In case it hasn’t been made clear yet, one of the great pleasures of my life is reading. I’m not even sure I would call it a pleasure, now that I think about it; it’s more of just an incredibly important part of my day. It’s the first R in REM Y REM, and you know that’s my recipe for living a balanced and healthy life. So allow me to rewind to my first sentence: one of the great pleasures of my life is reading on vacation. Is there anything more luxurious than devouring a good book beside some sort of cooling body of water? With an icy drink in hand and the sunshine making that icy drink all covered in condensation? I think not.
I read a lot in the past couple of weeks; there were a couple of hits but a lot of misses and mehs. That’s how it goes, sometimes, I suppose. Not all books are going to knock it out of the park, so to speak.
Dress Your Family In Corduroy And Denim. I like reading Sedaris in January, and I thought I’d revisit this book of essays that I first read years ago. I have to say that ever since reading Happy Go Lucky, I have been unable to find humour in his essays about his childhood and youth, given that I now know his mother was an alcoholic and his father was terribly abusive. It’s hard to read about his sister Tiffany, knowing she was sexually abused and later died by suicide. However, the stories about his adulthood, and more specifically, his life with Hugh still bring me laughter and joy – my husband asked what I was laughing about, reading Nuit of the Living Dead.
French Braid. What to say, what to say. Well, first, this is a very quick and easy read, and it’s entertaining enough. It follows a family from 1959 to 2020, and that family is not dysfunctional, exactly? But it’s not a close family. It reads like a series of vignettes about a family that is not close at all, with a mother who sort of seems like she never wanted to be a mother. For such a lightly-written book the subject matter is kind of heavy. There are three siblings who were not particularly close as children and the book details how they become much less close, not for any particular reason, and how all the cousins don’t know each other and you know what? It was weird to read this. If you know, you know.
The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections. I’m trying to read outside my usual genres, which is why I picked up this cozy mystery about a – as the title implies – rare book in a special library collection that SUDDENLY GOES MISSING, right before the gala for library donors who want to see said rare book. The curator of the collection is suddenly incapacitated by a stroke, leaving his replacement to scramble to find it and you know what, this book was so boring I almost slipped into a coma writing this synopsis. Content warning for discussion of mental health, suicide, and also extremely unlikeable, flat characters.
Happy Place. Woof, you know you’re approaching a certain age when you identify strongly with the stodgy parents rather than the heroine. Anyhoo. This was a good book for the plane because it requires very little thinking: a story about a group of friends and a couple who is broken up, but pretending they are still together. It’s a cute light story about friends, love, and finding yourself. I didn’t love it but it’s a good light read.
Love Marriage. By the author of Brick Lane, which I loved, this is a pretty epic story about a woman and her family, her fiancé, and her job as a medical resident. Things start to fall apart in every area of her life, and there were some surprising reveals. I really enjoyed this.
The Man of My Dreams. This book follows a woman throughout her youth and into her 20s, detailing all her relationships including that with an emotionally abusive father, her loving family, friends, and boyfriends. The main character is so unlikeable that, even though there was a redemptive arc, I found I could t like the book. I loathed the main character so much it wrecked the story for me.
Quietly Hostile. I genuinely enjoy Irby’s style and humour and I enjoyed hearing her on a podcast talking about enjoying things that are often scoffed at. You know what that’s all about: you mention that you like a movie or book or TV show and someone says “Really? You LIKED that?” We like what we like, and I like that Irby stands up for what she likes. And I would say the essays in here that I liked, I really liked. Like, laughing hysterically liked; the QVC essay had me cry-laughing. I also loved the essay on rewriting Sex and the City; I did not know Irby is a writer on the reboot. Now, I only have watched part of the first episode, because I wanted to see the Death By Peloton part, but I was not at all impressed, and I haven’t felt moved to waste any more time watching it. However, that’s a little sidebar to say that while I haven’t watched the reboot, I have watched Sex and the City the OG in its entirety, and this essay was SO good. But in general in this book there was way too much talk of vomit, diarrhea, and urine for my liking and yes I know, I know that’s her signature style, so yes, that’s on me. One essay was honestly unbearably sad, and a few were great. A few just didn’t land for me, your mileage may vary.
