October was a fab reading month! I enjoyed diving into contemporary literary fiction, fantasy fiction for young readers, a memoir, a nonfiction book, a classic, and some YA.
Quite an eclectic month!
Books I read:
The following is one of my longest tallies this year. Actually, it might be my longest. Then again, quite a few of the books I read were rather short. Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon also gave me a boost.
On the downside, my quest to read my own books crashed and burned in a fiery conflagration: Only one of 13 reads was culled from my pre-2016 library. That’s far short of the 50-50 split I’d intended. Oh well. There’s always November and December. (Hmmm, I seem to be running out of months…)
I loved this novel. It was like being inside a dream, fittingly: The story revolves around a woman’s memories of growing up in Brooklyn. The combination of fragmented, sensory narrative structure and poetic language is intensely compelling. I ended up reading it in one sitting.
These little e-books curate Rowling’s Pottermore writing around a common theme. They won’t be new for readers who’ve spent time at the site. I haven’t, though, so I downloaded them for soothing bedtime reading. I was not disappointed. In a funny coincidence, I downloaded the first one, which featured McGonagall’s story, and found out the next day that it was her birthday.
I went into this novel knowing nothing about the story and found it enchanting. It’s one of the most uniquely structured books I’ve read this year. The life of celebrity chef Eva Thorvald unfolds through the eyes of seven people whose lives have intersected with hers at various points in their lives. In a sense, this structure mimics how we get to know “celebrities” in the real world – from other people’s stories rather than through our own first hand experience. The narrative form foregrounds the nature of perception and interpretation, in powerful ways.
My big takeaway from this book was, never ever ever try to open a business in France. Ha. Probably not the author’s point, but anyway. Carlson pulls off his dream of opening an American-style diner in Paris, though it takes all the proverbial blood, sweat, and tears … as well as a night in a Parisian slammer. Interwoven with his business story is insight into his childhood, what drives him, and his quest to overcome scars from his childhood and find love. It’s a charming, chatty, upbeat memoir perfect for cheering up a gloomy day.
Reading this novel was depressing and exhilarating at the same time. Depressing because it’s 300 pages of waiting for the hammer to drop – and I mean Thor’s hammer, not some puny mortal hammer. It’s intense. On the other hand, the prose is celestial. The combination of beauty and tension had me holding my breath almost to the last word.
My friend Jessica recommended this fantasy series for young readers. I gobbled up the first two books (and the third, but we’ll talk about that in my November reading wrap-up). In the first book, Sophie Foster learns she’s not only human after all (who picked up the music reference?). She’s an elf with more powers than any of her kind. Why was she living with humans? How did she come by these extraordinary powers? That’s what the books build to reveal, with loads of excitement, adventure, and drama along the way.
If you love books about books AND World War II books, you might appreciate this nonfiction read. Manning researched the World War II programs that put books in the hands of American GIs. I had no idea such programs existed. Did you? Manning explores what inspired the programs, how they evolved over the course of the war, and how they helped shape the post-war years. The letters from soldiers Manning excerpts warmed my book-loving heart.
This novel is perfect for book clubs. An inciting event (which follows another inciting event that happens before the story begins) launches the story. The rest of the novel explores the ripples left in its wake. How the community and the characters respond, the choices (large and small) they make, and the impact of those choices left me thinking about the book long after I finished it. Bennett’s novel is also an interesting study in how tension can keep readers hooked. The most gripping aspect revolves not around what will happen next but how these characters will respond and how their responses affect the relationships among them. It’s a subtle but significant shift of focus.
I read this novel the weekend before Halloween. Perfect timing for this weird, spooky, haunting book. It opens with the death of Elspeth in London. Across the pond, her twin sister, Edie, seems determined to keep her own twins, Julia and Valentina, away from anything to do with Elspeth. Alas, Elspeth has left all her possessions – including her London flat, located across from Highgate Cemetery – to the girls. They move to London and … many, many bizzaro things happen. I couldn’t predict where the story was going but found it engrossing.
Norse demigod Magnus Chase and his friends – a Valkyrie, an elf, and a dwarf – have to find Thor’s hammer before Loki and his team of baddies do. That’s the premise that kicks off non-stop adventure along with hilarious, clever plays on pop culture. The All-Father Odin is obsessed with giving Powerpoints. Thor is a ditz. Giants love bowling. It’s mayhem and absurdity, often in the same sentence. This book had me snickering and giggling and chuckling. All kinds of laughing. I hope Rick Riordan keeps writing books forever.
Books I’m currently reading:
I’m also reading Tim Parks’ fabulous collection of essays on reading, Where I’m Reading From: The Changing World of Books
I also started The Miniaturist
Books I bought:
Ugh. I can’t even bring myself to type the list. It’s upsettingly long. My friend Jessica dragged me kicking and screaming to a library book sale on $5 per bag day. It’s not like I showed up at her house with a maniacal grin and the largest, sturdiest reusable tote I possess. Not at all. Oh wait, that’s exactly what happened. Ooops.
The situation spiraled out of control quickly.
Also, I bought “a few” e-books.
Let us not speak of it.
Let us instead gaze upon my Instagram capture of Mount Book Sale Finds. As Jessica points out, “How often do you get that much happiness for $5?” She has a point, and I’m sticking to it.
How was your reading month in October?
This is a great list, Sally. Dewey’s readathon is always a good way to up the tally! Kitchens of the Great Miswest is on my wish list, so I am glad to see you liked it.
Thank you, Loreen! Definitely, Dewey’s Readathon inspires me. I can’t wait for the next one. 🙂
I really enjoyed listening to Kitchens of the Great Midwest. The readers – one man and one woman, who alternated depending on the chapter’s point of view – were terrific. They did such a great job of giving each chapter a different feel!
I…had things to say about your list, questions to ask…but then I got to the $5 book bag and I flashed back to many years when my local library in the US did that and how glorious it was, and now I am speechless with jealousy. 🙂
Aw, $5 per bag day is pretty special. Though I suppose another way of thinking about it would be that it’s just another example of American excess!
No way – I can’t imagine anyone in their right mind dissing the $5 book bag. It’s one of life’s greatest little pleasures…..
Now that I’ve recovered a bit, I’ve been trying to think of how to ask for more of your thoughts on “Her Fearful Symmetry”, because it’s a book that’s haunted me for years! Like the biggest thing that comes to mind is, what did you think of the end scene compared to the rest of the book? But I don’t want you to have to risk spoiling things for your other readers – so please feel free to send me an email if you want to share in-depth thoughts.
True about $5/bag day. I loved what my friend Jessica said. So much joy for $5, and it just keeps giving with all the books we get to read. 🙂
“Her Fearful Symmetry” is definitely haunting, and I have so much more I want to say, especially about the ending. I do try to keep these spoiler free, but I didn’t write as much about it yet because I’m still thinking about it. I’m sure I’ll write a post about what the ending made me think about, without giving away the details. But in the meantime, I’m going to email you. 🙂