Welcome to Quick Lit, where we share short and sweet reviews of what we’ve been reading lately on the 15th of the month.
This month I read two newer reads just published in October of this year (Amanda Peters’s The Berry Pickers and Melissa Broder’s Death Valley), three published in 2022 (Catherine Newman’s We All Want Impossible Things, Hernan Diaz’s Trust, and Xochitl Gonzales’s Olga Dies Dreaming), and one deeper backlist book published in 2017 (Kathleen Rooney’s Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk). This month is heavier on literary fiction than we’ve seen in some time, but I’ve enjoyed such variety in that genre: We have an octogenarian flâneuse, a talking cactus, a kaleidoscope tale of Wall Street and writing, a stubbornly buoyant hospice story, an indigenous tale of healing and loss, and a wedding planner to the 1%.
Most of the books in this month’s roundup are actually audiobook listens. I’m not sure this has ever happened before! Several of these titles are so good I could easily have included them in my 2023 favorites list had I finished them a little sooner.
As always, I’m tracking my reading in the My Reading Life book journal, which makes it easy to see and share what I’ve been reading lately.
I hope you find something that looks intriguing for your TBR on this list (and in these comments!), and I look forward to browsing your recent reads below. Thanks in advance for sharing your short and sweet book reviews with us here!
Welcome to December Quick Lit
Death Valley
Coincidentally, another novel about grief and loss, this one about a writer who flees Los Angeles to check in at a Best Western (her favorite hotel chain) in Death Valley, seeking to write a "desert epiphany" scene for her work in progress and also to get some relief from the grueling demands of tending a father in the ICU and a husband living with chronic illness. She has no intention of hiking while she's there, but when the desk clerk recommends a hike and draws her a map, she follows it—and soon finds herself entering a cactus portal where she can connect with her loved ones in ways she never dreamed possible. This story is sad, tender, surprising, and more than a little weird. It was a little outside my lane but I'm glad I took a chance on it; the five-hour run time made it easy to do so. This is also one of those rare fiction works that is narrated by the author; that format worked well for this story. More info →
Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk
It was a joy to re-read this 2017 novel for Modern Mrs Darcy Book Club this month, in which 85-year-old Lillian takes a long walk in New York City on New Year's Eve, 1984. She travels from her Murray Hill apartment to her regular Italian restaurant, stops at a bodega for gifts, dines at the iconic Delmonico's, pops into a friend's party in Chelsea, and of course walks by R.H. Macy’s in Herald Square, where she worked for many years as the highest-paid female copywriter. Along the way she recounts significant memories from her life, plus a few minor ones, reflecting on what she experienced and what might have been. As the book takes place entirely over the course of New Year's Eve, I've heard from many readers who've embraced the tradition of revisiting the novel on that day each year. If you're interested, there's still time to make a plan for this New Year's Eve! (Heads up for a few content warnings I did NOT remember from my 2017 reading; please take note and google if you need to.) More info →
Trust
I strongly considered including this May 2022 novel—and Pulitzer Prize winner—on my favorite audiobooks of 2023 list! This multi-layered story is told in four distinct parts, each one subtly—or, in the case of the final section, not so subtly—changing the meaning of what came before. Part I is a biographical novel based on the life of an infamous Wall Street trader. Part II, an unfinished draft of the autobiography the trader began writing, with the help of a ghostwriter, to "correct" the novel's portrayal of his life. Part III is from the point of view of that ghostwriter, and Part IV ... no spoilers, but it blows the lid off the whole thing. Structure nerds like myself will find much to appreciate here. More info →
Olga Dies Dreaming
This one might have made my 2023 favorites list if I'd finished it a few days earlier! This January 2022 release features Olga, a Puerto Rican Brooklynite who works as a wedding planner to the ultra-rich—those who might think nothing of spending seven figures on a wedding. The juicy wedding details made for fascinating reading (and are rooted in Gonzales's real-life experience), but the emotional heart of this story lies with Olga's family of origin: their revolutionary father was a heroin addict who died years ago of complications from AIDS; their mother abandoned the pair when they were young so she could fight for Puerto Rican independence. Now 40, Olga finds herself restless with the life she's leading, her brother feels trapped for his own reasons, and the two find themselves torn between the success they've found and the ideals with which they were raised. This is a story about finding love and healing, breaking free from past hurts, and also very much about the past and present of Puerto Rico. I loved this, and found the ending particularly satisfying. More info →
The Berry Pickers
