what I read: January, February 2017

In the spirit of sharing what I read re: yesterday's post, here's a list of what I read over the first two months of 2017, with a quick note about each one. Have you read any of these? Tell me what you thought in a comment here or an email (larkingshop at gmail)!

Middle-Grade or YA Novels
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein [literature-based caper]
Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan [historical fiction, magical realism, racial injustice, the power of art/music]
Stella by Starlight by Sharon M. Draper [historical fiction, racial injustice, coming of age]
Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar [magical realism, family drama, coming of age]
Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo [coming of age, family drama]
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken [suspense/thriller/adventure]
The Westing Game by Ellen Rankin [mystery]
Carney's House Party by Maud Hart Lovelace [friendship, romance]
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo [fantasy, adventure]
Wildwood by Colin Meloy [fantasy, adventure]
The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz [coming of age, family drama, bigotry/racism]
The Secrets of Eastcliff-by-the-Sea by Eileen Beha [adventure, family drama]

Mysteries
The Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime edited by Michael Sims [collected short stories and chapters from Victorian women writers or published works about women detectives]
Bellwether Rhapsody by Kate Racculia [The Shining meets Special Topics In Calamity Physics with a dash of Alice in Wonderland]

Nonfiction Books about Writing
What It Is by Lynda Barry [graphic novel about overcoming writing fears and Barry's own creative path]
The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books by Linda Ashman [e-book only]

Adult Fiction
Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple [in the same vein as Where'd You Go, Bernadette]
Austenland by Shannon Hale [three weeks at a fantasy camp for Jane Austen connisseurs]

larking book club, revisited.

I've mentioned before that I'm in a book club I adore, modeled roughly on the one that appears in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, in which we all read whatever we personally choose and then we share at our meeting (over hard cider and french fries), sometimes trading books amongst ourselves. We all have very different reading preferences, but a few books (often typical "book club picks") have made it around most or all of the members: The Night Circus, Where'd You Go Bernadette, The Golem and the Jinni, Wild, How Lucky You Are, Gone Girl (NB: this is not an endorsement of the books on this list - they were just read by multiple members, sometimes loved and sometimes despised).

I like the freedom of reading what I choose and not being stuck with a book I dislike, but I do miss the chance to actually discuss with fellow readers. I've made a commitment to pick up books instead of scrolling social media this year, and as a result I'm making significant headway on the large list of titles I've been meaning to read. I thought it might be fun to share my reading list at the beginning of each month and, if you're interested, you can jump in and read along! No pressure to read them all, of course, but if a title sounds good, I'd love your literary company.

I'm not sure yet what my format will be for sharing my thoughts on the books - email newsletter, blog post, FB live video, something else - so if you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. And if you're local and want to come to our monthly book club or meet me for coffee or a drink to discuss, that'd be awesome too.

Here's the lineup for March (I've already finished the first book and am 40 pages from finishing the second so you can find them at the local library if needed!):

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
A Study In Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Getaway Car by Ann Patchett
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb
and if time (otherwise, the start of my April list)
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
Emma by Jane Austen

(ps - these are not affiliate links, just helpful ones, but I did use my smile account on Amazon to search for them)

Hope some of you might be joining me in reading one or two of the titles on this list! If you have some books ideas to share for the rest of my year, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what else I should be reading - and you can always find me on Goodreads, too.

what we've been reading.

It's been a while since I updated you on what books have been gracing our shelves lately. (BTW, are we friends on GoodReads? We totally should be.)

that great pulp fiction Blue Train cover image found here

First of all, I've been on a crazy Agatha Christie binge - three of them in one week. And it just so happened that the ones I picked referenced each other, which is something I've never noticed before - especially mysteries that involve different detectives!

I suddenly realized that I'd never read The Mystery of the Blue Train, even though Poirot is my favorite. How does this happen? It's a good one - and features a plucky female heroine (not unlike another of my favorites, The Man in the Brown Suit) and a sweet little romance, so it's hard not to fall in love yourself. Strange coincidence #1: our plucky heroine is from St. Mary Mead! I can't remember a Marple/Poirot connection in any other books, but now I'm on the lookout.

