The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
600 people reached the top of Mt. Everest in 2012. This blog got about 6,700 views in 2012. If every person who reached the top of Mt. Everest viewed this blog, it would have taken 11 years to get that many views.
After a little experimenting, I managed to export a complete list of my 2012 reads, including the titles on which I gave up. I track all of my books using Goodreads, my all-time favorite website. My 2012 total stands at 92 books completed — not close to my record of 112, but besting my 2011 total by 5 books. Frankly, I was surprised to find out I gave up on 6 books this year, but I’m getting better at letting go of books that just didn’t capture my interest.
All in all, it was a good book year for me, with a mix of old and new. I wish I would have had time to include some of 2012’s award-winners and critical faves, but there’s always 2013. I’m setting a 75-book goal for next year. How about you?
| Title | Author | My Rating | Average Rating | Publisher | Number of Pages | Year Published | Date Read | Exclusive Shelf |
| Telegraph Avenue | Michael Chabon | 0 | 3.49 | HarperCollins | 465 | 2012 | currently-reading | |
| The Chaperone | Laura Moriarty | 0 | 3.86 | Riverhead Hardcover | 371 | 2012 | currently-reading | |
| Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4) | J.K. Rowling | 0 | 4.43 | Scholastic Inc. | 734 | 2002 | currently-reading | |
| The Flame Alphabet | Ben Marcus | 1 | 2.85 | Knopf | 289 | 2012 | ######## | i-gave-up |
| All The Pretty Horses CD: All The Pretty Horses CD | Cormac McCarthy | 2 | 3.9 | HarperAudio | 10 | 2000 | i-gave-up | |
| The Next Best Thing | Jennifer Weiner | 0 | 3.29 | Atria Books | 400 | 2012 | i-gave-up | |
| Girl Land | Caitlin Flanagan | 0 | 2.74 | Reagan Arthur Books | 224 | 2012 | i-gave-up | |
| A Hologram for the King | Dave Eggers | 2 | 3.39 | McSweeney’s | 312 | 2012 | ######## | i-gave-up |
| Sense and Sensibility | Jane Austen | 0 | 4.03 | Penguin Books | 409 | 2003 | i-gave-up | |
| The World We Found: A Novel. | Thrity Umrigar | 4 | 3.73 | Harper Perennial | 2012 | 1/1/2012 | read | |
| Maine | J. Courtney Sullivan | 3 | 3.29 | Knopf | 388 | 2011 | 1/1/2012 | read |
| The Paris Wife | Paula McLain | 2 | 3.72 | Ballantine Books | 314 | 2011 | 1/6/2012 | read |
| Good Omens | Terry Pratchett | 3 | 4.27 | HarperTorch | 398 | 2006 | ######## | read |
| Anatomy of a Disappearance: A Novel | Hisham Matar | 5 | 3.48 | The Dial Press | 224 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| The Cat’s Table | Michael Ondaatje | 4 | 3.6 | McLelland | 269 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| The Dry Grass of August | Anna Jean Mayhew | 3 | 3.82 | Kensington Books | 289 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| Rules of Civility | Amor Towles | 5 | 4.02 | Viking Adult | 335 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| The Descendants: A Novel | Kaui Hart Hemmings | 4 | 3.81 | Random House | 247 | 2007 | ######## | read |
| The Kitchen House | Kathleen Grissom | 4 | 4.15 | Touchstone | 369 | 2010 | 2/2/2012 | read |
| Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close | Jonathan Safran Foer | 5 | 4.01 | Houghton Mifflin Company | 326 | 2005 | 2/8/2012 | read |
| Slouching Towards Bethlehem | Joan Didion | 5 | 4.26 | Farrar Straus Giroux | 238 | 1990 | 2/9/2012 | read |
| Zeitoun | Dave Eggers | 4 | 4.14 | McSweeney’s | 342 | 2009 | ######## | read |
| Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading | Nina Sankovitch | 3 | 3.55 | Harper | 241 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| Running the Rift | Naomi Benaron | 4 | 4.03 | Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill | 365 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| The Translation of the Bones: A Novel | Francesca Kay | 3 | 3.31 | Scribner | 240 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Girl Reading | Katie Ward | 2 | 3.42 | Virago Press (UK) | 342 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| Next to Love: A Novel | Ellen Feldman | 3 | 3.56 | Spiegel & Grau | 320 | 2012 | 3/2/2012 | read |
| The Fault in Our Stars | John Green | 4 | 4.55 | Dutton Books | 313 | 2012 | 3/5/2012 | read |
| Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away | Christie Watson | 4 | 4.05 | Other Press | 448 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| The Flight of Gemma Hardy | Margot Livesey | 3 | 3.61 | HarperCollins Publishers | 447 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Busy Monsters | William Giraldi | 3 | 3.31 | W. W. Norton & Company | 282 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| The Patron Saint of Liars | Ann Patchett | 3 | 3.68 | Fourth Estate | 352 | 2003 | ######## | read |
| Carry the One | Carol Anshaw | 3 | 3.19 | Simon & Schuster | 253 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| When I Was a Child I Read Books | Marilynne Robinson | 3 | 3.9 | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 224 | 2012 | 4/4/2012 | read |
| Horoscopes for the Dead | Billy Collins | 5 | 4 | Random House | 128 | 2011 | 4/7/2012 | read |
| The Art of Hearing Heartbeats | Jan-Philipp Sendker | 4 | 4.02 | Other Press | 336 | 2012 | 4/9/2012 | read |
| Unless: A Novel | Carol Shields | 5 | 3.57 | Harper | 224 | 2002 | ######## | read |
| The Land of Decoration | Grace McCleen | 4 | 3.67 | Henry Holt and Co. | 320 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| The Underside of Joy | Seré Prince Halverson | 3 | 3.84 | Dutton Adult | 307 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| A Good Man Is Hard to Find and Other Stories | Flannery O’Connor | 4 | 4.27 | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 252 | 1992 | ######## | read |
| The Healing | Jonathan Odell | 3 | 4.08 | Nan A. Talese | 352 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| A Land More Kind Than Home | Wiley Cash | 5 | 3.91 | William Morrow | 320 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Girlchild: A Novel | Tupelo Hassman | 4 | 3.56 | Farrar, Straus and Giroux | 275 | 2012 | 5/6/2012 | read |
| Home | Toni Morrison | 3 | 3.72 | Alfred A. Knopf | 160 | 2012 | 5/9/2012 | read |
| The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry | Rachel Joyce | 3 | 4.01 | Random House | 336 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| The Gilly Salt Sisters | Tiffany Baker | 3 | 3.36 | Grand Central Publishing | 370 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Truth and Beauty | Ann Patchett | 4 | 3.88 | Harper Perennial | 257 | 2005 | ######## | read |
| The Flowers of War | Geling Yan | 3 | 3.49 | Harvill Secker | 250 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| The Homecoming of Samuel Lake | Jenny Wingfield | 4 | 4.17 | Random House Trade Paperbacks | 352 | 2012 | 6/1/2012 | read |
| Stone Arabia | Dana Spiotta | 4 | 3.3 | Scribner | 235 | 2011 | 6/3/2012 | read |
| Salvage the Bones | Jesmyn Ward | 4 | 3.78 | Bloomsbury USA | 261 | 2011 | 6/8/2012 | read |
| The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake | Aimee Bender | 5 | 3.13 | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group | 304 | 2010 | ######## | read |
| Blue Asylum | Kathy Hepinstall | 4 | 3.62 | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 271 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Run | Ann Patchett | 4 | 3.46 | Harper | 304 | 2007 | ######## | read |
| The Snow Child | Eowyn Ivey | 3 | 3.97 | Reagan Arthur Books | 389 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| South of Superior | Ellen Airgood | 3 | 3.51 | Riverhead Hardcover | 384 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter | Tom Franklin | 4 | 3.79 | William Morrow | 274 | 2010 | ######## | read |
| Gone Girl | Gillian Flynn | 5 | 4.01 | Weidenfeld & Nicolson | 419 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Pigeon English | Stephen Kelman | 4 | 3.48 | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | 263 | 2011 | 7/5/2012 | read |
| Office Girl | Joe Meno | 3 | 3.29 | Akashic Books | 295 | 2012 | 7/6/2012 | read |
| The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian | Sherman Alexie | 4 | 4.15 | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | 230 | 2007 | 7/8/2012 | read |
| The Madonnas of Leningrad | Debra Dean | 2 | 3.67 | Harper Perennial | 228 | 2007 | ######## | read |
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1) | J.K. Rowling | 4 | 4.34 | Listening Library (Audio) | 169 | 1999 | ######## | read |
| In One Person | John Irving | 3 | 3.58 | Simon & Schuster | 425 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| The Sandcastle Girls | Chris Bohjalian | 4 | 3.86 | Doubleday | 320 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| The Weight of All Things | Sandra Benitez | 4 | 3.92 | Hyperion | 256 | 2002 | ######## | read |
