of a battle for Patricia who here meets Charlene and her daughter Rainey (who is the recipient of Patricia’s letters and who responds back later in the novel). Our journey through Vietnam culture (through the experiences of white women) begins. 

Cringey moments abound as Patricia works with Charlene to “help” the Vietnamese people. In spite of the fact that she is painfully honest about her mistakes, we at least have the privilege of hearing the story after Patricia has some time to reflect. I’m not sure if she has achieved or even needed absolution. 

Since it has been the summer of Barbie, the inclusion of the Saigon Barbie element seems timely. Through her we get a sense of how Charlene works, get to know Li, and get a throughline to the end of the novel. She quickly becomes a symbol of Charlene’s thoughtlessness and Patricia’s confusion. And then she shows up in a plastic container in a closet. (Oh the things we keep!) I appreciate how well McDermott creates an innocent/unreliable narrator, highlighting the complexity of her transformation further. The setting here is so fully alive as well. From the oppressive heat to the horrific nature of the asylum for lepers, I felt very immersed in the landscape and time era of the novel. I read the audio version read by Jesse Vilinski - she does a superb job of bringing the content to life. 

I have just recently also completed Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake. As with Tom Lake, I value how the author explores the realization and impact of slices of one’s life. I am fascinated by how Charlene enters her time in Vietnam, what she learns there, and how she reflects on it much later on in her life. That’s what makes McDermott’s writing so good for me. I am challenged not only by the content of the novel - which is difficult - difficult time in history, for women, for the US, for the Vietnamese, but also by what she makes me see in my own life during the current time. This book challenges me to reckon with my own preconceived notions. So the cool thing here is that the reader gets insight into history, insight into relationships, and/or insight into themselves - wherever the novel takes him or her. Reminds me why reading is so cool.