Monthly Book Review: March 2024

The last day of my least favorite month. And only two days until my birthday. I'm one of those weirdos who love their birthday. 

A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan jumps between the 1870 Siege of Paris and post-WWII 1946. Lisette grows up in the lap of luxury in 1870 where her mother all but ignores her and she feels more at home in the kitchen, comforted and tutored by the head cook. The trajectory of her life is forever changed one day when she does the marketing for an ailing kitchen maid. Micheline is Lisette's great granddaughter who is trying to make ends meet and raise her younger siblings following the disappearance of their mother. They both start a bakery. The story was very light on history and a bit predictable but good. I had to look up the word "privation" as it was used very liberally.

Privation: a state in which things that are essential for human well-being such as food and warmth are scarce or lacking.

TBR List:

• Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
• Flying Solo by Linda Holmes
• The Honey-Don't List by Christina Lauren
• The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton
• Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields 
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
• The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer
• The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
• Homecoming by Kate Morton
• Life Worth Living by Miroslav Volf, Matthew. Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Lins
• Outlive by Peter Attia, Bill Gifford

Monthly Book Review: February 2024

I am over the moon that it's finally March! I am anxious to start seeds and dahlia/canna tubers over the next two weeks. This has been called the "lost winter" here in the Twin Cities - it was 60 degrees today and no snow in sight. Only one book for February - 18 hours. I will definitely be reading something shorter next.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee chronicles four generations of a Korean family in Japan. The story was rich (though extremely long), with themes of discrimination, perseverance and honor. The title of the book references a popular gambling game, similar to slot machines. It was very educationnal. I had no idea that Japan annexed Korea in 1910 and that Koreans living in Japan were treated as second class citizens. It was difficult to become a Japanese resident and Koreans had to register as "special permanent residents". They felt shame in abandoning their country and giving allegiance to their oppressors yet had no voting rights in South Korea.

TBR List:

• Flying Solo by Linda Holmes
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• A Bakery in Paris by Aimie K. Runyan
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Life Worth Living by Miroslav Volf, Matthew. Croasmun, Ryan McAnnally-Lins
• Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields 
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
• The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
• The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer
• Outlive by Peter Attia, Bill Gifford

Monthly Book Review: January 2024

Happy 2024!

Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami was a sweet Audible exclusive to kick off the new year.  Tsukiko is a single professional in her thirties who likes things the way she likes them and is fond of routine. One day, she meets a former teacher at the bar. He is significantly older, and she calls him Sensei partially out of respect and partially because she can't remember her name. What follows is a deepening friendship over sake and old-fashioned love story. I found the description of Japanese/Tokyo culture just as interesting as the budding relationship.

I have a love/hate relationship with Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. A sort of backstory to Shakespeare's Hamlet. Farrell's writing is beautiful and vivid - every inner thought and character nuance explored. It was a bit of a slog, yet worth it in the end - I thought about giving up at least twice but so glad I didn't. Absolutely loved the narration - that's what got me through the rough spots.

TBR List

• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
• Blue Love: Blue Valley High by MJ Fields 
• Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
• The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue
• The Paris Agent by Kelly Rimmer

December 2023 + Year in Review

Two books to round out the year and both were excellent. 

Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi is the story of Sitara, a young girl orphaned by the Afghanistan communist coup in 1978. She is “saved” while the rest of her family is slaughtered. She lives a comfortable but anxious life, then thirty years later a chance meeting gives her an opportunity for accountability. My favorite part of the story follows how she is sheltered by an American diplomat and her mother, and how they are able to get her out of Afghanistan and become family.

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau was so good it ended up tied for 5th place in the year’s top 10. It's a coming-of-age story set in the 1970's. The title character is a 14 yo summer nanny for the daughter of a therapist who is treating a famous musician for drug addiction. The family is completely different from her own - no perfunctory rules, no judgments, no structure. Her eyes are opened and there’s no unseeing the racism, discrimination and other societal tensions surrounding her. The real star of the novel is the young daughter Izzy who acts and speaks with complete abandon, the way a child should. My favorite excerpt “Until I met Jimmy, I hadn’t understood that people you love could do things you didn’t love. And still you could keep loving them.”

Year in Review

I read/listened to 30 books in 2023 and here are my top 10:

• Carrie Soto Is Back
• Remarkably Bright Creatures 
• The Midnight Library
• Lessons in Chemistry 
• The Golden Couple
• Mary Jane
• The All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion
• One Night on the Island
• Vacationland
• Pineapple Street