It's a sunny Sunday afternoon in Florida and we're in the middle of a long Memorial Day weekend. Life is feeling more normal again as most people we know have been vaccinated. Yesterday we had lunch (outdoors) with friends visiting from CT. Today we'll take dinner over to my FIL, and tomorrow will be a "day off" set aside for reading and relaxing.
Recent reading//
Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
Last week I decided to change things up with some fun contemporary fiction. Like her earlier novel, Standard Deviation, Heiny’s characters are quirky and immensely likable. Chapters are titled by year and jump ahead 1-3 years from 2002 to 2019. It took a little longer than I would have liked to get into the story and fully appreciate the characters (close to 30%) but then I devoured the rest of the novel in an afternoon. I also loved the slightly offbeat humor and laughed out loud several times.
I've gravitated toward books written by doctors and therapists for as long as I can remember... books like Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb, which was an audio favorite a couple of years ago. To be clear, Good Morning, Monster is a much heavier read. Therapist Catherine Gildiner chronicles her treatment of five patients with remarkable and inspirational recovery stories.
Their stories are tragic, and reading about such abuse and neglect is grueling. It's difficult to imagine how any child could endure so much, but all five patients had already demonstrated extraordinary strength by the time they arrive at therapy. It was interesting to see how treatment by a skilled therapist enabled these adults to come to terms with their trauma and move toward living happier lives.
This may not be a good choice for more sensitive readers, but I thought it was excellent.
Current reading//
What Kind of Woman: Poems by Kate Baer
I don't read much poetry, but really like this slim collection and will continue reading a few poems each day.
I started this novel on audio yesterday, but then decided to borrow the ebook as well. Lahiri's writing is, as always, beautiful. Whereabouts, written in Italian and translated by the author, is a series of short chapters or vignettes told in the first person by an unnamed woman. So far I am entranced...
About to start//
This author's debut novel, The Nest, was a solid 4-star read for me back in 2016. I have high hopes for this one, too.
That's my reading update for the past couple of weeks.
How are things with you? What have you been reading?
Isn't it wonderful to start taking those steps to normalcy? I hope more and more people continue to get their vaccine so we can get there. We've started going out a bit more and just so happy for the holiday weekend to have some time to relax. Very curious about the poetry collection. I'm always looking for new poets to try so will have to add this one to my list. Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteIliana - The poetry collection is wonderful so far! I understand Kate Baer has a follow-up collection coming out in November.
DeleteI’ve never read Jhumpa Lahiri though I’ve always intended to.
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful day off, a great reading week
Shelleyrae - Jhumpa Lahiri is one of my favorite authors. She is so talented!
DeleteGorgeous photo! We're hoping to do a little staycation soon in a hotel soon. But we will not have that kind of view from out balcony, unfortunately! lol.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Monster looks right up my alley. I'll have to check it out.
So glad you are able to see more friends and family as more are getting vaccinated. Such a great feeling to look forward to these experiences again.
Whereabouts looks really good. I've enjoyed two of her books and look forward to her new writing phase in Italy.
Heather - Good Morning Monster is so good... just know what you're getting into. It's tough going at times! I'm sure you'll enjoy your getaway, too, no matter where you go. It's just so good to be able to travel again.
DeleteGreat that you were able to do a little getaway, it's the little things that we are beginning to resume that feel so good. I loved Good Morning Monster, yes, heavy and hard to imagine how one could endure what these individuals went through. I also tried the Jhumpa Lahari on audio but stopped and thought I'd prefer the print because of the beautiful writing. Hope you have a nice week.
ReplyDeleteDiane - I'm glad I was able to borrow the ebook of Whereabouts, too. I'm reading it on my kindle first, then listening on my walk... easy to do with such a short book!
DeleteI've started to return to a more normal life as well. It looks like you had a good week of reading. Check out what I read and more at Girl Who Reads
ReplyDeleteGirl Who Reads - It's good to start getting back to normal, it's been a long time!
DeleteIt's wonderful to be able to get out with friends and see people and do things, isn't it? I've never appreciated these small things as much as now.
ReplyDeleteKey Largo looks as beautiful as I've imagined it. One of these days I will go to Florida, I think.
Good Morning, Monster is a good read, but it's not for everyone. It's difficult to face the awful childhoods some people experienced, but I'm glad there are therapists who can help.
I got a copy of Standard Deviation when you mentioned it recently. I also have a copy of Whereabouts that I should read soon.
Deb - I think we're all appreciating the little things more these days, which is good. Key Largo was so pretty... the water on the bay side where we stayed was protected and so calm. Hope you like Standard Deviation... I enjoyed it even more than Early Morning Riser.
DeleteI plan on taking a weekend trip in June, but can't quite figure out what I want to do. I'd like it to be a driving trip so that helps narrow it down.
ReplyDeleteHelen - I think we're all a little rusty when it comes to planning travel. It's been a long time! I'm sure you'll come up with the perfect getaway.
DeleteNice looking assortment of books. All of them are new to me. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteKathy - Thanks. I love how bloggers introduce me to so many new books!
