I'm currently reading The Hero of this Book by Elizabeth McCracken, which is pretty short. The writing is beautiful and it's self-conscious without taking itself too seriously, if that makes sense. Another "short" thing I enjoy is short chapters! They make even long books seem shorter.
Always GREAT to hear from you. First, if you have not read Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hessian, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Every person I have passed it on to has loved it so I have no reservation saying this. I do a lot of reading and listen to a lot of audiobooks. I too have been in a slump, and, recently got all the way through a very well-regarded book (to be left unnamed but a Booker winner) and stuck with it thinking there would be something redeeming about it eventually, but, no. It was actually excruciating the whole time. I do a lot of re-reading and re-listening. Three books I have listened to multiple times are the aforementioned Leonard and Hungry Paul, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely fine, and Hamnet. The narration on each one is brilliant and would get me out of a slump any time. I also am one of those people who loves Middlemarch and have listened to that more than once too. ❤️❤️❤️ to you, dear Luisa. Victoria
Almost embarrassed to say I just ordered Free Love. Do you also have a Bookshop.org.co.uk affiliate account? (I have wrestled with this and eventually went with a UK version). I guess more of your readership in US. Not urgent, just curious!
You mention the books in English section, which reminded me: from reading your blog and books for years, I’ve wondered whether you ever/often read for pleasure in German or Italian?
Oh lovely, I can’t wait to hear your recommendations! I re-found my reading mojo at the beginning of last year and am always on the look out for new authors.
What a wonderful thing to wake up to. I so rarely allow myself any tech (newsletters, Instagram...) in the morning but this was worth it. I’ve also just come off a reading-for-fun drought (though I’m reading plenty of books on parenting, writing, boundaries, bio-hacking...). I so can relate to missing the feeling of impatience to getting back to the story, a feeling I had all through my childhood and twenties, but have lost recently. Going to try Free Love.
Oh hurray! I am thrilled to hear that you started What I'm Reading. I've occasionally stumbled upon your thoughts on books on social media — and loved the recommendations — but always in happenstance. It'll be lovely to have this to look forward to and an archive looking back. I haven't read either of these books yet. One book I loved was “Iceberg," by Marion Coutts, a memoir of her husband's illness but more about her experience floating through it as an artist, writer, mother. It's one of those books with endless original lines and sharp observations that felt so close.
Oh, reading ruts. I feel like I open a handful of books that drag or don't catch me, and suddenly it feels like I'll never have that magical experience again. (Which is so silly; there are SO many books in the world!) Keen recommendations from people I trust — like you — make me curious and excited about reading again, even when the rut has been long.
Ooh! My friend and I just started a “very short books” book club, because I too have started to feel like many books could just be…shorter. We’ve read Claire Keegan’s ‘Foster’ (amazing!) and last year I finished ‘A Lost Lady’ by Willa Cather (recommend!).
In some recent reading droughts, I found myself dipping into series/near series like the older Sue Grafton or Maeve Binchy novels, or the newer Bruno detective books set in France. Usually after reading one of those I could transition back to the authors I usually read. I guess sometimes I need something to get me off the doomscrolling at night and back to a reading routine. Although a wave of bookstore finds and friendly recommendations is a better way to get out of a funk. :)
Recently, a shorter, much older, novel that blew me away was The Dry Heart (é stato così) by Natalia Ginzburg. And two recent books that stayed with me are Migrations & Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy. A bit over 200 pages, but quick reads nonetheless.
I have always adored your Instagram book recommendations, so knowing I can look forward to your newsletter is a thrill! I was in a book rut this winter too. By the end of February, I had only read two. Both were "should" books. I got out of the rut by going back to comfort food - I am a sucker for a good memoir, so I grabbed Prince Harry's "Spare" (loved it), Rob Delaney's "A Heart That Works" (devastating and laugh-out-loud funny), and Stephanie Foo's "What My Bones Knew" (I learned so much about trauma and memory). I was out of my rut by NOT going out of my comfort zone!