Then it was on to By the Pricking of My Thumbs (love the Macbeth reference!), a Tommy and Tuppence mystery that I had forgotten about. It takes place in a small, blink-and-you'll-miss-it village in the English countryside where Tuppence winds up after a wild goose chase involving a painting, a memory of an old train ride, and a confused old lady in a nursing home who seems to be in some sort of trouble. Tommy and Tuppence are such a great pair - I wish Christie had written more mysteries involving them.

And, finally, I finished with Sleeping Murder. This is one I was pretty sure I remembered the solution to - I've read it, and it was a Miss Marple episode on Masterpiece not too long ago - but something made me pick it up anyway. Perhaps because it's about moving to a new house - though I'm certainly glad that there's no chance I lived here as a child and witnessed a murder! And there, in the middle of the novel: that same confused old lady from By The Pricking of My Thumbs, making the same strange comment to someone else! Bizarre that I happened to have read them in such short succession.

I also read, and loved, the following: Waiting for Birdy by Catherine Newman, The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald (you know her as the woman who created Mrs. Piggle Wiggle!), and the newest installment in the Flavia de Luce series. All three are totally fabulous, and I need to write a separate review for each of the first two titles - they're that fantastic.

I tried really, really hard to finish Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl. I just couldn't. Between the characters who were all totally despicable and the writing ("Literally" appearing on just about every page? Who is your editor?), I threw in the towel. And I'm glad I did, because if I had slogged through and then been rewarded with that horrific ending, there might be a book-sized hole through the bedroom wall of our new place. Totally not worth it. I'm not one for abandoning books, but that one had to be done.

As for toddler picks, Lorelei has been adoring Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee and his wife, Tonya Lewis Lee. The illustrations by Kadir Nelson are darling, and reading all about a naughty little toddler and all the things she does that she's not supposed to has been an endless source of laughter for a certain someone I know and love. I also found a very old copy of Over in the Meadow (Langstaff/Rojankovsky 1957 edition) hiding on the shelf at our library and we've been singing the sweet song that provides the text for this book ever since. If you don't know it, it's a great action song as well as a way to teach counting.

Disagree with my reviews? Have something to add? Please let me know in the comments!

Linking up with the Agatha Christie Carnival.

and the winner is...

Sorry (or, you're welcome?), I'm not doing a political post today. But I am telling you about the recent kids' books we've been reading and which one is our new favorite!

Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever
This is an oldie but a goodie -- and Lorelei is reading my old copy, actually! My mom said my brother and I were obsessed with this book, and my daughter is no different: she wants to read this several times a day. There are so many things to point out and talk about on every page, and as she learns new words and concepts we find more and more to look at. Recently, she's been excited about acting out certain pages (like Kenny getting ready in the morning and all of the kids at the playground). You can find vintage copies on Etsy and eBay, or find a new version for a steal.

Judy Hindley's Baby Talk
Confession: the dollhouse, plastic zoo animals, and car carpet at the library are right next to the "H" section of the children's books, so we tend to check out a lot of books by H-named authors. Luckily, we love Judy Hindley's books -- especially because her text is always paired with illustrations that are captivating for toddlers. Lorelei loves this title in particular; it walks you through a baby's typical day and is a great way to practice the kinds of words and phrases that your new talker might be trying out. I found hardcover copies on Books-a-Million for as little as $2.99.

Willa Perlman's Good Night, World
We loved this book so much we renewed it from the library! The sweet rhyming text and whimsical illustrations make for the perfect bedtime story -- you'll like it so much you'll have the whole thing memorized after a few reads. There's a redwing blackbird (my favorite!) on every page which is fun for little fingers to point to. Barnes and Noble has used copies for $3 and up.

