I also loved Small Things Like These. My #1 was James by Percival Everett. Also near the top was The Hunter by Tana French, who proves you don't have to choose between literary and genre fiction.
Julie, I'm reading The Searcher right now, in preparation for The Hunter. Glad it was a hit for you! I appreciated the idea and ambition of James, although I didn't fall in love with it as others have.
I get it on James. I also think books hit us differently at different times. When we're the right reader for the right book at the right time, it's heaven!
I always love your lists, Jill, thank you! We have very little overlap this year so am exited to dig in. I'm that one that has to disagree with you on the Bee Sting. I could not wait for it to be over. I think my challenge is when there aren't very redeemable characters. I frankly didn't like any of them. I'm also an outlier on All Fours. Though admittedly, I was hooked, the 'eeewwww' factor was overwhelming for me.
I had a rough year in books, but the highlights for me were Go As a River (Shelley Read) and Soldier Sailor (Claire Kilroy) which I'm reading now and is a voyeuristic reminder of the worst days of motherhood--all the resentful and terrible thoughts we obsess over when we're overwhelmed with our new identity and grieving who we were before becoming a parent. She just writes so vulnerably and beautifully. I also really enjoyed the only YA book we read in book club - The Thing About Jellyfish (Ali Benjamin).
For nonfiction, The Anxious Generation was a must for me and I was absolutely fascinated by Eve (Cat Bohannon).
Go As a River and Soldier Sailor are both on my TBRs, and I'm thinking I should bump them higher. I also read The Anxious Generation and have changed some of my parenting as a result! I just need other parents (especially of my middle child's friends) to get on board with more IRL interactions and fewer computer-based ones. Ugh!
Glad you enjoyed my list. Have a wonderful holiday!
I hear you! I am so glad I don't have a girl. I think it's MUCH harder for them. Curious what particular parenting changes you've made? I just try to push my boys outside after X amount of time on iPads. In the winter it's really hard, but we love pickleball and they love soccer. So one day they turned our garage into a mini pickleball court and sometimes play here at home. They have a tinker shed and Dylan loves woodworking. Luckily R still loves to drum and has now taken up guitar, so he's pretty good about practicing. Harder to get D to practice, but he loves drawing and doing puzzles with me. What are your ideas of IRL activities??
For R, the book prompted me to ask her whether she'd like me to take her phone when she's studying, and she said "Yes!" and gives it to me willingly many days. For T, I decided to move his computer (he has a desktop) out of his bedroom and into the living room. He uses it for Minecraft and Chess- so it could be worse!- but I'd still like him to play with friends in person rather than online. Sadly, most of his friends do the same. All kids still play piano and take tennis, and T will play soccer or basketball on his own in the driveway, but I'd love to get him to be even more screen-free.
I love this list! My favorite book this year was North Woods. Historical fiction, interwoven stories, nature, a little magical realism, it filled my bucket!
I need to get a list together. It's been a weird year of reading for me. I think I might have to try The Bee Sting again later. I started but had to put it down earlier this year. Thanks for your list, Jill!
Truly, it is not for everyone... I think if you try it again and still don't warm to it, you have my endorsement to give it up. But I was completely hooked, aside from the mom's super weird POV.
Great newsletter, Jill. I will have to put some of these books on my list. I've been on a memoir kick lately, along with a hodge-podge of science topics. Just finished a book called "Einstein for Beginners" by Joseph Schwartz that was illustrated (thank gawd, whew) and it jacked my brain up in the best way. Tell Graham his balls are exquisite.
I also loved Small Things Like These. My #1 was James by Percival Everett. Also near the top was The Hunter by Tana French, who proves you don't have to choose between literary and genre fiction.
Julie, I'm reading The Searcher right now, in preparation for The Hunter. Glad it was a hit for you! I appreciated the idea and ambition of James, although I didn't fall in love with it as others have.
I get it on James. I also think books hit us differently at different times. When we're the right reader for the right book at the right time, it's heaven!
