Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love – Dani Shapiro, 2019. I read it because Gretchen Rubin picked it for a podcast book group – but I haven’t yet listened to the podcast episode! A completely compelling book on a topic that has personal interest to me. And wow, she keeps mentioning how people insist she doesn’t look Jewish, but since there are no photos I had no idea how much so until I looked her up after reading.
Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure – Amy Kaufman, 2018. I have a soft spot for reality TV and have watched a couple of episodes of Bachelor/Bachelorette, but reading about it is actually more up my alley. This was good-not-great.
Reading the Forested Landscape: A Natural History of New England – Tom Wessels, 1997. Nature and Environment selection. I wasn’t able to make it to the group meeting and read it quickly, so no quotes pulled, but I very much enjoyed it. Tom Wessels is a legend around here—I haven’t been able to attend one of his talks or walks yet because they fill up so quickly! This is a useful and interesting primer on recognizing evidence of what’s happened in a section of forest, from fire to clear-cutting, long after the events. The illustrations throughout the chapters help identify specifics but I wish at least some had been in color. Makes me want to go back to the Harvard Forest, which is not that far from us (Petersham) and has a teaching trail showing some of these features.
Invested: How Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger Taught Me to Master My Mind, My Emotions, and My Money (with a Little Help from My Dad) – Danielle Town, 2018. A potentially mildly-good book ruined by howlers at the beginning that could really hurt financially naive people. I may write up more details at some point.
La Belle Sauvage – Philip Pullman, 2017. I so loved revisiting Lyra’s world, and Malcolm is a great character—this book doesn’t really stand on its own without His Dark Materials, but I’m eager to read the rest of the trilogy when it comes out and then re-read HDM.
Sharp Objects – Gilliam Flynn, 2006. I really enjoyed Gone Girl, but this… UGH! I finished it because I wanted to know what happened, but I kind of wish I hadn’t. Gratuitously disturbing but also entirely preposterous, which is sort of a saving grace I suppose. Oh, and unlike GG the “twist” ending was pretty obvious.