I love reading – It’s what I do before falling asleep every night or when curled up at home on a chill fall day. Getting lost in an engaging story is one of my favorite feelings. To hopefully inspire the same feeling in you, I’m sharing my thoughts on four books I’ve read over this early fall.
Intimacies by Katie Kitamura is a really interesting story about a woman who moves to The Hague to work as an interpreter at the International Court. This is a quiet but powerful novel written in simple language, comprised of moments in which this (unnamed) woman navigates her relationship with her lover Adriaan, her friend Jana, and a former president accused of war crimes for whom she must interpret at the court. Through these experiences, she tries to figure out where she belongs. I thought the ending was beautiful! I recommend curling up on a weekend afternoon and reading the whole thing – It’s short, quick, and worth it.
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah is a sweet story about two best friends and their journey through the years, how they choose different paths, fall apart and come together again. I would recommend this book to anyone who treasures female friendships, who has questioned their path in life, or who grew up in the 70s, 80s, or 90s. I was full of feelings after reading this one!
I really enjoyed reading this memoir, I Am I Am I Am by Maggie O’Farrell, in which she shows her life through a series of near-death experiences. It was astounding to learn how much one person has been through and survived. Each essay is engaging, suspenseful, reflective, and honest. I was hooked from the first one, and filled with nerves reading about each of her brushes with death. And still, she never shies away from what life has to offer, but wants to experience it. She is a fascinating person and a brilliant writer. This one will stick with me.
The Husbands by Chandler Baker takes place in Dynasty Ranch, a neighborhood that seems perfect when Nora Spangler arrives to attend an open house with her husband. Nora, an attorney, meets some of the women who live in the community and agrees to take on a case involving a mysterious house fire there. We soon learn that something is different about this place; it’s a sort of Stepford Husbands world. I was honestly a little iffy as I read this one and wasn’t really sure where it was going. The story progresses slowly, and I wish there’d been more intrigue. Things take a sinister turn but not until the very end. I did enjoy the ending but I’m not sure it’s worth reading just to get there! You might enjoy it if/when you are a woman feeling frustrated or undervalued; perhaps save it for an angry day (ha!).
Since finishing these, I’ve started Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty, and I’m hooked so far. What are you reading at the moment?