| The Sense of an Ending | Julian Barnes | 5 | 3.69 | Jonathan Cape | 150 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| Memory Wall | Anthony Doerr | 4 | 4.21 | Scribner | 256 | 2010 | ######## | read |
| This Is Where I Leave You | Jonathan Tropper | 4 | 3.9 | Orion | 352 | 2009 | 8/3/2012 | read |
| The Magician’s Assistant | Ann Patchett | 3 | 3.6 | 8/8/2012 | read | |||
| A Walk Across the Sun | Corban Addison | 4 | 4.17 | SilverOak | 371 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Sacre Bleu: A Comedy d’Art | Christopher Moore | 4 | 3.74 | HarperCollins | 403 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Prodigal Summer | Barbara Kingsolver | 3 | 3.91 | Harper Perennial | 444 | 2001 | ######## | read |
| The Buddha in the Attic | Julie Otsuka | 3 | 3.57 | Random House Audio | 0 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| One Last Thing Before I Go | Jonathan Tropper | 4 | 3.79 | Dutton Adult | 324 | 2012 | 9/3/2012 | read |
| Playing with Matches: A Novel | Carolyn Wall | 3 | 3.71 | Bantam | 320 | 2012 | 9/9/2012 | read |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) | J.K. Rowling | 4 | 4.23 | Listening Library | 9 | 2001 | ######## | read |
| Songs Without Words | Ann Packer | 2 | 2.94 | Random House Audio | 0 | 2007 | ######## | read |
| One Amazing Thing | Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni | 3 | 3.41 | Hyperion | 220 | 2010 | ######## | read |
| We Need to Talk About Kevin | Lionel Shriver | 4 | 4.01 | Harper Perennial | 400 | 2006 | ######## | read |
| The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag | Alan Bradley | 4 | 3.95 | Random House | 2010 | ######## | read | |
| Beautiful Ruins | Jess Walter | 4 | 3.85 | Harper | 337 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| In the Shadow of the Banyan | Vaddey Ratner | 4 | 4.12 | Simon & Schuster | 322 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| The Weird Sisters | Eleanor Brown | 3 | 3.39 | Penguin Audio | 158 | 2011 | ######## | read |
| Where’d You Go, Bernadette | Maria Semple | 4 | 3.98 | Little, Brown and Company | 326 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Astray | Emma Donoghue | 4 | 3.64 | Little, Brown and Company | 288 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| The Forgetting Tree | Tatjana Soli | 3 | 3.15 | St. Martin’s Press | 404 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Fool | Christopher Moore | 4 | 3.93 | HarperAudio | 0 | 2009 | ######## | read |
| Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3) | J.K. Rowling | 4 | 4.43 | Listening Library (Audio) | 10 | 2000 | ######## | read |
| Gold | Chris Cleave | 4 | 3.7 | Simon & Schuster | 324 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake | Anna Quindlen | 4 | 3.73 | Random House | 182 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Stephen Chbosky | 4 | 4.14 | MTV Books and Pocket Books | 213 | 1999 | ######## | read |
| Tell the Wolves I’m Home | Carol Rifka Brunt | 5 | 4.21 | Random House Publishing Group | 355 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Taft | Ann Patchett | 3 | 3.36 | Harper Perennial | 246 | 2003 | ######## | read |
| Flight Behavior | Barbara Kingsolver | 4 | 3.9 | HarperCollins | 436 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| Live by Night | Dennis Lehane | 4 | 3.87 | HarperAudio | 2012 | ######## | read | |
| On Canaan’s Side | Sebastian Barry | 4 | 3.83 | Faber and Faber | 2011 | ######## | read | |
| When it Happens to You | Molly Ringwald | 3 | 3.6 | Harper Collins | 256 | 2012 | ######## | read |
| One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd | Jim Fergus | 4 | 3.83 | St. Martin’s Griffin | 420 | 1999 | ######## | read |
| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1) | J.K. Rowling | 4 | 4.34 | Scholastic Press | 310 | 2003 | read | |
| Away | Amy Bloom | 0 | 3.31 | Random House | 240 | 2007 | read | |
A year ago I could not have predicted the momentous changes in store for me in 2012, both personally and professionally. I was just kind of rolling along, balancing several jobs, taking care of our sons, finding time for family and reading. I had committed to reviewing all the books I read on Goodreads and was just dabbling in the wider world on blogging, via Tumblr.
