I’m a week late for National Library Week, but it’s never too late to break out the shades, apply some sunscreen, and read a good book on the spring grass (or weeds, if you have a lawn like mine). I’ve read or listened to nine more books since my first book review post of 2017, and I’m sharing six great reads that cross a variety of genres.
I don’t typically rank the books I review, but the first two listed here are my favorites of the bunch. In fact, they are my favorites to date of 2017.
Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, which help buy Kindle books on sale for $0.99.
Beartown: A Novel by Fredrik Backman
Expected publication April 25, 2017; I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley.
I enjoyed A Man Called Ove by Backman, but I liked this novel even more. It begins slowly, as Backman introduces the reader to the residents of Beartown, a wooded, wintery small town that lives and breathes hockey. Every character is nuanced and complex, from the GM of the hockey club to the immigrant teen struggling to find a place among the players. The pace picks up as the team wins the semifinals and an act of violence ripples through the town. Backman’s style of jumping from one brief scene to another keeps the novel moving, and he deftly tells the story of multiple characters without confusing the reader. Beartown is about a small town and ice hockey, but it is truly about human resilience and how we define ourselves in public and private moments. I read the last quarter of the book in one sitting, because I needed to know how all the threads would be woven together, and Backman did not disappoint.
I highly recommend this thought-provoking novel; it’s a great book club pick, and a perfect book for when you can only commit to reading in ten minute increments.
America’s First Daughter: A Novel by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie (audio book)
As a Hamilton fan, I am predisposed to dislike Thomas Jefferson, but this historical fiction book was fabulous. It is told from the point of view of Martha Jefferson Randolph, TJ’s oldest daughter and his loyal companion through his entire widowhood. While the authors explain some of the liberties they took with events and dates, the bones of the story are based on the many letters TJ wrote to everyone in his life over the course of decades. It is a southern family saga rooted in truth, touched by scandal, and unfolding during the American Revolution and our first half-century as a nation.
It’s a honker of a book at 580 pages, but I listened to it every chance I had. Taking a trip and don’t want to run out of reading material? Grab this book – you won’t be disappointed.
What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan
This was a pick for one of my book clubs, and while it’s not one I would typically choose, it was an engrossing mystery. After she gives him permission to run ahead, Rachel’s eight-year-old son Ben disappears while the two are walking in a wooded park. As the police investigation begins, Rachel starts to lose it, but who wouldn’t? The novel follows Rachel, her ex-husband, and the lead detective as public opinion shifts from sympathy to suspicion.
There were a few red herrings and plot lines that I found lacking, but overall What She Knew was a quick, satisfying thriller.
Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (audio)
I knew Trevor Noah is the host of The Daily Show, and that he is a comedian. I knew nothing else about him, but his book came highly recommended so I started listening. He narrates the audiobook, and I could listen to him talk all day, about anything.
But he doesn’t talk about just anything. Noah tells the amazing story of his childhood in apartheid South Africa, as the son of a black mother and a white Swiss father. Their union was illegal, and Trevor himself was the physical proof of that crime (hence the title of the book).
Noah is a compelling storyteller, and his essays had me laughing, crying, and shaking my head in wonder and disbelief. I was ashamedly ignorant of apartheid and the history of race and culture relations is South Africa, and Born a Crime poked a small hole in the bubble that I live in as a white American. But more than that, this memoir is an honest and moving account of a fierce mother, a little boy, and his coming of age in a country changing as rapidly as he was.
As Close to Us as Breathing by Elizabeth Poliner
This novel is told through the eyes of Molly, and the reader learns immediately that her younger brother Davy dies at the family’s beach home in the summer of 1948. Although this tragedy is not a secret, Poliner alternates between the years prior and after so that I felt the suspense building towards this inevitable event. I found myself hoping for a different outcome, as impossible as that would be.
Ada, Vivie, and Bec are sisters in a close-knit Jewish family, and the novel is their story. It includes the men they loved, the men they married, and their children – Molly, her brothers, and her cousin. While Davy’s death is the transforming moment for every character, Poliner weaves a multi-generational tale around it and through it. It is an engaging story of family, choices, and ordinary human lives.
The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel
This was my mom’s Book of the Month pick, and she passed it on to me when she was finished. A quick, fascinating piece of non-fiction, Finkel wrote this piece after meeting with Chris Knight nine times, and conversing through emails and letters.
