a Look at a Book

The Book Club for Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick

The title alone caught my attention, and then I was drawn into the lives of the four very different women who formed this book club. They read several books of substance, and I was intrigued by the mention of books that were, at the time, more newly published. In fact, reading this book was partly what caused me to pick up A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf (review below). 

It’s set in the 1960s in a picture-perfect suburb, but of course, things are not picture perfect within each home. I appreciated the variety of domestic lives that were portrayed, along with their faithfulness to each other in difficult circumstances. 

Definitely some trigger warnings, which reflect the time in which the story is set: mental health, marital unfaithfulness, unhealthy marriage relationships. And some explicit language. 

But honestly, I liked this book overall and would recommend if you’re looking for a book that shows some true friendship and courage to overcome painful family circumstances.

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Definitely a five-star read for me. I don’t have enough good things to say about this book. I know lots of people have raved about it online, and I am now one of them! It is beautiful. Exquisite.
The mystery of who Theo is, the layers of the story with all the people he comes to know in the town of Golden, his nearly-divine benevolence, the sweetness of a small town community, the beauty of all kinds of art . . . I only had two complaints near the end – a sudden thing I feel I should have seen coming and a reveal that felt almost too . . . cliche . . . for how amazing the rest of the book was. 

Nevertheless, it was uplifting amidst brokenness, hopeful amidst unhopeful circumstances, and a celebration of loving neighbors as oneself. 

Can’t recommend enough. And J & A, thanks for the gift of the book at our St. Nicholas gift exchange! 

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Okay. I had (briefly) considered reading this book before, but it was never appealing when I would see it as an option on Libby. However, when the movie itself popped up on Netflix, I remembered it was a book first, and decided, “Sure, why not?”. 

It was so over the top. I know it’s meant to be. But I mean, really. There were times that I was reading it and thinking, “Okay, let’s get on with things. Why are you going on and on about this stuff?” But I kept reading to find out what happened to both Rachel and Astrid. Their stories were compelling enough amidst the insane lives of the insanely rich people Nicholas grew up around. 

I also did enjoy learning more about the very rich in Singaporean culture, since I am not very familiar with it. 

Was it uplifting and edifying? Mmm, no, I can’t say that it was. Did it take my mind off of morning sickness that seemed never-ending? Yes, yes it did. 

So do I recommend it? I think if you are in the mood for some ridiculousness and satire and a world that seems foreign because of the opulence, sure. Otherwise, I’d say skip it! I did try the second book, and opted to not finish it. The first was enough for me.

Content caveats: plenty of swear words, some illicit substance use, I don’t think there were any open door scenes, but I didn’t write this review close enough to when I finished to remember for sure.

The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale

I read this for the Decades Challenge (Book Girls’ Guide) after hearing about Nellie Bly from multiple places. I highly, highly recommend this historical fiction account of what launched Nellie Bly from an aspiring female reporter (when those were very few and far between) to a well-known and successful female reporter. It can be an emotionally tough read in some places, given that she goes undercover into an asylum. However, I found it quite worth it to read, despite, or perhaps because of, the hardships she uncovers. 

Trigger warnings: women weren’t treated as equals at that point in history, so there are some instances of very poor treatment of women, which results in them being taken to the asylum. If I recollect correctly, there is a sprinkling of explicit language (d***, for instance), but not nearly the amount or specific words you would see in today’s contemporary fiction. 

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote

I read this one for the Rory Gilmore challenge prompt (a book adapted into film) and I have to say, I do not understand its popularity. Nor why it was turned into a film. It was nothing at all like what I expected. In my head, a story entitled “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” should have, well, a breakfast at Tiffany’s. Nope. Not at all. 

It was strangely (or perhaps just unexpected on my part) stream-of-consciousness and a lot of things weren’t really explained; rather, they were alluded to like the reader would already know about them, perhaps? Also, the ending was so abrupt that I turned the page looking for more and didn’t find anything else. I turned back to the beginning to see if it would make sense of the ending, since the beginning started as a sort of frame. Eh…kind of, but not really. 

The best Google can give me for why it is popular is that it describes 1940’s New York and that somehow Holly Golightly is fascinating because of how enigmatic she is. I do have to say, trying to make sense of her did keep me reading this short novella. But she remains an enigma to the end (sorry if that’s a spoiler). As with another reader, it took me a while to get into this story and it also reminded me a bit of The Great Gatsby in some indefinable way. 

