Bookish Chatter | Third Time’s the Charm?

It’s Wednesday again! And it is still muggy and totally un-fall-like around here. How can that be?! The upside of the humidity is that we’re expecting another rainy afternoon, which I love. How are things going for you? Are you savoring cups of hot coffee yet? Busy baking gingerbread cookies and cinnamon rolls? Decorating your front porch with pumpkins and mums? Can you tell I’m so ready to usher in this new season???

I chose today’s title because I have now read two of today’s books three times. Today’s post features two rereads, one Booker longlisted title, and two readalouds. So despite feeling as if my reading time has been short over the last few weeks, it seems like I’m still doing okay. Let’s chat about what I’ve finished up recently:

Books finished this week:

I reread Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears with a friend over the summer. This little book has been so valuable to me over the last 10+ years. It is full of examples of people sitting with their uncomfortable and painful emotions and learning to drop the storyline, tuning in to what’s happening around them, and moving forward in a way that allows them to keep their dignity. It’s also full of Pema’s own examples of times when she hasn’t been able to do that! Pema’s humility and grace astounds me each time I read one of her books and I’d love to see her in person one day. She is 87 years old so that feels more and more unlikely, but a girl can dream. And maybe the third time’s the charm with this one and I’ll actually find ways to implement Pema’s advice??!

(I read this on my Kindle the first two times, but this time my friend gave me an extra copy that she had. There’s something so satisfying about physically highlighting and tabbing a book, isn’t there? And while I reference my Kindle highlights often, I really love being able to run my fingers over the tabs, to write boldly in the book when I want to remember something, and to flip through the highlighted sections. There’s nothing like it.)

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Last week I said that I was considering adding The Secret History to my annual reread list for the fall, but now I’m not so sure. I adore the first half of the book but the second half was such a slog! And I remember that being the case the first time I read it back in 2016 too.

For those of you who haven’t gotten to it, this book is seen as the original inspiration for the dark academia trend. It’s set at a small liberal arts school in Vermont and focuses on a group of classics students. When Richard Papin, a lost soul from California, wants to join the group, he quickly discovers that there’s more than meets the eye with this group. They have a secret that sets in motion a whole series of events that haunts Richard for the rest of his life.

The first half of this book is full of the most beautiful and cozy details and I could barely put it down. The second half is much more dark and startling, building up to the shocking conclusion. I recommend pairing this with Once Upon a Time at Bennington College, a podcast that explores Tartt’s inspiration for this book. It is fascinating.

(This is the second book of the week that I’ve read three times. I desperately hope that I don’t end up like this group of students. But the cozy academic setting is always welcome in my home!)

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This Other Eden is a historical fiction novel about a group of people who lived on an island off the coast of Maine for generations. They’re considered genetically inferior because of their race, their simple life, and the lack of formal education on the island. Eventually they’re forced to leave the island in the most brutal ways because a developer wants to build a hotel there. This book is beautifully written and includes some interesting details but I found it hard to really sink into for some reason. Despite my disconnection with it, it felt like vitally important reading. Luckily it’s short!

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We finished a morning readaloud this week, Odder. This is written by my favorite author to read with my children, Katherine Applegate. Odder is a seal who was separated from her mother as a pup and was taught to be an otter by humans at the aquarium. And she is playful, energetic, and daring! After she’s released into the wild, the humans are hopeful that she’ll be able to survive on her own, but the ocean is such a dangerous place. How will she do?!

This book is written in a style similar to The One and Only Ivan (and Bob and Ruby), with short sentences and chapters and poetic styling. These books are perfect for new readers and work really well for reading aloud – it’s so easy to find a good stopping/starting place! Despite its ease of reading, each little chapter is packed with so much to discuss. Applegate is a genius!

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Bronwyn and I finished Molly Learns a Lesson this week. Molly’s school hosts a Lend a Hand contest to encourage the children to contribute to the war effort. The girls in Molly’s class decides that they are going to knit hundreds of socks over the weekend… well, many of us are knitters here. How likely is it that just ten 3rd graders would be able to accomplish that ambitious goal? (or any group of ten people, for that matter?)

But they were able to knit up squares in their effort to make socks. Molly got the brilliant idea to sew those squares into a blanket to send to wounded soldiers. Would it be enough to win the contest??!

Booker Prize update:

I am still plugging away at the Booker longlist as titles becomes available to me. This week I was able to listen to This Other Eden via Libby and I bought a copy of The Bee Sting thanks to all the buzz it’s been getting within the online reading groups I’m a part of. I’m hoping to start it as soon as possible! I used this month’s Audible credit on In Ascension and I’m really enjoying it so far. Here’s my current progress:

❒ A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ – abandoned; difficult for me to get started
✔️Old God’s Time by Sebastian Berry
✔️Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein
❒ If I Survive You by Jonathan Escoffery – abandoned; difficult to get started
✔️ How to Build a Boat by Elaine Feeney
✔️ This Other Eden by Paul Harding
✔️Pearl by Siân Hughes
❒ All the Little Bird Hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow
❒ Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
❒ In Ascension by Martin Macinnes (current listen)
❒ Western Lane by Chetna Maroo
❒ The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
✔️ The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

The shortlist will be announced on 9/21. I have no idea which titles will be on it! Do you have any guesses?

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I confess: I’m slipping into a pattern where I just want to read all.the.books.all.the.time!! I’m missing our summer school schedule when it was possible for me to pick up a book and read a couple of pages throughout the day. And still, I try to focus on the fact that I’m still surrounded by books and reading, even if it’s not the escapist fiction of my choice. And I am very lucky to be in this situation! And perhaps today’s rainy afternoon will open up a nice pocket of time for reading once we finish with school for the day. Please keep your fingers crossed!

I hope the rest of your week goes smoothly and you find time for exactly what you need to recharge and relax. Take good care!