Sarah's Book Shelves - A book recommendation blog

September 2016 Monthly Round-Up

September 30, 2016 Sarah Dickinson Monthly Round-Ups 11

September Reading / Life

I gotta tell ya, I’m thrilled September is over! While September weather is my favorite, all this back-to-school rigamarole is definitely not. I know I sound like a broken record, but it did impact my reading.
September was the month of nonfiction for me! And I’m shocked since I was so excited for all the Fall fiction coming out in September. I read two 5 star memoirs in a row (When Breath Becomes Air, Hillbilly Elegy) and thoroughly enjoyed Originals on audio. The only nonfiction that didn’t work for me was The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts.
Sadly, I didn’t have a single fiction success this month (The Trouble With Goats and Sheep, A Gentleman in Moscow, and Cruel Beautiful World).
I joined Litsy and like it far more than I thought I would. Plus, I think it’s going to be a great place for me to review audiobooks, which I don’t currently review on my blog or on Goodreads. Follow me at sarahsbookshelves!

Best Book(s) of the Month

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (June 28, 2016)
Nonfiction – Memoir, 272 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (January 19, 2016)
Nonfiction – Memoir, 208 Pages
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

October Releases I’m Excited About

The Mothers by Brit Bennett (October 11)
Hungry Heart by Jennifer Weiner (October 11)
The Boat Rocker by Ha Jin (October 25)

Top Backlist Books on my “To Be Read” List

Nobody’s Fool by Richard Russo
The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Most Popular September Posts

Koch’s Distinct Style Makes Dear Mr. M A Winner, Despite Plot Inconsistencies
Ten Authors Who Should Host A Podcast
The Best of the Brain Candy: Books That Are Light AND Smart

Favorite Posts by Fellow Bloggers

I loved the creativity of Shannon at River City Reading’s More Required Reading and Contemporary Pairings post.
Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea compiled a comprehensive list of Great Books With A New England Setting…broken out by state.
Trish at Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity’s list of Ten Awesome Nonfiction Audiobooks is full of the type of books that work well for me on audio.
I completely identified with some of the Confessions of a Behind-the-Times Book Nerd in this Book Riot article.

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Library Checkout: August – September 2016

September 29, 2016 Sarah Dickinson Library Checkout 14

After not using the library too much in August, multiple holds coming in at the same in September changed all my reading plans for the month!

Library Books Read

Barbarian Days by William Finnegan (Audio cheat*, DNF)
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
Love, Loss, and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi (Audio cheat*)

Originals by Adam M. Grant (Audio cheat*)
The Long Shadow of Small Ghosts by Laura Tillman

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Checked Out, To Be Read

None

Returned Unread

Bright, Precious Days by Jay McInerney (because the format wasn’t compatible with Kindle)
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (because I ended up buying the e-book before my hold came in)
Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer

On Hold

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

*Audio cheat is when I check out an e-book from the library to get the discounted audiobook price from Audible (an amazing tip I learned from Kathy at Kathy Reads Fiction). So, I’m not actually reading the e-book from the library, but listening to the audio version.

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A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles: On Appreciating, Yet Not Loving a Book

September 27, 2016 Sarah Dickinson Historical Fiction 27

Fiction
Released September 6, 2016
448 Pages
Bottom Line: Skip it…unless you have big chunks of quiet time.
Affiliate Link: Amazon
Source: Purchased (published by Viking)

Headline

Though I appreciated A Gentleman in Moscow on an intellectual level, the formal writing style kept me from being able to connect with it emotionally.

Plot Summary

In 1920’s Moscow, Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced by the Bolsheviks to “house arrest” in the illustrious Metropol Hotel, where he essentially holds court and observes his country’s evolution.

Why I Read It

I loved Towles’ previous novel, Rules of Civility, and some of my trusted blogger friends gave his latest 5 stars.

Major Themes

Communism, Russia, making the most out of the life you have

What I Liked

The Count is an utterly delightful character. Though he’s been a gentleman of leisure his entire life, he adjusts cleverly to living in a tiny attic room (albeit in a grand hotel) and losing all freedom outside of the hotel walls. It’s almost like he’s an adult Eloise in the way he becomes more and more a fixture of the hotel.
The Metropol Hotel becomes a microcosm of everything that’s going on in Russia…and the Count is able to get a sense of the sweeping political changes through small changes inside the hotel. For example, an elaborate ticket system appears in the hotel’s restaurant, where each order has to be recorded in numerous places with numerous people, illuminating the crushing bureaucracy of Communism.
The Count’s observations on life and history made me smile and chuckle throughout.

In Russia, whatever the endeavor, if the setting is glorious and the tenor grandiose, it will have its adherents. In fact, over the years, as the locations for duels became more picturesque and the pistols more finely manufactured, the best-bred men proved willing to defend their honor over lesser and lesser offenses. So while dueling may have begun as a response to high crimes—to treachery, treason, and adultery—by 1900 it had tiptoed down the stairs of reason, until they were being fought over the tilt of a hat, the duration of a glance, or the placement of a comma.

