Reading List.

I'm on a good roll.

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Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
I did not want to read Tom Lake, mostly because the blurb made it sound kind of twee. I mean: “a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born.” SNORE. But Marianne said she loved it and I trust her opinion so I gave it a shot. I ended up falling into this novel fully and completely and enjoyed it start to finish. It’s a story within a story and I liked both equally, which is unusual for me. The writing was impeccable and the characters felt like real people with relatable flaws and youthful bad boyfriend mistakes. Also, I found the world of Tom Lake (and of the cherry farm) incredibly appealing. Not for everyone, but I found it a comforting, enjoyable read.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by by Gail Honeyman
I am WAY late on this one but remember there being a lot of fuss about it when it was published. I listened to it via audiobook during my long commute and liked it a surprising amount. It’s a story about living through trauma, finding your people, and learning to live instead of just existing. It also made me laugh out loud more than once. The protagonist Eleanor at first seems like a cold weirdo and it’s easy to get impatient with her, but halfway through I was really rooting for her. The secondary characters are delightful and balance out her awkwardness. I do wonder if I would’ve liked it as much on paper as much as I did the audiobook, but either way, It thought it was great.

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
I read this years ago and have a vague memory of really loving it but this time I was so so so weirded out and found it flat and a little boring. I know that’s kind of the point because of who the narrator is and the low-lying sense of dread throughout is very deliberate. I’d forgotten that it’s essentially dystopian fantasy and, while the story is excellent and creepy, I didn’t really enjoy reading it this time around.

Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
I could not put this book down. It’s the story of Margo, a young, broke, single mother and her father Jinx, an ex-pro-wrestler, who moves in to help her raise her son. Margo starts an OnlyFans to make rent and what I found so interesting was her figuring out how to make this work on her own terms. I completely enjoyed this book but I wanted more detail and more development about her character-building on OnlyFans. I loved her relationship with her father (not so much her mother) but the ending felt rushed and left me wanting more. I truly hope there’s a sequel.

Close Knit by Jenny Colgan
Okay, this is (sort of) a sequel to The Summer Skies, which I wrote about in my last Reading List. It’s not as good but it’s still pretty good. The editing is a little sloppy and the main character is a little under-developed but I’m still really enjoying the Colgan formula and the very likeable main character from The Summer Skies gets a major role as well. Jenny Colgan is my cozy escapist fiction for when I’m not feeling like reading something challenging.

Up next:

Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
I’m only a chapter in so it’s way too soon for my opinion! I’ll let you know what I think in the next Reading List post. Please tell me what you’re reading - I always get good books recs from y’all.