Girdle Up Your Loins

There’s nothing average about the average housewife.”  —Bonnie Garmus

Here at 2 at 27, we love nothing more than a robust feminine role model, and Elizabeth Zott is no exception. She’s a chemist, TV star, producer, and mom to a brilliant little girl. Did we mention she did all of this during the 1950s and the 1960s?

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus follows Zott’s tale of two plus decades navigating a patriarchally oppressive society. Following a chaotic childhood, Elizabeth is accepted into UCLA’s Masters of Chemistry on an eventual Ph.D. track. After Zott’s program offer is rescinded due to an incident, she claws her way into Hastings Research Lab as an expert in abiogenesis. (Don’t worry, we looked it up for you—it’s how life begins and evolves from inorganic substances). Elizabeth is determined to swear off men and focus on her career at Hastings…for a couple of weeks. Brilliant, young, and off-putting, Calvin Evans swoops into Elizabeth’s life and sweeps her off her feet. They both agree to become the best chemists in the world sans kids or marriage. For once in her life, everything is perfect.

Until it’s not. Following a series of unfortunate events, Elizabeth’s at the bottom of the barrel. With a newborn, no partner, and no job prospects, she takes matters into her own hands. What follows is a story of a woman clawing and ball-busting her way to fame, respect, and, most importantly, female empowerment. Zott’s ability to rise above her misfortunes and lift others to a new plane is more of what we need to see in 2023, despite the 60-year gap.

I give this book a solid 4.5 out of 5 stars—it’s witty, sobering, and empowering all at once. Barnes and Noble clearly agrees with me as they just named it their Book of the Year. The Brits are loving it too. Waterstones has it on their Shortlist for Fiction Book of the Year. Every woman should read this book and share it with their gal pals. When we’re down about the testosterone, we should ask ourselves, “What would Elizabeth Zott do?”

Posted by Michelle

Girl Interrupted

“In all chaos, there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order. “ —Carl Jung

I’d like to pick a fight with Carl Jung right about now. For years, I’ve been living with chaos—we’re decade-long roommates—and I’m not seeing a whole lot of harmony or order spring out of the confusion. Just sayin. I sound cynical, I know. But here’s a fact to remember: when the chaos spills over into my precious reading minutes, I get cranky. Turning pages helps keep my world spinning. It took weeks to snatch interrupted time to listen to Mercury Pictures Presents. (Weeks, as in days on end.) Although breaking a book up over longer stretches of time usually fractures a read, I absolutely loved Anthony Marra’s latest.  “Absolutely loved” doesn’t quite cut it—it was more of a big cosmos kind of love actually.

Why, oh why, have I not met Anthony Marra before now? I’m with the reviewer who asked, “What is it about the spare beauty of Anthony Marra’s prose that makes us want to laugh and cry at the same time?” He followed with, “I had been entirely transported by his stunning debut, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, and still feel it’s the closest thing I’ve read to a “perfect” novel, one showcasing Marra’s thoroughgoing command of plot, character, and voice.” That debut five-star is en route, compliments of Amazon. Can’t wait.

Back to Mercury. I’m excited for you to meet Maria Lagana, one of several denizens who relocates from Mussolini’s Italy to Tinsel Town. She’s wily and ambitious—she manages to impress studio head, Artie Feldman, who hires her as a typist turned producer. Maria’s assimilation is seamless. She runs from her past, which involved unwittingly facilitating the internal exile of her anti-fascist father. Worlds collide for Maria when émigré Vincent Cortese arrives in LA. Like All The Light We Cannot See, golden threads weave through time, space, and small moments to connect characters in striking ways. You should know I laughed (Maria’s great aunts are a riot) and cried. When life settles down—if life settles down—I will read Mercury Pictures Presents all over again.

P.S. In honor of Rae’s fake friendship with Ann Patchett, I thought I’d include her high praise as well: “Marra has been compared to Nabokov, Kafka, and Orwell. The word 'brilliant' gets used in all his reviews. Mercury Pictures Presents… is full of history, comedy, and horror. It's a great literary read.”

