Show Us Your Books December 2022

November was the best reading month I had all year. I had so much going on and found so much comfort in what I read. It was one of those months that reminded me why I love to read. I talked about my non-fiction reads here. Fiction highlights are below.

Five Star Reads

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin -- I really loved this book. We don‘t talk enough about how meaningful friendships and creative partnerships can be. Don’t let the subject scare you away from this one- you don’t have to like video games.

Four Star Reads

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai -- This book broke my heart in all the best ways. It’s a dual timeline book set in Chicago during the AIDS crisis and 2015 Paris. So glad I ran across this one.

America for Beginners by Leah Franqui -- The wistfulness of these characters made it a perfect Thanksgiving week read.

A Ghost of Caribou by Alice Henderson -- I had to stay up late to finish this new book by Alice Henderson. I just love this series about wildlife biologist Alex. In this book she’s in Washington studying a caribou that has wandered down from Canada. Chaos ensues.

Three Star Reads

Once Upon A Wardrobe by Patti Callahan -- A cozy read about a brother and a sister trying to find the story behind CS Lewis’s The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Untamed Shore by Silvia Moreno-Garcia -- This was pretty good. It reminded me of a Patricia Highsmith book.

The Other Man by Farhad J. Dadyburjor -- I found this on my kindle when my original #FoodandLit India book wasn’t holding my attention. It was billed as a romantic comedy but I found the issues associated with being gay in India a bit deeper than the billing implied.

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My Summer Reading List - Audiobooks

Since I spend so much time in the car during the summer I listen to a lot of audiobooks. Many of these will come from my city’s library, but I also have a few audiobook subscriptions. If you haven’t signed up yet here are some deals.

Scribd - 60 days free. If you haven’t heard of Scribd they are like the Netflix of audio and e books. I’m pretty sure they lose money on my subscription because I listen to a ton of books from here!

Libro.fm - Free audiobook when you sign up plus a portion of your purchases goes to an independent bookstore of your choice. Pretty cool!

Audible.com - doesn’t seem to be running any deals right now, but they have free titles that come with membership and some original titles (Audible Originals.)

Here’s what I plan on listening to this summer:

In The Company of Men by Veronique Tadjo - At some point in the middle of the night a few weeks ago I developed a fascination with the Ebola virus. I don’t know why, but it will show up a few times in my summer reading lists.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley - Lucy Foley’s books are perfect for long days in the sun, and I am really excited Scribd has this.

Varnia by Charles Frazier - I bought this book when it first came out, and bailed halfway through. I want to give it another try this summer.

The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas - 1930’s quilting circle in Kansas. I’m sure there’s more to the story than that! This was recommended by a friend, and Scribd had it so why not?

Our Harlem by Marcus Samuelsson - I really loved Yes, Chef when I read it a few years ago so I’m looking forward to this Audible Original.

Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen by Michelle Icard - My oldest starts high school this fall :|

Walking The Americas by Lev Wood - Walking The Nile surprised me by how much I liked it, so now I’m working my way through his other books. This is the only one Scribd had so this is where I’m starting this summer.

Crossing To Safety by Wallace Stegner - This is one of my very favorite books ever, and I am in the mood to re-read it this summer. To me this is the best book I’ve ever read about adult friendships.

Whatever You Do Don’t Run by Peter Allison - This is a soft read for my goal to read a book that takes place in each country in Africa this year. I needed something lighter for summer reading.

I would love to hear about any audiobooks you recommend in the comments!

December Show Us Your Books

My cat can be slightly distracting…

November was a good reading month. I took part in Non-fiction November on Litsy, and really enjoyed myself. I also started in on my project to re-read my favorite books of the last decade.

These are my notable books from November. Check back on December 27th for a round up of my favorite books of the year!

Best of the Month

It’s All Relative by A.J. Jacobs - I grabbed this book on a whim from the Libby app, and ended up loving it. Author A.J. Jacobs falls down the rabbit hole of genealogy and ends up trying to plan a family reunion for everyone he’s related to which turns out to be pretty much everyone on earth. Funny, interesting, and touching- a great audiobook read by the author.

Non-Fiction Audiobooks That Kept Me Company While Raking Leaves and Baking Pies

Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America by Jared Cohen - I started reading this book because of my current obsession with Andrew Johnson, and ended up really enjoying the whole thing. Presidential psychology is one of my favorite things to read about, and it turns out Vice Presidential psychology is just as interesting. There’s also a lot in here about how hard it is to go from a position that is essentially considered a show piece to running a whole country (and you thought you had a bad day at work.)

Me by Elton John - This had everything you’d want in a celebrity autobiography: gossip, name dropping, outlandish outfits, descriptions of how famous songs came to be, and a few touching moments. I love that Eton John doesn’t take himself too seriously.

The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History by Robert M. Edsel - Listening to this I kept thinking about how my college trip to the Louvre was wasted on my 21 year old self. I had no idea what those precious works of art had to go through to hang in that museum.

Project Re-Read

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman and Brooklyn by Colm Toibin are both still the punches in the gut I remember them to be. They’ll both stay on my favorites list.

And A Few More Current Reads That I Liked A Lot

I'm Not Dying With You Tonight by Gilly Segal and Kimberly Jones - Two girls from different backgrounds are forced together when a race riot breaks out at their high school football game. Similar to, but not as good as The Hate U Give; it’s still well worth the read.

Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Homes - I loved Linda Holmes in her Television Without Pity days, and was really excited to read her debut novel. This was a solid story about Evvie and her journey after her husband who she didn’t like very much died. I listened to the audio which was well done.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See - Lisa See is a go to author for me, and this was no exception. If you enjoy books about friendships between women read this book.

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