Two Thumbs Way Up!

Once again, I’m coming out of unintentional hiding to share a few timely picks should you be celebrating a shiny new grad. It’s hard to resist a commemoration! Besides, I’m looking for any excuse to give kids life-directing advice in the form of a slim book. (I include cash, so they don’t think I’m an adult snore.) 

Let’s start with Rae’s most recent imaginary BFF, Ann Patchett. Years ago, the prize-winning author returned to her alma mater, Sarah Lawrence College, to deliver an inspiring message that’s been hailed by some as one of the greatest commencement speeches. Rae’s make-believe bestie offers hope for anyone who’s at a crossroads in life. What Now? is definitely worth your grad’s time and attention as they prepare to move their tassel to the left.

Now let’s talk about one of my guys. It’s no secret I heart Neil Gaiman. You don’t have to be an artist to appreciate Scary Trouser’s (yes, that’s his nickname) advice in his address-turned-book Make Good Art. I mean, honestly, who doesn’t need to hear things like “do things you are uncertain about” and “pretend to be someone who could.” Thatta boy, Neil. I’m so grateful you continue to make spectacularly good art.

Sharee weighed in on her latest gift to grads. I hadn’t heard of What the Road Said—a picture book replete with life lessons from best-selling poet Cleo Wade. I like the idea of the road we’re on being invested in the direction we take. Even when we make a wrong turn. Here’s Sharee’s favorite advice from Cleo via the road: “What if I need help on my journey? Ask your fellow travelers along the way. What if they are mean to me? Lead them to kindness,” said the Road. “How? By being kind.” Two thumbs way up, Cleo! 

Can we say too much about being kind? I don’t think so. George Saunders (think Lincoln in the Bardo) would agree. His commencement address to Syracuse grads had real resonant effect. If you don’t believe me know this, three months after he gave the address, The New York Times posted a transcript of his speech on their website. Within days, his advice had been shared over a million times. Here’s a snippet: “So, quick, end-of-speech advice: Since, according to me, your life is going to be a gradual process of becoming kinder and more loving: Hurry up. Speed it along. Start right now. There’s a confusion in each of us, a sickness, really: selfishness. But there’s also a cure. So be a good and proactive and even somewhat desperate patient on your own behalf — seek out the most efficacious anti-selfishness medicines, energetically, for the rest of your life.” By George, I think he’s got it. I hope the rest of us, grads included, do too!

Posted by Tracy

Krueger Never Disappoints

"Ice cream is the best. It's kinda like seeing Billy Joel perform live. Never disappoints."  Ted Lasso

I can’t stop quoting Ted. (Sam and I are reveling in Season 3 right now.) But I’ve got to add to coach’s list: Ice Cream’s the best, so is Billy Joel live, and William Kent Krueger novels (even the short ones). It’s no secret we girls have our favorites around here: Maggie O’Farrell, Anna Quindlen, Andy Weir, Jane, Anthony Doerr, Anne Patchett, Doig, and of course Ordinary Grace and This Tender Land’s brainchild, William Kent Krueger. Who am I forgetting Rae? Boy howdy, we have a much longer list of artists who use words as their medium.

Krueger’s The Levee was hatched by his twenty-something self when he read Faulkner’s novella Old Man. Of course, the genius writer in embryo knew his story wasn’t quite right. Nearly half a century later, during a pandemic-inspired word hyperdrive, he dusted off and overhauled his draft for the third time. And readers are the richer for it. The setting is a 1927 devastating flood, compliments of the Mississippi River. The goal is to rescue a family trapped by the immense swell. The rescuers? A former priest/uncle and 3 convicts on loan from a nearby prison. As with all of Krueger’s books, this novella has substance—themes of love, pride, greed, and loyalty eddy around this propulsive story of man v. nature.  

P.S. This is only available as an original audiobook—so have yourselves a listen, lovers!

Posted by Tracy

JoJo Does It Again

“Strength is turning up every day to a situation that is intolerable, unbearable even, just to support people you love.” 

My book-lovin’ heart is aflutter with the number of quality new releases that have dropped in 2023. The Mitford Affair (Marie Benedict is slowly becoming one of my favorite authors), Exiles, Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting, and Hang the Moon top my list. Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes is right up there with the best reads that are making my new year bright.

Nisha Cantor is living the glamorous life with her incredibly wealthy husband and her circle of “not so genuine” friends.  She appears to have it all until one day, without any notice, her ruthless husband decides to divorce her and completely cut her off from everything that is her life. Blindsided by the loss of money, home, extravagant clothes, and social status, Nisha is forced to take a walk in someone else’s shoes (literally and figuratively). When Sam Kemp accidentally takes her gym bag after her morning workout, Nisha’s left with only Sam’s drab black pumps—in that moment, she determines to reclaim her life.

