What’s on my nightstand next are all the books I intend to read soon and what’s up in the re-read pile as well…
At this point, I am not willing to recommend any of these books because I have not read them. But I can give you a summary of the summaries (I consulted multiple places) of those to be read for the first time:
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah. It is all about love, loss and the family ties that bind. It follows two sisters who are forced to reconnect with their emotionally unavailable mom after their father’s death. It is a powerful, heartbreaking novel that looks at the mother-daughter bond and explores the enduring links between past and present. The two daughters finally learn the truth about their mother’s harrowing past. It alternates between past and present and has a World War II twist as well. As a BIG fan of The Nightingale, I can hardly wait to dive in!
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee. Not my usual type of book but, this one will be perfect if the pools ever re-open this summer. A 39 year old mom has an affair with a 20 year old boy band member. Obviously, things get complicated quickly. But the journey spans continents and is as much about a mom reclaiming herself as it is a rediscovery of happiness and love. It is a smart take on a classic romance novel.
Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld. This is another modern version of a classic tale. It follows 2 sisters who go home to Cincinnati, OH following their father’s health scare. When they arrive, they find the family home in shambles and the entire family (including 2 more sisters) in disarray. Cue all sorts of characters vying for their hearts. It is filled with dry wit and humor.
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. After reading all the reviews, I debated on including this book on my nightstand. But the good reviews were so gushingly good…So six teenagers meet at summer camp and become inseparable. The book follows the characters from the height of youth through middle age. It explores the meaning of talent; the nature of envy; and the roles of class, art, money, and power. It is a tale of how we make peace with our shortcomings and make the best of ordinary lives.
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. This book is a memoir about a therapist pursuing therapy after experiencing a life-shattering breakup. It is a raw, real, and open look at a person in therapy and the same person with patients as a psychotherapist. Gottlieb has an impressive life/career resume and is genuine, insightful, and easily relatable.
All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung. This memoir is a quiet, reflective novel that follows her transracial adoption story from childhood to adulthood. She was born severely premature to Korean parents, and adopted and raised by a white family in a sheltered Oregon town. It is an understated, profound and moving chronicle of Chung’s search for the people who gave her up and the repercussions of unearthing painful family secrets. Reviewers were not universally positive (are they ever?) but the ones that stuck with me were, “like turning on a faucet of raw emotion” and another which said Chung’s writing was “pure, clear and undiluted.”
Plans to re-read:
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. This book is fabulous and I would recommend it to anyone. It is the female (Dinah’s) perspective on the biblical tale of Jacob, the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. Diamant uses her vast knowledge of the history of her faith and that time period to flesh out this story without perverting the original text. The traditions and turmoils of ancient womanhood are revealed through the love Jacob’s four wives have for Dinah. The story follows her through her hard-working youth, to her calling to midwifery and eventually to her new home in a foreign land. The characters come to life and Diamant weaves an amazing tale of courage, determination and the resiliency of women. It is an awesome read and I anticipate it will be an even better re-read!
A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving. This book is set in 1953 in a small town in New Hampshire when Owen Meaney is playing Little League and hits a foul ball that kills his best friend’s mother. It is a strange and interesting book in equal parts about faith and doubt. Owen does not believe in accidents; he believes he is God’s instrument. This book is unforgettable and will shake your emotional equilibrium. Irving has a beautiful way of storytelling that has a rambling quality but is amazingly clever and thoughtful, with many layers and themes. If you have not read it, you are in for a treat!
Recently Read and Recommend:
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende. This epic novel starts in the late 1930s with the Spanish Civil War. Because so many people feared Franco and the fascists brutal oppression, hundreds of thousands were forced to flee. Among those making the treacherous journey over the mountains to France were Roser, a very pregnant woman whose lover died in the war, and Victor, an army doctor and brother of the deceased love. Roser and Victor end up marrying so they can be sponsored along with 2,200 other immigrants aboard the SS Winnipeg headed for asylum in Chile. Victor and Roser’s relationship is at the heart of the story but it is also a family saga with richly defined characters, deep connections to their family, their culture, and their countries. But all of that is backlit by the ever changing political winds. Allende does a fabulous job of teaching us about important historical events through superb storytelling.
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. This coming of age story is based on a real reform school in Florida that operated for 111 years and warped thousands of children. Set in the 1960s, Jim Crow-era, the story follows two boys who are sentenced to The Nickel School, which is a grotesque chamber of horrors. The staff sadistically beats and sexually abuses the students. It is short, well-executed novel, rich in detail, anger, despair and hopelessness, forcing us to remember a dark and shameful period in history. Whitehead is a master storyteller who recently won his second Pulitzer Prize for this book. You will be shaken by the time you finish this book but it is sooooo worth it!