I read Unsheltered earlier this year and it was one of those books that gets under your skin. It felt a little worthy at first but then it grew and I found myself nodding along to the characters and feeling so much where they were. The conversations in it played in my head for many days.
I love these round-ups so much, thank you Luisa. Been meaning to read Vaster Wilds and now 100% going to, knowing you gave it the stamp of approval. Also found North Woods magnificent. The ending, good Lord. I wept.
So glad to hear that you loved North Woods after reading The Vaster Wilds. I devoured Vaster Wilds and had held off on picking up the North Woods because the descriptions were so similar. Love having a book to look forward to!
You are the second person in two days to recommend North Woods. Looking forward to reading it. I read Demon Copperhead while I had Covid. I thought it was beautifully written, though bleak. Kind of fit my Covid fevered state. Thanks for these recommendations. I’m glad you are doing this.
I have Vaster Wilds on hold at the library. I admit I wasn't wild about some of Groff's other books (I know I am in the minority here), but this premise sounds so good that I want to read it despite that. I have North Woods on my nightstand right now! I haven't started it, but can't wait to read it. Demon Copperhead: the voice in the book is incredible. I wanted to adopt Demon. There were some things I didn't love about it, though. I felt in some parts that Kingsolver didn't trust her reader to figure out her point, so she had to beat us over the head with it. (I read David Copperfield right before Demon Copperhead, which was a fun exercise in comparison.)
I have tried Daemon Copperfield a couple of times and failed, but my good friend who has never recommended a book I didn’t also love, really liked it so I will try again. However, I’m doing North Woods immediately (already in my wish list) and then will move on to Vaster Wilds as you too have never recommended a book I didn’t like, and some of them have been books I wouldn’t have picked up if not for you (thinking especially of Free Love).
I just finished Hunting the Falcon recently released and well reviewed by the NYT. It is a history of Anne Boleyn, not romantic fiction, and definitely reads like history more than entertainment, but it gets more and more fascinating as it goes on and ends up - in my mind - being more about Henry VIII and the terrible narcissistic ruler, who changed England forever, he was than his unfortunate second wife. I think it turns out to be rather terrifying considering the times we are in now. I highly recommend starting it and sticking with it. It would be interesting to know what Hilary Mantel would have thought of it.
I hope you are well. I worry a little - but I worry for all of us. ❤️
I had the same experience with The Vaster Wilds. It was so propulsive I was walking around the house attempting to do everything with one hand like when I was a teenager on school holidays.
Thank you, as always, for these! I’m reading Zadie Smith’s newest, THE FRAUD, and just picked up Alice McDermott’s newest from the library today.
Here’s my question: when do you read? I read for work so I can justify it any time, and I read before bed each night for 30 minutes or so, and I read for fun to relax when I can grab moments. But my parents are visiting with their strong Protestant work ethics, and I’m realizing how LAZY it feels to read in front of them. Trying to normalize my own reading practices, I’m wondering when other folks sit down with their books?
I’m actually reading North Woods right now and oh my, this books is nothing I was expecting when I read the description of it. It is a book I’ll pushing into people’s hands for a long time.
And I’ve read Nathan Thrall’s book in the first half of this year and it’s still with me. Especially now. It is so good, so human, it’s everything I wanted it to be before I started reading it.
I loved north woods. I read one of his earlier books first, set in Burma, (The Piano Tuner, I believe) which blew me away. A completely different style, but really enjoyed it. Now I need to get on to vaster wilds (currently on hold at the library). I’m reading Free Food for Millionaires at the moment and really enjoying it.
I picked up The Vaster Wilds on Friday and devoured it over the weekend. The last two chapters poignantly wrap up the novel and the philosophy of the whole book really resonated with my own journey.
Putting both those books on my TBR list now!
I read Unsheltered earlier this year and it was one of those books that gets under your skin. It felt a little worthy at first but then it grew and I found myself nodding along to the characters and feeling so much where they were. The conversations in it played in my head for many days.
I love these round-ups so much, thank you Luisa. Been meaning to read Vaster Wilds and now 100% going to, knowing you gave it the stamp of approval. Also found North Woods magnificent. The ending, good Lord. I wept.
So glad to hear that you loved North Woods after reading The Vaster Wilds. I devoured Vaster Wilds and had held off on picking up the North Woods because the descriptions were so similar. Love having a book to look forward to!
You are the second person in two days to recommend North Woods. Looking forward to reading it. I read Demon Copperhead while I had Covid. I thought it was beautifully written, though bleak. Kind of fit my Covid fevered state. Thanks for these recommendations. I’m glad you are doing this.
I love your book recs! Thanks Luisa. I will be gifting Vaster Wilds this season and adding both books to my list.
I have Vaster Wilds on hold at the library. I admit I wasn't wild about some of Groff's other books (I know I am in the minority here), but this premise sounds so good that I want to read it despite that. I have North Woods on my nightstand right now! I haven't started it, but can't wait to read it. Demon Copperhead: the voice in the book is incredible. I wanted to adopt Demon. There were some things I didn't love about it, though. I felt in some parts that Kingsolver didn't trust her reader to figure out her point, so she had to beat us over the head with it. (I read David Copperfield right before Demon Copperhead, which was a fun exercise in comparison.)
I have tried Daemon Copperfield a couple of times and failed, but my good friend who has never recommended a book I didn’t also love, really liked it so I will try again. However, I’m doing North Woods immediately (already in my wish list) and then will move on to Vaster Wilds as you too have never recommended a book I didn’t like, and some of them have been books I wouldn’t have picked up if not for you (thinking especially of Free Love).
I just finished Hunting the Falcon recently released and well reviewed by the NYT. It is a history of Anne Boleyn, not romantic fiction, and definitely reads like history more than entertainment, but it gets more and more fascinating as it goes on and ends up - in my mind - being more about Henry VIII and the terrible narcissistic ruler, who changed England forever, he was than his unfortunate second wife. I think it turns out to be rather terrifying considering the times we are in now. I highly recommend starting it and sticking with it. It would be interesting to know what Hilary Mantel would have thought of it.
I hope you are well. I worry a little - but I worry for all of us. ❤️
I had the same experience with The Vaster Wilds. It was so propulsive I was walking around the house attempting to do everything with one hand like when I was a teenager on school holidays.
Thank you, as always, for these! I’m reading Zadie Smith’s newest, THE FRAUD, and just picked up Alice McDermott’s newest from the library today.
Here’s my question: when do you read? I read for work so I can justify it any time, and I read before bed each night for 30 minutes or so, and I read for fun to relax when I can grab moments. But my parents are visiting with their strong Protestant work ethics, and I’m realizing how LAZY it feels to read in front of them. Trying to normalize my own reading practices, I’m wondering when other folks sit down with their books?
I’m actually reading North Woods right now and oh my, this books is nothing I was expecting when I read the description of it. It is a book I’ll pushing into people’s hands for a long time.
And I’ve read Nathan Thrall’s book in the first half of this year and it’s still with me. Especially now. It is so good, so human, it’s everything I wanted it to be before I started reading it.
I loved north woods. I read one of his earlier books first, set in Burma, (The Piano Tuner, I believe) which blew me away. A completely different style, but really enjoyed it. Now I need to get on to vaster wilds (currently on hold at the library). I’m reading Free Food for Millionaires at the moment and really enjoying it.
I picked up The Vaster Wilds on Friday and devoured it over the weekend. The last two chapters poignantly wrap up the novel and the philosophy of the whole book really resonated with my own journey.
The cover in the UK is so different for North Woods!