Debut novelist Peters draws on her father's childhood memories of berry picking to weave this heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful tale. The story begins in 1960s Maine, where an indigenous family has come from Nova Scotia to pick berries as they do every summer. But their lives are irrevocably changed when 4-year-old Ruthie disappears from the edge of the berry field; her 6-year-old brother Joe was the last one to see her, and he will carry guilt over his disappearance for the rest of his life. The story is narrated in turn by an adult Joe and a New England woman named Norma, whose childhood was marked by a chilly household atmosphere, strange recurring dreams, and a persistent sense of unbelonging. The reader will put together the pieces long before Norma does: it's impossible not to root for Norma and Joe as they strive to first understand, and then accept and find forgiveness for the devastations they endured in their youth. This novel is hard in many ways (take note of the obvious content warnings and others that are less obvious but real), and yet it's also a moving and gentle exploration of family, identity, grief, and healing. More info →
We All Want Impossible Things: A Novel
I picked up this November 2022 release after numerous friends and booksellers with great taste all told me I had to read it, all in the same week! I don't miss a book hint, even if this is one I would have otherwise avoided because the premise is desperately sad: Edi and Ashley have been best friends their entire lives—more than four decades—and now, three years after her ovarian cancer diagnosis, Edi is ceasing treatments and entering hospice care. It's gutting: Edi's dying too young, in pain, and making impossible decisions like how to say goodbye to her 7-year-old son. Ash is desperately trying to hide her grief from her friend, but it's making itself felt in big and small ways. It's all so hard to read. But this novel is also filled with so much life and humor, on practically every page. For while Edi's suburban hospice may be filled with the dying, it is also still filled with life, and with forty years of memories from an exceptional, joy-filled, through-thick-and-thin friendship. I noticed the German translation bears a different title, which gets more directly at the coexistence of joy and pain in this novel: Und wir tanzen, und wir fallen: "And We Dance, and We Fall." The audio version, narrated by Jane Oppenheimer, was an excellent choice for this first person story. More info →
What have YOU been reading lately? Tell us about your recent reads—or share the link to a blog or instagram post about them—in comments.
51 comments
This months wrap up was filled with a variety of genres and a bunch of five star reads!
https://neverenoughnovels.com/2023/12/14/december-2023-mini-book-reviews/
Wow, every one of these books sounds like a winner and I haven’t read a single one of them. My 2024 TBR is growing!
My reading this month included a few fun holiday reads, a humorous memoir, an insightful look at generational trends (as a Millenial I found this to be totally on point), and a quirky literary novel that landed a spot on my 2023 favorites.
https://kendranicole.net/quick-lit-december-2023/
Heading over to investigate the “quirky literary novel!”
Here are 7 books I loved this past month, including this fantastic one: “I Didn’t Sign Up for This: A Couples Therapist Shares Real-Life Stories of Breaking Patterns and Finding Joy in Relationships, Including Her Own.”
See them all here:
https://lisanotes.com/books-i-recommend-november-2023/
‘I Didn’t Sign Up For This’ sounds intriguing like Lori Gottlieb’s ‘Maybe You Should Talk to Someone’! I’m off to check it out. Thanks, Lisa …
Really enjoyed Lori Gottlieb’s Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.
Yup, me, too!
My recent reads are:
* When Your Mother Doesn’t – Jill Kelly (3 stars): This was a selection for my book club this month, otherwise I would not have picked this up. I found the book to be profoundly sad, and I disliked almost every character in the book. Overall, it was a depressing read.
* Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting – Clare Pooley (4 stars): A light-hearted read, and I loved Iona!
* Token Black Girl: A Memoir – Danielle Prescod (2 stars): I did not enjoy this memoir. To me, it was just overly whiny and too self-absorbed.
* Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers – Jesse Sutanto (4 stars): Similarities to Iona Iverson, and another enjoyable read.
* Hang the Moon – Jeannette Walls (4 stars): I loved the strong lead character in this novel and the Prohibition-era setting was interesting.
* Happy Place – Emily Henry (DNF) – I started this audiobook and about 20% in it appeared that this was going to be the same basic storyline as her other novels, and I just did not want to spend hours listening to it. So, I just moved on…
Currently reading Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, which is superb!
Happy Reading!
I agree regarding Happy Place; I’m almost finished … but at around 20% I was wondering if these were the same characters as those from a prior book. (No). Sure did seem like it.
Berry Pickers is a good read.
The Women by Kristin Hannah in early Feb 2024 should not be missed.
Here’s my 4 absolutely favorite books from the 43 I read this year – a never-to-be-forgotten memoir and historical fiction from 3 of my favorite authors.
https://lindastoll.substack.com/p/my-4-favorite-2023-books-porch-122
I listened to the audio version of The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride which will be in my top 5 2023 favorites.
Adding those listed here to my ever growing list tbr.
Beth, ‘The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store’ has my name on it at the library. Can’t wait!
I loved that as well! Really great listening!
Beth, I agree the audio of this was fantastic. The various accents enhanced the story line. Great book to discuss because of the many prejudices involved
I also read The Berry Pickers last month and thought it was excellent. It was an odd reading month otherwise, with three books in the same weird sub-genre–I don’t usually read such similar books back-to-back.