I’d say, it’s short enough that it’s not a waste of reading time, so you could definitely read it. And perhaps to be more culturally conversant, it’s a good idea. But if you pass on it, you’ll still live just fine. 🙂

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

I read a different Katherine Center book earlier and loved it, so when a reader on IG recommended this one even over The Bodyguard, I was excited to try it. It was good, for sure. The premise is different than anything I’ve ever read. I’ve never heard of facial blindness before, but it definitely made this portrait artist’s life difficult! I must not have been reading carefully, because I was surprised by the reveal at the end. Couldn’t believe I didn’t see it coming, but it made for a sweet ending. 

Her angst and refusal to allow others to help (specifically her stepmom) frustrated me; it felt like she was refusing to grow as a person. However. I still enjoyed it as a closed door, light romcom read, and would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a good one!

I think I enjoyed The Bodyguard better, but they were both solid, fun reads.

A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf

After reading The Book Club for Troublesome Women and seeing this on the list for one of my reading challenges, I decided I’d try it! I’ve never been able to finish a Virginia Woolf novel before, but I thought I’d give this essay a shot. 

I finished it! *praise hands*

While parts were hard to follow, there were also parts that were enlightening, provoking, and clarifying. I really liked reading it around the same time that I read The Mad Girls of New York, The Book Club for Troublesome Women, The Bookbinder of Jericho (review forthcoming), and Finding My Way (see below). For the first three, because of the struggles of women to find equality and satisfaction amidst strong cultural pressure to only be housewives and how A Room of One’s Own informed, inspired, and clarified that struggle. For the last two, because they also take place at Oxford. I’ve never read books in tandem in terms of the same setting at different times in history, but it really rounded out my understanding of the place. 

I don’t think I would have been able appreciate this essay quite as much if I hadn’t read some of those alongside it. So if you don’t gravitate toward essays, I recommend some of these other titles to read before/after/with it!

Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai

This memoir is extremely vulnerable and honest. We get a wide window into Malala’s interior world and her struggles to move forward past the shooting that had been the one defining moment of her life. 

In some ways, I liked this memoir better than her first (though it is also compelling and eye-opening for Westerners!). Mainly, I liked how much freer she is in sharing her true voice with the readers. 

I identified with her emotional and mental challenges in her twenties – not because my life has been like hers; rather, because she described them in ways I remember feeling in my twenties – particularly her bouts with anxiety and counseling. 

If you’re looking for a coming-of-age memoir and a glimpse into the interior life of someone who is known around the world, or you’re just curious to find out what has become of Malala now that it’s been several years since she was propelled to the world stage, I recommend this book!

The Word in the Wilderness by Malcolm Guite

Along with a group of women at church, I am reading this book during the season of Lent. It has one poem for each day of Lent along with a reflection by the author/compiler. While I have struggled at times to gain a whole lot of meaning from some of the poems (I’m out of practice!), I have found Guite’s reflections and explanations of context quite helpful. I especially like the structure it gives for journeying through Lent. 

I’ll keep you posted after we finish on any other thoughts!

Fertile Ground by Laura S. Jansson

If you’ve been around my blog long enough, you may remember me mentioning this book during my first pregnancy. I was desperate for some kind of liturgical prayer to guide me through the strange new world of pregnancy, and my doula-friend recommended this to me. I got it partway through my first pregnancy, but this time, I started reading a chapter each week from the start. Jansson organized the topics according to what makes sense at a given point in pregnancy and offers encouragement, perspective, and a holy reframing of different challenges related to growing a human. 

Just this evening I caught up on week 30, which reframed how one can view the nighttime caring of a newborn (I had been thinking about that very thing minutes before) and read week 31, which was about how we can better view the inevitable inundation of interruptions in motherhood (I had just complained to my husband about that on our pre-dinner walk).

If you or a friend is pregnant and would like a “spiritual doula” to walk you through pregnancy, I highly recommend this book! She writes from an Eastern Orthodox perspective, so not all her faith allusions will make sense, depending on your background. But those aside, there is so much wisdom and encouragement to receive from Laura Jansson.

Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman

My moms-of-littles group is reading through this book this school year, and we only have the conclusion left to read. 

I have to say, it’s not been my favorite book. I have struggled to define why not. Perhaps it is because, rather than giving practical, applicable ideas about how to live out missional motherhood, it’s more making a case for missional motherhood and how that is based in Scripture. It hasn’t been all bad; it just hasn’t been what I was wanting or hoping for in a book on motherhood. 

If you’re wanting a book that gives you the big scope of Scripture and where motherhood fits in, I think you’d like this book.