winter 2016 bookshelf.

Happy weekend, friends!

We enjoyed the lightest dusting of snow here in Columbia today, and envy our Pennsylvania family who are out sledding as I write this.

Sorry this bookshelf post has been awhile in coming. I’m currently enjoying rereading Cold Sassy Tree, by Olive Ann Burns, for book club next week. Although I haven’t been reading a whole lot because I’m busy making our family’s 2015 Shutterfly yearbook. This may just be my favorite one yet, and I bet you can guess why!

Judah has blazed through all of the Magic Treehouse and Encyclopedia Brown books. The Chronicles of Narnia is still a bit challenging for him to read just for enjoyment, so I found The Green Ember, by S.D. Smith at the library (have you heard of this book? It came recommended on the Read Aloud Revival podcast). Yesterday we cuddled in the brown chair to read the first chapter and he loved it.

I was hooked too, so I said, “Should we read it together?” and he responded, “No Mom, I think I’d rather read it to myself!” Today he’s on chapter eight. It’s the first time he’s turned down my offer to read to him, and it both stung a teeny-tiny bit, and made me thrilled that he’s building a life of books and words that’s all his own. I remember what a magical time that was for me. My mom did such a good job choosing books, starting them by reading the first chapter aloud to me, then letting me take off.

Anyway. Here are a few book ideas for your winter bookshelf!

Whistling Past the Graveyard, Susan Crandall

This novel is set in 1960’s Mississippi, and is somewhat reminiscent of The Help. I really enjoyed the voice of the protagonist, nine-year-old Starla. Warning: once you start you won’t be able to put it down!

Kira-Kira, The Thing About Luck, Cynthia Kadohata

I mentioned Cynthia Kadohata’s middle grade novel, Half a World Away, in my Adoption Bookshelf post, and liked it so much I was eager to try more of her work. Kira-Kira and The Thing About Luck are both achingly beautiful stories about immigrant families. I highly recommend them!

Lovable Livable Home: How to Add Beauty, Get Organized, and Make Your House Work For You, Sherry and John Petersik

I was excited to get my hands on the Petersik’s latest book, and it didn’t disappoint. In fact, I enjoyed this one even more than their first because they showcased lots of different families living in their homes in creative ways. John and Sherry wrote the popular DIY/Design blog Young House Love, which I followed for years. If you’re interested, they have a fascinating story of their decision to step away from full-time blogging, and you can hear more about it on this interview with Jess Lively.

The Fish Ladder: A Journey Upstream, Katharine Norbury

This is a quiet, beautifully written memoir of grief and healing through travel, set primarily in Wales. I have read so little about that part of Great Britain, and especially enjoyed the author’s reflections on nature and her relationship with her daughter.

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Life, Ruth Reichl

David’s aunts got me hooked on Ruth Reichl when we visited Seattle a year and a half ago, and I’ve been a fan ever since. She’s a New Yorker who writes about food in a winsome, down-to-earth way that makes you want to get in the kitchen and cook. Reichl’s latest is part-cookbook, part-memoir about the year after Gourmet magazine, where she was editor-in-chief, closed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it cover to cover. Whether you try any of the recipes or not, it will cause you to slow down and appreciate the simple pleasure of good food. I should mention here that I also recently read her memoir Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise, about her job as a NY Times food critic, and that was a fun read too!

Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times, Jennifer Worth

Call the Midwife is one of my favorite TV series ever, possibly more beloved than Parks & Rec and Parenthood (although all three shows are so very different I couldn’t bear to choose). I had so much fun binge-watching it this fall, and I’m excited for the final season to come out. Jennifer Worth’s memoir was hard and so good — a glimpse into a world very different than ours. If you enjoyed the show, just a heads up that Worth’s first memoir focuses primarily on her interaction with patients and their stories, rather than the personal lives of the nurses.

Last Hundred Years Trilogy, Jane Smiley

I read this entire trilogy (Some Luck, Early Warning, Golden Age) last year, which follows one family over the course of a century, beginning in 1920. Each chapter of the three novels spans one year. It’s a brilliant plot concept, and a fascinating way to cover American history. Smiley is a simple, lovely writer, but I’m still torn over whether I liked these books. I was disappointed in the bleak outlook on life, and chronic selfishness of many of the characters. I wished there were more people and relationships within the family to love and admire. What I really want is someone to discuss these books with, so if you read them, let me know!

The Precious One, Marisa de los Santos

This is a fun yet surprisingly deep novel. I was instantly pulled in by the voices of the two main characters, step-sisters, Taisy (in her mid-thirties) and Willow (age 16), and enjoyed every page. I’ve never read Marisa de los Santos, but will definitely look for another of her books as a vacation read.

Purple Hibiscus, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I read Purple Hibiscus in December, and it made it onto my list of top books I read in 2015. I’ve loved Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s writing for several years. Her novels break my heart, but they are breath-taking and important. Purple Hibiscus is written from the perspective of 15-year-old Kambili, daughter of a wealthy Nigerian man who uses religion for both good and evil, and her story has haunted me ever since I finished it.

The Bronte Plot, Dear Mr. Knightley, Katherine Reay

Katherine Reay is a light, fun writer, but my mother-in-law pointed out that her novels are really meant for fans of Victorian literature: Jane Austen, Elizabeth Gaskell, the Bronte sisters. She sprinkles literary references liberally throughout her books. The plots are always a bit far-fetched, but the characters and their stories stick with me and make me smile.