What I'm Reading - Leigh Feather

Books Reviews — January-June 2024

by Leigh | Jun 21, 2024 | What I'm Reading

A Visit from the Goon Squad

by Jennifer Egan

I should have liked this book, very Gen Z, music industry based, but had such a hard time keeping track of the characters and who was speaking in each chapter. And I guess I had a hard time really empathizing with the people in the story. It had me wondering how this book won a Pulitzer. I read one other Egan book, Manhattan Beach. That felt more cohesive somehow.

A Carnival of Snackery

by David Sedaris

I’m been the biggest fan of Sedaris for a while. This is the first of his diaries I’ve read. At some point, half way through?, I began to slow down. He is very funny, but at some point the book seemed like a carnival of complaining. But by the time I finished, I was loving it so much. How great is it that the author lets you into his personal world with such wit, irreverence, and quirky joy?

Fates and Furies

by Lauren Groff

This is so my kind of book. When I read the jacket description, something about the challenges of a long marriage, I wasn’t sure I would like it. But it was beautifully written. The kind of writing that makes you have to use your brain, the kind of writing that makes you want to be a writer. I was drawn into the story and the mood of the time and place and the feeling of the characters. At times it got very academic-y, in a way that might alienate readers, but I forged ahead. Then, half way through, there’s a whole retelling, as the story is told from the point of view of the wife, and like in a marriage, those views can be very different. Very glad I found this book.

The Women

by Kristen Hannah

My most recent book club read. I liked it! I really liked The Nightingale by her but not Firefly Lane so much which felt too YA for me. But The Women, historical fiction about the women who served as nurses in Vietnam, really impressed me. And surprised me since I don’t really gravitate toward war books. What was so good about it, and this was true about the Nightingale, (which is also about war) is that you feel like you are there. I could imagine myself being the main character, and that made the subject matter so interesting. Hannah is very good at writing in a very accessible, unfussy way and making you really care about the events. Great book!

The Alice Network

by Kate Quinn

A book club book. Historical fiction about women who worked as spies during WWI and WWII. It was pretty good, engaging. I hurried through it so that I could discuss it when we got together and then we didn’t end up getting together. I actually listed to the audio book for part of it and I’m not used to readers doing different voices for different characters and the french accent was a bit rough. But you know, France, spies. what’s not to like?

Crying in H Mart

by Michelle Zauner

Amazing. Memoir about family, grief, food. I heard this book was good but put it off for a while because I was worried it would be too sad. But I loved it. It was so well written and so real. Isn’t that how a memoir is supposed to be? Unflinching? Not tidy or pretty. Real. I loved reading about the role of food within Asian-American families and how meaningful and multi-layered that connection is. Truly engaging and captivating.

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Where do you find inspiration?

by Leigh | May 17, 2024 | Art, What I'm Reading

Lately I find myself longing

…for the good old days where there were fashion and lifestyle blogs everywhere, and I could pore through them, feeling connected, inspired, motivated. At some point they seem to have gone out of style and their content switched over to TikTok? It’s left me feeling a little lost. I need imagery! I need wit! Here are a few places I regularly visit when I need a creative lift.

ABBY RAMINSKY

Creative and original word explorations that make you want to become a writer yourself. Read Abby’s newsletter.

LE CATCH

Marlien Rentmeester’s blog is simply perfect. It lists fashion trends, high and low. Aspirational and inspirational. I love it so much. See Marlien’s recos.

BRITTANY BATHGATE

The best place for beautiful content that makes you feel relaxed and renewed. A perfect blend of relatable chats, clothing, home decor, art, and travel. Watch Brittany.

ALEXANDRA STEDMAN

Style ideas for days. Outfit repeating. British whimsy and realness. I’ve been following her since her pre-kid Frugality days. Check out Alex.

BENITA LARSSON

My favorite comfort-viewing niche: swedish minimalism, organization, and cleaning. I’m so here for all of it. Watch Benita.

PINTEREST: MY FAVORITE ARTISTS

And then, of course Pinterest. Among other things I have a board of all my favorite modern painters which is the best kind on inspiration. Paintings.