Here are my reviews:
https://www.mindjoggle.com/november-2023-book-reviews/
I’m not much of a legal thriller reader, but when I got wind of Grisham’s follow-up to The Firm, I watched the movie on the treadmill (Is That Cheating?) and then read the sequel. The Exchange was riveting with a light touch on the legal end of things. Here’s my review: https://michelemorin.net/2023/12/13/two-strategies-navigating-temporary-connections/
And I appreciate all the great fiction recommendations in the post AND the comments. My brain is going on vacation for the rest of the month, and I am looking forward to some lovely fiction and the twinkling lights of my Christmas tree!
What a great list. I have not read any of those. I have never heard of several of them, so thank you for sharing them. It is always so fun to see what you are reading. I have read some great books recently and am on track to have a record reading year. https://fromourbookshelf.com/november-2023-reading/
Olga Dies Dreaming was my favorite book of 2022! I’m so glad to see it getting some love from MMD!
I just read it two weeks ago after putting it off for ages and I really loved it! Why I put it off I have no idea, haha.
I thought I would love ‘Trust’ but I actually disliked it! But I’m excited for Death Valley and We all Want Impossible Things. Recent reads; the christmas guest from this blog I think? Fun, fast, gothic. and ‘mouth to mouth’ by antoine wilson. ‘the city we nbecame’ which I appreciated though didn’t love, and just started tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow which I can tell is going to be engrossing and sweeping and I’m excited.
Books #78-83 of the year…
https://thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com/2023/12/reading-update.html
I’ve fallen down the Terry Pratchett rabbit hole (or perhaps the Nac Mac Feegle hole). I am on my fifth book of his in two months. I resisted him for years because I couldn’t get into The Color of Magic but someone gave me a good reason to read The Wee Free Men and I am now in neck deep.
I loved Catherine Newman’s book. I really liked it when I read it but it has stuck with me in such a way that I now consider it one of my favorites.
Trust was on my WTR (want to read) but you have convinced me to add it to my TBR, and I am adding Olga Died Dreaming to my WTR. Having grown up in NYC, I always appreciate authentic NYC voices.
Interesting about Terry Pratchett. I picked up a couple of his books from Chirp. I love that you have a WTR and TBR! Such a good idea!
Ive just finished the Thursday Murder Club series (sadly there are only four so far) by Richard Osman. Set in a community for older people on the English coast, this is a cleverly written and constructed non-violent mystery series. Did i say clever? I meant giggle out loud and in the fourth book, weep, cleverly written. Osman reminds us that those over 70 bring a lot to the table – wit and wits, vast experience, intelligence, the ability to enjoy learning and to revel in new relationships and most of all the wisdom to appreciate it all. I loved these characters and these books.
This sounds so good. I’ll have to check it out!
Since retiring, I’ve been reading more than I ever have before and I love it!!
At the beginning of the year, I needed a “foodie” fiction book for a postal book club in MMD Book Club, and I chose The School of Essential Ingredients. Reading that book set me on a path to become a completist for this author.
I’ve read four of her books and have the final two on the top of my TBR. I wrote about this author’s books here:
https://sonovelicious.substack.com/p/an-author-and-her-books-0d9
Happy reading!
I used to love reading literary fiction, but I’ll admit that in the past few years, much of it has just felt too heavy for me to deal with. I do like the sound of a couple of those, though — thanks for sharing!
It’s been awhile since I’ve shared my own book round-up of what I’ve been reading. That’s partly because I haven’t been reading as much as normal (my husband and I decided in the past little while that we’re taking our family’s cut flower farm full time for both of us, which has meant a lot of expansion projects) and because I gave birth in the spring prematurely to my daughter and she had to spend several weeks in the NICU, which pushed everything else to the back burner.
I’ve got a pretty good sized list though of what I’ve been reading the past few months, and a lot of it was five-star-worthy!
https://www.toloveandtolearn.com/2023/11/24/loving-and-learning-lately-49/
I still need to read Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk. Sounds like the perfect week after Christmas read. This is what I’ve been reading lately: https://forthejoyofbooks.com/december-2023-books/
We All Want Impossible Things is my favourite book of the year and among my favourites ever. I’m so glad it made its way in to your hands! I also loved the Berry Pickers. These all sound interesting!
Best thing I read in the past month is How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue. It is a scathing saga about the impacts of oil development on the land and the people of a fictionalized African-continent community. It is infuriating and sad but also a beautifully-written story of resistance and community.
The Berry Pickers sounds intriguing! I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction (to meet a goal I set for myself) and lots of Christmas romance (because fun!).
readeatrepeat.net/2023/12/14/books-in-progress-december-2023/
Great list and you might yet make an audio reader of me! I just finished Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Morati, the delightful memoir of an Italian poet and book publisher who opened a bookstore in her tiny hometown village in Tuscany. While I picked it up while in Italy last summer, I didn’t fully know the subject matter and didn’t read it until I got home. Oh darn, now I have to go back to Italy and see this wonderful establishment!