Posted by Tracy

Rock-Solid Reads 2.0

“But books, like people, die. They die in fires or floods or in the mouths of worms or at the whims of tyrants. If they are not safeguarded, they go out of the world. And when a book goes out of the world, the memory dies a second death.” —Anthony Doerr, Cloud Cuckoo Land

Was it really March when I promised my book bestie Barack next dance? I’d like to say this is the only area of my life running seven months behind. Actually, considering I recently sent a baby gift for my nephew’s now 2-year-old daughter, seven months feels super speedy. Never mind that in the time it’s taken me to finally write this post, our fearless former leader has already posted a new reading list. Looks like retiring from running the country has left him with a little free time.

Here are some of the reads I loved from last year’s list. He’s yet to disappoint. A couple of his selections (The Lincoln Highway and Beautiful Country) were also on my other book bestie’s list so I reviewed them in my original post. I also noticed Black Cake made this year’s favorites. Was it my influence or Jenna’s? We may never know.

Most Important Read of the Year

Some books entertain, some educate, and some make your blood boil. This one does all three in riveting, page-turning fashion. You’ll be gobsmacked (and sickened) by the immense damage done by one family wholly consumed with greed. And perhaps even worse, how governments, the FDA, and the philanthropic world—whose pockets they lined—stood by and watched it happen. Johnathon Cohn of the Washington Post writes: “The opioid epidemic has killed nearly half a million Americans over the past two decades. Many of their loved ones, along with public health advocates and experts, believe that one very rich, very famous family has never fully faced the consequences for its role in those deaths. Empire of Pain is an attempt to change that — to hold the family accountable in a way that nobody has quite done before, by telling its story as the saga of a dynasty driven by arrogance, avarice and indifference to mass suffering.”

My new imaginary BFF

Emma Thompson, Jennifer Garner, and Anna Quindlen. What do they have in common? They’re all my best friends—in my head. If we all lived next door to each other, I just know we’d get along swimmingly. Kindred spirits, if you will. And because I know they love all the same things and people I do, I’m confident they’d welcome Ann Patchett to the neighborhood with arms open wide and something freshly baked by Jennifer. While I’ve been an ardent fan of Ann’s fiction for years, this collection of essays is what cemented her BFIMH status. Hard to beat this summation on NPR: "A catalogue of all the unexpected ways love can look, if you're imaginative and brave enough to try it — even while knowing that love and grief are two sides of the same coin." Huge shoutout to Barack and his trusty list for putting this one on my radar. And another huge shoutout to Kristen, a bestie in real life, who said I should also pick up Ann’s other collection of essays: This is the Story of a Happy Marriage. And then there’s Ann, in her own words: “As every reader knows, the social contract between you and a book you love is not complete until you can hand that book to someone else and say, Here, you’re going to love this.” So all this to say, here, you’re going to love this.

Favorite Listen of 2022

I’m calling it now. Hands down. Ain’t no one else even in the running. If you’re still in the “read only” camp, I triple dog dare you to listen to this book and not be converted. Barack may have influenced me, but in truth, it was my real-life bestie, Tray, who convinced me to download this one sooner rather than later. You can read her better-than-chocolate review here. Team Ryland and Rocky forever.

Anthony Doerr, We Don’t Deserve You

While we’ve established I’m solidly in the audiobook camp, I’m the first to admit there are some books that demand to be read and this is definitely one of them. If you started listening and gave up, here’s my plea: pick up this heft of a book (both in the literal and figurative sense) and give it another go. You can thank me and Michelle (ours, not Barack’s) later. Click here to read her stunning review. When choosing a quote for this post it was a wrestle between the one above and this: “‘That’s what God’s do,’ he said, ‘they spin threads of ruin through the fabric of our lives, all to make a song for generations to come.’” And what a mesmerizing song it is.

A Masterpiece, Indeed

To quote Maureen Corrigan (because who wouldn’t?), “I know [the word masterpiece is] something of an old-fashioned conceit, nevertheless, I'll go for broke and call Klara and the Sun a masterpiece that will make you think about life, mortality, the saving grace of love: in short, the all of it.” And to also quote Tracy (because again, who wouldn’t?), “With the backdrop of a futuristic world where loneliness is underscored, the importance of a true friend is amplified. Maybe we all underestimate, to some degree, the impact of a devoted friend—the kind that love freely and wholly, without conditions. All this to say, I’m grateful for a profound novel that ultimately explores the question we all should: what does it mean to love?” Do yourself a favor and read Tray’s full review here and then read this book.

