Books Talk: Fiction For Moms

Sarah and I had a great time sitting fireside (I don’t think it was on, but it was cozy nonetheless) for our pilot of an upcoming segment series all about books! We hope you will join us every other month for a themed discussion around our reading experiences and specific book titles for every age group, babies through adults.

Today’s conversation began with a brief peek into each other’s general reading preferences and habits before we dove into specific titles that we loved and didn’t love in 2018.

Listen to our conversation here (we start around the 44:00 mark).

Books We Started But Didn’t Finish

The Maze At Windermere (Gregory Blake Smith) – I picked up a copy of this before our family visit to Rhode Island last summer, with the idea that a historical fiction novel set in the place we were headed would give me a greater appreciation for the place. It was good…but not un-put-down-able enough for me to see it through. –Sarah

Great Expectations (Charles Dickens) – I made my way through about 90% of the Dickens classic last year, before mounting library fines forced the issue. I’d still like to go back and finish, if only to say I did. 😉 –Sarah

When Life Gives You Lululemons (Lauren Weisberger) – As a huge fan of The Devil Wears Prada novel and film, I was really expecting to like this sequel, however, I found Emily, the main character to have transformed too dramatically from the character we’re introduced to in Prada to really invest in her the same way I did in the first book. –Katie

Fiction We Loved In 2018

Lincoln In The Bardo (George Saunders) – Don’t say I didn’t warn you: This is an off-the-beaten-path pick for fiction. It’s nontraditional in its format (written like a play) and strange in its subject matter, but it stuck with me and held me captive, especially after the first 80 pages or so. If you like historical fiction or literary fiction, it’s a really compelling read. –Sarah

All We Ever Wanted (Emily Giffin) – Told by three alternating narrators, All We Ever Wanted is the story of one teen’s scandalous social media post that impacts the lives of all those involved in ways that you wouldn’t necessarily expect. This pick lends enough meat to discuss at a book club but enough airiness to read on vacation. Disclaimer: this book does contain a scene that involves date rape; nothing is graphically depicted, but it could be a trigger for some.  –Katie

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (Betty Smith) – I re-read this coming of age classic for the first time since I first devoured it the summer between 8th and 9th grade. It’s at once gritty and hopeful, beautifully written and emotionally honest. I happen to love almost any story set in New York, especially old New York, so the sense of place in this novel is like a familiar favorite character for me. If you haven’t read it, do; if you have, it’s worth the revisit.

Anne of Avonlea – As the sequel to Anne of Green Gables, this delightful coming of age novel continues to document Anne’s adventures and misadventures against the beautiful backdrop of Prince Edward Island. A couple charming plot lines center around Anne’s early teaching career, Marilla and Anne’s adoption of orphaned twins, and the transformation of a curmudgeonly neighbor. –Katie

We Also Mentioned…

• the musical Dear Evan Hansen

We’d love to hear some of your top 2018 book picks in a comment below!

Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash