Quick Lit June 2017 Archives

The Year of Magical Thinking

by Joan Didion

This book is Didion's account of the year following her husband's death, but it's really about the many years of the life they lived together. Writing in real-time, she captures emotion on the page so well. I felt like this wasn't just an exploration of her own grief and mourning, but an inquiry into capital-case Grief and Mourning. So well done, and so worth reading (if a little tough to do so at times).

Never Let Me Go

by Kazuo Ishiguro

An eerie take on the coming-of-age theme. Ishiguro expertly combines speculative fiction and literary fiction to great effect. I talked about my love for this one in Volume III of One Great Book. Haunting and atmospheric, with a sad truth that dawns on you gradually. Ishiguro slowly introduces the reader to three teens in a 1990s British boarding school. His prose says so much while revealing so little, as it slowly dawns on the reader what is not-quite-right about these children's lives.

Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House

by Alyssa Mastromonaco

West Wing fans, listen up. This is a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the Obama White House, through the eyes of someone who worked for him for more than ten years, first supporting him as a freshman senator, then as assistant to the president and director of scheduling, and finally as assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff at the White House. Word is this is like your "gossipy older sister" dishing on what really happens behind the political scenes.

Our Souls at Night

by Kent Haruf

I can't believe I didn't read this book years ago, because now that I've read it, it reminds me so much of my all-time faves Wallace Stegner, Wendell Berry, and Marilynne Robinson. I don't want to say too much, but I found this up-close look at an unlikely relationship between two long-time acquaintances in small-town Colorado completely absorbing, and Haruf hits just the right tone with his light touch. Listen to me recommend this book in Episode 84 of What Should I Read Next? to Shawn Smucker. This is definitely one of those books where the flap copy doesn't do it justice. This was my first Haruf novel, and I'll be reading more.

Love and First Sight

by Josh Sundquist

I was the FIFTH person to read this newish YA release in my family! Everyone but the 7-year-old has enjoyed it so far. This is the story of 16-year-old Will Porter, who's been blind all his life. We meet Will on his first day at a "mainstream" school—not his old school for the blind—and it could be going better, though he makes a few friends and develops a serious crush. Then Will finds out he qualifies for an experimental procedure that could enable him to SEE, for the first time in his life. But he's not sure if he wants it—and from Will's point of view, we discover just how complicated this vision thing really is. Make sure to read the author's acknowledgements for some very interesting backstory.

Quick Lit June 2017

The Year of Magical Thinking

Never Let Me Go

Who Thought This Was a Good Idea? And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House

Our Souls at Night

Love and First Sight

a gateway

to reliable joy this summer

Buckle Up!

summer reading starts May 16th