My Fall Reading List

With the end of September fast approaching, it's past time for a fall reading list. I put this one together a few weeks ago, got distracted by our daughter's wedding, and never got around to sharing it. Better late than never, right?

As you know, I'm better at making lists than actually following through and reading from them. BUT my summer reading list  really kept me focused for a few months and I'm hoping for a similar outcome this time. I do have several library holds, mostly literary prize nominees, that could complicate things. We'll see how it goes...

2024 FALL READING LIST

The Safekeep by Yael van her Wouden

Booker Prize short list (completed)

A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes

New fiction from an author I enjoy (completed)

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

new fiction from a favorite author (in progress)

Where the Forest Meets the River by Shanon Bowring

Sequel to The Road to Dalton, a 2024 favorite

Nathan Coulter by Wendell Berry

The first novel in the Port William series and an author I've been meaning to read

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

A debut novel that's been on my shelf for a few years, October selection of MMD book club

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

1989 Booker Prize winner

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

An author I've been meaning to read for years

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

Nature nonfiction with beautiful artwork (in progress)

The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

84, Charing Cross Road is a nonfiction favorite, but I've never read Hanff's visit to London

What books are you looking forward to this fall?  Have you made a reading list?

The Sunday Salon: Fall is here!

Hello, friends, it's good to be back here on the blog. The past few week have been both amazing and exhausting! We were in central NY for a week prior to our daughter's wedding and returned to CT on Tuesday. It took several more days to catch up and recover, but I think we're finally there. The wedding itself was just about perfect - the setting idyllic, the weather couldn't have been better, plus a spectacular sunset and nearly full moon. The photographer's "teaser" photos were stunning... I can't wait to see the rest of them!

Recent Reading//

September by Rosamunde Pilcher

I can always count on Rosamunde Pilcher for a wonderfully cozy reading experience, and this was just the right book to balance the pre-wedding stress and craziness. Reading with Tina and Les added even more to my enjoyment! 

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

The Safekeep by Yael van her Wouden

I requested this book from the library when it appeared on the Booker Prize long list and by the the time my hold arrived, it had advanced to the short list. This character-driven story, set in The Netherlands in the early 1960s, is a tension-filled, sometimes shocking slow burn of a novel. It centers around three siblings, their childhood home, and the eldest brother's girlfriend. I loved the gradual reveal of both the characters and their situations. It's probably best to go into this novel without knowing much about the plot, but it does deserve a warning for sexual content.

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

A Great Marriage by Frances Mayes

I've enjoyed several novels by this author over the years and this was another good one. Days before Dara and Austin's wedding, something happens which causes Dara to call it off... but she gives no explanation to family and friends. The story continues as everyone deals with the situation in their own way, before gradually forging a new path forward. This wasn't my favorite Mayes novel, but the premise was unique and I enjoyed the characters. It was an easy, undemanding post-wedding diversion and I'm glad I read it.

⭐⭐⭐💫

About to start//

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

Elizabeth Strout is a favorite author, and I can't wait to begin her latest novel. My daughter and I have tickets to see her in conversation with Meg Wolitzer at Symphony Space NYC next month.

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

This is my next slow nonfiction read. The book consists of a series of journal entries with drawings by the author. I read the introduction today and plan to read an entry or two each morning.

In the kitchen//

After over a week away, it felt good to plan and prepare our own meals again. I tried a pretty basic chicken marinade from the New York Times -  Dijonnaise Grilled Chicken Breasts. It's basically equal portions of mayonnaise and dijon mustard, with garlic and thyme. I let it marinade for about 8 hours, wiped off the excess, and placed the chicken pieces directly on the grill rack. It was delicious! I'm glad I made extra to use in a salad for another meal.

The week ahead//

Now that the wedding is over, our next project is a master bathroom remodel... demolition begins tomorrow! It's a small space and is supposed to be completed in about two weeks. We shall see!

How was your week? What have you been reading?

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

 

Summer Reading Wrap-Up

Today is Labor Day. September is here and, while I love a long weekend as much as anyone, this one always feels a little bittersweet. It's hard to say good-bye to summer... even though I really love fall! And this has been one great summer. We attended family weddings, a bridal shower, graduation parties, traveled to NYC twice, three times to central NY, once to both Pittsburg and Philadelphia, plus we had an amazing week in Santa Fe.

A side effect of all that travel (in addition to Covid!) was a summer of scarce reading time. I've only finished ten books since Memorial Day... BUT the quality of those books has, for the most part, been outstanding! The other notable aspect of my summer reading was that I made a "priority tbr list" in May and actually read 7 of the 10 books on it. I'm sure that's a record! It seems like I usually only manage a few.

To recap, here is my  SUMMER 2024 PRIORITY TBR LIST:

✅ Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin - nonfiction, summer project read, 5/5 stars

✅ Horse by Geraldine Brooks - 4.5/ 5 stars

✅ Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González - 4.5/ 5 stars

✅ The Annotated Persuasion by Jane Austen, David M. Shapard -classic, 5/5 stars

Long Island by Colm Tóibín

✅ How to Read a Book by Monica Wood - new release, 4/5 stars

✅ September by Rosamunde Pilcher -  buddy read, 4.5/ 5 stars

✅ The Bodyguard by Katherine Center - romance, 3/5 stars

Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin

I still want to read the three books I didn't get to over the summer. Maybe this fall. 

ADDITIONAL SUMMER READS

Sandwich by Catherine Newman - a new release, 4/5 stars

Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro - for Women in Translation Month - 5/5

Dayswork by Christopher Bachelder, Jennifer Habel - book club selection - 3/5

MY SUMMER FAVORITES

How was your summer reading season? What were your favorite books?