My September reading experience felt so odd! Every so often I run up against a pesky readerly problem. Things like DNF'ing a long string of books, boredom, or being able to decide what to read next. In September I experienced the confluence of two others: A lack of focus and an abundance of library holds coming in all at once. I still find myself in that spot as I write this. While I'm currently reading two different books, four others are waiting on deck. I can hear these four titles whispering to me softly, "Tick-tock, tick-tock. Only 8 days to read me before you have to start the holds process all over again." At this point I have been waiting months to read that book and don't want to miss out on the opportunity, but know that there's just no way I'm going to get there early enough. So many books, so little time.
Another hiccup has been my continued back flare-up. The constant pain in my back makes it difficult for me to focus on anything deeply or at length. Whenever I sit down with a book and begin reading, I am continually distracted by the need to reposition myself or adjust the heating pad or pillow. I'll read the same sentence three times over and the only thing I could tell you is that I am cold, thirsty, and need to apply chapstick. Ha! So this is for certain the shortest "Reviewed" list for 2024 so far. Here goes!
I rate books very simply. The scale goes like this:
DNF = Did not finish
1/5 = I hated this book
2/5 = I really didn't like this book
3/5 = I liked this book
4/5 = I really liked this book
5/5 = I loved this book
The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah.
We chose this title for our September book club pick. A re-read for me, I was eager to have another go at it because of how hard it was for me to read the first time. I don't mean that it was slow or difficult to get into, but instead that it was difficult to experience this story of hardship alongside its characters. Of all the books I've ever read, I can't think of one that hurt my heart as much as this. Possibly this was down to my reading it in the midst of the pandemic, when I was already battling various fears about the future. After reading it the first time, I wrote:
"There is so much hardship and horror. This triggered my own fears as a mother, but is a profound and wonderful book."
The Four Winds is the Dust Bowl era story of Elsa Martinelli and her children, Loreda and Ant. Ant develops dust pneumonia and the family is forced to leave their home in Texas and travel to California. Once there, they fight to feed and shelter themselves while being mistreated by locals and duplicitous farm owners. In the midst of the Great Depression people have no reserves and must rely on one another to survive.
Kristin Hannah is one of my absolute favorite modern authors. I have loved everything in her recent catalog and highly recommend this book as well as: The Great Alone, The Winter Garden, and The Women.
My rating: 5/5
These Precious Days, by Ann Hatchett.
It has been a few years since I've read a collection of short stories because they are not normally my cup of tea, but this was fantastic. Ann Patchett telling her own stories in her own voice! In addition to being a captivating narrator, her skill as a writer is enchanting. As I listened to these stories, I could feel Ann's love for writing, books, and most of all, people. I feel like I got to know her.
A quote from the book that was impactful to me:
Throughout the course of life there is a long line of fathers and sons; parents and children; servants and masters; forgiven and forgivers, and at different moments we are called on to take up one role, and then the other. When we do it right, we are bearing Christ’s example in mind.
I love Ann Patchett's voice and am eager to read more of it. I enjoyed both The Dutch House and Tom Lake, and Bel Canto has been on my TBR longer than any other book. It's a funny situation because being in that #1 spot since 2017 is what keeps me from choosing it. I don't know why, but I guess it's been there for so long that there's no urgency. Maybe one day.
My rating: 4/5
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, by John Mark Comer.
This is a book that I DNF'd a few years ago. After giving it a second try and listening all the way through, I can see that I judged this author too quickly. The message of this book is a much-needed reminder for anyone who lives a hurried modern life.
A short book written by a Portland, Oregon pastor John Mark Comer, this book briefly details the time when he found himself running like a hamster on a wheel while keeping dozens of plates spinning at the same time (because modern life is too busy for just one metaphor). He realized that this was not just a busy season, but that he had unwittingly adopted a culture of hurry, and that it was costing him a lot.
In a conversational style, Comer lays out what he did to get off the hurried crazy cycle he was on, and step into the peaceful and rich life that Christ exemplified and taught. I appreciated Comer's insight into how hurry shows up in the modern Christian landscape.
Actually, this elimination of hurry was such an encouragement that it made me feel ashamed for kind of rolling my eyes at him previously. In the weeks since I finished the book I have indeed been reflecting on hurry, but also on my tendency to reject anything mainstream. As I have tried to avoid false teachings, I may have inadvertently become somewhat closed-off and uncharitable. Do I believe that I can learn from and be encouraged by anyone? Do I want to be humble and teachable? Do my actions reflect that? Those are the types of things I've been mulling over.
My rating: 4/5
Finlay Donovan is Killing It, by Elle Cosimano.
I tried this book because it is so incredibly popular among people in the bookish online world. I've heard a few people say things like, "Even if you're not a fan of the genre, you'll be a fan of this book." I'm always interested in trying new things, so I gave it a shot. Unfortunately, it was too sad in the beginning and too unbelievable in the middle. At least for me. But I know a lot of people love this book, so I don't want to drag it through the mud. It just wasn't for me.
My rating: DNF
The Bee Sting, by Paul Murray.
This is a very long book with a very interesting premise that I listened to as I did my housework. I ended up DNF'ing it for content at about the 15 hour mark. I always like to look up the endings of books that I DNF after making it so far into it, and feel really good about DNF'ing this one.
My rating: DNF
Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Undset.
Finally, I listened to the first book of this trilogy set in 14th Century Norway, The Wreath. Originally published in 1920 by Danish author Sigrid Undset, this is a uniquely told saga that weaves through main character Kristin's life from age seven until her death. While Kristin is technically main character, the real main character in my view is Norway: its culture, customs, and landscape. This is what I found most interesting.
I think that Undset did an excellent job of putting the reader down into the story. My criticism is that, like many books of this time, the pace is quite slow and quiet. Far from boring for me, I'd say that makes it a perfect fall or winter read. But it also means that this book would not be a good fit for readers who get bored easily or need frequent plot drivers to stay engaged. I also didn't root for the main characters, who behaved like bratty, Norse versions of Romeo & Juliet.
My rating: 3/5
Since I started this post with a mention of my library holds list, I thought it would be fun to share the current list of books coming down the line. I love the anticipation of not knowing when they will come! Glancing over the list, these books look like a perfect grouping of fall reads. Hopefully they're good!
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