Stephen Savage's Where's Walrus?
I don't always love wordless books, but this one is just so fun! This plucky walrus just wants to find a place to fit in -- and it's hilarious to watch him running away from the zookeeper and trying on different hats, literally and figuratively, until he figures out what makes him happy. The illustrations have a classic feel (lots of bloggers have posted about this book because it is so graphically pleasing) and you and your toddler will laugh and clap together at the perfect ending. $7.50 and up on Alibris.

And the winner is...

All of them!

Lorelei's pick: Baby Talk
Dad's pick: Where's Walrus?
Mom's pick: Good Night, World
The one we read the most, so the winner by time spent reading it: Best Word Book Ever

books that look like home.

A little while ago, Lorelei and I received a wonderful surprise package in the mail from Amber and Liam. It included a copy of this very sweet book:

Did you ever read Sarah, Plain and Tall when you were in grade school? It took me a while to make the connection, but All The Places to Love is by the same author. (The darling illustrations were painted by Mike Wimmer -- I can't believe how much the little girl looks like Lorelei.) Amber mentioned in her note that it's a book that reminds her a lot of where she and Liam live, and even though I grew up in a very large suburb of Minneapolis, you didn't have to drive very far to be in the farmland you see in this beautiful little story. My mom's family two generations back was from a very rural part of Nebraska, and I grew up hearing the stories of my great-grandmother's adventures living on the prairie -- it's amazing to think how her husband, my great-granddaddy, was born in a sod house in the 1800s and lived long enough to see a man walk on the moon!

It got me thinking, too, about two grown-up versions of All The Places to Love: one is a book I've discussed before by Wendell Berry (you can read my review of it here) and the other is My Antonia, a novel by Willa Cather that I used to teach back when I was in Colorado. Both of these books are love songs to a place more than novels with gripping plots, but sometimes it's nice to be immersed in the beauty of a landscape without worrying about the who or the what or the why.

I learned fairly recently that Willa Cather commissioned an artist to create drawings for the original publication of My Antonia but that her publisher refused to use them -- luckily, the University of Nebraska rescued them decades later. I've actually been making a series of necklaces out of them in my shop:

...and my mom was inspired enough to make a purse to match.

Thanks again for the mailbox surprise, Amber and Liam :)

what I've read lately {wordy wednesday post}

It's been quite a while since I've posted about what I'm reading. Here's a quick recap.

(click image for source)

JUST READ:
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls -- liked, but didn't love, this book. The writing is amazing and the story is powerful (to survive, and thrive, a childhood of such horrific neglect and upheaval is mindblowing), but it's just not "my kind of read." I have a hard time with voyeuristic memoirs and a really hard time reading about parents who are so unfit, especially now that I have a daughter of my own. And lest you want to argue with me that Jeannette's parents loved her and did their best, I'd have to counter by saying that loving your kids means getting a job even if you don't want to and protecting your children from child molesters even if they are related to you. Really.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver -- definitely an inspiring and eye-opening way to think about food. I love the idea of eating what's local and in-season (we do it as often as we can), and I love that Kingsolver and her family were willing to dig their heels in and actually walk the walk by growing it all themselves and journaling their experiences. I think at times it gets just the tiniest bit sanctimonious -- those of us who live significantly north of the Mason-Dixon line will have a very hard time living by their principles, and I think it's okay to do the best we can and not go through the produce section with a cloud of guilt over our heads. I also think it's important to note, as a little cruelty-free plug, that eating vegan one day a week has the same environmental impact as eating only locally-grown/produced food 100% of the time (read about it in a Carnegie-Mellon study described here).

Elephants Can Remember by Agatha Christie -- the last mystery novel she ever wrote (the last one published was her final Poirot, but she had written it years earlier); her Alzheimer's/dementia is obvious through the change in her writing style and the subject matter, which is all about forgetfulness and the power of the past.

CURRENTLY READING:
A House and Its Head by Ivy Compton-Burnett -- Struggling with this one, but determined to finish it because I want to read "real" literature along with the other bestsellers, mysteries, and "fluff" reads on my list. It's about the relationships in a family not dissimilar from the one showcased on Downton Abbey with some serious skeletons in the closet.

