I almost didn’t pick up The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova because it’s almost 500 pages long and that seemed like too much of a commitment with all the books on my To-Be-Read list. And, while I’m glad I did overall, it was a bit of a slog. Alexandra Boyd moves to Bulgaria to teach English and, upon arriving, ends up with someone else’s luggage. She and her taxi driver endeavor to return the bag and travel all over the country, uncovering history and a mystery along the way. The book had an interesting premise and taught me about Bulgarian history, but was far-fetched and too long.

I have read a number of positive reviews about American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land by Monica Hesse (including being one of NPR’s Best Books of 2017 and A NYT Book Review Notable Book of the Year) and thought I would enjoy it, even though it is not the type of book I generally choose. In Accomack County, VA, there were 60+ cases of arson in a short period of time. Firefighters were tapped to their limits, citizens formed vigilante groups, and officials couldn’t figure out who was lighting the fires. Turns out the fires were set as part of a love story between Charlie Smith and his girlfriend, Tonya Bundick. I suspect that many people have heard this story and know who was responsible, but I think the book would have been more powerful if they weren’t outed so early in the book. In any event, it was good and I enjoyed it.

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf, is a quiet, contemplative read, where not much happens. But, in its brief form and simplicity, it is a lovely story about two older people who unexpectedly fall in love. Addie Moore visits her neighbor, Louis Waters – they have known each other for many years and are both now widowed. They are lonely and find a way to be companions and friends. This book is very short and didn’t take long to read. I really enjoyed it.

I joined a book group at work because I heard Robin DiAngelo speak recently at a conference and I liked what she had to say. The book group was arranged around DiAngelo’s book, What Does it Mean to be White? Developing White Racial Literacy. The book, while somewhat hard to read (not because of the writing, but because of the content) is a must-read for anyone struggling to figure out what is happening in the US right now and why racism is so perplexing and systemic. I “pen-in-handed” the text and have so many sticky-notes throughout the book that it would be impossible for anyone else to pick it up and read it. That’s how good and thought-provoking it is. It’s a must-read in my opinion.

Here are some favorites (but you really need to read the whole book to “get it”)…

“Racism is a system of unequal social, cultural, and institutional power – not individual acts of prejudice.”

“We need to build the capacity to sit with the discomfort and pain of the story rather than…sweep it away with denial, minimalism, and invalidation.”

“…the best antidote to guilt is accountability and corrective action.”

“Anti-racist education seeks to interrupt relations of racial inequality by enabling people to identify, name, and challenge the norms, patterns, structures, and traditions that keep racism and white supremacy in place.”

As I have said before, I love Alice McDermott. While her books are quiet, they are beautiful pieces and enjoyable reads. The Ninth Hour is much like her other works, focused on the Irish experience in New York. The story is told by the children and grandchildren of the main characters, which is an interesting structural choice and one that works well. We begin with the suicide of a husband soon-to-be father. His wife, Annie, ends up becoming employed by a Catholic order of nuns. She brings her daughter, Sally, to work with her until Sally is old enough to go to school. And, then we follow Sally’s life as well. While I would not describe this story as an edge of the seat kind of experience, there’s enough drama to keep you reading.

I love Elizabeth Berg for writing solid, enjoyable stories. And The Story of Arthur Truluv is no exception. Arthur recently lost his wife and spends most days having lunch with her at the cemetery. While there, he befriends a lost teenager. And, their triad is complete with their relationship with Arthur’s neighbor, Lucille. It’s a heartwarming quick read that you’ll blaze through.

Before Reese Witherspoon picked The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine as her December book club pick, I had chosen it on the recommendation of a reader of this blog. So, it was a doubly good choice! I was skeptical at first, and thought the storyline was a bit far-fetched, but once I got into it, I couldn’t put it down. Amber has designed a complicated plan to acquire wealthy Jackson Parrish by befriending his wife, Daphne. And that’s all I want to tell you because it’s more fun to learn what happens by reading. It’s a great lose-yourself book.

Exit West by Mohsin Hamid has been on more lists than I can count lately. And, while I read the description and thought, “that’s not for me,” I was finally convinced by the NYT’s 10 Best Books of the Year List that I should try it. After all, if Pachinko (reviewed here) was on it, I should reconsider. As an aside, I have also added The Power by Naomi Alderman to my TBR list based on the NYT List. Has anyone read it already and liked it? Exit West was good, but not great for me. I liked the omniscient voice and the central story of Nadia and Saeed falling in love and ultimately having to flee their country of origin (in an unorthodox and fantastical way), but the little side stories didn’t fit in and took away from my full enjoyment of the story. Ultimately, the writing was beautiful, but the story went in too many directions.

I received a most thoughtful and delightful gift of a personally autographed copy of Anne Fadiman’s The Wine Lover’s Daughter (photo is of title page – how amazing is that inscription?!). I love Anne Fadiman. If you have not had the pleasure, begin with Ex Libris, an absolute delight. This book too is a treat in every way. Designed with chapters that can function as individual pieces or read as a whole, it tells of Anne’s father, Clifton Fadiman (quite famous in the book world), his relationship with Anne, and his relationship with wine. I loved this book!

Sing, Unburied, Sing, by Jesmyn Ward, has been everywhere this season, so I was eager to pick it up and find out what all the hype was about. And, as has been the case for the past few weeks, I was disappointed. The book was lyrical, and beautifully written, without question, but I felt not only dispirited (probably part of the point) and unsettled but also unmoved by the story. The story is about families, specifically dysfunctional ones, and the ties of extended family members. The central story is of Jojo, thirteen, and his toddler-aged sister, who travel with their drug-addict mother and her friend to pick up Jojo’s father, Michael, from prison. Jojo’s mother, Leonie, is a mess, confused about herself, her life, and her relationship with her children and her children’s father. Ghosts play a part in the story as well. The story weaves in and out of time and between the perspectives of Leonie, Jojo, and a dead inmate from the prison. And, while I enjoyed the writing, ultimately, this was not a favorite.