Posted by Rachel

Hello Sunshine

“The most beautiful days in summer come after a heavy rain.”  

This summer has felt like 1-part sunshine, 3-parts rain. We’ve experienced our fair share of sickness around here. Of course, the best defense against a case of dog days malaise is reading. I’ve taken a few book cues from the legally blonde bookworm. I’m a Reese fan. But her picks can be a bit hit and miss for me.

Miranda Cowley Heller walks the line between desire and dignity in her debut novel, The Paper Palace. Her story revolves around 50-year-old Elle. The midlifer is happy with the world she’s built around her family or so she thinks. On her annual trip to Cape Cod, she runs into her life-long friend who effectively sparks a buried flame. Elle has a potentially upending decision to make. Which life will she choose? Here’s what Reese had to say about her July pick: “I was totally immersed in the fast-paced narrative that seamlessly wove together past [and] present. All the beautiful details in this book are enough to pull at your heartstrings…you feel like you’re transported to a lakeside retreat in Cape Cod with a family you have known forever.”

The Paper Palace was a miss for me. Some of the novel’s scenes felt gratuitous. And there were a few holes as well. I know I’ve been under the weather as of late, but I feel good when I say go for this Reese-inspired pick instead: Daisy Jones & The Six. If you like the 70’s or rock bands (real or fictional), you’ll love this book. Even if you’re not looking for nostalgia, this documentary-style novel is intriguing. Rumor(s) has it this is loosely based on a little band named Fleetwood Mac—in that case, this is just one more big hit. 

Posted by Sharee

P.S. Read This Book

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” – C.S. Lewis

Too bad Clive didn’t live long enough to experience Coke Zero. Oh, the bubbles! I just finished Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, the must-read that some reviewers are calling “the book of the summer,” and I must say it wasn’t long enough to suit me. Gabrielle Zevin’s characters got a hold of this girl’s heart. I quickly became invested in the lives of 3 brilliant young gamers. Yes, that said gamers (turned video designers). Don’t stop reading if you’re a noob like me.  It’s safe to say I know as much about Pixels, RPG, and texture-mapping as bringing a sapient monster to life in a highly unorthodox science experiment.  You know where I’m headed here, right? Powerful novels, whatever their subject, immerse us in a world unlike our own. Frankenstein does a bang-up job of this, so does Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Designing a video game becomes intriguing like drawing lightning from the sky.

Note: T & T & T isn’t necessarily a book about gaming. This is a love story. Not in the schmaltzy sense or even in the way you are likely imagining. It’s about love in its purest form: friendship. Zevin’s exploration of Sadie Green and Sam Mazur’s friendship, born in a Children’s Hospital game room, underscores the beauty and roughness of relationships. They create together, therefore they are. Sadly, I haven’t read any of Zevin’s previous novels, but I was taken back by her ability to capture the fickle nature of human connection. And the complexity of it. This book has a heartbeat. I loved the insights that flowed throughout—shining like pearls and rubies. John Green’s praise did not come as a surprise to me: “Utterly brilliant. In this sweeping, gorgeously written novel, Gabrielle Zevin charts the beauty, tenacity, and fragility of human love and creativity. [It’s] is one of the best books I’ve ever read.” Like I said, it wasn’t long enough to suit me.

P.S. It’s hard for me to resist a novel whose title derives from a Shakespearean soliloquy. Too Good.

One last P.S. Rae could school Sadie on the intricacies of friendship.