Oh good - I'm excited to read James. Keep deferring my hold, but I'll bite the bullet and go for it!
It's definitely worth reading! I kind of wish I had reread Huck Finn first, fwiw
I always love your lists, Jill, thank you! We have very little overlap this year so am exited to dig in. I'm that one that has to disagree with you on the Bee Sting. I could not wait for it to be over. I think my challenge is when there aren't very redeemable characters. I frankly didn't like any of them. I'm also an outlier on All Fours. Though admittedly, I was hooked, the 'eeewwww' factor was overwhelming for me.
I had a rough year in books, but the highlights for me were Go As a River (Shelley Read) and Soldier Sailor (Claire Kilroy) which I'm reading now and is a voyeuristic reminder of the worst days of motherhood--all the resentful and terrible thoughts we obsess over when we're overwhelmed with our new identity and grieving who we were before becoming a parent. She just writes so vulnerably and beautifully. I also really enjoyed the only YA book we read in book club - The Thing About Jellyfish (Ali Benjamin).
For nonfiction, The Anxious Generation was a must for me and I was absolutely fascinated by Eve (Cat Bohannon).
Go As a River and Soldier Sailor are both on my TBRs, and I'm thinking I should bump them higher. I also read The Anxious Generation and have changed some of my parenting as a result! I just need other parents (especially of my middle child's friends) to get on board with more IRL interactions and fewer computer-based ones. Ugh!
Glad you enjoyed my list. Have a wonderful holiday!
I hear you! I am so glad I don't have a girl. I think it's MUCH harder for them. Curious what particular parenting changes you've made? I just try to push my boys outside after X amount of time on iPads. In the winter it's really hard, but we love pickleball and they love soccer. So one day they turned our garage into a mini pickleball court and sometimes play here at home. They have a tinker shed and Dylan loves woodworking. Luckily R still loves to drum and has now taken up guitar, so he's pretty good about practicing. Harder to get D to practice, but he loves drawing and doing puzzles with me. What are your ideas of IRL activities??
For R, the book prompted me to ask her whether she'd like me to take her phone when she's studying, and she said "Yes!" and gives it to me willingly many days. For T, I decided to move his computer (he has a desktop) out of his bedroom and into the living room. He uses it for Minecraft and Chess- so it could be worse!- but I'd still like him to play with friends in person rather than online. Sadly, most of his friends do the same. All kids still play piano and take tennis, and T will play soccer or basketball on his own in the driveway, but I'd love to get him to be even more screen-free.
I love this list! My favorite book this year was North Woods. Historical fiction, interwoven stories, nature, a little magical realism, it filled my bucket!
I definitely need to read that one- have heard so many good things about it. Bumping it up the TBR! Hope you're well!
I'm reading Small Things Like These right now! And Foster is next! Such a great list, Jill!! And congrats to Graham's fabulous decorations!
Can't wait to discuss them with you! (The books, not Graham's decorations :)
I need to get a list together. It's been a weird year of reading for me. I think I might have to try The Bee Sting again later. I started but had to put it down earlier this year. Thanks for your list, Jill!
Truly, it is not for everyone... I think if you try it again and still don't warm to it, you have my endorsement to give it up. But I was completely hooked, aside from the mom's super weird POV.
Great newsletter, Jill. I will have to put some of these books on my list. I've been on a memoir kick lately, along with a hodge-podge of science topics. Just finished a book called "Einstein for Beginners" by Joseph Schwartz that was illustrated (thank gawd, whew) and it jacked my brain up in the best way. Tell Graham his balls are exquisite.
I will definitely tell him.
Also, "Einstein for Beginners" sounds amazing and the only kind of Einstein I could handle.
Adding several of these to my list for this year. Thanks!
I love how varied your list is. There’s sure to be something for everyone. I’m going to bump up Memorial Drive on my TBR and add Foster.
Stunning decorations too!