The weekly post

The one where our books go to the movies

Hi friends, I am writing this one feeling remarkably refreshed after a work trip to NYC. I’ve been feeling so stuck in my own space - perhaps attributed to not traveling over the winter holidays - and the change of scenery and pace was a welcome reprieve. Plus, spending several hours on Amtrak this week gave me the time I so desperately craved to read without distraction. While in New York, I also treated myself - not once, but twice - to a field trip to the famous Strand bookstore, which promises admirers 18 miles of books. A couple hours in this store still couldn’t be enough time, but I left feeling grateful for the time that I allowed myself to wander amongst the shelves and be in community with so many other book connoisseurs. And after finishing a fantastic book that has sat on my shelf for a while, with a stack full of exciting upcoming reads, I am feeling so much more inspired and connected to myself. Let’s read on!

Recent Recommendation

THE HEAVEN AND EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride (4.5 stars). I’m feeling more than a little speechless starting this review, and admittedly, I think this is going to be a book I appreciate more and more as I continue to process it and discuss it with other fellow readers. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store is the first of James McBride’s books I’ve read, and I will most certainly be back for more.

This novel tells the story of Jewish and African American residents living in a small community in Pottstown, Pennsylvania during the 1920s and 1930s. While the very first page promises a murder-mystery-type story, McBride writes a slow burn: the prose here meanders, examining a wide cast of characters in a tight-knit town and hinting at the ways they are interconnected, all while maintaining a steady rhythm. There is nothing heavy-handed about McBride’s writing. The complexities embedded within the various character relationships are revealed only through subtle details and barely-there foreshadowing. Even in the seeming goofiness of Moshe and Malachi’s friendship, the reader is left with the impression that there is something deeper under the surface, and the mystery surrounding Nate made me feel increasingly protective of him and his wife, Addie, with each passing page.

This is a book that requires and deserves dedicated time and contemplation. I was intentional in waiting to pick it up until I knew I would be able to invest in its careful storytelling, and I am so glad I did. I enjoyed the first two-thirds of this story, but truthfully, I had a hard time putting my finger on where exactly it was headed. The last 100 pages, however, picked up at such a clip that I could not put it down, and it suddenly became clear the solid foundation James McBride laid down with his wandering style and rich descriptions. The final chapters were so beautifully written and pull together all of the threads in such an authentic way that honors the story and its characters, without any sugarcoating or sense of a rushed finish. And if you know me, you know that the acknowledgments can sometimes be my favorite pages in any book, and that could not have been more true here. I am deeply grateful for the gift of this book and will be thinking about its themes for a good long while.

Recommend for… fans of Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Page-to-Screen Adaptation

Run, don’t walk, to see Ava DuVernay’s newest film, Origin. I saw the trailer for this a few weeks ago and as it started rolling, I thought to myself, “There’s no way that they somehow made a movie based on Caste by Isabel Wilkerson?” and lucky for me (and all of us), they absolutely did. Caste was hands down my #1 read in 2020, and it will forever be one of the most powerful books in my opinion. Isabel Wilkerson is a gifted journalist who reports on the history of racism in the United States and challenges that there is more than racism at play, and in fact, the U.S. has its own caste system. Her writing is so matter-of-fact, crisp, and digestible that I legitimately could not set it down, and I finished it in one weekend (a real record for nonfiction). The dramatization focuses on Wilkerson’s life and her research process for the book, and it brought me to tears more than a handful of times to understand the personal challenges she faced while researching and writing this book. Ava DuVernay and Isabel Wilkerson are surely the powerhouse team of the year, and I am so grateful for this book and its remarkable adaptation.

Read Ahead

I am truly counting down the days until I get to host my first Silent Reading Party on Wednesday, February 7 at Lost Gen Brewing in NE DC. As a reminder for the schedule: we’ll gather between 6:30 - 7:00pm to grab drinks, food, and socialize; read from 7:00 - 8:00pm silently; and hang around after 8:00pm for as long as you like to discuss what you read and meet fellow readers. Bring a friend and please do remember to RSVP via this link so I can provide Lost Gen with a headcount. Cannot WAIT to see you there!

Three Words

Merrily we meander.