For the past 13 years, I had always thought that I’d have time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life once my kids were “a little older.” I was so fortunate to have a built a good part-time job around my needs, working for Chicago Parent. But I was feeling restless, and seriously concerned about sending three boys into private high school in a few years.
Early in 2012, I met with a long-time friend in a more professional capacity. Patti is a former boss who years ago had made the decision to give up the 9-5 security and launch her own business, Go Girl Communications. She connects mom-bloggers with businesses. And, seriously, I thought it was some kind of make-believe profession. Then we started to talk about this growing “social media” potential and I discovered how easy WordPress made it to combine words, books and pictures.
So in March 2012 I launched alenaslife, half-part a whim and half-part a plan to commit to writing as my professional future. I put myself “out there” and redoubled my efforts to pick up new assignments and make contacts outside my Chicago Parent world. I read other blogs, did research and talked to anyone who was willing to share their advice. I immersed myself in social media – WordPress, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, Pinterest. I could do this and still be a mom, I thought.
But 2012 had other designs.
While searching for a summer camp for my sons, I happened upon a job opening in public relations at my alma mater. I had stayed only loosely connected to my high school, but the job description seemed so absolutely perfectly, that I took a chance and applied.
In July, I re-entered the world of full-time employment. The change to my life (my children’s and husband’s lives too) was immediate. I know I made the right choice, but it’s not easy to go from keeping my own schedule to having a starting and ending time to my job. We are all still adjusting.
On the positive side, I love the school for which I work and the people, now friends, I’ve come to know. But, timing is everything, and starting a new job meant I lost the traction I had with my blog and my writing. I quite simply do not have the time to read and write the way I would wish.
Meanwhile, I was still trying to spend as much time as possible with my father, who was suffering the debilitating effects of ALS. Since he lived almost an hour away, I couldn’t see him as much as I wanted, but I tried to be there for him, for his wife, for my brother, for me. He was so excited about my new job, about my growing sense of confidence in myself, in his grandsons.
Then, in September, too soon, he died. I am grateful he is no longer suffering; but I am still dealing with the knowledge that my dad is gone. Even if we went weeks without talking to each other, I always knew he was there. Now, he is not. It’s strange and sad.
So, here I am as 2012 draws to a close, wondering what changes I can expect in 2013. I know “change is good,” but I sincerely hope that 12 months from now I am not contemplating a life with a new job and a major personal loss.
I wish you all a peaceful and happy new year.
Wednesday is back again. Gee it feels like just a week ago when I was working on this particular Q & A. Feel free to play along. Just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading? • What did you recently finish reading? • What do you think you’ll read next?
What are you currently reading? I just started Molly Ringwald‘s short story collection, When It Happens to You. It was a very impulsive choice when I saw it on the shelf at the library. I’ve only read the first story, but it’s pretty good so far. For my audio choice I needed an author whose name starts with “M” for a book group challenge. I was hoping for Kate Morton but couldn’t find anything, so I settled on Laura Moriarty‘s The Chaperone. It’s gotten mixed reviews, but I’m pleased to listen to Elizabeth Montgomery reading the novel.
What did you recently finish reading? Over the weekend I finished Sebastian Barry‘s On Canaan’s Side, which is just a terrific novel. Thoughtful, intelligent and evocative. Also finished Dennis Lehane‘s Live by Night on audio. Great escape into Prohibition era gangster-controlled Tampa.
