This month I read (almost) only books found in Little Free Libraries around DC. If you’ve ever seen those little boxes in people’s front yards or in parks filled with secondhand books, that’s thanks to the Little Free Library program. And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can search for a little free library in your area or start your own!
#10: The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
The protagonist of this novel wakes up every day in a new body, and is given seven lives through which to solve a murder. Sounds intriguing right? I really wanted to like this book, and while I did enjoy the process of reading it, I didn’t feel that the work I had to put in as a reader to understand what was going on and keep the plot lines straight ended up being worth it. I really don’t like books that bring you on a journey to uncover the truth but don’t give you all the facts. In this book, the reader follows a protagonist who is attempting to solve a murder, but no one, including that protagonist, has any idea what is really going on until the last thirty pages or so. It left me feeling a little duped, and ultimately like I wasted my brain power trying to solve the mystery and instead should have just passively read the novel. I’m just not a very passive person, so it wasn’t fun for me in the end.
#11: Radical Markets by Eric A. Posner and E. Glen Weyl
I never thought I would describe a book on economics as trippy, but this book truly was. Each chapter presents a different economic idea that the authors believe could “uproot capitalism and democracy.” From eliminating private property to rethinking our one-person-one-vote voting system, the book tackles a variety of markets within the American system and offers a different option. While I didn’t agree with the merits or feasibility of literally any of their proposals, it was an interesting way to learn more about how our current systems work, and think about how we might go about improving them in the future.
#12: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
If you’ve watched the Netflix series…this is nothing like that. But I really enjoyed both ghost stories told within Hill House, and recommend the book to anyone who enjoyed the episodes. Because we were trying not to watch TV during the month of April, Bobby and I read this book out loud together at night. We turned the lights down as low as possible, snuggled up and passed the book back and forth every few pages, which made it enjoyable and a little more spooky. It reminded me of reading the entire Harry Potter series out loud with my brother and my mom while I was growing up, which has always been a really lovely memory for me. If you have older kids who like scary stories then this Shirley Jackson novel is a great read aloud option. Or, of course, Harry Potter.
#13: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
I have staunchly avoided any entertainment about pandemics, apocalypses, or the end of the world since lock down began in March 2020. However, I found this book in a little free library and decided to take it with me camping for the weekend. I finished it in a few hours. Mandel is a powerful author and is able to retain control over a narrative that winds in and out of several perspectives in both the past and present. The story was compelling, the characters were realistic, and the theme of the value of art was clearly articulated without being overdone. If I ever became a creative writing professor (one of my many dream jobs) I would definitely teach this book to students learning how to craft novels. Also, if you really enjoy her work, Mandel posts notes on all of novel on Goodreads.
#14: The U.S. Congress: A Very Short Introduction by Donald A. Ritchie
I first learned about this book series from an interview I read from my favorite author Lauren Groff which, unfortunately I can no longer find. In response to a question about writer’s block she explained how staying curious helps her avoid the problem of staring at a blank page with nothing to say, and mentioned that she enjoys picking up random Very Short Introductions from the bookstore to help her learn about new topics. The U.S. Congress introduction is the first of the series I’ve read, and I really enjoyed it. It’s a tiny book in both size and volume, easily read in a handful of sittings, and is written in a tone less like a textbook and more like a geeky professor telling you about the topic of their favorite class. It quickly provides an overview of how Congress works, but spends most of its time giving insight into the odd quirks of the system, without going too deep on any one topic. Like Groff, I recommend this series for the eternally curious, and this book specifically for anyone who wants to better understand U.S. government without a political spin.