Excited to post about one of my favorite reading experiences of last year though - Shark Heart by Emily Habeck. Thanks to @simonandschuster / @marysueruccibooks for my copy. The description of this one is weird as hell. Wren’s husband and great love Lewis is slowly turning into a great white shark. Bizarro! But somehow this book was so tender and emotional, so sweet and full of so much love, I found it so beautiful and I was moved to tears. I tend to like books with strange concepts like this one, but even if you don’t typically, I think this book is the exception. It’s so beautifully written, maybe a little indulgent, but I loved the romance despite not being a romance person. I recommend it!

Thanks to @randomhouse for my copy of The Guest by Emma Cline. Everyone was talking about this book this summer, and I felt like the odd one out for not liking it at all. What am I missing with her writing? I like it at a sentence level, but I haven’t liked either other books.

This one follows Alex, a girl with a murky past who is floating through life in the Hamptons, bankrolled by a rich older boyfriend, but she knows her time is running out. She’s running away from some trouble in the city - her ex-boyfriend is after her for money, she has no place to live, and she has no friends left there. When her situationship ends, she decides to stay anyway, deceiving her way into people’s homes and lives. But they are rich and privileged and bad people, so that makes it okay, right?

Idk, I found that Alex was incredibly dull. The lack of any insight about her past or how she got to where she is made it impossible for me to feel sympathy for her situation. The lack of personality made it impossible for me to care about her. She treated people poorly, lied, did a lot of drinking and drugs, nearly kidnapped a child… but yet somehow her choices weren’t interesting, it was like she was just making every bad choice to drive the book forward. I like stories of people behaving badly, and bad people getting their due, but Alex was such a bore that this book was an absolute slog, and she treated everyone like shit, and because of the lack of info about her past, it was very unclear to me why she wouldn’t just get a job, or move home. And why she had 0 real friends, and nobody from her past to go to got help. Maybe because she had addiction issues, but it seemed like her drug use was only a minor problem and not totally out of control, so I didn’t think that explained much. I needed some insights on her motivations, but didn’t get them.

I obviously don’t recommend this one - I didn’t like it. This was a vibes book - unsettling, sure, with a strong sense of place (very atmospheric), but the characters and plot were lacking.

Thanks to @europaeditions for sending me a copy of The Road to Dalton by Shannon Bowring. This book is set in Maine, so it was a fitting read during our July babymoon there! (Also yes I read this in July, if that tells you how behind in reviews I am 🙃)

This book follows characters in a small town in Maine. The writing felt nostalgic in a way, I think because of the third person narration, slower pace, and 1990 time frame. It felt cozy, following multiple characters as they deal with ups and downs of everyday life after a car wreck where the daughter of a prominent local family goes into early labor.

Despite covering some heavy topics like postpartum depression, infidelity, abuse, and homophobia, the tone of this book still felt hopeful. I would recommend it if you like quiet, character-driven novels set in small towns, or books of interconnected short stories, since that’s how this one felt, as it peered in on different characters and then moved on.

Thanks to @algonquinbooks for my copy of Honor by Thrity Umrigar, which I read for book club. It follows two women, Smita and Meena, as Smita, a journalist, reports on the trial of Meena’s brothers in rural India. Meena’s family and village turned on her, disfiguring her and murdering her husband because she was Hindu and he was Muslim. Smita, who was born in India but moved to the US at a young age and never planned to return, processes trauma of her past while trying to help Meena. She’s also slowly drawn to Mohan, a friend of a friend who helps her navigate more rural areas and traditions.

I really enjoyed this book. I appreciated the descriptions of Mumbai and I learned more about the patriarchal traditions that are still strong in more rural villages. The writing felt non-judgmental of the very different cultural norms of rural India versus more modern Mumbai or western countries, but still was critical of the violence faced by women and other minorities. I appreciated that the romance element added levity and hope but wasn’t the main storyline. I think the ending of this book was a little far fetched but I liked it anyway. I recommend it! It was my first Umrigar but won’t be my last.

I listened to the audiobook of Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby on Libro.fm. This is a really funny book of essays that had me looking more forward to my daily dog walk than usual, since I would be LOLing and getting an afternoon cheer up/pick-me-up the whole time I was reading it. I thought her story of having an allergic reaction but worrying that she wasn’t “bad” enough to be in the ER was so funny and relatable. I also really loved the essay about reconnecting with her half brother. I will warn you that there is a lot of poop talk/bathroom humor which isn’t my personal favorite (am a prude), but overall I definitely recommend this one when you need a laugh.

I read Horse by Geraldine Brooks for book club. I grew up in Kentucky, so I tend to enjoy books that are set there or are about horse racing. I did not love this one, though. It bounces between three timelines. The first timeline follows Jarret in the 1850s. He is an enslaved groom who forms a special bond with a special horse. The second follows an art collector in NYC in the 1950s, who is obsessed with a mysterious painting of said horse. The last is in the present day in DC. Theo is a Black art-historian, and Jess is a scientist from Australia. They are brought together over a shared interested in the history of the horse.

Aspects of this book were compelling. The story held my interest at the beginning. I especially liked the bond between Jarret and Lexington (the horse), and learning more about the history of horse racing, especially because I grew up watching the derby every year. However, some of the storylines didn’t hold my interest (the art collector? Why) and then something happens at the end of the book that sent it completely off the rails for me, and took what was a fine book to a book I truly disliked. I really can’t recommend this book - keep reading if you want to know what tarnished it for me, or stop if you don’t want the spoiler.

Thanks to @riverheadbooks for sending me an ARC of The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. She is a literary QUEEN! She can do no wrong! I will read anything she writes - nuns (Matrix)? Sure! A young servant girl’s escape from a colonial settlement and survival in the wild? Absolutely!

Groff’s writing is poetic. Her descriptions are stunning, and at the same time I was completely immersed in the plot. Would the girl find enough to eat? Would she freeze? And why exactly was she running? The slow revelations about her past in fever-dream flashbacks worked so well for me, too. She ruminates on god, men, and sin. Reading about her struggles to survive and stay healthy was a visceral experience.

I flew through this book. I loved it. If you are a Groff fan already, I think you will too.

Thanks to @harperbooks for sending me a copy of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. This book was a highlight of my reading this year. I’ve never read David Copperfield or Barbara Kingsolver before, so wasn’t totally sure what to expect going in, but so glad I read this.

This book follows Damon, who goes by the nickname Demon, as he grows up in poor in Appalachia. He goes through a lot of challenges - alcoholic mother, abusive stepfather, foster care, the opioid epidemic, and addiction. It isn’t always easy to read, as you want to be hopeful and root for Demon but there is always something new going wrong in his life. I was very impressed with how strong and engaging Damon’s voice was.

This book is lengthy, and I read it at a time when I was ready to sink deeply into a book. Kingsolver’s writing is engrossing, and I was completely absorbed by Damon’s story. I really loved it and highly recommend it! It would be a great read for the fall season when you are ready to cozy up at home with a long book.

I listened to Burnout by Amelia and Emily Nagasaki for work book club. This book was really disappointing. I thought science would be at the forefront, but it felt hand wavy and I didn’t take away anything useful from it. Instead of walking away with actionable information about how to combat burnout, I actually felt annoyed with how much this book blames the patriarchy for any problems that women face. I don’t think my burnout is caused by the patriarchy completely, which is the entire argument of this book - the patriarchy is bad for women. Okay? That’s nothing new. But that’s not why I’m burned out? The writing also felt cheesy, and it annoyed me that any science was dumbed-down with cutesy language. I didn’t get anything from this and I would not recommend it.