What do you think you’ll read next? Now that I’ve met my 90-book goal for 2012, I feel like the pressure is off my reading choices. I haven’t put anything on hold, but I may try Telegraph Avenue next. I also want to read Stone Diaries since Carol Shields made my Best of 2012 reading list.
What are your W…W…W… titles?
I know. I know. Everyone and their brother has a “Best of” list at this time of year, but this tradition of mine predates blogging. This is just a more convenient way to share.
Readers should keep in mind that I don’t limit myself to books released in 2012. Although I try to keep up with what’s new and hot, I’m just as likely to pick up an unread classic or finally get around to reading something I’ve had on my list for months (or years). So you’ll find a mix of old and new.
And, I just couldn’t decide which book to cut from the list, so here you have my Top 11!
Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
Tell the Wolves I’m Home is everything I love in a book – a thoughtful, socially awkward young narrator coming of age at a particularly dramatic historical moment. June Elbus is 14 years-old in 1986 when her beloved uncle dies of AIDS. June is caught between childish games of imagination and the harsh realities of death, fear and discrimination. Struggling with the love-hate relationship between herself and her 16 year-old talented and popular sister, feeling orphaned by her busy-at-work parents and full of teenage self-loathing, she still comes across as tender and sympathetic. Read more…
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safron Foer
Brilliant. Devastating. Can a book be described in two words? Probably not, but 2,000 will not be enough to convey the depth and intelligence of this masterpiece. Certainly, it’s a 9/11 book. The main storyline revolves around Oskar, a 9 year-old boy on a quest for closure after his father’s death on that horrible day. But the book is more than that. Read more…
book cover from Goodreads
A Land More Kind than Home by Wiley Cash
Wiley Cash did not so much ease me into the disturbing world of his novel, as grip me by the throat and pull me along. Within the first few pages I knew to be very afraid of the charismatic, snake-handling, strong-arming Carson Chambliss. I knew someone had died. I knew children were involved. And I felt the heart-wrenching isolation of the people in this Appalachian community through the eyes of Adelaide, an elderly midwife. In fact, as the novel opens, Adelaide is about to step into Chambliss’ church and meet him face to face. Read more…
cover image from Goodreads
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
I find it difficult to review this book without giving the whole thing away. Any spoilers would ruin this brilliantly crafted novel by literary “It Girl” Gillian Flynn. So let me say instead that Flynn has forced me to completely re-examine my belief that I’m not a fan of thrillers. What starts out as a straightforward premise – woman goes missing on her 5th wedding anniversary; husband is primary suspect – twists and turns in so many directions that I was left guessing, often. Read more…
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
I cannot possibly write a review that reflects the intelligence and sophistication of this book. Integrating art, photography and literature into his portrait of 1938 New York, Amor Towles also tells a great story about the choices made by one young woman — Kate/Katey/Katherine Kontent, and her friends. Kate is smart, funny, unpredictable and determined, all qualities that make a fine heroine. But she’s also imperfect, which makes her infinitely more interesting. Read more…
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
The Sense of an Ending is further proof that my favorite books are not those that are driven by plot, or even by character, but instead, are books whose language transports me. I don’t mean to imply that nothing happens or that I didn’t care about the characters, but they aren’t the critical elements in my 5 star rating for this book. What elevates Julian Barnes to 5 star status is the way he makes me think. Read more…
Cover image from Goodreads
Girlchild by Tupelo Hassman
Raw.
