A Year of Reading: 2024

I'm never quite sure how to review my year in reading, but I'm happy with what I've done in the past couple of years, so I think I'll stick with it. I set an arbitrary goal of reading 50 books on Goodreads back in January, but the number of books I read isn't terribly meaningful to me. This fall and winter there seemed to be lots of enticing books recommended by various Goodreads friends and also available from my libraries, so I kept borrowing and reading. And then reading some more. Goodreads tells me I've read 104 books so far, but I'm still reading two books right now and I'm not sure if I'll finish them tonight. And like I said, numbers aren't what really matter to me. 

It's the enjoyment of the books, what I've learned, and where the books have transported me that matters most to me. I don't want to bore you with numbers, statistics, and ratings, so I'm just going to write about some of my highlights. The links will take you to Goodreads so if you are so inclined, you can read more about the books and decide if they might be for you. 

Some of the books I've enjoyed the most include:

The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession

The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Table for Two by Amor Towles

Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

 

A few of the books I have learned from:

Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Small Rain by Garth Greenwell

Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves by Nicola Twilley

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie

Sing Like Fish: How Sound Rules Life Underwater by Amorina Kingdon

 

Special books that transported me:

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig

The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

That last category is a little bit different. I think of it as books that made me want to keep reading along with those that took me to different countries, places, and times, even if I didn't end up awarding the book too many stars. That's how I ended up with a memoir, a book that's a mix of a linguistic treasure trove and a philosophical journey, and fantasy together in one list. 

For the sake of some conciseness (and because I don't want to bore you!), I've limited my list to 15 of my favorites. This is not exhaustive by any means, especially because it only includes about 15% of the books I read. The books I'm currently reading are This Is Happiness by Niall Williams and Winter Morning Walks by Ted Kooser. This Is Happiness is a reread before I start Time of the Child. I think these are all wonderful books to both end my 2024 reading year and begin 2025.

 

I would love to hear about the book(s) you enjoyed in 2024, what you are reading now, or the ones you can't stop thinking about. I need to make sure I've got some good books lined up for 2025, and many of the best recommendations come from you! Some books slated for publication in 2025 that I am really looking forward to are The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova, and The Names by Florence Knapp. Here's to another enjoyable, educational, and immersive year of reading for all of us in 2025!

 

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A reading reminder: The Zoom discussion for our current Read With Us book, Intermezzo, is scheduled for next Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 7:00 pm Eastern time. You can RSVP (by email or in a comment) to Kym, Carole, or me and let us know that you'll be attending. You can find my email in the upper right hand corner. Thanks and I hope to see you there!

Sometimes Monday ...

 ... is a day to clean up the blog. I haven't changed anything visible, but many times when I think of a possible blog post topic, I'll start a new post, write a few notes, and save it in case I think of something new to add to and turn it into a real post. I usually just date them January first of the next year, but that means when I was approaching the end of this year I had a bunch of saved possible post ideas, interspersed with real ones, like Unraveled Wednesday and Read With Us posts. 

It was time to clear things out and start fresh with real posts. But that means you will be missing out on reading some some "interesting" topics. (I'm pretty good at clearing things out when all that's involved is clicking on a trash can icon.) Here are some of the titles I've just deleted:

Frugal vs cheap - This one came about after a discussion that John and I had about how he always buying the cheapest thing. I wrote a note that said, "When the time you waste or the quality of life you lose are worth more than you save in money," but that's it. John continues to buy things based on how much they cost, even when his shop is full of broken tools that he's had to replace with better quality ones. 

Underwhelmed -  When the pandemic was pretty much over and we started eating out again, we were often disappointed. Both ingredients and staff were in short supply and prices had skyrocketed. I really felt it after I had paid $35 for a barbecue chicken pizza and was complaining to Justin about it. He said that he was often underwhelmed when he and Jess went out, but there wasn't much more to say about the topic. 

