Summer & Fall Reading List

 I loved this book. Not surprising that I loved something by Robinson, but this had a very different tone and feel from Gilead, Home, and Lila. Much darker and more melancholy. I wish I had read this in a lit class because I'm sure there are many themes and symbols that I missed.

 This was entertaining enough, but the characters weren't exactly likeable and their development didn't cover as much depth as I like. There were several books I read like this--where I didn't mind reading them, but they were not very memorable as a story and the characters fell flat to me.

 I loved this. Shapiro's memoir about her DNA test that gave surprising results. I loved her writing and the story was enthralling.

Beautiful reflections, and surprisingly timely. Mercifully short-- I read it in a day or two. This was a sweet treat.

Ever since I read Crossing to Safety, I knew I wanted to read all the books in Stegner's repertoire. This was the opposite of my other reads. It took me awhile to slog through this, and I did feel like it was longer than it needed to be. Not all those pages served the plot. But I have continued to think about these characters and the life events that brought them to their final selves. Such insight into human nature and response, such crafted writing, such a good look at a marriage and the pain that can burrow into that relationship.

 I discovered Kendall Vanderslice and her lovely book through Instagram. Her book details dinner churches in America and the variety of services they offer. It was inspirational in wanting to lean towards nourishing creativity both at home and at church.

 This book had high praise, but honestly, meh. I could take it or leave it. The writing was fine and the story was entertaining enough. This felt like a book for a guy. Most of the dialogue was monosyllables or curse words and the narration was about canoeing and wilderness survival. I'm not necessarily averse to any of those things, but there wasn't enough thematic support to hold them up to my scrutiny.

 But this book. THIS book! Definitely one of my top five. The only Steinbeck I had read prior to this was The Grapes of Wrath during high school, where I definitely wasn't picking up on all his biblical allusions, and I felt like the book drug on and on. East of Eden was full of action, and the characters are perfect and nuanced and as Seth said, "This book is always exactly what you want it to be." I'm looking forward to reading more Steinbeck in the future.

 This was a very interesting story. I don't want to give any spoilers, but it is a slow-wrought drama where the reader comes to gradual understanding of the characters and the world in which they live. It was very well-done as far as writing and structure. It didn't evoke the level of emotional response in me that some people experience. But some people find this very sad, with a side of disturbing.

 This was a fun and quick read. It took me a couple days to speed through it, and it was what I needed after some long and heavier books. The only missing element to me was that this is about a fictional band and their songs, and there's only so much that writing about music can do for a reader. I wanted to be a listener. I really wanted to hear these songs, to watch them be performed, not just read the lyrics at the end. I realize the author is a writer and that this is a book. But I was reminded of the movie, Almost Famous, the fictional biopic of a band from the same era. If this was in movie format, we could hear the songs.

 Another memoir, but on this one I wasn't as drawn in. The writing was wonderful, but the story, characters, time period, I was pretty non-committed.

 Since having surgery last week, I've read three books. I have a lot of time. :) This was another one that was engaging while I was reading it, but at the end I felt nonplussed. Another quick read, though. Which is what I needed after Ivan Doig.

 I really liked this one. All about a therapist and her patients and the similar threads between their lives. Her writing flowed quickly, and she was funny and endearing.

 I don't usually read romance novels; this was an exception. I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. It was very cute and witty, and gave me a major dose of nostalgia as it goes back to the Y2K scare and the new novelty of email and instant messaging. I felt like I was back in high school. And a happy ending was really fun for once. :)

  Right now I'm reading this. I wanted to read a mystery during this rainy, fall weather while I'm still recovering. I'm not hooked yet, but I'm only 30 pages in. I'm hoping it lives up to my mystery hopes.