Book Reviews of 2023

by Leigh | Nov 1, 2023 | Stories, What I'm Reading

Tom Lake

Ann Patchett

I love Ann Patchett but had a hard time getting into this. In fact, by the time I met with my book club to discuss it, I was only half way through! I finished it two days after that and wondered if it was actually better to read the book after some spoiler-filled discussion. I’m not sure why this book felt a little flat. The premise was great. A mother of three grown daughters, telling the story of how she once dated a famous actor and how she ended up living on a cherry farm. The present day takes place during the pandemic and has a heaviness you would expect when it feels like the world is ending. Nothing so terrible happens in the past. I describe it as A Star is Born, only in reverse.

The Secret History

Donna Tartt

Half way through this book I realized I may have read it before! It was written in 1992, way before one of my favorite books of all time, Tartt’s The Goldfinch. The Secret History felt like it was more of a freshman effort. It did have some meaty content. Self-indulgent college kids living privileged lives yet being neglected by their parents. A worship of academia and resulting disconnect from reality. But then much of the book was devoted to explaining how even the best of people are capable of heinous acts and its unraveling of the mind.

The Covenant of Water

Abraham Verghese

This was the second of the book club picks. It was long. Ultimately I didn’t love it. I even abandoned it at one point but curiosity forced me to finish it. I did like that it was set in India and chronicled much its history. I like the many female characters and multi-generational drama that unfolded. Some of the writing was artful and lyric, but some of it felt dry, and the style and tone seemed mismatched. Some horrible things happen, some of them to children and it was hard to read that.

The Overstory

Richard Powers

Oh boy. So much good stuff in this. And I have a thing for trees, so, yes. But much of it left me feeling that the world was ending which was so devastating that I couldn’t finish it. It would seem people either love this book or hate it.

Art Is Life: Icons and Iconoclasts, Visionaries and Vigilantes, and Flashes of Hope in the Night

Jerry Saltz

My fellow art student/best friend/sister gave this to me as a gift. I loved the introductory essay in this book of art critiques. It was some of the best writing I’ve ever read. Art is Life. It is everything. And it’s ridiculous. And I couldn’t live without it. And so, so, so much more. I still haven’t finished the book but thought I’d include it here.

Hello Beautiful

Ann Napolitano

You know how I said I’d never join a book club? Well, I joined a book club. And I like it. This was the first book we read. Hello Beautiful is a a modern day Little Women that explores so many relatable challenges — mother/daughter conflict, sibling rivalry, family secrets. On the surface, it just seemed like family drama, but this book had a slow burn. It wasn’t until I’d finished it that I realized how sneaky it actually was. The symbolism and deeper meanings only became completely clear when I heard others share their impressions and their personal related experiences. It gave me a lot to think about. Like about how few people really love us for who we are, about how painful, debilitating, and misunderstood depression is, about how amazing forgiveness is. A solid read.

Cloud Cuckoo Land

Anthony Doerr

The author of All the Light We Cannot See did not disappoint in this epic story inside a story inside a story. It was everything I wanted: rich, wordy transcendent descriptions, layered characters, time-hopping, mythology, history lessons, fantasy, and science fiction. Oh my gosh. It was so gripping. There are a multitude of protagonists defined by their time and life stories, all threaded together in a common fantastical tale: Cloud Cuckoo Land, a place you only get to by transfiguring yourself into a bird. The absolute best book of the year.

The Vanishing Half

Brit Bennett

Identical twins who run away from home at 16 and then are separated from each other when one decides to pass as white, inventing an entirely new life. I was drawn into the historical fiction aspects of living in the south in the 1950s, where races, and their various shades, are segregated and subjected to to harsh criticism and judgement. The characters are all beautifully drawn and delineated, revealing their pain, motives and secrets that keep them isolated and are then ultimately revealed. The construct of race as well as gender identity are so artfully explored. I found myself fully sympathetic to each flawed woman and her relationships with the others.

Lessons in Chemistry

Bonnie Garmus

It’s nice to read something light and funny after slogging through a challenging book. This was so refreshing. My friend Jane recommended it a while ago and said it was very funny. I didn’t think it was laugh out loud funny. I guess extreme sexism isn’t humorous. Maybe it is. I think I tend to attach to the characters and forget that it’s fiction. So, I liked it. I recently started watching the TV series and the jury is out on that. A case of this is nothing like the book.

