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twitterature monthly reading linkup short reviews

Welcome to the Twitterature link-up! For the lowdown, head over here, or try this Cliff Notes version: this is the place to share short, casual reviews of books you’ve been reading.

Here’s what I’ve been reading

homeward bound

Homeward Bound: Why Women are Embracing the New Domesticity, Emily Matchar

Intriguing premise but felt kinda pointless and slanty. Unimpressive journalism. Nothing new here. #pass

40 Ways to Look at Winston Churchill

Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill: A Brief Account of a Long Life, Gretchen Rubin

Fascinating, multi-faceted approach from @gretchenrubin appeals to my #infp sensibilities. A little slow in places, but worth the time. #360review

The Patron Saint of Liars

The Patron Saint of Liars, Ann Patchett

I HAD to read this after hearing the backstory in The Getaway Car. Solid, readable first novel, though it needs more depth. #NotTooShabby

We Need New Names

We Need New Names: A Novel, NoViolet Bulawayo

I felt like I *should* like this, but abandoned 70% through because of the unrelenting sadness. #devastating #debutnovel

An Everlasting Meal

An Everlasting Meal: Cooking with Economy and Grace, Tamar Adler

Spent half the time loving it and half the time wishing Adler would get off her high horse. Now I neeeed to read MFK Fisher. #FoodieLit

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twitterature monthly reading linkup short reviews

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35 comments

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  1. MK says:

    “Spent half the time loving it and half the time wishing Adler would get off her high horse.”

    Yes! I had a hard time figuring out what was off about An Everlasting Meal, and I think this is it. Still has me making more soup than I used to, though. 😀

  2. Shana Norris says:

    I’ve been looking forward to We Need New Names. I can see how it would be unrelentingly sad, as you put it. As much as I hate to stereotype based on setting, it does seem like so many books set in Africa are on the darker side. Still, I love them.

    I told myself the same thing about MFK Fisher after reading a couple of books by Ruth Reichl, but never got around to it.

    • Anne says:

      Hmmm. Now that you mention it, I also resolved to read MFK Fisher after reading a few Ruth Reichl books. That didn’t happen then, either. 🙂

  3. I nearly bought “An Everlasting Meal” before reading, and I’m glad I didn’t! Sounds like a trip to the library might save me a few buckaroos. I LOVE “The Art of Simple Food” by Alice Waters and with the foreword being written by her I thought I might like it just as much. I’m so excited that I am not too far off of the current literature trail. 🙂

  4. HopefulLeigh says:

    I will probably read Homeward Bound at some point, if only to see which of my friends have been mentioned in it. I’ve not heard the best reviews but I’m still intrigued. I wondered how Rubin’s other books were! I don’t know as much about Churchill as I probably should. I just might have to read that one. I read Patron Saint a few years ago and it left me wanting, though I couldn’t pinpoint why. I adored An Everlasting Meal but have yet to read any MFK Fisher. Kind of astounding given how much I’ve been reading that’s food-related lately!

    • Anne says:

      All your friends are (I think) mentioned in the first 25% of the book, and the mentions are TINY. Literally, mentions. So by all means, check it out, but don’t hang on to finish if you’re hating it!

      I’m somehow not surprised you loved An Everlasting Meal. 🙂

  5. Susan says:

    I love your snippets about each book and find them very helpful in screening out duds and highlighting possibles. Thank you!

    • Anne says:

      Hmm. The story-driven narrative reminded me of books like Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet and The Secret Life of Bees, though the tone doesn’t quite match exactly.

  6. Makes me sad that #1 wasn’t so good… it looks like it’d be right up my alley. Your comment about Adler made me almost choke on my later afternoon caffeine fix! hahaha! The only book by Rubin that I’ve read is the Happiness Project and I hate to say that I abandoned that one. But I did buy the Happiness Journal… I can keep a 1-2 sentence journal, no problemo.

    • Anne says:

      I’m glad to hear you like the Happiness Journal! I’m intrigued by the concept: simple, easy, doable, but haven’t actually bought one.

  7. I’ve been wanting to read Rubin’s Churchill book after reading The Happiness Project. I’m going to have to check it out. I’ve been meaning to get Patchett’s The Getaway Car per your recommendation. Thanks for the heads up on the others!

  8. Michelle says:

    I just stopped by your site to get some good book recommendations while I am on maternity leave. I probably have horribly unrealistic expectations that I am going to be doing lots of reading while I stay home with our newborn….but at least now I have some good books to read if time allows : ) Thanks, Anne!

    • Anne says:

      I don’t know if this is typical or not, but I actually did a ton of reading every time I had a new baby. I spent hours and hours every day glued to the couch nursing, and that was great reading time!

      • Carrie says:

        That was my experience too…. newborns don’t do much but eat and sleep, and I would have gone crazy from all the couch time without books. 🙂
        (Just don’t read anything too heavy, what with the postpartum hormones triggering tears and all….)

  9. Amy says:

    Could I make a request to the group at large–maybe you can suggest it next month, Anne? It’s SUPER helpful to have the books linked to Amazon so I can easily add them to my wish list. Thanks 🙂

  10. Aiden says:

    Great blog here! Also your site loads up very fast!
    What host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host?
    I wish my web site loaded up as fast as yours lol

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