Books for a Long Weekend
Giving thanks for you in YWR #99
Okay, my little gravy boats, it’s time to GAME OUT this long weekend. (This obviously applies immediately to the US but feels like there are a lot of bank holidays in the King’s Empire so you can just plan ahead.)
Family time? Check.
Errands, holiday miscellany and sundry obligations? Check.
Tedious home projects that are obviously going to take longer than the three hours you’ve allotted? Sure, okay, check.
A few (or many) uninterrupted hours for dedicated reading? CHECK, CHECK, CHECK ONE TWO THIS IS OUR TIME, TEAM! BELIEVE!
And naturally, your reading pal Kerry has got you covered whether you like your long weekend reading to be informative, nutritious, or escapist. (Weighted blankets and cozy teas not required but really, we’d be fools not to.) May your every long weekend wish come true.
If You Want an Educational Read
For readers who really want every hour to be productive and informative, check out Blood and Oil, a non-fiction look at the Saudi royal family and especially Mohammed Bin Salman’s rise to power. It’s written by Wall Street Journal reporters so while I’m sure there are elements of American bias, it doesn’t seem to have as much jingoism and propaganda as other books in this vein. (cough Red Notice cough). Plus, the story is both disquieting in its ruthlessness as well as just plain bonkers in terms of how human ego, narcissism, vanity and hunger for power create friction and chaos (from the Saudi family but also with so dumb-as-to-be-believable Trump presidency anecdotes.) See? I read non-fiction sometimes.
This would be a three-lamb except there are a few chapters about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, so. Remember! Lambs aren’t about quality, but comfort; I explain here.
If You Want a Literary-Type Read
I wouldn’t lie to you, so I must say that The Marriage Portrait is not as good as Hamnet (which is excellent, here’s why). But you’ll still get to luxuriate in Maggie O’Farrell’s smart, luscious prose, and that’s ultimately a few hours well spent. About the young Duchess Lucrezia de' Medici in 1550’s Florence, whose only job and expectation is to provide an heir, and whose life depends on doing so quickly and dutifully, this is a good examination of a young woman’s life, of Renaissance art, and of survival. If Hamnet was a study of grief, this is perhaps a study of anger and fear. Plus the Italian countryside is so gorgeously brought to life.
If You Want to Escape a Little
Yes, and who could blame you?
The Last Housewife is no feel-good read, but it is a heart-pounding, fast-paced thriller about a woman who escaped a cult (you know I love me some cult content), but when she learns that a fellow escapee has died, she feels compelled to uncover the truth and put an end to the past. Oohh is it unsettling! ALSO there’s a morally murky plot point that crops up more and more in fiction lately, and I want to talk to someone about it. So please read it and then get back to me.
And if you really want something lighter, let me give you something a little out of left field, pun intended.
A Season of Daring Greatly tells the story of 18-year-old Jill Cafferty who makes history as the first woman drafted by Major League Baseball, and how she fares in the Class A minors. Fictional, obviously, but it’s told with such apparent deep knowledge of baseball that it seems almost plausible. A little Friday Night Lights, a little Art of Fielding, a little The Rookie with Dennis Quaid which I j’adore and will watch happily, sentimentally, and repeatedly. It straddles the line between YA and A(dult) (like, no sex, and just the right amount of darkness) but/and it’s extremely intelligent and witty, and a little sweet. I confess that I read it in one night and then I RE-READ it the NEXT NIGHT because I just wanted to experience the dialogue again and befriend Jill. (Does this count as one or two books in my yearly count?) Move over, Terry Gross, this is now an Ellen Emerson White fan account.
Save Yourself
I’m not saying that reading will keep you from being investigated and possibly imprisoned by Congress and/or the SEC, but the data is somewhat irrefutable. (Apologies for the salty language but frankly that’s the least of Sam Bankman-Fried’s faults.) Stay safe out there, kids.
Still More Important Books I Haven’t Read
This week, it’s the National Book Award winners! Hello, I’ve read none of these! Probably because I was re-reading lighthearted fiction!
I did actually start All This Could Be Different and stopped reading it after just a few chapters. Just felt like disaffected millennial worker bees who suffer through a grim job, have unsatisfying conversations, and then float home to their crummy apartments and talk about masturbation. I’m not saying that’s bad or even inaccurate to life, but I couldn’t access the apparent beauty of it. Please tell me if I need to revisit it, because a lot of people seem to love it!
