I didn’t read enough this month. I’m hoping to remedy that in October.
1. Zoli
by Colum McCann (4.5/5). Colum McCann has a wonderful talent for writing women. Which is to say, he writes them like people. Jason has been recommending this book to me for a couple years now, and when I finally picked it up, I wished I’d done it sooner. McCann also chooses very original storylines. Yes, everything’s been done before, but how many books have you read about Romani poets?
2. Tao Te Ching
by Lao Tzu (4/5). This book was on Jason’s list for me. I found it interesting and I liked it well enough, but I’ll probably never read it again. I prefer more pontification with my philosophy.
3. The Ten Thousand Things
by Maria Dermout (4/5). I put this book on my library queue after reading about it in Wild
. It’s unlike anything else I’ve ever read…dreamlike but focused. I feel like I barely skimmed the surface of it.
4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
by Betty Smith (5/5). A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is one of my very favorites and I read it at the beginning of every fall. It’s just amazing. I know this is a classic in its own right, but I feel that it’s often overlooked in favor of other coming-of-age titles like The Catcher in the Rye or The Bell Jar. Don’t get me wrong, I love those. But this seems more honest to me somehow.
