It's the first weekend of fall. Yes, fall begins officially in another two weeks, but back to school means that it's fall. This means back to work and back to routines. And back to the pace of work/home life that leaves little time for reading. It also leaves less mental space for reading. In the fall I find it harder to focus on books even when I do read as my mind is elsewhere. Book clubs help with this!
This summer I read most of the selections from Anne Bogel's Summer Reading Guide - she's the genius behind the
Modern Mrs. Darcy website, and the podcasts
What Should I Read Next and
One Great Book. Every summer she suggests 30 titles for summer reading - most fiction, some non-fiction. All are current (within the previous 6-8 months) and some are new releases out in early summer. I read half of the titles over the summer, and still have 4 or 5 on my shelf from the library. Hope to finish those in September! My favourites:
This book had me stopped in my car in parking lots, the audio version of 'couldn't put it down'. Shapiro narrates the audiobook - I highly recommend it and I rarely make it through audiobooks as my attention span is different when listening. The story of identity will pull you in and make you rethink what identity, family, and nature vs. nurture. It's the best book I've read in a very long time.
The best fiction book I read this summer was this one. The story is multi-layered with characters that you root for even when they are the worst versions of themselves. The exploration of mental illness, addiction, and love makes this one I couldn't put down.
Another non-fiction that reads like fiction at times is the third on my list. The author's voice (written word, not audible) drives this story about who we are, who we think we are, and who we want to be.
The last one here is not from the Summer Guide, but my book club read it over the summer. I really enjoyed it and think I'll reread it at some point, something I rarely do. The book starts off very slowly, but is so worth sticking with as the second half pulls all of the threads together. I want to reread it like one reads a mystery novel when you can't see the clues til the ending is revealed. I want to go back, now that I know what's truly important, and read it again.
A book that was not for me this summer was this one:
The plot is compelling, but it's written in an interrupted style. The first chapter is written in prose and it drew me in. The rest of the book is written as interviews or interrogations of main characters by an unnamed person. I gave up after about half-way; this style is not for me. It's why I tried and couldn't read Daisy and The Six. The constant change in voice, and interruption of the narrative drive is not for me.
