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A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa caught me from the first pages. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve loved an opening chapter so much in a long time. From there, Ghríofa tells two stories in this woven narrative—the story of her own experience with motherhood, and the story of Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, an Irish poet and mother of the late 1700s. Ghríofa’s writing is exquisite and I found her own narrative to be especially captivating, and I think some the recurrent themes and images from the book will stay with me for a long time. I have to admit that I found myself somewhat less drawn to the story of Eibhlín’s story, but I was intrigued by Ghríofa’s obsession with uncovering it. As Ghríofa says “this is a female text” and her treatment of women, mothers, bodies, and voice is especially relevant in our present moment.

It’s been a busy, rainy, gray week for us here in Seattle and “Things My Son Needs to Know About the World” was exactly the kind of quick and light-hearted read I needed for my evenings. And no, I don’t have a son (an no there is not one on the way), but I heard from a good source (thanks @thirtyish_ ) that I didn’t need a son to love this book. She was right—I think any new parent would find this charming, insightful, and relevant.

I don’t read tons of nonfiction, but in light of an upcoming trip to Galveston, I grabbed Erik Larson’s national bestseller “Isaac’s Storm”, which details the progression of the deadliest hurricane in history. This was my first time — but DEFINITELY not my last — reading Erik Larson, and now I finally understand what all the hype is about.

Too many good options in my TBR pile… wish I was getting to it a little faster but it’s Spring 🌸 🪴 🌱 🌺… so I’m spending a lot more time outside, and a little less with my 📚.

Thanks again to @tin_house for this ARC of The Year of the Horses by @cbmaum. I appreciated the introspection Baum offers in this memoir as she considers her own way of relating to her daughter, husband, work, and body, as well as her personal healing journey (ignited by her revived connection with horses). However I will say that, even though I have several points of connection to this memoir (e.g. also a new and working mom), I struggled to really relate emotionally to the experiences in the narrative. But if you’re someone with a deep connection to horses, or someone seeking to examine challenges in your own parenting, marriage, or relationships, this could be a great memoir for you.

Last but not least, the fourth of Marilynne Robinson’s four novels in Gilead: Jack. As in the previous three, Robinson’s writing is striking and her characters feel genuine and memorable. Like “Lila”, “Jack” is mostly focused on backstory, and doesn’t touch on the narrative that unfolded in “Gilead” or “Home”. For me this was a little disappointing, because I would have really enjoyed seeing the same story from a third (or even fourth) point of view, but overall I still really enjoyed this last installment in the series.

Book 3 of 4 by Marilynne Robinson finished, and “Lila” was both like and unlike the others. Unlike Home or Gilead, this novel focus a lot more on backstory and less on the present day, but like always, Robinson explores some really powerful themes, including peace, stillness, love, hope, family. There were a few really painful scenes in this one, but overall the story left me feeling optimistic and uplifted.

Well, I think I could drink tea from this gorgeous @soundceramics mug and read Marilynne Robinson forever. “Home” was my second of Robinson’s four novels based in the fictional town of Gilead, and it definitely lived up to the standards set by the first.

Well it’s been a few weeks of snow and rain here in the Northwest—the perfect time to curl up with a good book and warm beverages in my @soundceramics mug. Most recently I finished Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson, and I really loved it. Written as a letter from an elderly pastor to his young son, this novel slowly reveals one man’s struggle to find peace with others and himself at the end of his life. This is a slow, beautifully written novel filled with forgiveness, humility, love, and hope. With everything going on in the world right now, I was so grateful for the tranquility this book offered and I’m eager to dive into the next of Robinson’s novels, Home.

Excited for the next few books on my list—all by Marilynne Robinson, all set in the same imaginary town of Gilead. I’ve heard a lot of good things and can’t wait to dive in.

Not getting too much reading in this week, to be honest, because of the Olympics. But here is one of my girls’ new favorites, “Hey Boy” by Benjamin Strouse, illustrated by Jennifer Phelan.

I’d heard of “The God of Small Things” many times and finally decided to pick it up after a recommendation from @fictionmatters and oh, my heart. This book is so subtle and poetic, tragic and astounding. Admittedly it took me a little while to get through because of the density and complexity (it was a challenge for me to keep the characters and timelines straight at times), but it was so worth it.

Sometimes I really crave a short story, something that I can finish in one sitting (obviously with coffee in hand, in a mug from @soundceramics). And when it comes to short stories, this is one of my all time favorites. I first read Deesha Philyaw’s “The Secret Lives of Church Ladies” almost a year ago but, as sometimes happens, I find I love it more and more as time passes. I often find myself still thinking of the women in these stories, and the incredible culture and sense of place that Philyaw created.

So excited to be kicking off a collaboration with @soundceramics , in which we will be pairing gorgeous mugs with my latest book reviews, as well as some of my old favorites. Check out the link in my bio to visit the @soundceramics store for more cool merchandise!

I had really high expectations going in to this one, and I have to say that it was stylistically one of the most original works I’ve read in quite some time. Patricia Lockwood does an incredible job of leveraging format to reinforce a key theme of the book: the disconnectedness often created by our obsession and dependency on the internet. But originality aside, I must admit that I really struggled to get through the first half of this book precisely because it is so disconnected and fragmented, without a whole lot of plot. The second part of the book is much more plot driven, but I struggled with that section because the content was a little too close to home as a new parent (there are some trigger warnings throughout, but especially in part 2). But if you’re looking for very original, experimental fiction, a little satire, some humor, and some tears, this book has a little of everything and I can understand why it’s gotten as much praise as it has.

What a wild ride! If I had known this was a post-apocalyptic novel, I might have hesitated to dive in because that’s not usually my thing, but this time it ABSOLUTELY was. I loved this novel start to finish - its got an action-packed, fast-paced plot, and yet somehow still feels very character-driven. I could barely put it down. What a way to start off 2022 reading (along with my @soundceramics mug, of course!).

2021 Wrap Up. I spent a whole lot of time in this chair this year, and these are the books that kept me company. Obviously I’ve given a recap of all of these over the year, so I’ve just included my 5 favorites here…

Last book of the year is non-fiction, and one that was recommended to me so many times. It’s a great introduction to child psychology, child development, and parenting to help children thrive. It’s approachable, with lots of practical advice for parents and caregivers. I will definitely be coming back to this one quite a lot in the next few years.

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