TOP TEN TUESDAY | BOOKS I RECENTLY READ

 

I’m writing this a bit ahead of time because I’m not going to have time to write it when it’s time to post it. So some of this is a bit of guess work based on what I’m reading now, and a few books I have already read that I think will count as at least somewhat recently!

As you guys know, I’m currently reading for the BookTube Prize Quarterfinals. That means that some of these books I can’t tell you what I thought of just yet:

                

Here are a couple I’ve read that I can say a bit about:

          A Children’s Bible was in the original longlist for the BookTube Prize, but it didn’t make it past the first round, so I think that makes it fair game to talk about. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It’s the story of a collection of families who band together to rent a house for the summer. The children abhor their parents who behave embarrassingly after drinking way too much and are not only humiliating but a bit gross, too. They spend the summer trying not to let the other kids know which is theirs, and running amok in and around the large summer house. I didn’t find all of this believable (I don’t think any of the kids would have managed to keep their parentage secret past the first or second day), and as the title suggests there are a lot of echoes in the book of bible stories (probably many more than I caught on to, because I don’t know much beyond Noah and Kane and Abel). You can read it without this knowledge, but I imagine if you are well versed in the Bible, you’ll get more out of it.

There There has been on my shelf since it first came out. I started it a couple of times and didn’t get very far. But then I found the audiobook from my library, and within fifteen minutes, I was fully immersed. There are so many things I loved about this book – even the explanation of the title is brilliant. The characters are real and vital, and their stories are beautifully tragic. There are important issues in here, but never at the expense of the story or its emotional impact. I really can’t recommend it enough.

Weather is another that was in the longlist for the BookTube Prize but didn’t make it to the shortlist. I read The Department of Speculation a few years ago, and still can’t figure out what to make of it. This book was easier to get grasp on. I related to some of the thoughts and experiences of the main character, and liked how it represents the disappointment and confusion of adulthood when your life doesn’t follow one of those clear paths to success. It wasn’t a perfect book, but I’m really glad I gave Offill another try. We got along much better this time.

      

I stumbled across Emmanuel Acho’s YouTube Channel and liked the idea. His whole premise is to talk to people – mostly famous ones – about race, and take no topics off the table. They discuss the questions a lot of people have but don’t feel like they can ask, and they unpack the background to some of the cultural and societal issues facing Black people in the US today. This book takes that concept, but goes further. Each chapter begins with a question that was asked, and Acho then provides context to the question – historical information and some of the important parts of what it means to be Black in America to help the reader understand. His words are insightful and he writes with patience and a clear desire to build understanding and extend an invitation to that understanding. I loved this book, not only because it covered some of the questions I’ve had, but also because it felt like a road map to how we can learn to communicate better and begin to build a future that is less fraught. It’s a great place to start if you’re looking to begin learning about racial politics and history and have questions you don’t know how to ask.

This is the fourth Didion book I’ve read, and I think the one I found easiest to connect with. It’s a collection of random writings from early in her career, most previously unpublished in book form. In these I can see why she is seen as a voice of her generation. I particularly enjoyed the prescience of the article on Martha Stewart and the piece about Ernest Hemingway – an author I’ve never had much interest in, despite having visited some of his old haunts in Cuba. I would definitely recommend it if you’re a Didion fan.

And a few I’m reading now:

          Though it’s not exactly groundbreaking, I am enjoying Diary of a Somebody. If you were a childhood fan of the Adrian Mole diaries by Sue Townsend, an adolescent fan of Bridget Jones’ diaries or even a fan of the classic Diary of a Nobody, you’ll find echoes in this book. The protagonist is bumbling, a bit out of touch, overly detail oriented and seems continuously perplexed by the world around him. But there are a lot of humorous moments, some interesting plot developments and above all else it’s an easy read that’s perfect if you just need something light.

The Golden Rule is the newest book by one of my favourite authors. It’s a thriller, but very literary as well. It’s based on the classic book, Strangers on a Train, but with some twists that set it apart. As always, Craig managed to draw me in completely, had me eagerly turning pages, but also created characters who were flawed and human and who made lots of mistakes.

I only recently discovered that Jenny Lawson had a new book out, and I immediately ordered it with the fastest possible delivery and devoured it as soon as it hit my mailbox. I love Jenny Lawson. I find her sense of humour to be one of the few that can actually make me laugh out loud, and her struggles echo my own. In this book she discusses the various ways in which her body and mind are trying to kill her, aided frequently by her insurance company that refuses to pay for medication and treatment she desperately needs. She talks about all kinds of other things as well, from weirdly named bugs to conversations with her sister about how dogs know whether to squat or lift a leg, to whether there are vampires living in her attic. It’s been a while since I read her last book, so I can’t remember it clearly enough to do an informed comparison, but it’s possible I enjoyed this book even more. I highly recommend this book, particularly if you suffer form mental or physical health issues or if you know someone who does and would like to better understand what they’re dealing with. I love Jenny so much.

 

That’s it for this week – what about you guys? Have you read any of these? Do you want to read any? Which book was your favourite recent read?

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Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly link-up feature created by The Broke and the Bookish and hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Every week TTT has a different topic, and everyone who links up has to create a link of ten items that fit that topic. To see past and upcoming topics, go here.