Another Turn of the Page: Heading into Winter with a Book Bonanza

jlheuer

Dec 13

"In the winter she curls up around a good book and dreams away the cold."
― Ben Aaronovitch, Broken Homes

This time of year always has me thinking of hot cocoa, or hot tea, warm socks, a cozy chair, a nice throw or afghan and a good book. I learned recently of a tradition that is practiced in Iceland, called JolabokafoId. This translates roughly into " Christmas book flood." At this time of year, most households receive an annual free book catalog of new publications called the Bokatidindi. Icelanders pore over the new releases and choose which ones they want to buy and/or gift. On Christmas Eve everyone opens their book gifts straight away and starts reading, often while drinking hot chocolate or alcohol-free Christmas ale called jólabland. What fun!

I belong to two other book groups besides this one and for December instead of reading one title and discussing as we usually do, both groups decided to do a book share. That is, we bring the books we were reading or we are planning to read, and share with the group. This works well in December when there are lots of activities going on and trying to read a certain book for a certain date just becomes stressful rather than enjoyable. I met with one of those groups this past week, the other won't be till later in the month but I want to share the titles of the list I just got so you can start making your lists for your winter reading. No annotations but you can look any up that might fit your interests. Left to right they are: Last Bus to Wisdom by Ian Doig, The Lost Spells by Robert McFarlane (poetry and wonderful illustrations), Conversations with Birds by Priyanka Kumar, Lessons by Ian McEwan, Ada Black: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic by Jennifer Niven, River of the Gods: Genius, Courage and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard and Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night by Julian Sancton.

Now on to what our round table produced. Another interesting mix of fiction and nonfiction. There must be one here that will make your Jolabokaflod merry.

The Twelve Topsy-Turvy Very Messy Days of Christmas by James Patterson (2022) 288p. A funny little read. Everyone knows the song The Twelve Days of Christmas. Well, imagine those gifts actually arriving every day! That's exactly what happens to the Sullivan family. They receive gifts relating to the song and what a mess.
Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women by Harriet Reisen (2009) 363p. A very detailed biography of Louisa May Alcott, including fascinating descriptions of her parents, sisters, and many of their relatives and friends. The family's involvement in the Transcendentalist Movement and abolitionism are especially interesting.
The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family by Ron Howard and Clint Howard (2021) 393p. A double memoir by the Howard brothers, framing the story of their young lives and careers through the prism of their relationship with their parents. Unlike many Hollywood families, the Howards are down-to-earth, good, honest people who have genuine love for each other. I'm sure you remember Ron as Opie on the Andy Griffith Show.
Come Sundown by Nora Roberts (2017) 466p. Set in Montana on a ranch/resort owned by the Longbow/Bodine family this is the story of a family coming together to settle issues of the past and to protect their own when a madman is on the loose abducting women to become his wives.
Shy: The Alarmingly Outspoken Memoirs of Mary Rodgers by Mary Rodgers & Jesse Green (2022) 480p. Mary is the daughter of one composer and the mother of another. And not just any composers. Her father was Richard Rodgers, perhaps the greatest American melodist; her son Adam Guettel, a worthy successor. But that leaves out Mary herself, also a composer, whose musical Once Upon a Mattress remains one of the rare revivable Broadway hits written by a woman.
Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova (2015) 343p. This is the story of a close-knit working-class family that suddenly has to face the horrors of the fatal Huntington's Disease when Joe, a cop, learns he has the disease and gradually becomes more and more incapacitated.
The Revenant of Thraxton Hall (The Paranormal casebooks of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle #1) by Vaughn Entwistle (2014) 336p. Arthur Conan Doyle has just killed off Sherlock Holmes in "The Final Problem," and he immediately becomes one of the most hated men in London. So when he is contacted by a medium and asked to investigate a murder, he jumps at the chance to get out of the city. The only thing is that the murder hasn't happened yet—the medium has foreseen her own death.
Walk the Wire (Amos Decker #6) by David Baldacci (2020) 422p. In this 6th book in the 'Amos Decker' series, the detective's investigation of a bizarre murder in North Dakota unveils diabolical wrongdoing. The book works well as a standalone.
The Christmas Spirit by Debbie Macomber (2022) 240p. Peter Armstrong and Hank Colfax are best friends living very different lives. They have been friends forever, but both believe the other has it easier than he does. So naturally they decided to switch lives the week before Christmas. Peter is a local pastor and Hank is a bartender. After they switch places, they learn more about each other and themselves.
Four Winds by Kristin Hannah (2021) 278p. Historical fiction about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl during the early 1020's up to World War II. Set in Texas and California, Hannah takes us through the tragedies, the poverty, starvation, unemployment and sacrifices the people made to survive.
Bewilderment by Richard Powers (2021) 278p. Theo is a recently widowed astrobiologist raising a young son, Robin. The boy has multiple diagnoses for behavioural issues for which Theo refuses to medicate him, opting instead for an experimental neurofeedback treatment, using the nuerofeedback sessions his mother participated in before she died. His mother was a naturalist and a global warming activist and Robin develops a deep empathic connection to the natural world, with a child's curiosity and dismay at growing up in a time of climate change.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (2022) 368p. A charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus. The perfect novel that will take your mind away from current politics and an unsettled world.
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover (2018) 352p. Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she spent most of her time preparing for the end of the world. Lacking any formal education, Tara began to educate herself. She taught herself enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University, where she studied history, learning for the first time about important world events, eventually attending Harvard and Cambridge.