The Snowman by Jo Nesbo -- A page-turning thriller by yet another Scandinavian mystery writer. Finding myself skimming through the scary/gory parts because I don't have the stomach for them at the moment (warning: this one is about a serial killer targeting mothers, so you might want to skip it if you have a too-vivid fantasy life). Can't wait for Wallander to return to PBS, btw.

Room by Emma Donoghue -- I picked this one up recently because I'm using it to create something for a friend's blessingway and didn't intend to read it, due to the Jaycee Duggard-esque content. But flipping through it I couldn't help but get swept up into the narrative. I'm reading it in fits and spurts when I feel in the mood.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson -- a good palate cleanser (and spirit lifter) when The Snowman and Room become too intense for me. Really enjoying the relationship forming between the two main characters, and especially enjoying the book after reading a piece by the author in last month's Real Simple.

NEXT UP:
The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones -- a dinner party gone awry due to a derailed train and a desperate group of survivors needing a place to spend the night in the English countryside...

Waiting for Birdy by Catherine Newman -- a memoir about a mother's second pregnancy while raising her quirky, curious, and energetic toddler.

What are you reading? What else should I add to my bedside table (and/or goodreads shelf -- if we're not friends yet, we totally should be!)?

books as comfort food.

(image -- and a really cute shop too!)

Do you have certain books that you return to over and over again? My husband never reads books more than once unless it's for work, but I am definitely a repeat offender when it comes to my favorite titles. I actually wrote one of my college application essays about the multiple times I read George Orwell's Animal Farm (not a favorite, by the way) and how I had come to realize that, though the book seemed different every time, it was really because it kept revealing to me how I had changed. Deep stuff for a 17 year old -- wish I still had a copy!

Here are some of the books I'm guilty of rereading:

Pride and Prejudice. Enough said.

Agatha Christie novels and Sherlock Holmes short stories. I can tear through them really fast, and I always know I'm going to enjoy them, so it satisfies my book craving when I'm in between reads.

Something Foolish, Something Gay and Freaky Friday. When I was in junior high and high school, I read each of these countless times (waaay before the Lindsay Lohan movie, thankyouverymuch). Why? I guess I envied the lives of the girls in them for some reason -- smart, sarcastic, independent, cute.

Ian McEwan's Saturday. I love how this novel reveals the power of stories (and the desperate need for them) in our lives, and I also feel a pretty strong affinity for the family McEwan portrays -- it reminds me a lot of my own, in certain ways.

M. Scott Peck's The Road Less Traveled, when I'm feeling like I need to do some soul-searching.

What books do you turn to time and again? I'd love to know your put-it-on-repeat picks!

And speaking of books I've read many times, I'm excited to announce the winners of Lorelei's Baby Book Club giveaway from last week. Thanks to random.org, the proud new owners of copies of I Love You, Mouse are Margaux and Finley! Send me your contact info so I can get your books in the mail -- and don't forget to post about the book sometime on your blogs, too. :)

this week's adventures in motherhood: I love you, mouse {baby book club giveaway}

Coming down off the high of Lorelei's birthday week...ahhhh.

I'm so glad we didn't do a big party, because as a result we've had some lovely small celebrations with the people who matter to us -- Lorelei got to enjoy several individual visits from grandparents, her uncle and soon-to-be aunt, cousins, and friends, and they got to enjoy having her all to themselves rather than fighting through the crowd at a raucous party. Not that I'm disparaging anyone's choice to throw such a party: I love a good bash and am in the midst of planning one myself (a detailed post coming soon!). But this worked out perfectly for us.

A few birthday-related pics:

On the night of the 24th, after a picnic lunch and a birth minute kiss and a feast of avocado and birthday cake followed by bath time in her very own brand new bathtub (look how excited she is!), Lorelei settled in for story time with Daddy. They read a book we received shortly after Lorelei was born that has become one of our most cherished bedtime stories:

I love you, mouse.
and if I were a mouse,
I'd build you a furry nest.
And we'd curly up together
and nibble some cheese.


