Mid-year 2021 Book Review

A few years ago (yikes, I looked for the post and it was 2013!!!) , I made a New Year's resolution to read more - at the time, I was probably only reading 5 books a year, and went long stretches between books, mostly due to my iPad - I took it upstairs every night and usually dozed while scrolling, whether reading blogs or surfing Facebook (this was before my IG days). I decided that there were too many good books to read and I wanted to up my ante. Year 1 was a goal of reading the books that were stacked on my dresser, and once I got through those, I devoured all of the Outlander books (looking forward to #9 later this year!). After that, I really reconnected with my public library - I started a list, placed books on hold, and made a visit in my regular monthly rotation. Since then, I've been averaging 20 books a year. I know this because I track it just like I track my stash reports, my quilting hours, and now my cross-stitch projects. All this record keeping is bound to come in handy at some point, right? 

This year has been a little slower on the reading front, I think because I tend to stay up a little later stitching these days knowing that I can (usually) wake up later to be able to get to the dining room for work. That leaves me less time for reading before I nod off in the evenings, but it is still a routine for me almost every night. I know lots of you enjoy listening to books - I may try it some day, but for now, my focus is on reading with the book in my hands. It is nice to have one hobby that doesn't require any electronics!

Here are the books I've read so far this year - in the order I read them: 

1. The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes - What a great book, 5 stars, I still think about the characters. I really enjoyed learning about this real profession and the challenges that came with it, but also enjoyed the emotions and experiences as told by the main character

2. The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan - full disclosure, I am a long time listener of Lian's podcast Satellite Sisters and this is the third book of hers that I have read and I really enjoyed it. It was an easy read and fun to think about what would happen in your family if a new sister showed up all of a sudden 

3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon - I am trying to increase the number of books from PBS' Great American Read that I have read and this was the first of three I've read this year and it didn't disappoint. I enjoyed the story from the narrator's point of view about the mystery of a dog who was killed in his neighborhood. It gave some great insight into how someone who thinks very differently processes information. 

4. Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall - This great story followed a girl who ran away from home on her journey in the south in the 1960s. She challenged her beliefs and learned a lot about herself and others. I was very curious to see how this story would be resolved and was very glad to get to the end and find a nice ending. 

5. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - another PBS Great American Read book and this one was a very quick read. It is a play transcript and kept me guessing the whole time. I love how reading it as a play made me think about the set, the dress of the characters, and the movement across a stage. I am hoping this one comes to a theater near me soon - I'd love to see the story come to life! 

6. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn - the third of my Great American Read books, I loved this one focused on a young girl growing up in a working-class family in Brooklyn. This reminded me a lot of The Two-Family House, which I read last year, but went deeper into the experience as seen in the eyes of a daughter. It was so interesting to read about what life was like in the early 1900s in an area that is so hot these days. 

7. The Nobodies by Liza Palmer - this was the weakest book I read so far - an okay read, but nothing that stuck with me past the end of the last chapter.I actually had to go back and read a review to remember the plot of this one...it is about a woman who has lost her job and is in a career crisis. It just never grabbed me and I guess in the end, I didn't find it really believable, too many far stretched ideas.  

8. A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier - the perfect book for a stitcher, this was about a "spinster" who moved to the big city for change between the world wars after her fiance and brother were both killed in WW1. I am a sucker for a good war story, and I learned that a 'between the wars' story is just as good. The thread in this book is from the skill of needlepoint, which Violet learns and comes to love. I really enjoyed her individualism and could just imagine the cushions she stitched. This was another 5-star book for me. 

9. The Last Year of the War by Susan Meissner - another War story, this one focused on the internment and then repatriation of a German family during WWII. What a wonderful story of a girl who's life changes completely in the blink of an eye, the friendships she makes, and the way she pushes herself through it all to make it back to the US after the war. I really enjoyed this one and it is another 5-star book for me. 

10. This Must be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell - this one was a more recent addition to my reading list and is set mostly in Ireland about a man who is grappling with current and past events. It jumps around so much that I found it a little hard to follow - it was okay, but doesn't rank that high on my list. 

11. The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline - I just finished this one - and actually, just heard about it recently too in an interview with the author. I was hooked when I heard it was about Australia and included a part of the country that I visited just out of college. I really, really enjoyed this book - the author does a great job of building a story and including history. I do think that historical fiction is my favorite genre, so no surprise this one was at the top of my list, another 5 star book, and it is just out in paperback. 

I am already on my way into book 12 and continue to look down the list I have so that the next one will be waiting when I finish this one. Hope you see something above that looks interesting. 

Comments

Carol said…
I enjoyed perusing your book list, Jennifer, and have read 7 or the 12. Will add the others to my list. My youngest son was just reading "And Then There Were None" as his new girlfriend gave him a copy of it for his birthday (she said it was her favorite book!). It was so nice to see him reading fiction for a change :) Enjoy these last few days of July ♥