The Pearl by John Steinbeck

The thing I love about Steinbeck is that he can put you right in the main character’s shoes, but in this case it backfired because the end of this book gutted me. Too sad for 4 stars.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This is a nerd classic so I feel weird saying this, but I really like the movie better than the book. My favorite adaption is the 2005 movie starring Martin Freeman, Mos Def, and Zooey Deschanel.

Side Note: In the movie, Mos Def is not wearing A Really Cool Wig (a la Lemon Demon), and I think that was a big miss.

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

A couple good tips in here, but otherwise mediocre. Sorry, that felt rude but I’m learning how to be honest about my feelings and set boundaries and I have to go now. Byeee

Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

If you find any of my writing entertaining, I highly recommend reading some David Sedaris. He is a master of the craft and is the author who inspired me to write essays.

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

I have many complicated feelings about this book and can’t get them out, so I’ll just say YES please read this book. It is good and important.

Hey, Hun by Emily Lynn Paulson

Take this review with a grain of salt because I listened to it while recovering from kidney surgery but it was b-o-r-i-n-g, and this is coming from a woman who loves to trash talk some MLMs.

How to Clone a Mammoth by Beth Shapiro

Fascinating information about the possibilities and limitations of de-extincting animals like dodos and mammoths.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

What happens in this book? Uhh, nothing really. But it’s so good.

Sigh, Gone by Phuc Tran

Pretty good memoir. I liked all the music references.

Our Town by Thornton Wilder

I was inspired to re-read this after it was prominently featured in Tom Lake. Emily’s heartbreaking line gets me every time: “Oh, earth, you’re too wonderful for anybody to realize you!”

Fire Keeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

This was an intriguing story with a rich setting and characters, but I am still upset that I was tricked into reading it. That is to say, a friend lent it to me so I blindly read it without checking first and it does contain a rape scene. Boo to that. But everything else was good, and I’ll probably read the sequel.

The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams

This is a good play, and it’s one I find difficult to summarize in a sentence or two. It made me sad and angry and wistful all at the same time.

Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari

Very interesting but WAY 👏TOO 👏LONG 👏 As the law partner said to Doug at Carrie’s work retreat (you know, on the sitcom King of Queens, a common reference we definitely all share), “You might want to look into editing that bad boy.”

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

My favorite book of all time, I read this again and loved it again. I remember Oprah saying she gave a copy of The Color Purple to all of her staff because “if you haven’t read this book, what will we talk about?” That’s how I feel about The Poisonwood Bible. Please read it and circle back to me.

The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

Best book of the year (favorite book of all time excluded). What an amazing story, I kept thinking about it for months. In turns funny, suspenseful, fascinating, and profound.

Wellness by Nathan Hill

Pretty entertaining for the first half, then I found myself wishing it would move along and wrap things up.

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

I have OCD, the real kind that has been diagnosed by a professional, not the joking kind where you just like to have all the silverware facing up in the dishwasher. So I could relate to the main character in this book and found some comfort in the concept of the world being turtles all the way down. What that means to me is that you can take a break from your catastrophizing thoughts because there will always be a “things will be ok” answer to any “but what if” scenario I can come up with. Plus, John Green–what a mensch.

Curtain by Agatha Christie

Agatha. Miss Agatha. Come here, ma’am. Let’s have a serious talk. What the hell was that ending??? Excuse me, but Poirot MURDERED someone? He would never. Unforgivable.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Is it rude to say this was a surprisingly good story? For some reason I was expecting it to be meh, but it was actually very fun.

Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed

Something I like about keeping a reading list is that I can look back and remember what happened in my life throughout the year. I read this book in a hotel when we were out of town for my daughter’s college orientation weekend. I had a lot of big feelings happening, and this was the perfect book to fall into at the end of the day.

Congratulations, the Best Is Over by R. Eric Thomas

I have not much to say about this book. It was enjoyable enough.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Hell yes, I read some middle grade Judy Blume at age 48. You never stop needing a mother figure to tell you your body is normal and everything’s going to be fine.

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger

A good start with interesting characters, but the story went places I didn’t love. The cover art is exquisite, though.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

What a fun read! I think there’s a sequel I’ll read in 2025.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

This book was pretty good, not outstanding. I didn’t find a character I could really connect to in this story.

Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

Oh My God, this one was depressing. First because it made me feel like a bag of garbage for shopping at Amazon, and second because holy shit the last third of life seems terrible and destabilizing and hard. Is this what we have to look forward to? I am scared to keep growing up.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

There is a style of Japanese and Korean novel that is about the mundane everydayness of life, and in theory I want to like these books. But they are usually just as dull as they sound. This was one of those. The one exception I’ve found so far was Convenience Store Woman Sayaka Murata.

