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November Reading Challenge
Only two months to go! Can you believe that 2019 is coming to a close so quickly? I haven’t done all that well on keeping up with my own challenges, but I am happy to say that I’m right on target to hit my goal of 70 books read for the year.
This month should be an easy one–read a book set in another country–considering how many amazing books out there take us on a tour of the world that we might not ordinarily get in our daily lives.
A quick glance at my TBR shelf shows only a few that might fit the challenge– an ARC of Rebecca Raisin’s The LIttle Bookshop on the Seine and Susanna Kearsley’s The Firebird. But I’m sure if I delve into my library holds and my Kindle books, there are more.
What books set outside of your home country do you plan to read this month?
Carla Recommends: Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
Recently, when I was at the Mountain and Plains Independent Booksellers Association (MPIBA) conference, a bookseller noticed that I wrote foodie books and asked me if I’d read Kitchens of the Great Midwest. I’d never even heard of this book, but I immediately put in a request for it at my library. When it arrived, I saw the blurb on the back declared it an example of the Great American Novel. Okay… high praise, but fairly common, and a moniker that very few books ever live up to. I doubted that this one would be the exception.
I’m okay…even thrilled…to say I was wrong. Moral of the story? Get recommendations from your independent bookseller. You won’t be sorry.
What It’s About
The book follows, in episodic fashion, the rise of (fictional) chef Eva Thorvald from her tragic childhood in Minnesota to her status as food legend. Each chapter, told from a different character’s point-of-view, tells the story of how each dish comes into Eva’s life, culminating with a dinner party involving those dishes that has far more significance than mere food.
What I Loved
Stradal is a master of point of view. Each chapter is distinct, the voices of the POV character coming through with such precision that it’s impossible to mistake one character for another. For literary fiction, it’s also exceptionally accessible–you can read and enjoy it as an entertaining story, but careful readers will catch the payoff at the end that makes it incredibly satisfying. The author avoids the temptation to nudge his audience with a verbal “did you see what I just did there?” instead trusting the ability of his readers to pick up on nuance and significance.
What I Didn’t Love
This isn’t so much as a “didn’t love” as a warning: several of the characters are incredibly profane and their POV chapters are riddled with foul language. In the context of the book, it didn’t bother me because I didn’t feel it was gratuitous, but it may bother more sensitive readers. One particular chapter involves harsh, crass language about abortion, so be prepared if that’s a hot-button issue for you. Also be forewarned that the chapters themselves can be quite downbeat, even though the overall story is one of resilience and triumph, so it’s probably not a book you read when you want a pick-me-up.
Who Should Read It
I recommend anyone who loves literary fiction or considers themself a die-hard foodie read this book. It’s without exaggeration the most impressive work of literary fiction I’ve read in years and will likely win my personal prize for best book of the year. But it’s definitely not for everyone, and strict genre fiction readers looking for a single likeable character to connect with may not find the same wonder in it as I did. If you’re on the fence, I recommend that you read a handful of reviews across all star ratings to guess which camp you might fall into.
Tags: food fiction, foodie fiction, J. Ryan Stradal, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, literary fiction
October Reading Challenge Recap
Time to recap October’s reading challenge: To play catch-up on bestsellers that you missed or ignored. And my word for this month is: FAIL!
I tried. I really tried. But between drafting a new book and having my kids off for fall break (on two different weeks!) it was one of those hectic months where I was scrambling to get everything done, let alone have any quiet reading time.
However, there’s one that I think we can count as a missed bestseller, and that’s Blake Crouch’s Pines. I’m looking forward to finishing this trilogy and then tracking down the TV show that was made from it! And the Erin Bartels book is one that I’ve been eagerly awaiting since it’s release. So I’m saying those kind of count. Hopefully November with its travel to The Art of Writing Conference/Christy Awards will be a better reading month. (I suppose there’s a chance I might read another book in the last four days of the month, but I’m calling that unlikely.)
My October reads were:
- Pines by Blake Crouch
- The Words Between Us, Erin Bartels
Did you read any bestsellers that passed you by the first time? What was the best book you read in October?
Tags: 2019 reading challenge
Carla Recommends: The Words Between Us by Erin Bartels
I’ve been looking forward to this book since I first started seeing the buzz over the summer. And I’ll admit, it was not at all what I expected. Sometimes that can be a bad thing, but in this case, it’s very good. While I love all the “homage to books” novels, they can sometimes be a little giddy and girlish, so I was thrilled to find some depth and heft in this one.
What It’s About
Robin Windsor has been hiding out from the world since she was a child, avoiding the speculation that went along with her notorious politician-turned-criminal parents. Now that her bookstore is in jeopardy of closing, she has to step out of her comfort zone and rely on others for the first time in her adult life. Oh yeah, and the love of her life–whose heart she broke years ago–is suddenly sending her books filled with meaning and memory.
What I Loved
Excellent, smooth, and evocative writing makes this an easy read despite the sometimes heavy subject matter. Dual timeline can either be great or go really wrong for me, and in this case, I think it works well. I particularly enjoyed younger Robin and her book-centered relationship with Peter; in some ways this “flashback” timeline feels more real than the present day thread.
What I Didn’t Love
This is another one of those books where I struggle to think of something critical! It’s just really well done. I will say that this is a book written in a minor key. (Yes, I think in musical terms sometimes.) It’s not a criticism, per se, but the moody nature of the storyline means it’s not something I can immerse myself in for hours at a time.
Who Should Read It
Anyone who loves books and good writing and believes in the power of words. This is literary/general fiction with a very fine (almost non-existent) faith thread, so I think it could potentially reach a wide readership, not just Christian fiction fans.
Tags: Erin Bartels, The Words Between Us