What begins as a simple mishap between two frustrated women evolves into a delightful story of friendship and love. I found myself turning pages for Nisha and Sam and cheering for Jasmine (possibly my favorite character) for her willingness to help a stranger despite her meager means. Moyes has taken a group of flawed but loveable women and made them stronger as they work together. A solid 4.3 stars in my book and quite possibly the best of Jojo.

Posted by Sharee

A Lovely (Laugh-Out-Loud) Train of Events

“If you care about someone and you got a little love in your heart, there ain’t nothing you can’t get through together.”  Ted Lasso

Thatta boy, Ted! I see eye to eye with Ted Lasso 99.9% of the time. (I will, however, tap one of the two buttons coach never hits—snooze—and like it just fine.) If Ted would just hop on the train anywhere between Hampton Court and Waterloo, chances are he’d encounter advice columnist (former notorious socialite), Iona, and her like-minded dog LuLu. Iona, my latest fictional girl crush, is loveable, eccentric, outspoken but endearing, hilarious, and thoughtful. Oh, and she’s British. Iona has more than a little love in her heart. She’s willing to help strangers she nicknames on the train and later befriends get through life’s tough stuff. They effectively get through together.  

When Sharee said she liked Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting more than Dear Mrs. Bird, my mouth was agape. I knew Claire Pooley’s latest book was my next read. A must. Pooley’s “buoyant, bright, occasionally brash novel that’s equally parts funny and poignant” was inspired by her work commute—she asked herself what if she ignored the unwritten rule to keep to yourself on the train? With that thought-provoking question came Iona. When Smart-But-Sexist-Manspreader sits across from her and begins choking on “a grape of wrath” (lol), it starts a train of events where seven quirky commuters are reminded of just how much people need one another. You really should climb aboard and take a “delicious dive” into a heartwarming story that will inevitably expand your definition of family.

Posted by Tracy

We See What We Expect To See

“As far as I'm concerned, you can't beat a good whodunnit: the twists and turns, the clues and the red herrings and then, finally, the satisfaction of having everything explained to you in a way that makes you kick yourself because you hadn't seen it from the start.”     ― Anthony Horowitz, Magpie Murders 

Right on, Magpie Murder man. Right on. Now do me a favor and give Harvard Crimson staff writer, Arielle Frommer, a call. In her recent review of Exiles, Frommer called out our girl Jane Harper. We’re protective of authors named Jane around here. And we’re honest fans of Aaron Falk. If you don’t know who Aaron Falk is, don’t worry—stop reading this post and go grab yourself a copy of The Dry. You’ll be glad you did, pinky promise.

Federal agent Falk stars in 3 of Harper’s 5 suspense novels. (The Dry, Force of Nature, and Exiles.) This go around, our favorite Aussie agent is off duty to attend his godson’s christening. Set in Australian wine country, locals grow secrets like they grow grapes. Not one but two town mysteries go unsolved in Marralee. Despite reported sightings of Kim Gillespie at the Marralee Valley Annual Food and Wine Fair, she remains missing after her year-long disappearance. First mystery. Hidden details behind the hit-and-run accident of Gemma Tozer’s husband lurk in the background of Kim’s cold case. That’s the second head scratcher. Mystery leaves the tight-knit community unsettled and distraught. Naturally, Falk uncovers well-buried clues. More importantly, he unearths new definitions of home and family for himself.

I’ll close with two short but stout thoughts for Arielle Frommer. (Not to pick on a critic.) The great Stephen King remarked, “I love Jane Harper’s Australia-based mysteries”; this fact alone should make you reconsider your choice of the word “underwhelms.” And then we have the aforementioned Mr. Horowitz. Harper’s fifth bestseller gives us twists and turns, clues and red herrings, and a need-to-know whodunnit. She has this crime novel thing down. I guess it’s true what Jane says, “we see what we expect to see.”

P.S. Here’s another reason to savor Exiles: sadly, it’s the last we will read of Aaron Falk.  

Posted by Tracy

The Perfect Blend of Fact and Fiction

"How personal is the political."

It’s been said that there are three things you shouldn’t discuss in polite company: politics, religion, and money—apparently, no one told the Mitford family. Marie Benedict’s newest book, The Mitford Affair, tells the story of sisters in the 1930s: Nancy, the level-headed, oldest sister; Diana, the beauty and wife of the Guinness heir; and Unity, the awkward teenage shadow in the elite fam. Did I mention they are cousins to Lady Clementine and Sir Winston Churchill?

When Diana announces she’s leaving her husband for British Fascist leader Oswald Mosley, Nancy knows something is up. Unity has an announcement of her own: she wants to attend finishing school in Germany, which makes Nancy’s suspicions sky even higher. When Churchill comes to Nancy with the plea to “keep a close eye on” (a.k.a. spy on) her sisters, Nancy is torn between family and country. Are her sisters true Nazis? Do they support Hitler and his movements? And have their efforts to please the men they love put their entire nation at risk? 