Book Reviews: July – December 2022

by Leigh | Jan 6, 2023 | What I'm Reading | 0 comments

The Saints of Swallow Hill

Donna Everhart

I wanted to like this book, but it had some really unpleasant events. It takes place on a turpentine camp in Georgia during the depression. The story focuses on two white protagonists who endure terrible abuse, while the black workers are treated far worse. There is good historical research and some redemption, but not an enjoyable read.

The Lincoln Highway

Amor Towles

After reading A Gentleman in Moscow and The Age of Civility, I thought I’d love this too. And I did. It just got off to a slow start. A beautiful homage to the Road Trip genre, it’s part Huck Finn and part Odyssey. Set in the early 50s with a cast of interesting characters, it is beautifully written and such a fun ride.

Plainsong

Kent Haruf

My favorite book this year. It follows a collection of lost and unlucky characters who find friendship and meaningful connections with each other. But the best thing about this book is the writing. Every word is perfect, every phrase is lyric and profound. So simple and so perfect.

Living Untethered

Michael A. Singer

I read this non-fiction book on a recommendation of a friend. I chose to listen to it on audio and I think, no, I know I would have enjoyed it more if I read it. But, it was so, so good. Deep existentialist pondering! What could be better? Just the explanation of the creation of the universe will put your whole life into perspective.

The Sympathizer

Viet Thanh Nguyen

I am very proud of myself for reading this Pulitzer Prize-winning book. It’s obvious why it got such high praise. The writing is amazing. At times it felt too intellectual but I’m not mad about it. I would not normally chose a book about the Vietnam war, but this isn’t necessarily about that. It starts at the end of the war and follows the path of a double agent living as an immigrant in America. Not only is it an unflinching look at the relationship between Vietnamese and Americans, it’s unapologetically angry. I learned so much and am changed by it.

Station Eleven

Emily St. John Mandel

I’m finally getting around to reading this. I’d heard it was really good but also fairly dark. It describes a deadly flu pandemic and a troupe of traveling actors through a devastated dystopia world, written before it actually happened. Doesn’t sound like a fun read, does it? But I am enjoying it.

Book Reviews: January – June 2022

by Leigh | Jun 29, 2022 | Stories, What I'm Reading | 0 comments

Piranesi
Susanna Clarke

This was such an enjoyable read. It was so different from what I usually choose. From the beginning, I was immersed into a world that didn’t make sense. I’d loved how the author set the mood and tone of the place. For the rest of the story, I was just trying to figure out, “How?” and “Why?” By the time I came back to reality I missed being there.

Evvie Drake Starts Over
Linda Holmes

Evvie, rhymes with Chevy. How do I keep choosing Romance novels? It wasn’t my thing really but I did enjoy it. Light, relatable, sweet. The kind of book to read when your brain needs a break.

Fifty Words for Rain
Asha Lemmie

I enjoyed this book a lot. It had some similarities with Pachinko. At one point I thought I’d have to stop reading it. It veered into the area of sex trafficking and I can’t go there. (It’s why I abandoned Amy Tan’s The Valley of Amazement)

Fifty Words follows a little girl, Japanese, and how she survives an abusive family of aristocrats. Her love of her half brother and their shared love of music help her endure.

Rules of Civility
Amor Towles

This might be my favorite book of the year. Not surprising since I loved A Gentleman in Moscow. I love the writing, especially the witty repartee, which seems typical of the 1930s. Towles really does a great job of transporting you to the time and place (NYC) without it feeling redone. Really lovely. Really enjoyable.

What Are You Going Through
Sigrid Nunez

Everyone is going through something. As much as I love a good escape, sometimes a relatable, real story makes life feel less lonely. Because we’re all experiencing heavy stuff. It wasn’t my favorite book, but pretty solid.

