I ride a train to and from work everyday, so have been reading quite a bit to pass the time. I love Maureen Corrigan’s taste in books so will typically try to seek out books she recommends. So in the past few months I’ve read:
Educated by Tara Westover. She’s a very talented writer and I found the story compelling. Some parts were difficult to read but I thought she related her story in a fair and gracious manner, while still conveying the conflicted feelings of having love for someone who has hurt you.
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. I’m not much of a history buff and someone had given me this book, so it sat on the shelf for a while. But oh my gosh was this an interesting and devastating story. I couldn’t wait to get on the train everyday to read it. A quick read, and definitely something I never learned about in school history class. Was more like a true crime novel I thought, which is maybe why it captivated my attention.
The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott. This was a Maureen Corrigan recommended book. I was partly interested in this novel because I grew up Catholic and my mom had been a nun. I didn’t think it was great. For some reason I couldn’t really get into it, and it was a bit of a slog for me to get through. But I did enjoy learning a bit more about convent life.
Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss. Short novel, but I really enjoyed it. A good, creepy story fleshed out by well-researched history of the Ancient Britons.
Hunger by Roxane Gay. There were parts of this memoir that I identified with. I also felt at times like she was going too far down the self-pity path. Writing seemed kind of uneven to me, but I wasn’t bored by it. A review I read described her prose as “lethargic” and I think I agree with that assessment.
Currently reading The Body in Question by Jill Ciment. Another Maureen Corrigan recommendation. This is one of those rare novels that I wish would go on forever. Spare writing style. Two stories are interwoven and both of them are intriguing. The characters are well-developed and the story keeps a good pace. It’s like a good indie movie. My favorite so far, although I think it’s going to end in heartbreak. We’ll see.