To love Girlchild as much as I did, you have to be willing to understand “raw.” Several times while I was reading this book, my husband looked at my face and asked me what was wrong. (I was alternating between tears brimming over and horror leaving my mouth agape.) Rory Dawn suffers neglect, mistreatment and abuse at the hands of those trusted to care for her. Growing up in a Nevada trailer park outside Reno, Rory clings to her tattered copy of the Girl Scouts Handbook as the only set of rules that use “honor” and “obey” as positive edicts. Read more…
This is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper
I can’t remember the last time a book made me laugh out loud, but this one did. It also made me blush, got me a little choked up at times, and introduced me to another author whose work I will actively seek. Forced to take part in a traditional Jewish 7-day shiva for his father, Judd Foxman ping-pongs between his hilariously dysfunctional siblings, his larger than life newly widowed mother, and the agony of his failed marriage. Read more…
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
Beautiful Ruins defies easy categorization. A little bit mystery, a little romance, a little historical fiction, even a little Hollywood. Jess Walters does a fantastic job of blending all these components into something smart, entertaining and lovely. What I really loved is the way Walters carried me away to another world, another time. He puts me squarely inside the minds of his characters so that I’m on the journey with them. The characters themselves are the beautiful ruins of this novel. Read more…
Unless by Carol Shields
Although Carol Shields’ novel has a tragic background, it doesn’t focus on a traditional story. Instead, we meet Reta Winters, whose 19 year-old daughter has chosen to sit on a busy corner in Toronto wearing a sign that reads only, “Goodness.” Reta does not take dramatic action to retrieve her daughter. She does not yell or pull her hair. Instead, she thinks and she writes. This kind of passive first-person storytelling will not work for all readers, but I loved Reta from page one. Read more…
Anatomy of a Disappearance by Hisham Matar
How does an author write about something/someone who no longer exists? In Matar’s case, with incredible beauty and delicacy. He words seem not so much written, as poured gently. Matar provides a touching story of a boy whose father disappears. We assume it’s a political kidnapping based on the few clues the author provides, but we don’t get all the answers — exactly Matar’s point. He wisely tells a story without depending on plot points. Read more…
Honorable Mentions: Sacre Bleu, Horoscopes for the Dead, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, The Fault in Our Stars, Zeitoun, Stone Arabia, The Homecoming of Samuel Lake, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Astray, One Last Thing Before I Go
I did post an individual review of my favorite book in November (actually my favorite book I read this year), Tell the Wolves I’m Home, but I managed to complete quite a few more novels. Here’s a wrap-up of what I read in November.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (audio)
4 stars
My sons and I have been listening to the Jim Dale audio versions of the Harry Potter series and this one did not disappoint us. I love how Rowling tackles the trials and tribulations of a boy growing up. Of course Harry’s world is fantastic and dangerous and full of wizards and magic, but at its core, this entire series is a coming-of-age saga. The four of us experience the books each in our own way. That’s an achievement in itself – the fact that my sons want to sit in the car just to listen to more is astonishing.
“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”
Gold by Chris Cleave
3.5 stars
I was so eager to read Cleave’s follow-up to Little Bee that it’s no wonder I was slightly disappointed. I loved the high stakes world of Olympic cyclists and I have to say that Cleave really understands how to write broken, wounded women, but I was never 100% invested in either of the protagonists. Gripping while it lasted, but didn’t stay with me long.
“Love wasn’t supposed to require the constant reassurance. But then again, love wasn’t supposed to sit watching its own reflection in a dead TV while temptation rode a blazing path to glory.”
L
ots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen (audio)
4 stars
Listening to Quindlen read her own essays was an easy pleasure. I admit there were moments when I felt “too young” to totally identify with her, but how can I complain about a book that makes me feel too young? Seriously though, I loved the prompt to think about where I am in my life — both what’s behind me and what’s ahead. Quindlen has a remarkable way of bringing me in tune with myself. There are no huge revelations of life-changers in this collection, just an interesting collection of thoughts from a very strong writer, woman and mother. I’m a little jealous.
“One of the useful things about age is realizing conventional wisdom is often simply inertia with a candy coating of conformity.”
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
4 stars
I almost feel bad about how much I liked this coming-of-age novel because it’s all so obvious and melodramatic, but I loved it. I fell right into this dysfunctional world of overwrought and seriously damaged teenagers and didn’t want to come out. Nothing subtle about Chbosky’s writing, but I didn’t expect anything else from YA. What he did successfully was capture that very particular moment in teenage-dom when you are both cynical and naïve.
“I guess what I’m saying is it all feels familiar. But it’s not mine to be familiar about. I just know another kid has felt this…all the books you’ve read have been read by other people. The songs you love have been heard by other people. The girl that’s pretty to you is pretty to other people. You know that if you looked at these facts when you were happy, you would feel great because you are describing “unity.””
Taft by Ann Patchett
3 stars
Definitely not my favorite Patchett. As I expected she sets an incredible scene (in this case Memphis) and gives the readers a multitude of interesting characters, both black and white, trying to balance life’s joys and challenges. There are peaks of drama and a whole lot of internal monologues. All typical Patchett stuff. But this story, this setting, these characters never really captured my interest. Looking back on the body of her fiction work, I can say that her books just keep getting better and better.
