What I’ve Been Reading…

Here’s my next reading update. This is a mixture of audio books, Kindle Unlimited options and old-fashioned paper paged books.

I, Divine: A Novel in First Chapters by Rabih Alameddine (ebook)

This was a free Kindle Unlimited read. I thought it sounded intriguing. It is. It is a novel (disguised as a memoir exercise) that is written in supposed starts and starts. In other words, it is a re-imagined first chapter over and over. Each re-writing adds a bit more about our main character, Sarah, named after (allegedly) Sarah Bernhardt by her beloved grandfather.

As we glean more insight into Sarah as her “memoir” takes shape and is reimagined time and time again, we also find out more about her family and that beloved grandfather.

I totally recommend seeking this one out. 5 stars!

The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah (audio book, read by Julia Whelan)

I’ve had more than one person tell me this is their favorite Hannah novel. While I still love The Nightengale, this is a close second. Note that this is the audio book, though. Julia Whelan reads and I love her. Seriously, I am going to seek out other authors that she has recorded books for.

So, Kristin. You have no problem piling on trials, tribulations, terror, death, and basic mayhem. But, you do it with such grace. As I listened to The Great Alone and got closer and closer to what I was thinking would be the end, I kept wishing and hoping, “Don’t end it here. I need more.” I wasn’t expecting a happy ending at all, but I did want to see what happens to Lennie and M.J.

Hannah is great at capturing the spirit of the decade in which she sets her books. She does the same here with not only the mid 70s and early 80s but also the fierce and deadly setting of Alaska before it was semi-tamed. Highly recommend.

The Women by Kristen Hannah (audio book, ready by Julia Whelan)

I went right into The Women after I finished The Great Alone. While I wanted the tale of Lennie and M.J. to go on to a resolution in The Great Alone, I wanted The Women to stop already. Like I said, I love Hannah but, good grief, this was a lot of tragedy. I knew going in that there would be tears because the book is set during Vietnam, but I was not prepared. I kept thinking the book would end on some sort of hopefulness for Frankie. How much could this girl take? And how much more could I take of Frankie? Come on, girlfriend! I hate to tell you to suck it up because you experienced so much on your two tours of duty and you lost so many. You do need to get on with it, though.

Hannah does depict the horrors of war and I now feel bad about the sentences above. She doesn’t mince words and Frankie’s experinces as a vet are devestating. “There were no women in Vietnam.” She hears this over and over again from vet organizations, the government, and her own family. I would recommend this book, just know it’s a lot.

The Nightengale is still my favorite (but probably even less hopeful).

Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford

This book is the August/September selection for Cook the Books. You will have to wait for my post for a full review. Just know, I did enjoy this one.

What am I currently reading? Whistler by Ann Patchett, Circling the Sun by Paula McClain, and Poet Warrior by Joy Harjo. I also just got “assigned” to read 10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation―And Making Your Own Life Easier by David Yeager, PhD for work and a book study. I just don’t like to read professional books so I hope to get through this one soon.

I am lso listening to Hannah’s The Nightengale in anticipation of the movie coming out on March 19, 2027! I cannot wait!

What are you reading?