In my opinion “gripping” and “non-fiction” don’t usually fit together. Like if you hear “sophisticated” and “changing a baby diaper.” Just – no. Unless Kate Middleton is changing the diaper (doubtful – that’s what the Head Nanny’s nannies are for). But I recently discovered a non-fiction read that is gripping. “Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann is a thoroughly researched and horrifying tale of the true crime that plagued the Osage nation in the 1920s. I had no subject matter knowledge of the events of this book when I started. I’m remorse to admit that while I was disappointed with how events unfolded I…
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Bookish Eats: Asian Salmon for “The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah
I haven’t posted a recipe for a while but to make it up to all of you I have got a real winner. I mean, not only is this recipe quick and delicious but it’s also easy. At my home it’s the unicorn of recipes and I’m going to share it with you today. While I was immersed in “The Great Alone” last week I couldn’t stop thinking how perfect it would be to finish off my vicarious Alaskan experience with my favorite Salmon recipe. I’m fairly certain the Allbright’s didn’t have a few of these key ingredients to cook…
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Kristin Hannah really had her work cut out for her after she wrote The Nightingale. This beautiful book follows her wild success nicely and I’m betting her followers won’t be disappointed. And while The Great Alone wasn’t quite as perfect as The Nightingale I didn’t mind. I still feel this will be one of the more memorable reads from 2018 (pretty soon to be calling it I know, but you guys this was good!). Let’s talk about the good stuff, there really is so much to mention. First, the backdrop, the Alaskan wilderness was nothing sort of magical. Hannah really…
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
This was such a lovely book. It was exactly what it set out to be (a young girl’s journey in coping with life after the loss of her parents) and nothing more-something I find I am more and more appreciating from middle grade fiction. Holly Sloan did a magnificent job of containing this novel and stripping it to the heart of the thing. As a result the novel was poignant, articulate, and satisfying. Willow was a character I have rarely seen more honesty from. She is intelligent and quirky and I adored her immediately, I suspect few will not love…
The Queen of the Tearling Series by Erika Johansen
Days after finishing the Tearling trilogy I still don’t quite know how I feel about it. I’ll tell you one thing for sure, I absolutely did not know what I was getting into when I picked up the first book. I thought it would be a fairly run-of-the-mill coming of age fantasy. I was prepared for it to be good because it’s had a fair amount of hype the last couple of years; I was not prepared for its intensity, maturity, nor the dystopian factor. Yes, that’s right, I had no idea it had any dystopian elements at all when…
7 Books With Heartfelt Love Stories
In honor of Valentine’s Day I’m bringing you some of my favorite romantic love/relationship stories. You won’t find any of these books in the “Romance” section at the book store but don’t let that fool you; the stories in these books have more “feels” than any book I have ever read with a heart on the spine. If you want to feel a little love this February check out the books below. Jane Eyre The Light Between Oceans Here be Dragons These Is My Words The Tea Rose The Blue Castle The Winter Sea I’m going to be honest, I …
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
This book was very very good but my exact thoughts on it are proving to be mildly elusive. It feels like one of those books I’ll occasionally think about long after I’ve finished and my thoughts and opinions will change as my circumstances do. I have hesitated reading this for almost two years now. When Breath Becomes Air really started to gain momentum in 2016 shortly after I read Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal. Thinking it wise to steer clear until my love for Being Mortal had waned so as not to compare the two, I found myself in a difficult…
7 Winter Themed Books
Winter may be my least favorite season to live through, but it is by far my favorite season to read in. There’s just something magical about being tucked up with a blanket and a book while its biting cold outside. What’s more is I never have “reader guilt” in the winter since it’s so miserable outside, no part of me wants to be out in the snowy elements instead of curled up with my book. Oddly enough even though I count the days between fall and spring I love reading about winter. To me it is the most vivid of…
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
This is a solid 4 star book. I love the idea of taking a lesser known fairy tale and turning it into a fully fleshed out novel. In a similar vein of “The Goose Girl” this book has a major deviation-that it was obviously written for an adult audience. Let me be clear I would give it a PG rating, I only mean that it was largely about adult issues-miscarriage, loneliness, the struggle to provide for a family, etc. This novel was well written, engaging, and perfectly paced. I felt what the protagonists felt, and like them, faced what lay…
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Short listed as one of the Goodreads Best Contemporary Fiction of 2017, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine was a real treasure to find and read. I don’t typically gravitate toward contemporary fiction (something you’ll see me say from time to time on this blog) and so it always surprises me when I find one that I really enjoy. I’m glad I’m able to start 2018 on the right foot as far as contemporary fiction goes. I’m trying to change my way of thinking, but I feel like I’m not going to find a lot of (or too much!) substance from contemporary fiction.…