I was in a reading rut too, mostly because I read almost exclusively on my tablet and check out ebooks from the public library. The book with the shortest hold on my list had a six week wait. I found myself mindlessly scrolling Instagram or Facebook before bed, or maybe the NYT. Ugh! I didn't have anything I particularly wanted to re-read, either. I finally got to the top of the list for the book I just finished - Prisoners of the Castle by Ben McIntyre. It's about the fortress in Colditz that was a prison for Allied POWs during the war.Not a short book, but a fast read, and more interesting/entertaining than grim, as books about the war often are.
I really enjoyed the article you posted about Buy Nothing. I am a member of my local Buy Nothing group and enjoyed the backstory. Our group used to be run by a pair of martinets. I was publicly chastised and threatened with banishment for suggesting to a woman looking for a Chromebook for her child, that she talk to the media specialist her child's school, because I knew that school had "take home" Chromebooks for students. The current moderators are much more chill, making participation more pleasant, because we don't have all to preface our replies with "I'll probably get in trouble for this, but...."
Both Claire Keegan books are wonderful and short. Our book club has a 200 page limit. One thing I love is the Libby app which connects to our library. Both ebooks and audiobooks can be downloaded and if I don’t like a book I feel no qualms about returning it early! You can request books and it will tell you they are coming soon.
I’m just about to finish JoJo Moyes’ Somebody Else’s Shoes. Really enjoying it. I’m a retired librarian and read lots of different kinds of books but British mysteries are my favorite.
A short novel I loved was Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf. Spare language but so poignant and lovely--on late life love and coming to terms with all of life's limitations and shortcomings. Thank you for sharing this with all of us. I really enjoyed Free Love and am putting the others on my list. I definitely rely on recommendations from friends who read a lot. when I get into ruts.
So happy to see this. I regularly go through ruts but just read a few that I flew through recently. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow was so good - I was so nervous. since it had almost too many positive reviews, I went into it knowing it had to work a little harder but it was a delight. Just read Pachinko which was long but didn’t feel so. Antarctica by Clare Keegan was one of the few short story collections that I’ve read recently where everything really felt complete-so often short stories don’t do it for me for whatever reason but I loved these.
I'm currently reading The Hero of this Book by Elizabeth McCracken, which is pretty short. The writing is beautiful and it's self-conscious without taking itself too seriously, if that makes sense. Another "short" thing I enjoy is short chapters! They make even long books seem shorter.
Always GREAT to hear from you. First, if you have not read Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hessian, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Every person I have passed it on to has loved it so I have no reservation saying this. I do a lot of reading and listen to a lot of audiobooks. I too have been in a slump, and, recently got all the way through a very well-regarded book (to be left unnamed but a Booker winner) and stuck with it thinking there would be something redeeming about it eventually, but, no. It was actually excruciating the whole time. I do a lot of re-reading and re-listening. Three books I have listened to multiple times are the aforementioned Leonard and Hungry Paul, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely fine, and Hamnet. The narration on each one is brilliant and would get me out of a slump any time. I also am one of those people who loves Middlemarch and have listened to that more than once too. ❤️❤️❤️ to you, dear Luisa. Victoria
Almost embarrassed to say I just ordered Free Love. Do you also have a Bookshop.org.co.uk affiliate account? (I have wrestled with this and eventually went with a UK version). I guess more of your readership in US. Not urgent, just curious!
You mention the books in English section, which reminded me: from reading your blog and books for years, I’ve wondered whether you ever/often read for pleasure in German or Italian?
Oh lovely, I can’t wait to hear your recommendations! I re-found my reading mojo at the beginning of last year and am always on the look out for new authors.
What a wonderful thing to wake up to. I so rarely allow myself any tech (newsletters, Instagram...) in the morning but this was worth it. I’ve also just come off a reading-for-fun drought (though I’m reading plenty of books on parenting, writing, boundaries, bio-hacking...). I so can relate to missing the feeling of impatience to getting back to the story, a feeling I had all through my childhood and twenties, but have lost recently. Going to try Free Love.
Oh hurray! I am thrilled to hear that you started What I'm Reading. I've occasionally stumbled upon your thoughts on books on social media — and loved the recommendations — but always in happenstance. It'll be lovely to have this to look forward to and an archive looking back. I haven't read either of these books yet. One book I loved was “Iceberg," by Marion Coutts, a memoir of her husband's illness but more about her experience floating through it as an artist, writer, mother. It's one of those books with endless original lines and sharp observations that felt so close.