“As a state, Tennessee was nearly as screwed up as Texas, in that a man’s allegiance wasn’t to the whole state, just that little part he comes from. People got stuck in the mountains. But in Memphis there’s a river running through the middle of things. It takes people out, brings other ones in. That’s why mountain people kept to themselves and delta people make love in alleyways.”
Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
4 stars
Kingsolver returns to the citizens of rural Appalachia, which she writes so well. Still socially responsible (and even a little preachy at times) she still drew me in to Dellarobia’s world. From the very beginning with its description of a flame-haired woman ready to throw away her life for a moment of rapture, I was hooked. Dellarobia’s natural intelligence and wit, combined with her desire for something more out of life, was a winning combination. Add to that a thought-provoking treatment of the global warming crisis, and I had a winning book.
“…and understood that he had become himself, in the presence of his wife. With the sense of a great weight settling, she recognized marriage. Not the precarious risk she’d balanced for years against forbidden fruits, something easily lost in a brittle moment by flying away or jumping a train to ride off on someone else’s steam. She was not about to lose it. She’d never had it.”
When in blogging doubt, just play a game. It’s Wednesday everyone and since I’m trying to get back in the writing groove, I thought I’d bring back a favorite Q & A. Just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading? • What did you recently finish reading? • What do you think you’ll read next?
What are you currently reading? Reading Sebastian Barry’s On Canaan’s Side, which may be contributing to my sluggish reading pace. It’s dense and wordy and thoughtful without much action — but it’s so, so good. I was a big fan of another of his novel’s The Secret Scripture and I think he’s just going to be one of those authors I can count on when I’m in the mood. Listening to another wordy writer, Dennis Lehane, on audio. Live by Night is a sort of continuation of The Given Day — mob meets immigration meets human rights meets film noir.
What did you recently finish reading? Last week I read Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver, which was pretty great. I also finished my Ann Patchett Project, reading the only one left on my personal list, Taft. I liked it, but didn’t love it. Glad I completed the project but I’m Patchetted out.
What do you think you’ll read next? I’m going to listen to something by Kate Morton next, to fulfill a challenge I’m attempting with my Goodreads book group. I’m open to suggestions, but may just choose from what’s available on the library shelf.
What are your W…W…W… titles?
It’s well past time for me to wrap up November writing projects. In fact, it’s well past time for me to write in general, but before I move on to new reviews and projects, I want to close out one of my most rewarding experiences, Thirty Days of Thankfulness.
Each day in November I stopped for 5 minutes to consider and write briefly about something for which I was thankful. I posted these on Facebook and then wrapped up each week here on alenaslife. Looking back on each week’s list brings a smile to my face and reminds me that Alena’s Life is truly filled with love and joy. That is the perfect way to enter into the Christmas season.
Day 26 – I almost missed today’s thanks because I was so caught up in my peaceful uninterrupted time with Matthew. I am so thankful for the unanticipated moments of quiet joy.
Day 27 – Today I’m thankful for Pandora’s Christmas Medley Radio. I’m one of those purists who only listens to carols AFTER Thanksgiving day and I’m already sick of the 10 songs on 93.9, so when I’m home, it’s the Pandora mix all the way. (Really, I’m thankful for Pandora all year long. I love making my own radio stations.)
Day 28 – Today I am thankful for the Berwyn Rec. As I sat through another “Meet Your Coach” night, I thought of all the teams my sons have played on, all the coaches who’ve volunteered, all the games I’ve watched. The Rec has been a great gift to my family.
Day 29 – Today I am thankful for nothing. Seriously, “nothing” on the calendar. “Nothing” came up at the last minute. For at least one evening, my guys and I can do a whole lot of “nothing.”
Day 30 – Today I am thankful for “Thirty Days of Thankfulness.” I followed through and posted each and every day. I stopped for a moment to give thanks, internally and to the world, for the gifts I have been granted and the life I live. While I won’t continue the exercise on Facebook until next year, I hope to continue to stop and give thanks on a daily basis.
I hope everyone had cause to give thanks in November.
alenaslife 