In 1986, Knight drove to Maine, walked into the woods, and disappeared. In 2013, he is arrested for stealing food from Pine Tree Camp. He had not spoken to or interacted with another human being in twenty-seven years. He lived in the woods with no campfire, undetected, breaking into nearby cottages to take only the provisions he needed to survive.
A slim book of just 200 pages, Finkel’s interviews with Knight coupled with his research regarding hermits create a riveting account of one man’s life off the grid. Why did he choose that life? How did he survive? Who are we if we are not connected to any other human beings? If you are looking for an easy read where the truth is stranger than fiction, The Stranger in the Woods is the perfect pick.
From historical fiction to true stories, from family sagas to small town drama, it’s all in these six great reads. Which book will you read first?
I always love reading your book lists and reviews, Dana! There are so many here I want to listen to- and the timing is PERFECT because I am looking for books to add to my ‘must read’ from the library cd collection.
Right now, I’m listening to “Furiously Happy” by Jenny Lawson. It’s really good.
I have “Girl on the train” up next. I’ve heard that is amazing… What’s your take?
I’m keeping your list handy for my next trip to our local library!
Thanks my friend!! (And btw- I miss you toooooo!!)
I liked Girl on the Train – maybe not as much as the rest of the world, but still worth the read. I enjoyed Lawson’s book too!
What She Knew & As Close To Us AS Breathing sound like one I would enjoy – I’ll have to add them to my list (and hope I find some time to read a lot more than I have been lately!).
Maybe in the summer? Or for as often as you drive, you could listen to them on audiobooks!
America’s First Daughter sounds fabulous!
It was great!
Your reading lists are my favorite. Keep ’em coming and I’ll keep ’em loading on my kindle…
Will do, Courtney!
Wow, these all look great, Dana. I read a sample of Trevor Noah’s book on my Kindle and hope to read it in its entirety. Apartheid still horrifies me to this day. I have so many other half-read books that I was ashamed to buy Trevor’s at the time.
I see you are a Hamilton fan! So am I. Just finished reading your post about seeing the musical. Can I share how supremely jealous I am?! I play the soundtrack every day and have several books on the musical. And you read Chernow’s book too! Wow! You’re more hard-core than I am. I so want to see the musical. Hamilton was born in my country, so there’s that added aspect that piqued my attention.
As it should! You share a homeland. I listened to Chernow’s book – highly recommend it. I’m taking my daughter to the show at the end of May, and I can’t wait to share it with her! I got lucky when a new block of tickets went on sale, and I was able to get balcony seats for a decent price. I hope you can see it…they are touring now, so maybe it will come to your city!
OOPS that’s the one you said isn’t out yet. Guess it’s America’s First Daughter!
Ha – they are both great!
I haven’t read any of these either! Thanks for the recommendations, Dana. I’ll start with Beartown!
I haven’t read any of these and was happy to hear more about them. You do such good summaries without giving too much away. Hard to do!
Thanks, Nina. It’s a challenge but I dislike reading Goodreads reviews when people give spoilers. I’d like to write the inside of book jackets for a living!
People keep telling me about A Man Called Ove and now he’s got another one! I better get to work. Not sure I can read a thriller about a missing child till Zoe’s a bit older. More to add to the list in any case!
Yes, you may want to skip that one! I’m sure you have plenty of other books on your to-read list.
Dana, this is a very compelling book list! I have saved three to my Goodreads account. I loved Ove – I think I’ll save Beartown for a winter read. Thanks for sharing.
And, you’re not a fan of Jefferson? Clearly, we must talk. 😉
Ha – it’s only because I’m a Hamilton geek! Jefferson is the bad guy in the show, and while he did so many great things, I have trouble reconciling the fact that he owned slaves.
I love these posts and you did not disappoint. I too loved A Man Called Ove (and I want to see the movie!) so I have to download Beartown. The only book I read on this list was What She Knew and it was just meh. The story was compelling enough to keep me reading but the ending kind of left me rolling my eyes. It was a book club pick for me too. And I really want to listen to Born A Crime because that voice!!!! Thanks for this great list and happy outdoor reading!
I know what you mean about What She Knew – not my favorite but it’s a quick read and entertaining enough. And have you heard of S-Town? 😉
I submitted The President’s Daughter to ort book club for consideration ( next month is historical fiction). I’m going to forward this to the group ☺️.
I hope they pick it! It’s a great read.
For the first time ever in your book reviews, I haven’r read any of the same books as you have here. So, I am off to add a few and can’t thank you enough for giving me a few more books to try out hopefully soon 🙂
I hope you find a few to try!