Oh, reading ruts. I feel like I open a handful of books that drag or don't catch me, and suddenly it feels like I'll never have that magical experience again. (Which is so silly; there are SO many books in the world!) Keen recommendations from people I trust — like you — make me curious and excited about reading again, even when the rut has been long.
Thank you for creating this for us.
Ooh! My friend and I just started a “very short books” book club, because I too have started to feel like many books could just be…shorter. We’ve read Claire Keegan’s ‘Foster’ (amazing!) and last year I finished ‘A Lost Lady’ by Willa Cather (recommend!).
In some recent reading droughts, I found myself dipping into series/near series like the older Sue Grafton or Maeve Binchy novels, or the newer Bruno detective books set in France. Usually after reading one of those I could transition back to the authors I usually read. I guess sometimes I need something to get me off the doomscrolling at night and back to a reading routine. Although a wave of bookstore finds and friendly recommendations is a better way to get out of a funk. :)
Recently, a shorter, much older, novel that blew me away was The Dry Heart (é stato così) by Natalia Ginzburg. And two recent books that stayed with me are Migrations & Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy. A bit over 200 pages, but quick reads nonetheless.
sonnige Grüße aus Barcelona
I have always adored your Instagram book recommendations, so knowing I can look forward to your newsletter is a thrill! I was in a book rut this winter too. By the end of February, I had only read two. Both were "should" books. I got out of the rut by going back to comfort food - I am a sucker for a good memoir, so I grabbed Prince Harry's "Spare" (loved it), Rob Delaney's "A Heart That Works" (devastating and laugh-out-loud funny), and Stephanie Foo's "What My Bones Knew" (I learned so much about trauma and memory). I was out of my rut by NOT going out of my comfort zone!
I was in a reading rut too, mostly because I read almost exclusively on my tablet and check out ebooks from the public library. The book with the shortest hold on my list had a six week wait. I found myself mindlessly scrolling Instagram or Facebook before bed, or maybe the NYT. Ugh! I didn't have anything I particularly wanted to re-read, either. I finally got to the top of the list for the book I just finished - Prisoners of the Castle by Ben McIntyre. It's about the fortress in Colditz that was a prison for Allied POWs during the war.Not a short book, but a fast read, and more interesting/entertaining than grim, as books about the war often are.
I really enjoyed the article you posted about Buy Nothing. I am a member of my local Buy Nothing group and enjoyed the backstory. Our group used to be run by a pair of martinets. I was publicly chastised and threatened with banishment for suggesting to a woman looking for a Chromebook for her child, that she talk to the media specialist her child's school, because I knew that school had "take home" Chromebooks for students. The current moderators are much more chill, making participation more pleasant, because we don't have all to preface our replies with "I'll probably get in trouble for this, but...."
Thank you for starting this newsletter. I am a huge reader and based upon your prior end-of-year posts, it seems that we have similar taste in books.
Both Claire Keegan books are wonderful and short. Our book club has a 200 page limit. One thing I love is the Libby app which connects to our library. Both ebooks and audiobooks can be downloaded and if I don’t like a book I feel no qualms about returning it early! You can request books and it will tell you they are coming soon.
Thanks for all the ideas on books.
I’m just about to finish JoJo Moyes’ Somebody Else’s Shoes. Really enjoying it. I’m a retired librarian and read lots of different kinds of books but British mysteries are my favorite.
A short novel I loved was Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf. Spare language but so poignant and lovely--on late life love and coming to terms with all of life's limitations and shortcomings. Thank you for sharing this with all of us. I really enjoyed Free Love and am putting the others on my list. I definitely rely on recommendations from friends who read a lot. when I get into ruts.
So happy to see this. I regularly go through ruts but just read a few that I flew through recently. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow was so good - I was so nervous. since it had almost too many positive reviews, I went into it knowing it had to work a little harder but it was a delight. Just read Pachinko which was long but didn’t feel so. Antarctica by Clare Keegan was one of the few short story collections that I’ve read recently where everything really felt complete-so often short stories don’t do it for me for whatever reason but I loved these.