Old Rusty Hunks of Metal -  I'm not sure what I was thinking with this one, other than I had found a couple of old rusty hunks of metal while digging in the garden. I was intrigued, but all I wrote was, "I have an appreciation for old rusty hunks of metal. Today I'm going to share a few with you, and even if most of you are left wondering "what the hell?" at least one person might get it." I'm sorry that none of you got the opportunity to appreciate my old rusty hunks of metal. 

Coping - I started this one after the election, but never got any farther than the title. I sincerely hope that you're all coping and maybe even thriving. 

Difficult Things - I think this was related to Coping. I did write, "We have done hard things before, and we will do more hard things in the future, and with any luck at all we will find tiny things to celebrate along the way. Even if today feels impossible." This doesn't have quotation marks in my draft, but I may have read it somewhere. 

Silly Google Knitting Autocompletes - If you type "knitting" into the Google search box, here are some of the things Google returns.

• Who is the most famous knitter? Audrey Hepburn, but I think the real answer should be Eleanor Roosevelt or Elizabeth Zimmerman
  
• What is one sentence for knit? Huh? I don't understand the question. 
• What does the slang knitting mean? Another headscratcher.
• Who is the queen of knits? Sonia Rykiel, but I had never heard of her. 
• What is the most popular knitting pattern ever? The answer is Fair Isle knits or Lopi sweaters, but I think Hitchhiker should be a contender.  

 

 

I'm sorry you missed out on these exciting blog posts, but you did get a small taste of some of the not-too-thrilling topics. I'll be back tomorrow with My Year in Reading, which I hope is a little more interesting than Old Rusty Hunks of Metal.

Unraveled Wednesday on a Tuesday: 12/24/24

Today is Christmas Eve, but it's also Unraveled Wednesday on a Tuesday for me. I won't be posting tomorrow, but Unraveled Wednesday is kind of an anchor to my week, so I hate to miss it even though there isn't an official linkup this week. 

I'm just knitting (slowly) on John's Westerly hat. It definitely won't be done before tomorrow but that's okay. He will most likely say I've knit him enough hats and I'm quite enjoying the cables, so it will be done when it's done. I also wound the Tunis yarn that I'm going to use for some fingerless mitts for myself. 

There was plenty of VM in the yarn, but I think this crunchy yarn will make a nice warm pair of mitts. I'll probably cast on later this week. 

I finished a couple of books this week; the first was At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon. I read some of the Mitford series several decades ago, but a dear friend is reading them and I thought I might also welcome a return to Mitford. Reading this provided a brief respite from the real world (which sadly is not much like Mitford), but it's nice to think that a place and people like this can exist, even if it's fiction and not quite real life. Three and a half stars. 

The second one was Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow. Presumed Innocent is one of my favorite courtroom dramas, and one that I have re-read several times. I've read several of Turow's other books, but I jumped at the chance to request Presumed Guilty from Edelweiss as soon as I read that Turow had written another sequel featuring Rusty Sabich. Rusty is now 76 years old and chooses to defend his romantic partner's adopted Black son after he is accused of murdering his drug-addicted girlfriend. Rusty knows this could be a lose-lose situation, but Turow is one of the best at writing high stakes legal dramas. This long novel wasn't quite as gripping as the original Presumed Innocent, but I was still anxious to get through all 544 pages of suspense to reach the conclusion; the suspense continues even after the conclusion of the trial.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book. It will be published on January 14, 2025. 

I hope you're all able to relax and enjoy whatever making and reading you've got going on this week. I'm wishing you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Kwanzaa Blessings, a tasty National Eggnog Day (that's today!), or whatever you're celebrating. I hope it's merry and peaceful.

A Good Idea

I first wrote about this good idea 10 years ago, but I'm am still using them and thought it might be time to revisit the topic.

Christmas was always a fairly simple, easygoing holiday before I had children. I worked in various hospitals from Florida to New York depending on where we were living, and because hospitals never close, I worked on Christmas for 15 years. By the time we were celebrating our second Christmas with Ryan and Justin came along in 1993, it was slowly dawning on me that Christmas was becoming more complex and complicated. I did love orchestrating it for my young sons, but there's no denying that it took quite a bit of time and some late nights. I could see what the problem was but didn't have any good solutions.

