the wedding people

The Wedding People by Alison Espach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

ok i was waiting for this book from the library for months, and well, it was worth wait. an truly unique direction for a wedding plot. there's a sprinkle of white lotus trio gal pal nonsense and light weaving of a loose jane eyre flair in there. i thought the ending would be predictable but happily it landed remarkably solid. RECOMMEND!

all the colors of the dark

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"paint it for me." wow has chris whitaker done so! it took me a little bit to get into it at the get-go but once i was in i was IN. whitaker has a marvelous way of telling you something without explicitly doing so, which i find especially admirable for a serial killer thriller. he trusts his readers to put it together and not explained to. what truly hooked me was the love stories that were romantic, unrequited, and familial. i enjoyed the cadence of short chapters that pushed me to read more and more until i slowed down knowing the conclusion was nearing an end. i haven't openly sighed and awwwed reading a book in a long time. i'm often averse to "read with jenna" picks but this one was worth it.

i'm waiting for the film adaptation that won't measure up to this prose, so do yourself a favor and read this.

do nothing

 

Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving by Celeste Headlee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 but no round-up. i suppose a lot of what ms. headlee wrote were habits I've already employed, but I really took away the email/text as a somewhat waste or rather suckage of time. I'm pretty much a neo-luddite so less attached to digital devices as most. i still prefer to read physical books and make ample time for social engagements in person. i could be better with calling instead of texting. I've recently started to send voice memos to convey more feelings than the written word. this is a good list and reminder for folks:

1. increase time perception
2. create your ideal schedule
3. stop comparing at a distance
4. work fewer hours
5. schedule leisure
6. schedule social time
7. work in teams
8. commit small, selfish acts
9. focus on ends, not means

funny story

Funny Story by Emily Henry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 i could have done without starfire but devoured this in less than 24 hours.

trust people's actions, not their words.
don't love anyone who isn't ready to love you back.
let go if the people who don't hold on to you.
don't wait on anyone who's in no rush to get to you.

all great tenets for friendships and romance

wandering stars

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 round-up. i enjoyed this more than orange's debut and perhaps it's the intergenerational element a la homegoing that did it for me. the victoria bear shield and opal viola bear shield stories were quite moving, as well as the trio of great-grandchildren set in the somewhat present really hammered home the cycle of addiction. it's hard enough to find identity in your youth and harder when the history of our ancestors has been erased or misrepresented throughout history. orange has a heartbreaking way of navigating these feelings and hope for resilience for the next generation.

open

Open: An Autobiography by Andre Agassi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 round-up. this has sat on my to-read shelf for years and i finally got around to it just as the french open was kicking off. i'd heard this is one of the best sports memoirs and I can see why. agassi really gets to the heart of the psyche of being a tennis player. how lonely the game can be? you are your own worst enemy not the opponent you are playing. i laughed out loud every time brad gilbert showed up. he truly is the hidden star of this book and i can see how he has driven the best out of so many player, especially the first player he coached - andre. i grew up watching agassi, sampras, chang and courier. i remembered many of the matches he talks about, and agassi's internal monologue during these matches really makes this book.

the unobserved universe

The Observable Universe: An Investigation by Heather McCalden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

a mediation on grief in an unorthodox literary sense, which makes sense since mccalden is an artist that generally identifies with photography. it's refreshing and sometimes difficult read, emotionally and structurally. irregardless, it gave me jenny odell how to do nothing vibes. the consciousness that items on the internet are ephemeral from link rot to 404 errors. mccalden has a way of encapsulating feeling in concise prose that hits upon its emotion. meticulous researched and paints a vision of la that's less glitz and more reality.

hello beautiful

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 with a round-up. modern-esque day little women with all the head-strongness of jo, artsy aspirations of amy, maternal goodness of beth, and not sure where meg ends up but it's about four tight sisters. to say i devoured it is an understatement. depthly told from three main perspectives and a later fourth, the story spans decades in the padavano sisters' lives with an undercurrent of basketball brought by love interest william walters. it gets messy, sad, and ultimately redeeming.

bonus: shout to stephen curry, klay thompson, draymond green, and gary payton II in the acknowledgments.

wellness

Wellness by Nathan Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 and rounding up. i really enjoyed the nix but i have to say i loved wellness more. the opening love story is a literary gem. “come with?” the narration between past and present was perfection, navigating trauma and the challenges of a long term relationship. highly recommend.

talking at night

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 no round up only because rosie is insufferable. lots of comparisons to “normal people” though i enjoyed this more. i disliked marianne in np, but disliked rosie even more in this novel. it was an engrossing read and the characters were well-rounded. mvp goes to jen, and the “showdown” between will and simon made me think of the bar scene in the film past lives.

the vaster wilds

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 round up. i haven’t loved lauren groff’s books since “the fates and the furies” but i still go on reading for her prose. “the vaster wilds” seems to have captured what i loved about her debut. heartbreaking intimacy, but this time in solitude amongst the wilds of nature.

flowers of the killer moon

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

i went into this to prep from the upcoming film adaptation, however i was deeply overwhelmed by this book. it was engrossing and i can’t recommend it enough. everyone should be reading this as it illuminates an largely overlooked past and genocide.