The Island of Sea Women
by Lisa See

I loved that this book took me somewhere so interesting, so different from what I’ve experienced. A small island off of Korea where women make the money to support their families by diving for sea urchin, abalone, octopus and other delicacies. I learned about this rich tradition in such beautiful detail. The story time jumps from present day back to the 1930s as it tells about the life of Young-sook and her best friend Mi-ja. We move through the decades and learn about the history of the region. Some of the events are so harrowing, so unthinkable, I wish I hadn’t read about them. But it was very educational and worth it.

28 Summers
Elin Hilderbrand

While I was vacationing at the beach, I took a break from The Island of Sea Women and picked up 28 Summers. I’ve never read anything by this quintessential beach-read author. It was the break I was looking for. Why don’t we all live on Nantucket?

The Last 8 Books I Read

by Leigh | Jan 19, 2022 | What I'm Reading, What's New | 0 comments

It’s been about 6 months since I did a book roundup…I have read some amazing books lately.

The Last Thing He Told Me
Laura Dave

I just finished this one. I sped through it in about 3 days which is crazy. I never read that fast. If you’re looking for a light thriller, page-turner, this is great. Written by a woman with the two main characters being women. Very satisfying.

I checked this out from the library using the Libby app.

How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are
Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Caroline de Maigret, and Sophie Mas

This was a gift from my lovely friend Jen. I had seen it when it came out but never bought it. What a treat to get it in the mail. It’s not a book-book, it’s more like a compilation on musings on being French, from Paris more specifically. Parts were enticing and beautiful, others … pretentious and a bit annoying, kind of like Parisians. But overall, it was a nice diversion.

The Paper Palace
Miranda Cowley Heller

My daughter picked this to read for school and it turned out to not be appropriate for a 13 year old. Oops. Heads up, it could be triggering. I did like it though. The prose, the setting. I could relate to the main character. (Reece Witherspoon book club pick which guarantees a female lead and writer.) It gave me Where the Crawdads Sing vibes as well as Commonwealth, things happening to kids that shouldn’t and a good amount of family disfunction. The story flips back and forth between present time and 70s/80s when the protagonist grew up, from New York City and Cape Cod. Again, not for kids.

MYTHOS
Stephen Fry

This is maybe cheating since I haven’t finished this but I thought I’d add it in. I’m almost half way through it. As you could guess, it’s about greek mythology. I personally love the subject matter. I thoroughly enjoyed CIRCE. But this is more of a text book, but a text book that really make the lives of the gods and goddesses super fascinating. I thought I knew a fair amount but am really getting a thorough reeducation. By the way, shout out to Mr. Cave, my 7th grade latin teacher, who made Roman and Greek history and mythology interesting. In and of itself but also since our language and culture has been built upon it.

CASTE
The Origins of Our Discontents
Isabel Wilkerson

I LOVED this book. No surprise it has been so glowingly reviewed. It’s amazing. I wanted to tell everyone to read it. Like, stop what you’re doing and read this book. I don’t think there is a more important, pressing topic right now. It explains that racism, or more accurately ‘Casteism’, is the framework our whole country is built upon. But, I think a lot of people are just not ready or able to take in this amount of truth. I think a few people I know might just get very defensive. That makes me sad. I have so much respect for Wilkerson for the hard work it took to compile this as well as the creativity and talent to write something so easy to get through. If you’ve been thinking of reading it, I think you will really enjoy it. And you’ll never be the same.

this is how it always is
Laurie Frankel

I don’t know how I found this book. Someone recommended it. It is a fictional account of a family who navigates their child’s desire to transition from a boy to a girl. I think It’s a difficult thing to understand and sympathize with if you’re not going through it yourself. Society as a whole has a long way to go. Frankel does a beautiful job of bringing us along for the ride. We learn about all the psychology, logistics, feelings and struggles involved. It’s just so beautifully depicted. And written. And it’s not just a book about being trans. It’s about family and marriage and friendship and honesty and choices and love.

The Mothers
Brit Bennett

My friend Lauri passed this book on to me and it was perfect. I really like a story of women, families, secrets, pain and redemption. Recommend!

Me Talk Pretty One Day
David Sedaris

Can you believe I’ve never read this?! My friend was referencing it and so I had to go back and read it. I’ve read Naked and When You Are Engulfed in Flames and adore Sedaris. This one is so good.