Benedict’s books are always the perfect blend of fact and fiction—The Mitford Affair is no exception. A solid 4+ out of 5 stars for this stunning World War II tale that so few know about. If nothing else, the dysfunctional Mitfords may outdo the yearly Thanksgiving antics of your Uncle Jerry!

Posted by Michelle

Gather Perspective

“Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.” —Marjorie Blackman

You can say that again, Marjorie. Reading is so much more than the act of turning pages. It’s bigger than words themselves, much as I love them. Books are transportation. How did Anna Quindlen put it? “Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey.” Of course, not all journeys are marked by ease. Some are downright difficult.  I’m always a little surprised when I hear someone say they don’t want to read about anything difficult. Or disturbing. Because books mirror life—the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’m with Anne Friedman, “By putting ourselves in others’ shoes, by being enveloped in a good book, we exercise the understanding and critical-thinking muscles that we need to make good choices in everything we do—from the votes we cast, to the policies we support, to the stances we take.” Books are a telescope. They allow us to see from afar, to gain much needed understanding and gather perspective.

I’m grateful I got to walk in Gretel Fernsby’s shoes for a while. As one who has not read The Boy in Striped Pajamas (gasp), I was unaware of Bruno and his Commandant father and family living in Auschwitz’s literal shadows. Gretel’s story can be read independent of her brother Bruno’s. (They intertwine of course.) And while twelve-year-old Gretel escaped from Germany, she never could leave “that other place” behind.  Memories hang heavy. Boyne’s narrative timeline zigzags between the young protagonist who is not completely naïve to Nazism, to the flawed widow in her 90s who grapples with complicity and guilt. Will her past and present meet head-on? Can Gretel atone for her perceived part in her brother’s death? You’ll have to try on her shoes to sense the pain that was passed onto her. When I climbed into her skin, I felt her unease. I felt regret and resolve. Hope, fear, and uncertainty. There was wisdom. I, too, craved redemption. Reading Gretel’s story made me long to hear Bruno’s—I imagine it will be far more difficult to squeeze into his size fives. But understanding is always worth it. In a world where empathy is in short supply, I pray we can all lean into and learn from thoughtful books.

P.S. Listening to All the Broken Places introduced me to the award-winning audible narrator, Helen Lloyd—she was gravy for the brain!

Posted by Tracy

Tracy's Playing Favorites (2022 Edition)

“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” —Victor Kiam 

To Victor Kiam goes the spoils! Looks like I’ve been moving forward and I didn’t even know it.

The fact that it is now March, and I haven’t posted my 2022 favorites could be a fall-on-your-face move, but I’ve been busy mining the best books. Here are last year’s favorites that felt a bit like magic tricks to me.  

FAVORITE BOOK(S) OF THE YEAR

You know it’s an incredible year in the books when you wrestle internally over which read rightfully earns the “favorite” distinction. I can’t decide. My heart is still pumping chocolate for Project Hail Mary. But my girl Mags made reading great again (in back-to-back years) with her latest, The Marriage Portrait. How’s a girl to decide? I guess I’m going to do what any responsible book blogger would do in this situation: let Rachel choose when she posts this.

FAVORITE HISTORICAL FICTION

After many months, I’m still fascinated by Karen Joy Fowler’s look into the infamous Booth family. She provides such interesting insights into the impossibly vain mind of Lincoln’s assassin. (The Book of Lost Names was also an eye-opening historical fiction I read this year.)

Favorite Book I Should Have Read Before Now

(But Didn’t Because of Blog Crossover)

If the 2 of us at 27 carry any book clout with you, dear reader, Circe is a must read. No questions asked. I’m convinced Madeline Miller writes her books on Mount Olympus. She can weave a Greek tale together better than Athena herself.

FAVORITE LISTEN

I’m with audible on this one, no wrestling about it: Project Hail Mary was an outstanding listen. Long live Ray Porter! And Rocky and Ryland of course.

THREE’S A CHARM WHERE THESE READS ARE CONCERNED

It’s no secret we’re R.J. Palacio fans around here. Her young characters endear. If you love a good story that underscores the need for courage in a mixed-up chaotic world, look no further.

I miss Marcellus, the wry (sometimes aloof) giant Pacific octopus that cracked a cold case wide open. I dare you to read this remarkably bright book and not fall in love with the mollusk.

Anthony Marra was one of my best discoveries last year. I’ll let Anne Patchett do the honors: “The word ‘brilliant’ gets used in all of his reviews. Mercury Pictures Presents…is full of history, comedy, and horror. It’s a great literary read.”

 Looking back, 2022 was filled with the wonder of good reads. I’m so glad.

Posted by Tracy