On Our Best Behaviour: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay To Be Good. This was a pretty fascinating look at the societal and cultural pressures that women face, organized into the Seven Deadly Sins: the pressure to be always DOING something and to be productive (sloth), the idea that there is limited room at the table and that women should shut down other women (envy), the stigma against acknowledging our incredible abilities (pride), general body image and the idealizing of smaller bodies at any cost (gluttony), pay gaps and unpaid labour (greed), slut-shaming (lust), and the pressure to not be angry, to be nice, to please people (anger). There is also a chapter on sadness and one on the history of the patriarchy. There was a quote from Oprah that stood out to me, in response to a guest downplaying the book she had written: “Playing dumb, weak, and silly is a disservice to yourself and to me and to the world. Every time you pretend to be less than you are, you steal permission from other women to exist fully.” Wow, OPRAH. PREACH. I found this resonant as well: “Too many of us function as the prefrontal cortex for our children, letting our kids outsource their self-regulation to us, because it’s so hard to watch them struggle, even when struggling, as we know, is how we learn and grow.” What a great reminder! Lots of gems in this book. How many times have we looked at another woman who has what we want, and thought massively critical thoughts about her, her body, her morality, her personality? How many times have we felt we should lose weight and take up less space in the world? How many times have we dismissed praise and compliments, saying we aren’t as good as we are to show our humility? How many times have we denied ourselves desperately-needed rest so we could do one more thing, just one more, and to stay productive at all costs? How many times have we swallowed anger so that it goes inward, eating us up as stress, instead of expressing it, to show that we really are nice? I thought this book was so full of thoughtfulness and smart insights.
So as I said, some hits, some misses. My current read is EXCELLENT – more about that later – and I would like to mention the Cool Bloggers Book Club, hosted by Engie (HI ENGIE) starts on Monday! We are reading My Brilliant Friend, and you neither have to be cool nor a blogger to join the club. Just show up at Engie’s blog on Mondays in February to discuss the book.
Happy Friday, my friends! I hope you have a lovely weekend ahead of you. xo
I don’t often read Sedaris, but I love hearing him read his work and he shows up on a lot of the podcasts I listen to, esp. This American Life.
I have never listened to that podcast! Perhaps I should look it up!
I also have a friend who can’t read Sedaris because it’s too dark for her. I still enjoy the stories, despite the reality. The only books I’ve read from your list are Happy Place and the Sittenfeld one, though I don’t really remember it. I’ve read all her novels and enjoyed them. I just started Mrs Quinn’s Rise To Fame and it’s delightful.
The only time I read on vacation is on the airplane. I can’t read in the sun, plus I just want to look around and soak up the scenery.
This was the only Sittenfeld one that I have read that I have actively disliked, generally I find her to be delightful. I’ll look up that Mrs Quinn book!
I’ve read David Sedaris once in a while, but now I won’t be any longer. He recently wrote in the New Yorker about coercing his friend, who was Covid-cautious due to medical issues, into removing her mask. It’s pretty gross…
“One of Dawn’s lungs collapsed when she was in her late fifties, so she was super cautious about Covid—kept her face covered long after everyone else had returned to normal. We were in Chicago together, at O’Hare, in the spring of 2022, when I told her she needed to take it off.
“But—” she said.
“Let it go,” I told her. “Everyone else has.”
I felt like a director coercing an actress to unhook her bra for a sex scene. “Come on,” I said. “You can do this. Start by just . . . lowering it to your chin.”
She took off her mask, and then of course immediately got Covid—a bad case, too. All my fault, but she’s never held it against me.”
Oh yikes, I had not seen that. I just went and read the piece.
I like Sedaris but I did notice in a couple of his more recent (during COVID) novels, he does talk a lot about traveling back and forth to not only NY and NC but also then to their home in…England(?) and/or France (I can’t remember) when there was a ban on most/all travel. I did take note of that at the time, but did not know it was so blatant to be honest.
You are the only person I know who reads more than me and you do it by a mile. And I always love your recommendations.
Thanks Laura!!