You Need a Budget by Jesse Mecham

I’m a huge fan of YNAB and use the app every day. I read this as a refresher on budgeting principles and also as a very short book to beef up my reading list.

Vacationland by John Hodgman

Another audiobook–I listened to this while I was driving back and forth to some medical appointments in a town far away. It was enjoyable!

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

I liked this story, although it was somewhat sad.

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

This is one of those just for fun books that grabs your attention right away and holds onto it until the suspenseful end.

Medallion Status by John Hodgman

Not as good as Vacationland.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

A re-read because this book is great! There’s a big twist and somehow I completely forgot it since my last reading and was surprised all over again. I took off half a star only because there are some sections of the book that are just too tediously philosophical for me.

North Woods by Daniel Mason

How I loved this book. I can’t wait to forget all about it so I can read again like it’s the first time.

The Dock Porter by Dave McVeigh and Jim Bolone

This is a book you pick up in the Local Authors section while on vacation on Mackinac Island. If you’ve been there, it’s fun to see the author mention all the spots you just visited.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue

Of all the books I’ve read recently in the millennial-screwup-trying-to-get-her-life-together genre, this was the best.

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

This one lives up to the hype. It’s on all the Must Read lists for a reason! I hope Liz Moore writes more books.

All Fours by Miranda July

What? What! I didn’t like this book after the first couple chapters, but I stuck it out to get closer to my reading goal. Later in the year, I read an article about how no one is talking about or giving us good information on menopause and they called this the Great American Menopause novel. I was like . . . that book was about menopause? I mean, it mentioned menopause but I wouldn’t say it was about menopause. And if it was, the news wasn’t good, you guys. This woman’s life is turned upside down and at the end of the book, it was still a stinky hot mess in my opinion. And also, is this all we get? This is our Great American Menopause book? I would love a better manual, please.

Okay, this is the longest of all the reviews because I am upset. Where’s Judy Blume when you need her?

Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby

I can relate to the feral skunk on the cover of this book. 3 stars just for that.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey

Another re-read because this book is a delight. The author describes her time convalescing from a debilitating illness as she watches the meanderings of a woodland snail in her terrarium. Some may call it boring, but I call it lovely. Not only did I read it twice, I also purchased two of my own snails (Maisie & Fionnuala) whose marvelous slow motion adventures lower my blood pressure every day. Snails!

Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

An interesting read, but nothing earth shattering. I guess it’s a compliment that the standard I hold the author to is clearly outrageous. Earth shattering, really?

Earth to Moon by Moon Unit Zappa

I always felt there was an air of mystery surrounding Frank Zappa. I admired him because I knew he didn’t drink or do drugs, his music was interesting in its eclectic style, and also in Cassandra Peterson’s memoir (Elvira) he was one of like two men in the whole world who didn’t try to rape her. But when I read this book and got a more intimate picture of him through his daughter’s eyes, I was like:

Huh . . . so that guy was just, like, an asshole right?

The Bog Wife by Kay Chronister

Such an interesting story! A bog that produces a wife for the eldest son based on an ancient pact? So it takes place in Ireland or Scotland? No, the United States. Oh, in the really old times then, like Mayflower days? No, it’s modern. Oh, so wait . . . what? These are questions you will ask as you begin this book. It has some interesting turns and an ending I had to think about for a week.

Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

This is what I’m talking about! Literary fiction is my jam. Superb writing with beautiful characters and a well-crafted plot. Chef’s kiss, if that is a thing people still say.

Fleishman Is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner

Definitely captivating but I felt like the author dropped the ball on resolving the story. I was fully invested and then the ending felt rushed and weird with too much exposition. Given that sex was a major theme of this book, maybe the unsatisfying ending was intentional? As an author joke? Can books do that?

Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell

This was a spooky and thought-provoking story in which all the white people walk into the nearest body of water and drown themselves. Parts of it were overly simplified, but in fairness I think it would have been hard to flesh out those parts and keep the book under 500 pages.

Life Form by Jenny Slate

Jenny Slate is a treasure and her writing is pure poetry. No notes.

New Teeth by Simon Rich

My favorite stories in this book were “The Big Nap,” about a nihilistic noir detective who is actually only two years old and “Cl0bbo,” in which a washed up superhero ape confronts his uselessness in life in the face of middle age.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare (No Fear Shakespeare Graphic Novel Edition)

My weird obsession with Shakespeare continues. I loved the illustration and format of this adaptation, but the dialogue could use some work.

Atlas of Poetic Zoology by Emmanuelle Pouydebat

Beautiful illustrations and a quirky narrative style.