We are up to 20 books this year! So many great choices. Hope some of these end up on your list. Let me know if you want more details.
Midnight Library by Matt Haig: Oh, my word. This is the year of Matt Haig. What an amazing story, bending time, place and character. In the first few chapters, I really wasn’t sure how the crux of the story was going to work, but when it started, I could not stop reading. One of the best books I have read in ages.
What Makes You Think You’re Awake by Maegan Poland: I don’t regularly read short story collections, but I might change that after this fantastic book by my niece (she married my nephew in 2020). I thoroughly enjoyed every single story in the collection. The work that went into building so many different worlds floored me. And I loved supporting a family member, a new author and a small press when I bought the book.
I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson: This sat on my wishlist for a long time, and I pulled the trigger as I looked for something which would be a nice easy read at the beach. And it delivered. The chronicle of a three-week road trip across the country she took one summer has a lot of fun stuff, a lot of introspective stuff and just plain old random things. Definitely a good choice.
How Lucky by Will Leitch: I have always liked Leitch’s sports writing and general columns so I figured this would be fun. I did not expect it to blow me away like it did. A thriller that probably goes at a little slower pace than most thrillers, he nailed it with perfect characters, some fascinating hooks and an incredibly detailed inclusion of Athens, Ga., as an extra character. I highly recommend this one.
Midnight Bowling by Quinn Dalton: When I bought Maegan’s book, I wanted to pick something else up from Blair, the small nonprofit press which published the book. This is a few years old, but I liked the idea of someone trying to live up to their parent’s shadow in something as niche as bowling. The book really brought this world to life, including some great 70s-era nostalgia. I didn’t love the shared narration by two characters, but it wasn’t a deal breaker.
The Long Fuse By Don Cook: My wife bought this Colonial-era history book a while back, and I decided to delve in. I went through it a lot faster than I expected since I sometimes take it slow with history to make sure I am really digesting the information. This perspective of how the British lost the war rather than the Americans winning it is really compelling. The constant missteps (coupled with the fact that any orders and advice would take 3-4 months round trip) really shows just how messed up the entire situation was. I may have to look for more on this time period.