Wrap-up is the perfect word for this January. One, it is COLD here in Seattle. Flannel sheets cold which makes for cozy reading. Two, for the first time in a very long time a month has felt like it lasted a year. I went from my normal head shake over "where did this month go" to holding my head in my hands and asking "how can this still be January?'. From a friend who lost ... Read More...
Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
William has known life with only one love, basketball. Due to a family tragedy when he was born his parents refused him love or any kind of interaction beyond his physical needs. Discovering a place where he’s accepted is the only lifeline he has to normalcy. His basketball talent leads to a scholarship to Northwestern where he meets Julia. Her attention changes his life, not ... Read More...
Indian Horse: A Novel
I love discovering new writers, the voices of people with stories I’ve never imagined. In the past two years I’ve been fortunate to read more from Native American authors like Tommy Orange and Oscar Hokeah, with their singular style. I can now add Richard Wagamese to this list. A Canadian writer and member of the Ojibway tribe, his novel, Indian Horse is a stunning portrayal of ... Read More...
Winterland: A Novel
Does anyone else remember the USSR dominance in women’s gymnastics in the 1970s? When a name like Ludmilla Tourischeva might be the only Russian an American knew? A new novel, Winterland, takes place in the years when the balletic old guard of gymnasts like Tourischeva is giving way to fearless sprites like Olga Korbut. It’s the story of Anya, a young girl whose whole life is ... Read More...
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
There’s always a lot of excitement when a new Taylor Jenkins Reid novel comes out, but this year the hype is ramped up by its timing. Carrie Soto is Back is about a former Grand Slam titlist coming out of retirement to defend her record. This week the U.S. Open begins with the intense buzz around Serena Williams’ announcement that she’s retiring at the end of this year. In case ... Read More...
Beautiful on the Outside by Adam Rippon
I read a lot of dark and difficult books. Given my light and sunny personality, who knows why, but I like it. However, this year my nonfiction has included Bad Blood, She Said, Burn it Down, and Fall and Rise—all well-done books, but not in a happy way. Somehow the universe knew I needed some unequivocally bright and shiny reading and so dropped Adam Rippon’s memoir Beautiful ... Read More...
