Last week I finished:
I made a goal this month to read a number of current "it" books, and I chose Tayari Jones' An American Marriage as one of them. You've probably seen this one around as it was an Oprah Book Club pick. This is the story of Roy and Celestial, who are married for 18 months when Roy is sent to prison to serve a 12-year sentence for a crime he didn't commit. He's released early, but by that time his marriage has fallen apart. Frankly, I'm not sure what to think of this one. On the one hand, it was very readable, and the chapters that alternated between Roy's, Celestial's, and Andre's--Roy's friend and Celestial's fiancé while Roy's in prison--points of view, made for an interesting read. On the other hand, there isn't a single character in the book that didn't cheat on someone or have a baby out of marriage or abort one, which made it hard for me to find much in the story to hold on to. The focus of the story never seemed to be on the right things. It didn't seem particularly important to the plot that Roy was wrongly accused. There wasn't much in the way of specifics about Roy's five years behind bars. And folks just hopped from one bed to another without a lot of thought or feeling. I think one is supposed to come away from the book thinking about how quickly and easily a marriage can unravel or how one event can change the course of several lives at once, but the book just didn't engage in these ideas well enough for me to come away thinking about them. Instead I wondered how the characters could be so careless with one another, how their love could be so fickle and shallow. I kept waiting for a plot twist (that never came) or to find out one of the characters was unreliable and that this would explain the lack of humanity amongst the three main characters (that didn't happen either). I didn't hate the book, but I felt that it could have been so much better. My rating: 3 stars.
I don't have kids at home, yet I love to read books about raising them. I also love books about being passionate about something. Sarah Mackenzie is passionate about reading aloud to her six kids, and about parents reading aloud to children in general. I'd seen her book, The Read-Aloud Family on several blogs lately, as her podcast has a lot of listeners. It's gotten high praise amongst mothers I know. So when I bought a copy for our library, I decided to check it out myself. It truly is a wonderful book. Mackenzie talks about the importance reading aloud has for children's language acquisition skills and vocabulary building, in teaching empathy for others, for family togetherness. But she doesn't spend too much time citing studies or trying to convince readers of its importance. (Don't you hate it when books get hysterical in their mission?) She talks about what reading aloud looks like in her family, emphasizes the importance of reading aloud to children even after they can read proficiently themselves, makes a case that audiobooks count as reading aloud, and ends the book with 20 suggested read-alouds for each age group (0-3, 4-7, 8-12, and teens). I enjoyed this book tremendously. When I used to read to my youngest grandson, I used to think about what a leap of faith it was to create a reader. I used to think, okay, read to them, keep books around, have them see you read, let them read what they want, but...that's enough? Really? I'd likely get more uptight about it if I had the responsibility, and I was glad I didn't. So this book is perfect for people like me. It has a laidback, friendly quality to it that is comforting. Mackenzie assures parents that reading aloud anything for any amount of time is better than nothing. Also, Mackenzie is not shy (though never obnoxious) about the fact that she and her family are Christians, and although it doesn't seem to limit what the children read, it informs their reading. I highly recommend this book to parents who want to create a read-aloud culture in their homes, educators and librarians, and those interested in literacy regardless of whether they have children or not. My rating: 4.5 stars.
As you know, I love memoirs. I know of no better way to learn what it's like to be someone else. I've always been deeply curious about things but even more curious about people, what do they think, what's important to them, what made them who they are, what brought them to this place in their lives, what do they know better than nearly anyone else. That's why I pick up books like Scott Kelly's Endurance, about his career as an astronaut and his year spent in space. The differences between a guy like Kelly and me are, excuse the pun, astronomical. Not only would I never consider a career in space science, but I have never thought much about those who did. Kelly was an adrenalin junky from the time he was little. He craved adventure and loved to push to the limits of himself. After reading Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff, his directionless life came into sharp focus. He wanted to fly, and he wanted to go to space. He worked to turn himself around academically, got into the U.S. Navy, went to flight school, spent time as a fighter pilot, and was accepted to the NASA space program. He made several space missions and eventually was selected to be the first American to spend a full year in space. He writes about his career and in depth about his year aboard the International Space Station. Several things struck me about his experiences. First, just how much the ISS is an international effort. Americans and Russians (as well as Japanese, Italians, etc.) all work and live together, and while their missions are run by separate ground crews, the work is done in very tight quarters and barely a generation after the Soviet Union fell and the iron curtain was lifted. Remarkable. Also, it was impressed upon me just how different it would be to live with no gravity. Duh, right, but I'd never thought about how hard it would be to fix a complicated piece of machinery while you and your tools are drifting about. I'd also never thought of the fact that carbon dioxide levels could be dangerously high in an enclosed capsule with several bodies. Lastly, think of all the things about Earth you'd miss after a year in space. Kelly writes about missing running water, nature, rain, fresh food, and lying down. I found myself fascinated with the details of space living more so than the missions themselves, but it was all rather fascinating. Kelly also writes about his sister-in-law, Gabrielle Giffords, being shot at a political event while he was in space, and the horrible feeling of being away from family at a time like that. I listened to this one on audio, and it was narrated by Scott Kelly himself. While I applaud Kelly for doing the reading, he is not a particularly good reader, and I think this might be better read in paper. My rating: 3 stars.
Next up:
I've read the last several novels Anna Quindlen has written, and while I don't enjoy them as much as her nonfiction, I do enjoy her writing. I've been excited for Alternate Side since before it came out.
Last week I began:
I wasn't sure I was going to get to Joanna Gaines' cookbook Magnolia Table this month, but I came to the end of several books at once, and it suddenly felt possible again. I started it this week, and I'm loving it.
This week I'll finish:
I've slowed my pace with Pretty in Plaid. I'm very much ready to finish it.
I'm still loving Mary Oliver's Devotions (poetry) and my latest Clementine book.
My next audiobook:
After I listen to this one, I'll be up-to-date on my Fredrik Backman reading. I'll have read all of his novels (a new one out early next month) and his novellas. I haven't particularly looked forward to this one as it has magical elements, and I just don't care for magical realism, but I'm going to be brave and hope for the best.
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