Things are more hectic these days, but all for good (and bittersweet) reasons. I am working on transitioning into a new job, wrapping up work at my current library as I prepare to head to another, and it is rightfully demanding a lot of my time. Coupling that with the holiday season, preparing for travel to see family, and trying to stay well during this influx of seasonal illness has me pretty preoccupied most of the time.
Thankfully, I have audiobooks and gift knitting to give me moments of reprieve from thinking about all the task lists that dance in my head as I navigate this move. I just recently finished The Woman in Me by Britney Spears on audio, and I enjoyed hearing about Britney’s life in her own words. Michelle Williams is every bit as good at narrating the book as all have said, so if you have been thinking about reading this one, it’s worth the time.
What I’ve Been Reading
I haven’t read as much in quantity this year, but what I have read, I have loved. I contribute my small pile of books I read to how unexpectedly busy year this year turned out to be, while also noticing I’m getting better at knowing when reading a book will be gratifying or a useful practice that expands my knowledge and sharpens my abilities to talk about the reading experience. I’ve also gotten better at knowing when it’s time to stop a book to turn to something else that will serve a better purpose at the moment.
I only have two books that I read in November—but friends, I LOVED them.
When All Is Said by Anne Griffin - This is a smartly spun novel of a man looking back upon his life to reminisce and reckon with the way his life unfolded. Told throughout one night and structured as lightly rambly speeches to five significant people from his life, Maurice Hannigan tells the story of the people who “magnify your life” as Rilke would say. Griffin knows how to strike the right emotional tone without the book becoming unbalanced, and even though it’s clear how the book will end, it never takes away from the unfolding of Murice’s stories on the pages in between. If you like listening to audio, I highly recommend it. The narrator did a wonderful job of making the more lighthearted parts come alive.
The Vunerables by Sigrid Nunez - Working on collection purchasing at my job means I’ve watched a steady stream of pandemic novels get published in the last couple of years and none compelled me until I read the latest from Sigrid Nunez. A novel about an incredibly vulnerable time and vulnerable people (and one abandoned parrot), Nunez crafted a slim tome where most of the book lives inside the head of an unnamed writer, our protagonist for this very loose novel. Some reviews called it a diary, but the way Nunez structures our writer’s voice gives more credence to the idea that these are internal ramblings of someone living in solitude in a sort of selective consciousness. There is a lot of talk about the craft of writing (yes, please), and internal interrogations on class, relationships, the state of the world, the novel as we know it, and hope. Come for the unique form and stay for the literary references. (My little English nerd heart was full of delight.)
Year End Plans
I’m here to say that two of the three books I had on my next-to-read list last month have still not been read. I’m hoping to find my groove to pick up and finish The Marriage Question because I was loving it until I had to put it down for other obligatory reading. Same for You, Again. This is my biggest pet peeve with having multiple books going. I find it hard to slip back into books I’m enjoying after my attention is pulled away and I have to build momentum again. As for Enchanted to Meet You, there wasn’t enough I loved about it to carry me through till the end. I ended up abandoning it about halfway through.
Amid my reading life becoming stagnant, I’m attempting to take the pressure off myself of an overwhelming holiday season and am hoping for a few slow days to spend time with extended family, hang out with my daughter, and maybe see the new Wonka movie. (Am I the only one who is intrigued?)
I’m hoping to have a little post about what I thought were the best books of my reading year and then my little newsletter will probably go for a winter’s nap until I get my feet underneath me and find my rhythm again.
In the meantime, happy reading and happy holidays, everyone!