DeleteI look forward to your reviews of Good Company and Whereabouts ... so I know whether to get those. I have liked Lahiri's books in the past. That's great you got out on a trip ... Key Largo must have been awesome, way to go! We are going to Banff for several days in a couple weeks and it should be a nice break. We all need these almost post Covid trips! Enjoy your week. ps. I still need to get to the Gottlieb book. It's still popular at the library.
ReplyDeleteSusan - I can already say Whereabouts is worth a read, but haven't started Good Company, yet. Definitely try Gottlieb's book if that type if therapy story appeals. I loved listening! Banff sounds wonderful... my brother has been several times during the winter.
DeleteThe Keyes are on my bucket list; glad you got to visit.
ReplyDeleteRAnn - Since moving to Florida we've visited the Keys several times, but almost always continue driving until we get to Key West. This was a nice change of pace!
DeleteGood Morning Monster sounds really good! I have read other books by Catherine Gildiner. She grew up in Lewiston, NY and then her family moved to Amherst, NY to the very same neighborhood I grew up in. She wrote two excellent memoirs, Too Close to the Falls, and After the Falls. I highly recommend them, especially if you're familiar with Western New York.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently reading Good Morning Midnight by Jean Rhys. I've only just started it, but I think it's going to be an emotional journey.
Aileen - Gildiner mentioned her memoir several times in Good Morning, Monster and I was curious. I visited Artpark in Lewiston for musicals and concerts a few times decades ago. My college roommate/best friend was from Buffalo (she still lives in the area) and that was a popular summer destination. Will add Too Close to the Falls to my list. Thanks!
DeleteWe took a giant leap here over the weekend and decided to get out more, especially when it came to doing things with the family. We are all double-vaccinated now, even the grandchildren (18-22 years old), so we attended the high school graduation of the grandsons, had dinner inside a favorite Mexican restaurant with them, and went to a party the next night at my daughter's to celebrate with them again. I'm surprised at how "normal" it all seemed - but not by how much we enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Monster is intriguing despite its somber subject matter. I can imagine that their stories are inspirational ones despite what they were made to suffer beforehand. And it's hard to go wrong with Lahiri. I still can't believe that she can write in Italian when that's a relatively new language for her. I just can't imagine ever being that fluent in a second language.
Sam - What a wonderfully normal weekend and congratulations to your grandsons (twins?) on their graduation! We almost had our first indoor meal at a restaurant last night, but the rain stopped and they were able to seat us outdoors. I'm relieved to feel ready to eat indoors though.
DeleteI'm more impressed by Lahiri's book with every chapter. To be able to write like that, especially considering the newness of the language to her, is amazing. What a talent!
Fun, contemporary fiction sounds like what I need right now. We had a great weekend away but I didn't get a lot of reading done because of the friendly people poolside. It felt good to chat with humans again in person.
ReplyDeleteTi - I'm so glad you enjoyed your weekend away! I know how good it felt for us... making smalltalk with strangers, being around people. We missed it more than we knew.
DeleteBeautiful view!! I love the Keys. :) It's been way too long since I have been to Florida!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erin. We're so happy to be able to explore Florida again!
DeleteI hope you enjoyed your long Memorial Day weekend, with your meals with friends, and reading and relaxing. We had a long Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK too and we were blessed with some glorious weather for it, at last! 😎 Take care and happy reading in the coming week. 🙂
ReplyDeleteJessica - We had a wonderful long weekend and, unlike family and friends in NY, had lovely weather. Glad you did, too. Hope you're having a good week.
DeleteEarly Morning Riser sounds appealing. Wow, Key largo, it's been ages since I went there. My reading has picked up since we are still in the RV. The heat of the day runs me inside and I have gotten through lots of books!
ReplyDeleteTina - This is the first time we've ever stopped in Key Largo. Seems like we're usually on the way to Key West. We'd like to explore some of the other Keys now, too. We're getting into that time of year with uncomfortably hot afternoons and early evening thunderstorms... good reading weather. Your cabin this week looks beautiful!
DeleteWhat a beautiful photo! I really want to read Early Morning Riser, I've heard such great things about her writing, particularly her wit. I just finished Beatriz Williams' OUR WOMAN IN MOSCOW, and I highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteDiane - I ended up liking Standard Deviation more than Early Morning Riser, but you can't go wrong with either of them. Adding Our Woman in Moscow to my list... thanks!
DeleteCatching up here... Wasn't it great to get away for an overnight excursion?! It looks like it was a beautiful spot to escape from the everyday humdrum after Covid.
ReplyDeleteEarly Morning Riser sounds like a fun book. With the leaps ahead in years, I may have to go with the print edition rather than the audio. Sometimes it's helpful to see the chapter headings. Good Morning Monster also sounds like a winner, in spite of the subject matter. I'll look for both of these at my library later in the year. I would love it if you could share one or two favorite poems from Baer's book.
Les - That Key Largo getaway was just what we needed! I love the Keys and we always blast through on the way to Key West, so this was something new and exciting.
DeleteEarly Morning Riser was an enjoyable read, but it took so long to get into. If you haven't read this author, I'd recommend Standard Deviation instead. Good Morning Monster was tough at times, but really a great listen for me. I'm trying to decide if I can share one of the poems in Baer's book if it's in the context of a review... think that should be okay.