You crack me up so much, Nicole! “This book was so boring I almost slipped into a coma writing this synopsis” had me spitting out my coffee in laughter! I think Quietly Hostile sounds interesting and I love the cover! The Cool Bloggers Book Club sounds like fun!
Oh yes, Michelle, you should join in! The first book we did was A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, which was very fun.
Quietly Hostile was good, although as I said some of the essays didn’t land for me. But the ones that did, wow, I was crying with laughter.
Preach, Oprah- exactly. Love that quote. That book sounds very interesting.
A?book that almost put you in a coma? Who has?time for that?
Always appreciate your recommendations.
It was interesting and I thought it was really inspiring and affirming as well.
I read French Braid, and liked it. Anne Tyler writes such quirky characters, so damaged.
I liked it fine, but it hit a little close to home for me, if you know what I mean?
I am at a stage in my life where, for some reason, I can’t read sad or depressing fiction books. I enjoy mostly autobiographies, biographies or health-related books (especially about brain health and longevity).
What is the book you are currently reading? Or are you keeping us in suspense a little longer? 🙂
I totally understand about the books. I have to be in a certain headspace to read them. And I can’t do certain books – like addiction memoirs, or anything to do with child abuse – at all. I had a lot of people talk to me about Educated and I just had such a visceral negative reaction to it because of that.
Your review of the rare books book made me giggle.
Of these, I have only read Happy Place and I had a very similar reaction to yours! Make better choices, omg!!!!
I recently read Prep, which I believe was Sittenfeld’s debut… and my feelings about it mirror some of your feelings about the one you read. Such an unlikable protagonist. But also… the book grew on me, and felt so REAL and so relatable in many ways. But of her books, I much prefer Romantic Comedy.
I read Prep as well and I had a similar reaction to you. But I found this one, ahhhhhh the character totally ruined it for me. Romantic Comedy was SO good.
Oh darn- I was at the library and had Romantic Comedy in my hands, but for some reason didn’t check it out. (I’m looking a Suzanne’s comment above.) I read a book of short stories by Sittenfeld that I liked, but it sounds like she’s hit or miss.
Our Best Behavior sounds GREAT and I love that Oprah quote. You got a lot of reading done on vacation! Yes, there’s nothing better than lounging by the pool with a drink in your hand, reading and reading.
Romantic Comedy is really good! You should definitely give it a go!
That’s a lot of reading! I’m in Mexico for 3 months and read twice as much here as at home. I went through a few meh books, then checked out Happy Place from the express section. Agree it was very light, just ok and as my hold was expiring, I realized I really didn’t care how it ended (but can guess). I have read French Braid and enjoyed it as I do all her books. Just about done Tom Lake and just loving it…what’s next?? so exciting. I have added a few more to my never ending TBR list!
Yes, it was fine, but just okay. I did like some other books by that author but this one, meh, it’s fine.
I had the same reaction to The Dept of Rare Books – soooo boring! I’m surprised I made it through, I must have been hoping for some big exciting mystery to happen. Also – I hold my Kobo the opposite direction, with the buttons on the left. In all the pictures I kept thinking “why is she holding it upside down??”
Sarah, ME TOO. I kept thinking, after all this, SOMETHING crazy is going to happen. And then it didn’t. Sometimes I do flip my Kobo the other way but usually I have the buttons on the right!
I have found that I can only deal with Sedaris when he’s reading his own work. The tone of his writing on the page is just so mean spirited.
For a very brief moment, I had confused Anne Tyler with Anne Perry (a British author who moved to the States after she was released from jail after killing a friend’s mother when she was a teen) and so that took me a while to untangle in my brain.
I actually think it’s weird when people know all their cousins. My mom is one of ten and one of her older sisters had (12? 13?) children and then they had children and then more children and I don’t know all my first cousins and as soon as you move on to cousins once removed, it’s impossible. This can’t be that rare, can it?
Wow, I haven’t heard of Anne Perry before, brb, going to go down a rabbit hole. That sounds like quite the story!
Also, you have a very large family! My dad is also one of ten.
Aw man for some reason this post didn’t show up in my Feedly until today. I’ve had that happen with a few other blogs lately. Too bad that the library book didn’t work out because it almost sounds like the premise of The Violin Conspiracy, which I loved. I can’t wait to hear about your current read, and I’m loving CBBC so far.
