Submitted by Jeff Fisher
Blog Reads Book Club is back for this holiday season installment. Have you read or listened to a great book lately? Are you eager to share the book with others? Please use the comments section to this blog post to share the author and title of the book, as well as what you enjoyed about it.
I recently read Teaching the Trees by Joan Maloof. It was the Bookish Trailblazers pick, and I enjoyed the audiobook, even though I didn't get to attend the book club meeting. Chapters are named after tree species and the author begins each with a powerful memory tied to a particular species. She speaks of them as though they were old friends. I also love the idea of the memorial forest to not only commemorate people, but to preserve old growth trees.
ReplyDeleteI recently read Clytemnestra by Costanza Cosati because I have a deep love/interest in Greek Mythology. The novel takes the traditionally overlooked female characters in Greek mythology and elevates them to leading protagonists in this modern retelling. Familiar names like Leda, Penelope, Clytemnestra, and Helen (of Sparta actually) become vibrant, complex women capable of devious political machinations, strong familial loyalty, and incredible grit through Cosati's gifted storytelling. I enjoyed the book because it told the story of these incredible women from their perspective instead of through their male proxies like Odysseus and Agamemnon.
ReplyDeleteTHIS WAS SUCH A GOOD BOOK!! The writing was so pretty, I liked the short vignettes even though that's not usually my thing. I really liked how Clytemnestra's trauma is handled and how her character is written!
DeleteThis sounds so interesting, Katie! One of my favorite reads from a long time ago was "The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant. It was a similar spin on several women in the Old Testament and it was so refreshing to read about them from their perspective. I'm a sucker for any kind of historical fiction that makes history come to life.
DeleteThese are some great recommendations - The Red Tent was my favorite book for many years!
DeleteOoooh, noting down both of those titles
DeleteThe most recent book I read was "Just My Type: A Book About Fonts" by Simon Garfield. I actually checked it out at a library program display table :)
ReplyDeleteIt falls into my niche interest as a graphic designer, so I found it pretty interesting. It talks about history of the typographical world, and lots of tidbits and facts, how type fills our world. It was a bit random in how it was organized, so it could be hard to follow and dragged at some points. But the abundance of random information was very enjoyable to me. Also, the author has an absolutely on point way of uncannily describing a typeface or specific character that had me laughing at the accuracy more than once.
***places hold***
DeleteI finished "Check & Mate" by Ali Hazelwood and it was GREAT. It's a YA romance between a chess Grandmaster and an unranked chess prodigy. I was worried that I wouldn't like it because it is about teens, but the romance is well handled while still being age-appropriate. The heroine has to reconcile with her role in her family and how that affects her perception of herself and her behavior. The hero is a cinnamon roll who just wants the heroine to win all the chess games, which sets up a really lovely dynamic. The third act breakup is believable, especially for Big Teen Feelings, and then resolution is surprising and fun. It was so fun and different to see a feminist story about chess, something I previously had not thought would ever make a good book, let alone romance. Plus the book has bisexual rep with the heroine. I rated it 4.75/5 and read it extremely quickly!
ReplyDeleteRecently read Chuck Tingle's "Camp Damascus"! I've always been aware of Tingle as an internet figure/meme, but I found this horror debut great! There were a lot of scenes that got a physical or emotional reaction out of me. I found it a fun read, horrifying, well-written characters, and touches on the effects conversion therapy has on kids.
ReplyDeleteI recently read "The Vaster Wilds" by Lauren Groff and I can't stop thinking about it. It follows a colonial girl's attempts to survive in the wilderness after running away from the Jamestown settlement. It's not a feel-good read, but I found it engaging and beautiful and thought-provoking.
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