This story is a masterpiece of cleverly woven details. You’ll see a split second reference to something you read about in more detail 100 pages earlier. And, the ending is like a carefully orchestrated symphony…intricate and surprising, yet every detail making sense.
I loved the subversive tone that poked fun of the Bolsheviks and, later, Stalin’s communism.

What I Didn’t Like

Despite everything I just said, I wasn’t as enamored with A Gentleman in Moscow as I expected to be…and as others are (Gilmore Guide to Books, The Book Wheel). While I appreciate its beauty, it failed to connect with me on some emotional level. I had trouble concentrating and kept zoning in and out (admittedly, this could be because of the back-to-school chaos that was going on while I was reading it). I just couldn’t ever fully immerse myself in this story, which kept me from being able to love it.
This is the type of book that you should curl up with in peace and that doesn’t fit well into my life right now. Particularly not in the first few weeks of September with young children!
The writing is exquisite, but very formal. This makes sense as the Count is a formal character, but I prefer a more casual style. This, in a nutshell, is the overwhelming reason I had trouble with this book.
The story often veered off on tangents that pulled me out of the story and the Count does an inordinate amount of pontificating (about wine, prime numbers, American movies, etc), which is sometimes fascinating (see the above quote about duels), but often boring.
Finally, I felt like I was reading it forever…which is not usually a good sign.

A Defining Quote

Nina had not contented herself with the views from the upper decks. She had gone below. Behind. Around. About. In the time that Nina had been in the hotel, the walls had not grown inward, they had grown outward, expanding in scope and intricacy. In her first weeks, the building had grown to encompass the life of two city blocks. In her first months, it had grown to encompass half of Moscow. If she lived in the hotel long enough, it would encompass all of Russia.

Good for People Who Like…

Historical fiction, social commentary, delightful characters, Russia, Communism, gorgeous writing

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It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? (9/26/16)

September 26, 2016 Sarah Dickinson It's Monday! What are you reading? 36

Hosted by The Book Date.

Things have been crazy at my house since school started (see this absolutely perfect article), but my son finally started full days last week, so we’re finally settling into the permanent routine. I’m taking a break from racing this Fall after feeling tired and burned out after my last triathlon, Instead, I picked up tennis for the first time in years. I played in high school, but haven’t really since and it feels good to get back out there…even if the pro laughed at my racquet the first day and is re-building all my strokes since the game is played totally differently now!

On the reading front, I’m getting back into buzzy Fall fiction (albeit not with very good results so far) and have joined Litsy (an app that’s like Instagram crossed with Goodreads)! I was hesitant to keep up with another social media app and worried I wouldn’t be able to use Litsy to its fullest potential since I read electronically (resulting in a lack of pretty book pictures). But, I’m enjoying it more than I expected and think I can find some creative ways to post images related to what I’m reading…even if they aren’t actual book covers. Follow me on Litsy at sarahsbookshelves!

I finished reading…

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance (June 28, 2016)
This is a first. I read two 5 star nonfiction books in a row! And, this is the second one. Mini review coming.
Affiliate Link: Buy from Amazon

I’m currently reading…

Cruel Beautiful World by Caroline Leavitt (October 4, 2016)
At the halfway point, this story about two sisters in the late 1960’s is decent, but not great. I think it probably won’t end up being especially memorable, but we shall see…

I tried, but wasn’t feeling…

The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang (October 4, 2016)
I have a feeling I could be in the minority here, but I was just annoyed with all these characters, annoyed with their conversation, and didn’t much care what happened to them. I made it to 24%.

Upcoming reading plans…

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett (September 13, 2016)
I’m finally going to start the latest novel by the author of State of Wonder (which I loved). Family drama, secrets, and good feedback from people I trust…yippee!

How was your reading week?

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#30Authors: Jung Yun on Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

September 22, 2016 Sarah Dickinson Blogger Events 12

I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to participate in #30Authors again this year! Jung Yun’s debut novel, Shelter, is one of my favorite books of 2016 so far (if you haven’t read it yet, get to it now!), so I’m a bit starstruck to have her words here on my blog!

#30Authors is an event started by The Book Wheel that connects readers, bloggers, and authors. In it, 30 authors review their favorite recent reads on 30 blogs in 30 days. It takes place annually during the month of September and has been met with incredible support from and success in the literary community. It has also been turned into an anthology, which is currently available on Amazon and all author proceeds go to charity. Previous #30Authors contributors include Celeste Ng, Cynthia Bond, Brian Panowich, and M.O. Walsh.

To see this year’s full line-up,visit www.thebookwheelblog.com/30authors or follow along on Twitter @30Authors.

Jung Yun on Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Yaa Gyasi’s debut novel, HOMEGOING, spans two continents and nearly three hundred years in an ambitious exploration of how the past can powerfully influence the present. The novel begins in 19^th-century Africa with two young women, half-sisters born to the same mother but raised separately. Effia, nicknamed “the beauty,” leaves her Fante village on the Gold Coast to marry an English officer and lead a life of relative privilege in the Cape Coast Castle. Esi, meanwhile, flees her Asante village during an attack and ends up imprisoned with hundreds of other slaves in the castle’s squalid dungeons, several stories below her half-sister’s living quarters. Neither woman is aware of the other’s proximity, a flesh and blood sibling being just one of many losses to come.