I was browsing in the fabric store after that Christmas and chanced upon some Christmas fabric for $1.00/yard. I couldn't resist this incredible bargain, so even though I didn't have specific plans for it, I bought a bunch. On the way home it came to me - I would sew gift bags. Wrapping presents is one of the holiday-related chores that I don't enjoy one bit, and by spending some low-stress sewing time throughout the year, wrapping gifts would be as simple as popping them in a homemade bag and tying the ribbons.

I don't remember how many I sewed that first year, but they were such a success that I've been sewing bags almost every year since 1994. I enjoy choosing fabric and along the way I branched out into birthday bags.

I've amassed quite a stash of bags, but that way I almost always have the right size for any gift. When my sons are both settled on their own, I envision divvying up the bag stash and gifting the boys with their own bag collections. This hasn't happened ... yet. 

I've still got some fabric for a few more bags, but I haven't sewn any recently. This might be something to put on my list for January. 

We even save and re-use tags. I couldn't find any tags for Jess and Nugget, so they got new ones. I don't have good ideas every day, but this is one of my better ones and has worked wonderfully for me! 
 

Reading My Way Towards the End of the Year

There are still 11 days left before the end of the year, so these are not the last books I'll read in 2024. But because I read four of them this week, I thought they deserved a post of their own.

My Last Name was a pleasant, three star short story that I won from goodreads. The author tells the story of Lottie, 95 years old, infirm, and living in a care facility. She struggles with her memory, understanding exactly where she is, and who is with her, but she still clearly recalls important moments in her life. A longer book would have enabled me to better understand Lottie and her life, and while I found it a bit too religious, it was still a sweet end-of-life story. 

I was pleasantly surprised at how delightful the four stories in The Mistletoe Murder were (well, as "delightful" as murder can be). The prose was descriptive and made the settings easy to picture, and although each of the stories featured a murder, there wasn't any blood or gore. Dorothy Sayers wrote, "Death seems to provide the minds of the Anglo-Saxon race with a greater fund of innocent amusement than any other single subject." James was a master of this amusement and this Christmas-adjacent collection of stories is four-star evidence of her mastery. 

Our Wives Under the Sea is a quirky and original novel that for me was mainly about the process of grieving, even if the person we are missing may not actually be dead. Miri and Leah are married, and Leah finally returns several months after a deep sea mission that was thought to have been lost. Leah is present in physical form but it becomes clear that she is not the same person. In alternating chapters, Miri and Leah talk about their lives now and how it no longer resembles anything like what they had before. If you like clearcut details and endings in your novels, this book may not be for you as it's all quite confusing and uncertain. I'm not sure I would call the book enjoyable, but I have found myself thinking about it. It reminded me of the long, sad months that my mother was dying of breast cancer. I found myself grieving the mother I had known even as she was still lying quietly and uncommunicative but still breathing in the rented hospital bed, just as Miri had to grieve for Leah. Three and a half stars rounded up.

Horse by Geraldine Brooks is a beautifully written historical novel that masterfully weaves together themes of art, science, history, and race, all through the lens of an extraordinary race horse. Brooks uses this horse as a central figure around which she explores various narratives across time, blending the past with the present in a way that is both captivating and poignant.

The novel spans several timelines: the 19th century, during the time of the horse’s racing career; the early 20th century, when a painting becomes a symbol of race and power; and the modern-day search for the horse's origins. Brooks does an exceptional job of bringing these periods to life, making the historical aspects feel incredibly vivid and alive. Each timeline also explores deeper themes, from the complexities of slavery and racism to the enduring human obsession with beauty and mastery in both the artistic and sporting worlds.

What stands out most in Horse is the careful, nuanced exploration of race and its intersections with power. The narrative provides a vehicle for discussing the often painful history of slavery in America and the ways that race has shaped both history and culture. Brooks doesn't shy away from these uncomfortable truths, and her characters are rich, multifaceted, and deeply human in their struggles with identity, belonging, and ambition.