why mariah carey matters

Why Mariah Carey Matters by Andrew Chan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

for complete transparency as with my review of mariah’s memoir, i am a 🐑. additionally, i am a friend of the writer-scholar of this book, so fully acknowledge some bias, however this book undoubtedly does a great job uncovering mariah’s place in pop and r&b history. it goes well beyond the well-known hits to celebrate her talents as a songwriter, producer and vocal arranger.

the wake-up

The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change by Michelle MiJung Kim
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

i was a little skeptical when i started this and thought it would be a full on lecture about how i'm just not doing enough, but michelle does a great job providing grace and understanding that everyone's journey to unlearning is varied. i highly recommend this anyone on the never ending path to challenging social injustices personally and in public. bravo!

crying in h mart

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 and rounding up (again slightly biased reader) i’ve been awaiting this memoir for some time and needless to say it doesn’t disappoint. i identified with the push and pull of a mother-daughter relationship that was anchored in food as love and unfulfilled expectations of a parent. lastly, peter is a saint. michelle really grabbed a good one.

we run the tides

We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

i had a feeling this would be in my wheelhouse growing up in san francisco albeit NOT in sea cliff. vendela has captured the landscape of the foggy beaches of san francisco to a tee. something i constantly have to clarify to non-left coasters about the major difference between northern and southern california. i saw someone compare vida to ferrante, and i'd have to say vendela's depiction of teenage female friendship hits deeper for me. the characters are more engaging for my taste and the lies more tangible. again, caveat that i'm probably overrating for my affinity to my hometown as it's resonance is personally palpable.

the family upstairs

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

okay, i've been a fan of lisa jewell since ralph's party and was in a anglophile reverie in the early aughts. i have since been fortunate to live in london and now can picture vividly the places that jewell writes about. for this latest suspense turn (i still miss the early chick lit jewell novels), i have to say i enjoyed it much more than her past efforts. jewell has always had easy reading prose that i can devour in a sitting. this story unfolds with a few red herrings and tidies up to an amiable ending. recommend!

from the mixed up files of mrs. basil e. frankweiler

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: Special Edition 

by E.L. Konigsburg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

on the heels of the met reopening this coming weekend, it was a joy to read this book in anticipation. my edition included an afterword that konigsburg wrote for the 35th anniversary edition. she compares what she's written back in 1967 to a post-9/11 of the then present. though she past several years ago, i wonder what ms. konigsburg would think of 2020 manhattan.

return of the bookworm

so i've been a little quiet, but largely because the current state of the world has kept us inside. as a culture vulture, i was worried i'd be struggling without live music, art and performances, but strangely i have settled well into this "new normal." 

things i've learned about myself

• virtual concerts aren't my cup of tea, aside from jojo's weekly noon pst ig sessions in april and the tallest man on earth's 10th anniversary concert for the wild hunt on youtube.
• i don't mind those relief concerts.
• i really miss live sports. thank goodness for the last dance. i might blog about my steve kerr coaching the triangle for the golden state warriors theory.
• i can self-practice yoga at home and thriving on these live yoga sessions. i still miss in person instruction and adjustments. oh the adjustments.
• i can happily hibernate for a max 3 days without leaving my house.
• i only need to buy groceries, at most, every other week.  i do miss fresh veg and my csa.
• i really like snail mail.  i mean i knew this, but i really love a good surprise and delight letter, postcard or note to a friend.  it fills me with joy when they say it's made their day.  also i still love going to the post office - mask on and gloves of course.
• i like phone calls more than facetime. in fact, i'm not really a fan of zoom happy hours. i prefer biking by friend's homes and chatting from a distance. backyards and rooftops get bonus points.
• biggest revelation - i'm a voracious reader when i have time to be one. here are a few reads i've completed of note:

Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments: Intimate Histories of Riotous Black Girls, Troublesome Women, and Queer Radicals by Saidiya Hartman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

beautifully written and researched. i was surprised how quickly i breezed through this historical piece. hartman brings profiles to life with thoughtful prose.



Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

pretty much loved it, except i felt the ending was just a little too sweet imo.





Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

jia is so so smart, but doesn’t make you feel dumb. her writing is relatable, yet also so astute.




The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O'Neill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 but rounding up. love me a bittersweet ending.





Tell Me More: Stories about the 12 Hardest Things I'm Learning to Say by Kelly Corrigan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

when a book is peppered with golden state warriors references, i'm in.

"that's how it works: someone important believes in us, loudly and with conviction and against all substantiation, and over time, we begin to believe, too-not in our shot at perfection, mind you, but in the good enough version of us that they have reflected."

View all my reviews

small doses

Small Doses by Amanda Seales
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

i can't recommend this book highly enough, especially heading into a new year. amanda provides sage advice and life lessons wrapped in a cozy blanket of intelligence and humor. just a few affirmations i loved:

* find the joy
* circle of dopeness
* refine the rage

the hustle vs. the grind

attention vs. affection

WWMBFFD? (what would my best friend forever do?)

nice vs. kind