Oh god Birchy, I was so bored, and then I wondered if something was wrong with me because it seems like something I’d like!
I’m with Birchy; I just got two of your posts at once at 8 am this morning. Weird. Anyway! I actually don’t think I was that impressed by the French Braid book, but now that you mention cousins, I am intrigued. Like you, my Dad is one of 7 and his Dad is one of 7 and not only do I have a lot of 2nd cousins twice removed, some of who I have never met, but my grandfather’s siblings had all kinds of issues, resulting in a falling out, so we are just getting to know some of their kids over the last decade (now that the older generation has passed away). Anywho…maybe I missed the point on the book!
Emily Henry’s books are all the same and always leave me cringing a little. For an airplane or beach read they are okay, but I would give them all a hearty meh. I am currently reading Keep Moving, which I think was recommended by you! So far, so good!
That book hit me in a different way, and I can’t really be more clear here, but it wasn’t to do with MY cousins, if that makes sense. Anyway, it was a strange read for me. I agree on Emily Henry – cute and light, but I think I really liked one of hers. Oh, Book Lovers, that was it. Keep Moving is GREAT.
All good ones!!
Mmmm…some?
This post showed up days late in my Feedly. I was surprised that you didn’t post on Friday as I think of you as a Mon/Fri blogger! Kind of like me, although sometimes I will surprise you all and post a 3rd time. 😉
I did not like Happy Place. I could not relate to the protagonist at all. I could not relate to hiding the fact that you’ve broken your engagement off from your dearest group of friends. But I am a hardcore enneagram 1. I know Stephany loved this book! But I wouldn’t yuck her yum, of course. It’s more of a ‘good for you, not for me, and isn’t it so fascinating that we can have such different experiences with a book?’ That 7 sins books sounds really interesting – it sounds like it does a better job of achieving what the author of “screaming on the inside” tried to achieve.
So I can’t read any Sedaris! I tried a couple and his humor just felt so… mean? But I know I am a major outlier in not loving his work. But again, this is what makes reading extra interesting!
I’m adding Love Marriage to my holds list!!
It sounds like Feedly had lots of trouble with me this week! I have no idea how to fix it. And here I thought that maybe my posts didn’t resonate! Too funny.
Yeah, Happy Place was so…strange. Like, what an odd concept. I don’t know what enneagram I am but I just found it kind of strange and offputting, and wondered if it was because I’m so much older than the target audience? I was pretty distressed on behalf of parents of adult children everywhere, I guess, in terms of the career stuff too.
It’s been so long since I’ve been on vacation by a body of water that I cannot remember for sure if I think one of the great pleasures of my life is reading on vacation, but I believe it might be true for me too!
I bet it would be, Ally!
Thanks to you, I’ve read several David Sedaris books. Wow. What a life he and his siblings had; often people who are overcoming terrible odds use HUMOR to mask it and I can relate. Although, I can’t really compare mine to his, but I get it.
I still can’t get over how many books you can put away in a week. You are my Reading Heroine!
Suz, yes. This is the thing about Sedaris that is fascinating to me. Holy shit did he and his siblings go through a lot. I can’t even imagine. So the fact that he took all that trauma and used it creatively is absolutely incredible.
You DID read a lot. I am always in awe of your reading list. I have too many competing interests LOL
Thanks San! Since most of my time was spent by the pool it was easy to get reading in!
I… hm. I am with those who really can’t read super-depressing books that reference abuse, cruelty, etc. Not that you focus on those, but you are remarkably inclusive in your reading, whereas I think I have a much narrower approach, that is not nearly as open to new authors/ideas/etc. Perhaps it’s just this particular time in my life? Regardless, I am glad vacation featured so much reading. That’s the best part of vacation, in addition to, you know, “seeing new things”. 😉
Well, it depends. I am a hard no when it comes to books detailing drug abuse or addiction. Certain types of abuse – particularly sexual, particularly child sexual – I avoid reading about. But sometimes you don’t know if such topics are prevalent until you start reading, if you know what I mean. I agree, vacation reading is lovely!