Thank you for joining me here! I hope you enjoy this series and I’d love to hear from you about what you are reading these days.
Book #1:
Walking With Sam by Andrew McCarthy (Length: 257 pages) This is a non-fiction book by the Brat Pack author who walked the Camino de Santiago with his 19-year-old son Sam. I listened to this on audio as it’s narrated by McCarthy and it’s an excellent listening experience. Walking from Portugal to Spain, the duo followed the path of pilgrims to the shrine of the apostle James in Galicia, Spain. This book was so fun to follow along with their 500-mile, 5-week journey and I appreciated all of the little details, such as where they chose to stay, what they ate, and who they met along the way. This is a bucket list hike for me but the odds are slim I’ll ever be able to walk this road, so I very much enjoyed listening to others who have been lucky enough to do so.
Book #2:
Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino (Length: 334 pages). Set in 1960s Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore, Marilyn is sent to stay with her great aunt Ada, a 70-year-old Jewish matchmaker with a sharp tongue and a huge heart, after Marilyn crashed through a stained-glass window with the rabbi’s son during synagogue. While this is considered a punishment by her parents, Marilyn ends up finding herself and learning more about her great aunt’s incredible life. This is SO good! The character development is top-notch, and the dialogue is sparkling. This is a bit slow to start but keep with it as you’ll be so glad you did. The ending is perfection!
Book #3:
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (Length: 305 pages). Long walks must be a theme with me this month as this account of a walk on the Appalachian Trail written by the amazing Bill Bryson was such a fun read. I actually thought I had already read this, having enjoyed many of Bryson’s other books but when I realized I hadn’t, I tore through this in a matter of hours. I’ve been obsessed with this historic trail and this is one of the better accounts I’ve read, thanks to Bryson’s wit, and love of history and the environment. The pacing is perfect, and his ton is spot on. Definitely pick this one up if you are a fan of walking books.
Book #4:
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern (Length: 530 pages). WOW. This incredible book has been on my TBR for way too long and I’m so glad I finally read it. It isn’t what I thought it would be like, and that’s a good thing. It’s even better! This is magical realism, set at the turn of the 19th century, and follows a circus that travels around the world. The first words, “The circus arrives without warning” set the tone and I was hooked. I will say, the first 10% of the book is a bit slow as it’s setting the scene but stick with it and enjoy the gorgeous and captivating ride. The words on the page are lyrical and the plot is propulsive, and I enjoyed every minute, especially the resolution. This is a book that I’ll remember forever, and it will possibly be on my top 10 books I’ve ever read.
Book #5:
I Hope This Finds You Well by Kate Baer (Length:96 pages). This is a slim, beautifully written volume of poetry that I very much enjoyed reading. The author picked out various words from Internet “troll” comments left on her social media to recreate words of beauty from words of ignorance and hate. This is a delightful book and it’s a keeper as I’ll want to turn back to it again and again. This would make a great little gift for someone in your life, even if they’re not poetry fans. 5/5 stars!
Lora Terrill 