Posted by Tracy

Nothing Like A Mad Woman

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own.” —Audre Lorde

After months of languishing on my Audible wishlist, The Woman They Could Not Silence demanded to be read…or rather, heard. Maybe it was the combination of two solo road trips on the horizon and a general apprehension (dread) for the future of the world. In short, I needed to rally. And this, dear readers, was the clarion call I was craving. Suddenly, I was five again, dancing in my room with my older brother, Sheldon, belting “I am woman hear me roar” along with Helen Reddy. My first and most ardent ally, Sheldon fed me a steady diet of Helen, Joni Mitchell, Linda Ronstadt, and Carol King in hopes I’d soak up some of their moxie. I weep for anyone who didn’t grow up with a brother like him and I weep for myself that he’s gone. Still, he remains. He’s my taste in music, my love of books, my championing of the underdog, my bold belief that women can rule the world. A belief that Elizabeth Packard shared in spades.

Born during a time women could be institutionalized for daring to have an opinion, Elizabeth Packard was unceremoniously ripped away from her young children and sent to the Jacksonville Insane Asylum at the behest of her husband. Turns out he wasn’t a fan of Elizabeth giving voice to her own convictions and refusing to obey his every command. Little did he know that voice would only grow louder and would become one of the strongest, most consequential voices in the fight for women’s rights and the wrongfully institutionalized. Alexa, play “Mad Woman” by Taylor Swift.

And Kate Moore. Just wow. This book reads like a true crime novel and kept me on the edge of my seat. In the words of Hank Phillipi Ryan: "Kate Moore has a rare gift for combining impeccable research and brilliantly mesmerizing storytelling. You will cry, and then you will cheer, and then your life will be changed forever."

Posted by Rachel

Remarkably Bright Pages

“Shelby Van Pelt has done the impossible. She’s created a perfect story with imperfect characters, that is so heartwarming, so mysterious, and so completely absorbing you won’t be able to put it down because when you’re not reading this book, you’ll be hugging it.” –Jamie Ford, author of The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Any book bestie of Rachel’s is a book bestie of mine. Naturally, when the adorable Jenna Bush picked Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel Remarkably Bright Creatures, I was intrigued. The First Lady of Book Clubs’ recommendation was enough. Combined with this promise, it became a must—“For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty, and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.

Books are a lot like people. They’re unique. They carry a whole world within them. They promise a range of emotions, which allows us to connect and relate. And they have distinct personalities. I must say, of all of the personalities in Van Pelt’s premiere, Marcellus the Octopus is the hands-down favorite. It sounds crazy to call a cephalopod charming, but that’s exactly what Marcellus is. Of course, he’s incredibly clever. And wry. A captive in the Sowell Bay Aquarium since his youth, he’s spent far too much time behind the glass getting to know predictable, sometimes quirky, mundane humans. He’s not particularly fond of our kind. But he does take lovingly to a highly productive, emotionally inscrutable seventy-year-old woman named Tova—so much so that he solves a cold case for her, one that put a lead weight on her heart for 30 years. Score one for the loveable misanthrope!

Posted by Tracy

Confession

“Sometimes, we need to look at our lives from a different angle to recognize the dysfunction and damage certain relationships are causing.”

The first session is Confession, and this is ours: we’re suckers for a twisted ending. A mediocre book can take on a whole new feel if you get us with a plot twist in the end. An unorthodox therapy approach from a recently de-barred therapist claims that you can work through any sticky situation in just 10 sessions. Would you work with her?

Writing duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen are back (think The Wife Between Us) with The Golden Couple, a story centered on an unusual method of therapy. Recently unlicensed, Avery tells her story to The Washington Post to convince D.C. residents of her highly effective 10-session therapy plan. (It hasn’t failed yet!) Desperate for a solution to her one-and-done infidelity, Marissa Bishop seeks out Avery to help her and her husband work it out and regain their relationship.

The Bishops have EVERYTHING: wealth, status, a boutique, blonde looks, and a complete willingness to do everything Avery asks of them. They are truly the Golden Couple…or are they? As Avery works through the Bishop’s 10 sessions, she uncovers secret after secret into their not-so-perfect life and realizes that not all that glitters is gold.

The Golden Couple was silver-medal material along the way, but the ending truly pushed it to gold status. The unexpected twist alone is worth five stars. Overall, the book is probably in the 4.2 range. As W.H. Auden said (and as Hendricks and Pekkanen so eloquently construct), “There’s more than meets the eye” with the Bishops.

Posted by Sharee and Michelle