Book Blog: June 2023
It’s now officially summer in Seattle, and I did a bunch of porch (and plane) reading as the weather went from eh to ahhhhhh! I had a few days with my parents in Portland, my MIL in town, and a cat ready to cuddle no matter the weather. As always, just a few of my favorite books from this month, and best wishes for a little break if you need one.
Fiction
By the Pricking of My Thumbs (Agatha Christie): In the fourth installment of The Tommy and Tuppence mysteries, the crime-fighting duo visit Tommy’s ailing aunt and start to hear challenging stories from the batty old ladies at the retirement home. Then Aunt Ada dies — and her housemates disappear or die too. As always, Tuppence can’t leave it alone, and decides to investigate to see what has happened and to make sure this old lady is safe. It goes downhill from there.
Mad Honey (Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finley Boylan): I couldn’t stop reading this book because it was so incredibly engaging. Alternating between the perspectives of Olivia, a single mom of a son, Asher, and Lily, a high-school senior who lives with her single mom, Ava, we unwind the story of Asher and Lily’s love story, and how exactly Asher was found with Lily in critical condition after a fall (she later dies). The story arcs both forwards and backwards as we learn more about these main characters, and there was a major twist that really changed the urgency of the plotline. Such a fantastic book with care and empathy for all of the characters.
Romantic Comedy (Curtis Sittenfeld): Like most of her novels, Sittenfeld takes something we know and love (SNL, rebranded here as The Night Owls) and deconstructs the characters behind the scenes. In this case, it’s TNO writer Sally and TNO host and musical guest Noah Brewster. We all know that old, unattractive men land beautiful young women, so, with a bit of a chip on her shoulder she uses her humor and wit to deflect Noah’s attention. The book is divided roughly into three parts — their initial meeting, their COVID reconnection, and a short reunification. The snappiness of the writing along upped it from 3-stars to 4-stars, because the last 50–75 pages felt extra and could’ve been edited out.
Non-Fiction
Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival, and Hope in an American City (Andrea Elliott): This book was heartbreaking and provided a much needed perspective into child and family welfare and poverty in America. Elliott follows Dasani, her parents, and her seven siblings across several challenging years, primarily in NYC. They move from homeless shelter to family to housing and back again, struggling to secure steady employment, education, and support. Dasani articulates her experiences throughout in a way I have never had access to before — how she wants to be a part of her family culture *and* yearns for something different when she is chosen to attend the Hershey Academy in Pennsylvania. I’m not even sure I have the words to describe how any American with privilege needs to read this book.
In Love (Amy Bloom): This book was written with such care and dignity, the personal story of the author and her husband, who chose to end his life in Switzerland due to Alzheimer’s. Jumping back and forth between early 2020 and moments of their 13-year-journey, Bloom shares the beauty of who Brian is with the frustration of the changes in him due to Alzheimer’s. What touched me the most was how supportive she was of his wishes (even researching ways to help him end his life if their trip to Switzerland didn’t work) and he, as much as he was able, allowed her to process the experiences in her own way. Truly this was a marriage in sickness and health, and it was an honor to be invited into their story.
Here’s to those perfect summer nights and dinners right off of the grill :)
Cheers, S