Sorry, I had a senior moment. The author is Alba Donati.
“This is How We End Things”, by R.J. Jacobs. A twisty little tale about PHD candidates running a study on what motivates people to lie. And somebody is murdered. All the likely suspects are very skilled at lying.
Dark Academia in the real world.
The Berry Pickers is on my hold list!
I’ve got a wild novel about publishing that made me laugh and cringe and my mom and grandma’s favorite novel that I read from July until November. Its paperback (when it released in the 80s) was the bestseller of all time!
https://carolinestarrrose.com/quick-lit-what-ive-been-reading-lately-31/
I have Angie Kim’s Happiness Falls waiting for me at the library. I loved Miracle Creek so I can’t wait to read her latest.
Hey girl hey!!! Happy holidays to you and yours 🥰🥰Ive read a tiny bit of Trust and it was very…analytical and technical so I got bored. But I did like the story underneath all that so I might give it another try. I’m currently reading an old favorite of mine, The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. I’m also reading my favorite humor writer, Samantha Irby ‘s latest work, Quietly Hostile in which she talks about her life during quarantine. So far my favorite chapter is the one about her dog because I swear she’s talking about MY dog. Happy reading 🥰
I will say about Trust that the tone changes markedly between sections. It’s like you’re reading four entirely different books, which is in fact the explicit format of the story. That doesn’t mean you’re going to actually like one section if you didn’t like another … but maybe it will?
Thanks for sharing your recent reads!
Ok now I want to read all of them! I struggle with audio books, I know it would help me get so many more books “read” but I’m stuck with being distracted when listening and feeling like I miss details and not really “reading” the book (are you picking up on my snobbery for having a physical book in front of me?) Our book club just finished Wrong Place, Wrong time by McAllistar ( great mystery none of us saw coming) and now we are starting Recursion by Blake Crouch.
November Reading Wrap Up
https://readingladies.com/2023/11/30/november-2023-reading-wrap-up-novemberreadingwrapup-booktwitter-bookworm-amreading-bookblogger/
“More Than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew” by John Blake. Wonderfully written, this personal memoir really made me think about race and what it means to a person who is mixed race. A beautiful memoir that everyone should read. You will fall in love with John Blake!
Several of Anne’s reads intrigue me. I have been more heavily into audio in the past few weeks. My favorite was This Must Be the Place. I also loved A Great Reckoning (Louise Penny), and The Incredible Winston Browne by Sean Dietrich, a story of a gravely ill small town Florida sheriff in th 1950s, a bit quirky and full of heart.
A lot of good but not great reads for me this month!
https://cocoonofbooks.blogspot.com/2023/12/what-ive-been-reading-lately.html
I’m currently reading Heaven and Earth Grocery store and not loving it. Maybe I should switch to audio as I am committed to finishing it. Also listening to The Exceptions a non-fiction story about female MIT scientists and their fight to have the school admit to years of gender discrimination. It’s excellent! Among Anne’s reads I really liked Trust and We All Want Impossible Things, but did not like Olga Dies Dreaming at all.
I need to move Lillian up higher on the TBR, she’s been there awhile!😁
Here’s what I’ve been reading https://www.instagram.com/p/C02l42_Plfp/?igshid=N2ViNmM2MDRjNw==
I tried Lillian Boxfish a few years ago but it didn’t work for me then. I really should try again because it does sound so much like something I would like!
I read a couple of memoirs, more than usual chapter books with my kids, and getting into Christmas reads!
November Reading Recap
I always find something to add to my TBR list. I only had 1 read this month but did enjoy doing a round up all the books I read this year.
https://myviewofthehoneypot.blogspot.com/2023/12/what-i-read-in-2023.html. I find myself making reading plans for next year.
Is it just me or are there a lot of books set in Maine recently?
Here’s my list for November if anyone is interested.
http://www.allthebooksihaventread.com/blog-1/2023/12/15/show-us-your-books-december-2023
It’s not just you!
Great suggestions, as always!
I posted 6 of my favorite reads from 2023— such a torturous task to pluck only 6— feel free to check them out and offer any suggestions in my comments. Thanks 🙂
https://laurathomasauthor.com/six-sweet-reads-in-2023/
This past month, the quantity of books I read was lower than I had hoped but the quality of the reading experiences certainly exceeded expectations. My favorite was a book I had long dismissed because the cover and premise did not interest me, but when I had to read it for book club, it turned out to a favorite!
https://avikinginla.com/2023/12/what-ive-been-reading-lately-november-2023/
I’m finally starting the Inspector Gamache series and not regretting it so far! I appreciate the honor with which he treats the dead and the living alike.