What Should I Read?

I love to read and I read a lot. I wish I had the time to read like I used to. I love books and find myself feeling sorry for people who don't read.  Reading is an escape. Reading brings me to worlds I would never experience otherwise.  Reading helps me learn about history in a way that is exciting.  Reading makes me laugh, makes me cry and makes me think.  People often ask me what books I can recommend.  Lately I feel like I have been very lucky and have read book after amazing book.  So here are a few recommendations.  I hope to do this every few months.  

"Wild" is my top choice.  Let me just say that nonfiction is NOT my cup-of-tea. I haven't had much luck with any nonfiction in my life.  However, I heard Cheryl Strayed on both the Diane Rehm show and she was also a guest on RadioWest.  I had your typical public radio "driveway moment" listening to her interviews.  I was captivated by Cheryl and her story.  The next time I was at the bookstore I decided to buy it.  

"Wild" is a true story about Cheryl.  She lost her mother when she was in her early 20s and her life began to fall apart.  When she felt all was lost she decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail - over 1,000 miles - completely alone.  

I had it on my shelf for a couple of months.  Seth is not a big reader but one night he was asking if I had any books he could read.  Knowing that hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is one of his bucket list items, I suggested he read this. Seth reads maybe 3 books a year and yet he devoured this book.  He read it in 2 weeks, which for him is amazing.  Once he finished I picked it up.  

I read the first chapter one night and cried harder than I ever have in a book.  The bed shook. I ugly cried. It was so heartbreaking.  Again, this was the first chapter of the book.  Cheryl Strayed is a very honest and raw writer.  She doesn't sugar coat her feelings.  She doesn't try and make herself appear to be anything other than her true self.  She's the complete opposite of Elizabeth Gilbert in "Eat Pray Love".  

This book captivated me from the first paragraph to the very end.  I never thought reading about a woman hiking alone would be so intriguing.  It was.  It was wonderful.  I read this at least 7 months ago and I still can't get it out of my head.  Give it a chance.  Oh and this is being made into a movie this year. 

If you want to listen to the RadioWest interview (which I highly suggest you do) click here and listen.

Switching gears completely, I now recommend "The Kitchen House" by Kathleen Grissom. I have Amazon to thank for recommending this book to me, based on the kinds of books I like.  This book is about a 7-year-old girl in the late 1700s.  Lavinia's parents die on the ship as they are immigrating to America from Ireland.  She is sold into slavery and spends her childhood among slaves on a large plantation.  She works in the "kitchen house".  What makes this story so interesting is the dynamic of a white slave and how she is treated differently in both worlds. This is a beautiful story that examines slavery in a way I haven't thought of before. I flew through this book.  It's not a true story but I do love when a book takes me to a different time period.  I got lost in Lavinia's world.  I am sure you will too.

My absolute favorite genre is historical fiction.  I spent a large part of 3-4 years reading about European history (Tudors, Renaissance, etc.) but realized I wasn't reading much about American history.  Then I picked up "The Paris Wife" which was a story about Ernest Hemmingway and his wife Hadley.  After that I devoured "Loving Frank" about Frank Lloyd Wright and his mistress Mamah.  So it was no surprise that another novel about a wife of a famous American caught my eye.  This is obviously a book about Charles Lindbergh and his wife Anne.  

I'll preface this recommendation by saying that before this book I really had no interest in Charles Lindberg, or in aviation.  Yet it fit the bill for books I would like and I couldn't put it down.  What a fascinating era this was in our country.  Charles Lindbergh was the biggest celebrity of his time.  His wife Anne was equally interesting.  She was his co-pilot for much of her life.  Forced to leave her children behind to go on expeditions and flights.  Charles is not a likable man but the book really brings out a great early feministic theme. This book also covers the Lindbergh kidnapping, a part I found very hard to read but very interesting.  Read it.  It's a beautiful book about a fascinating couple and time period.

What a wonderful surprise this book was.  This is the first of Liane Moriarty's books that I read and I have gone on to read several others and enjoyed all of them.  This is a story about Alice.  Mother of three and going through a divorce.  She has an accident at the gym and gets a nasty concussion. When she "comes to" again - she thinks it is 10 years earlier.  As far as she recalls she is pregnant with her first child and happily married.  

It's actually a really funny and wonderful book.  She can't understand why she would be divorcing someone she is so madly in love with.  It made me think a lot about my life.  We all have relationships that go through great phases, and not-so-great phases.  It's a nice reminder that things were once wonderful and exciting in every relationship, no matter how mundane and ritualistic our lives become. Might I also suggest reading "The Husband's Secret" by Moriarty as well?  

Well that's it for now.  I want to get off my computer and pick up "Tell the Wolves I'm Home" which I am sure I will be recommending later.  

Happy reading!