Each chapter of HOMEGOING is devoted to one of Effia or Esi’s descendants as slavery and its aftereffects split the family lines further and further apart. Effia and most of her descendants remain on the Gold Coast, later to be renamed Ghana. The early generations are privileged by money, English blood, and/or high Fante rank, but their fortunes begin to decline precipitously after James, Effia’s grandson, chooses love and “a small life” over continued complicity in the slave trade that has made his family rich. Esi leaves the dungeons of the Cape Coast Castle through its infamous “door of no return” and boards a ship bound for America, where her descendants endure unimaginable suffering as slaves and then later as “free” men and women in a society where true freedom still proves elusive, even as the chapters bring us closer and closer to contemporary times.

HOMEGOING pulls no punches to spare the reader. Gyasi’s depictions of brutality are unflinching; the emotions her writing incites are both earned and deeply felt. The early chapters—arguably the novel’s strongest—are a study in extremes, contrasting the depths of love that some characters feel toward each other with the abject pain of enslavement and its associated injustices. At times, it is difficult to fathom how such emotional extremes can coexist in the same world, and yet Gyasi’s self-assured hand makes it possible. Her ability to frame a narrative within a larger historical context, combined with her obvious gifts as a storyteller, have rightfully earned her comparisons to Toni Morrison and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The result is a literary work of art that is breathtakingly vibrant, necessary, and new.

About Jung Yun

Jung Yun is the author of SHELTER, published by Picador in March of 2016. Her work has appeared in Tin House (the “Emerging Voices” issue); The Best of Tin House: Stories, edited by Dorothy Allison; The Massachusetts Review; and The Atlantic Monthly. She is the recipient of two Artist Fellowships in fiction from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and an honorable mention for the Pushcart Prize. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor of English at the George Washington University.

Learn more about Jung on her Author Website, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.

You can purchase Jung’s debut novel, Shelter, from Amazon (affiliate link) and Barnes & Noble.

About Yaa Gyasi

From Goodreads:

Yaa Gyasi was born in Ghana and raised in Huntsville, Alabama. She is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where she held a Dean’s Graduate Research Fellowship. Her short stories have appeared in African American Review and Callaloo. Her debut novel is Homegoing (Knopf, June 2016).

Learn more about Yaa on her Author Website, Facebook, and Goodreads.

You can purchase Yaa’s debut novel, Homegoing, from Amazon (affiliate link) and Barnes & Noble.

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Ten Authors Who Should Host A Podcast

September 20, 2016 Sarah Dickinson Top Ten Tuesday 17

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish that asks bloggers to create Top Ten lists on a variety of bookish topics. This week’s topic is All About Audio Freebie. I snagged the Authors Who Should Host A Podcast spin on this topic from a Book Riot podcast (thank you!). When creating this list, I thought about authors who are interesting on Twitter and/or have a gift for spot-on social commentary. And, authors of nonfiction lend themselves quite well to the podcast format!

Two giants missing from this list are Cheryl Strayed (author of Tiny Beautiful Things and Wild) and Susan Cain (author of Quiet). In putting this list together, I discovered both of them already have their own podcasts! Strayed hosts Dear Sugar Radio with Steve Almond and Susan Cain hosts Quiet Podcast based on her bestselling book of the same name.

Rick Bragg (My Southern Journey)
Podcast Topic: hilarious and insightful commentary on Southern culture.

Roxanne Gay (Bad Feminist, An Untamed State)
Podcast Topic: Ranty commentary on pop culture, race, feminism, reading and writing, and the competitive Scrabble circuit.

Herman Koch (The Dinner, Dear Mr. M, etc)
Podcast Topic: Social commentary that gets to the “nasty little heart of things” (thanks to Catherine of Gilmore Guide to Books for that perfect summation).

Jon Krakauer (Missoula, Under the Banner of Heaven, etc)
Podcast Topic: Investigative pieces covering just about anything.

Michael Lewis (The Big Short, etc)
Podcast Topic: Ditto Krakauer…and commentary on finance that’s actually interesting.

Mary Roach (Stiff, Grunt, etc)
Podcast Topic: Her signature oddball take on weird science-y stuff.

David Sedaris (Me Talk Pretty One Day, etc)
Podcast Topic: A weekly recap of his daily life…told in his signature hilarious style.

Adelle Waldman (The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.)
Podcast Topic: Commentary on yuppie dating.

Jennifer Weiner (In Her Shoes, etc)
Podcast Topic: Bachelor franchise analysis.

Andy Weir (The Martian)
Podcast Topic: Scientific concepts for non-scientists.

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It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? (9/19/16)

September 19, 2016 Sarah Dickinson It's Monday! What are you reading? 30

Hosted by The Book Date.

I had grand plans to read big September releases last week and I somehow found myself reading nonfiction from earlier this year instead. I blame mood reading and some library holds coming in!