I love you, cub,
and if I were a bear,
I'd find you a cozy cave.
And we'd hunt for some honey
and watch out for bees.


I love you, baby.
And since we're people,
I've built a house for you,
and given you a bed with warm quilts,
a cool drink of water,
a kiss on the nose,
and a quiet good night.

And since we cherish it so much, we want you to read it, too!

Lorelei and I have two gently used copies of I Love You, Mouse to give away! (The book is out of print or we'd get you some brand spankin' new ones.) To enter, just post a comment below. If you blog, tweet, or mention this giveaway on Facebook, come back and leave another comment too for more entries! Oh, and remember: for Lorelei's Book Club giveaways, the only requirement is that you promise to post about the book on your blog at some point and link back here. Pictures of your little one reading would be especially appreciated -- and don't be afraid to get creative if the "little one" lives far away from you or hasn't been born yet!

The giveaway will run through next Tuesday night (June 5th) at 10pm (CDT). Good luck!

baby book club. (a friday round up)

It's been a little while since I posted about what baby and I are reading together -- so today's typical Friday post is all things picture book related. Here's what L and I highly recommend you find at your local library:


Symphony City by Amy Martin
The pictures in this book are GORGEOUS. So gorgeous that I've considered ordering some of her artwork as prints for our house. The story is sweet, too -- a girl gets separated from her grandfather on the subway and the music of the city keeps her safe on her journey back home to her mother.

Hen Hears Gossip by Megan McDonald and Joung Un Kim
I love the collage-y artwork of this quirky little story about farm animals who are a little too eager to spread some news they don't really know that much about. (Favorite misheard line: "A lady yak was born?!")

Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems
I know I'm coming pretty late to the party on Willems' pigeon series, but this book makes us laugh so hard. Who isn't in the mood for a hot dog party instead of going to bed?

I'm Not Scared! by Jonathan Allen
Allen's "I'm Not..." series featuring Baby Owl and his little stuffed Owly are our favorite bedtime reads, and L knows exactly when to turn the pages now that she's heard this one so many times. Can't wait to read it with her once she actually understands the words, too!

Babyberry Pie by Heather Vogel Frederick and Amy Schwartz
I sing the Pie Song (from the movie Waitress) at every nap and every night as a lullaby, so this was a perfect fit for us as a bedtime story, too. I love the idea of describing a routine as a "recipe" as you snuggle your baby into bed.


As for me, I'm finishing up Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. What are you reading this weekend?

calling all readers: join larking's online book club!

Are you in any book clubs? I'm in two at the moment. One, which I've posted about before, is an every-other-month kind of affair that is more focused on yummy breakfast food and camaraderie than a serious discussion about books (this month: The Hunger Games). The other one, which has only met once so far but which I'm really pumped about, is more along the lines of the group in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: everybody brings whatever they happen to have been reading and lends it out to anyone who is interested.

But what's one more -- three's a charm, right?

How'd you like to be a part of a very low-commitment book club? Here's my idea: I'm going to start posting my soon-to-read books over on the side of my blog (right now, I'll use my Shelfari bookshelf). That way, if any of them look good to you, you can read along so my book reviews will be a little more meaningful to you.

Additionally, I'm hoping that you'll help me to come up with my future reading list. Tell me what you are reading, or plan to read soon, and I'll try to incorporate as many of your book suggestions as I can (knowing, of course, that there are only so many hours in the day!). That way, you don't have to read anything you're not interested in.

Once a month, I'll try to update you on what I'll be reading so you can join in and follow along. I'll post my reviews on Wednesdays like always. Here's my current list:

just finished -- Death Comes to Pemberley and The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (reviews coming soon -- if you read fast, you've still got time!)

on my nightstand -- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle; A House and Its Head

Hope you'll join me -- tell me what you're reading next!