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Start 2023 Off With These Reads

1/4/2023

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Happy New Year! I hope there were plenty of books under your tree, and plenty of time to read them.

I have previously shared my enjoyment of short stories. I am in awe of writers of short stories. I believe it is a special skill to really engage readers with a limited number of words. “Five Tuesdays in Winter” by Lily King is a great collection of short stories. Some are sweet, if a little melancholy; others are a little dark.

Speaking of dark, “The Cloisters” by Katy Hays is plenty dark. Immersed in medieval art, Tarot, and the ambience of New York City, “The Cloisters” presents several mysteries and a couple of surprises. Big surprises. It’s the sort of book that upon reaching the end, you might be inclined to reread it just so that you can put all the pieces together as you go. (Or is that just me?) It should definitely be added to your reading list heading into the new year.

Another must-read is “The Light We Carry” by Michelle Obama. In it she discusses how to find, cultivate, and share your light. Drawing from her own experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and even as first lady, she provides a frank and honest dialogue with her readers on topics such as relationships, community, and self-doubt. She encourages her readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and to live boldly, because, as she says, “When we are able to recognize our own light, we become empowered to use it.” Regardless of your political persuasion, this book is worth reading.

Another book worth reading was recommended to us by a friend in honor of our retirement. That’s right! My husband and I are of a certain age. So, our friend recommended “Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit, Sexy, and Smart-Until You’re 80” and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry (Harry) S. Lodge, MD (and in this second edition, Allan J. Hamilton, MD). This book is written for men of retirement age or even younger. (There is also a “Younger Next Year for Women” version. I’ll have to get that next). In these books, you’ll learn how to put off 70 percent of problems normally related to aging, and to eliminate 50 percent of serious illness and injury by following “Harry’s Rules.” This edition also explains how these “rules” for diet, exercise, and staying emotionally connected directly affect brain health, thanks to Dr. Hamilton. Chris’s humor and candor, and Harry’s uncomplicated scientific explanations will provide the motivation for you to train for the next third of your life and to have a ball while doing it. So, if you are of a certain age, or hope to be one day and want to get a jump on it, start your new year with this book.
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I hope you find a lot of books with which to start your new year, and to enjoy throughout the year.  Happiest 2023 to you, and happy reading.
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Enjoy These Great Reads Before the New Year

1/4/2023

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Who can believe that we’re about to welcome 2023? This year has been really busy for me and has led to less reading than usual. Hopefully, next year holds much more reading for me and for you.

Richard Osman’s third book, “The Bullet That Missed,” came out in September. This led to more re-reading (or re-listening) for me, as I shared the audiobook versions of Osman’s “The Thursday Murder Club” and “The Man Who Died Twice” with my husband before beginning

“The Bullet.” These books follow four unlikely septuagenarian friends as they solve mysteries in and around their Cooper’s Chase Retirement Village. They are a hoot!


With colder weather, some of you may enjoy a book with a warmer setting. Try Lee Smith’s semi-autobiographical novella, “The Blue Marlin” set in 1959 Key West. Smith describes this book as “...dearest to me, capturing the essence of my own childhood.”

If Key West isn’t an exotic enough locale, maybe you will enjoy Amy Tan’s “Saving Fish From Drowning,” which follows a group of American tourists on an ill-fated trip to Burma. Amy Tan fans will note that this book is a departure from her other writings. Typically dealing with family and cultural issues, in this book Tan takes on a more political topic, highlighting the conditions in Burma (now Myanmar) under its military regime. She also presents American tourists in an unfavorable light. This book has garnered both praise and criticism for Tan. While some reviewers found it to be a nice change-of-pace, others felt that her characters were too coarse and too shallow. Some readers have found the trials of these hapless tourists to be amusing, while others have found little humor in the story. Tan has also been criticized for her approach to this story - presenting it as based on actual events, which is false. Some feel that Tan’s ability to perpetuate this “hoax” is proof of her skill as a writer. Personally, I land on the side of critics.  I could not connect with any characters, did not find it humorous, and was disappointed to learn that the “events” which were the supposed inspiration for the story were fictitious (other than the political and human rights issues in Burma). To that latter point, I want to say that I listened to the audiobook instead of reading it. It is possible that the physical version of the book contained an annotation that revealed the completely fictional nature of the story. However, given the amount of online space devoted to this issue, I’m not so sure.  Read it and decide for yourself.

Celeste Ng’s previous books, the extremely popular “Little Fires Everywhere” and, my favorite, “Everything I Never Told You,” have been followed by her latest novel, “Our Missing Hearts.” Like Tan, Ng departs from her typical subject matter of conflict in suburbia, to pursue a political theme. Although this book has a contemporary setting, much like “The School for Good Mothers” by Jessamine Chen, it has a dystopian feel. It also deals with the removal or “replacement” of children when parents were determined to be “unfit” due to their ethnicity, or political beliefs, or maybe just because their neighbors are “watching out” for them and find some issue to report. This is a great book.

I’ll say goodbye to 2022 with a book that I love. Picture yourself curled up before a fire, while Daniel Nayeri acts as a modern-day Sheherazade, spinning tales of his native Iran, and of growing up as a “refugee kid” in Edmond, Okla. This book “Everything Sad is Untrue” is magical.
Wishing you a magical December, as well.

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by Nancy Carstens
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    by Nancy Carstens

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