In terms of pacing, the book takes its time, which may not appeal to all readers, but it allows for a deep dive into both the historical and emotional elements of the story. The novel is meticulously researched, and it’s clear that Brooks has a deep respect for the story she’s telling. The prose is elegant and evocative, making it a pleasure to read even as the subject matter delves into difficult areas. While the novel is rich in detail, the multiple timelines occasionally felt a bit disjointed. This made the overall flow of the narrative feel uneven at times. But Horse is a remarkable work that offers so much more than a typical historical novel. It’s an insightful exploration of the ways that art, history, and race intersect as I think only Geraldine Brooks is capable of. It's even more extraordinary to realize that Brooks completed this book in the time after her husband Tony Horwitz died. Four and a half stars rounded up. 

 

What have you been reading lately? 

A Gathering of Poetry: December 2024

It's the third Thursday of the month so I'd like to welcome you to A Gathering of Poetry.

I've written several times here about how I worry about finding the "perfect" poem to share here. But it seems like the best poem often just presents itself. This month's poem was a present from Juliann, who sent me this one after I wrote about my blanket plan coming unraveled. I think it's wonderful and definitely want to share this one with all of you.

 

The Work of Happiness

by May Sarton

I thought of happiness, how it is woven

Out of the silence in the empty house each day

And how it is not sudden and it is not given

But is creation itself like the growth of a tree.

No one has seen it happen, but inside the bark

Another circle is growing in the expanding ring.

No one has heard the root go deeper in the dark,

But the tree is lifted by this inward work

And its plumes shine, and its leaves are glittering.

So happiness is woven out of the peace of hours

And strikes its roots deep in the house alone:

The old chest in the corner, cool waxed floors,

White curtains softly and continually blown

As the free air moves quietly about the room;

A shelf of books, a table, and the white-washed wall—

These are the dear familiar gods of home,

And here the work of faith can best be done,

The growing tree is green and musical.

For what is happiness but growth in peace,

The timeless sense of time when furniture

Has stood a life's span in a single place,

And as the air moves, so the old dreams stir

The shining leaves of present happiness?

No one has heard thought or listened to a mind,

But where people have lived in inwardness

The air is charged with blessing and does bless;

Windows look out on mountains and the walls are kind.

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Sarton, May. "The Work of Happiness". Collected Poems 1930-1993.1993: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc..

You can read more about May Sarton here. 

And a big thank you to Juliann!

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Thank you for reading and joining us for our monthly Gathering of Poetry. You are more than welcome to add your link below if you would like to share one of your favorite poems. The more the merrier!

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Unraveled Wednesday: 12/18/24

I'm joining Kat and the Unravelers today with an FO - the completed Sparkly Hitchhiker. I was especially pleased with the finish since I feel like I won a gold medal for yarn chicken. I bound off with just 12 inches left, not enough for another row so I used every last bit of yarn possible. 

Ryan and John were in the room when I finished and while they didn't give me a standing ovation and break into applause, I know that you guys get it. 

This Hitchhiker has 56.5 teeth and is 79 inches long. I love to make my Hitchhikers long enough to wrap around my neck a couple of times, and because it's sparkly, I'm sure this one will be the perfect addition to my New Year's Eve attire. I will most likely be at home, but I'll be sparkly and warm. The photo above is one I took accidentally while I was getting up from arranging the Hitchhiker, but I like how it shows the sparkles so I couldn't just delete it.

This is the 29th Hitchhiker I've knit, which sounds a little obsessive (even to me). What can I say, Hitchhikers are my comfort knitting, so I almost always have one on the needles. Except for now! While I was looking for a pattern for fingerless gloves for my Tunis skein, I came across a hat that spoke to me. I've knit something for everyone except John for Christmas, so as soon as I finish typing here, I'll be casting on a Westerly hat (ravelry link) for him. He'll probably say he's got enough hats but the cables and braids called to me and it looks like it will be a fun knit. 

I read four books this week, so I'll post about them separately on Friday, but I'll be back tomorrow with A Gathering of Poetry. 

What are you making this week?