Show Us Your Books January 2020

Winter sports have started which means a lot of my reading takes place at the ice rink now.

It never fails. As soon as I hit publish on my list of favorites from 2019 I read 3 amazing books. Don’t get me wrong, too many amazing books is a good problem to have, but I feel bad for my books. I hope they know they are all my favorites in their own way.

Should have been on my best of 2019 list

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - This read like a warning to us all, with a glimpse of a silver lining. It’s not too late, but you need to pay attention. I was worried this sequel would be awful, but I liked it quite a bit.
The River by Peter Heller - A lot of the reviews on this book went back and forth on if it should be called a thriller. The tension of people vs. nature plus the constant threat of a hidden adversary thrilled me.
Stoner by John Williams - This book shows up a lot on lists of classics you probably haven’t read. I finally read it for a book club and thought it was wonderful. It sounds boring if I describe it - the story of an undistinguished man’s life, but Williams wrote with such a thoughtful melancholy and I loved it.

Audiobooks that got me through December

Cookies don’t bake themselves, and I needed the help of some good audiobooks.

Mystic River by Dennis Lehane - A good story that kept me guessing until the end. However I probably wouldn’t recommend this on audio because the narrator mispronounced all of the Massachusetts names and it drove me nuts.
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem - Another one that kept me guessing. However this one worked especially well on audio. If you tried to read this and couldn’t get into it because of the main characters ticks you might want to try it again.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou - Completely bananas. I couldn’t believe this was a true story. If you think you know workplace drama, give this one a try. Woah.

Just as good the second time around

Part of project re-read

A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline - Once again this book ripped out my heart and crumpled it up like an old piece of paper. It’s very similar to Stoner now that I think about it.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - I’ve been seeing this book everywhere lately, and I’m so glad it’s getting the love it deserves.

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