The Curator: books that love being books
A list for brightening your sad cold February
Hello book friends!
I took a little breaky break last week but I’m back. I changed for-money jobs and it’s proven to be more emotionally challenging than anticipated. I was at my last university for over eight years and I had this unrealistic idea that I would slide through unscathed from an experience that shaped me as a person. I guess I’ve learned nothing from therapy.
As a result of this emotional turmoil and the existence of February, I felt a strong urge to read a book that’s a loving book, meaning one that loves its characters or its own existence. It may not be about love but you can feel the author’s joy to be here, with these characters, for whatever time they have. I wanted a book that made me feel wonder at life occurring on a tiny flying rock in the sky.
Me being the resourceful gal I am, I took to Notes to crowdsource filling the position. The book community showed up, offering some spectacular suggestions. February can be cold and mean, so I think we should all take the serotonin where we can (also take your vitamins!).
—Got something to add to this list? Let me know in the comments—
My Recs
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr recommended by me as an example of a loving book. The NYT says it’s “infused with the magic of childhood reading experiences” and I agree. Everything this man writes is like poetry in novel form. It weaves through three time periods - orphans in 15th-century Constantinople, children under threat of violence in a present-day Idaho library, and a colony on an interstellar ship, all bound by the power of stories. Even though it grapples with human suffering and the (repeating) end of the world, the love Doerr has for his characters and his craft is clear.
Beartown by Fredrick Backman is my current read because after all that crowdsourcing I took my own rec instead 😬. Beartown is about a small hockey community and the lengths people will go to to protect their way of life. What I’m loving most about this story is that it deals with serious subjects charmingly. That’s not to say it makes light of human suffering, but it’s realistic in its portrayal that not everything is clear-cut. When things happen to you it feels extraordinary, but really our stories are universal: “In this story of a small forest town, Fredrik Backman has found the entire world”.
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen is a new gentle favorite where I would absolutely be friends with the entire town. It’s about generations of extraordinary women finally finding their power in a community built to exclude them. When everything turns out perfect in the end we believe it because everyone is so inherently good. It’s soft and sweet and a great palate cleanser for the hard stuff.
TBR Recs
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke recommended by
at Haunting the Staircase, seconded by Michelle Martin and at The Magic Book House. Hannah describes it as “a love letter to the world”. Everyone who has recommended this book has suggested that it’s better to go in not knowing too much so I’ll stop there, but the continual love for this book is unlike anything I’ve witnessed. A big contender for after Beartown.The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern recommended by
at Chasing a Feeling. I enjoyed The Night Circus, and if Starless is in a similar vein, it’s fantastical low-stakes love and adventure. It’s about a young man who discovers a mystical book full of stories, including one from his own life, and the ancient library that holds the answers. Reviews call it “an ode to books and storytelling” and “a warm, honeyed bath of words and ideas” which sounds exactly like a loving book.The Fraud by Zadie Smith by recommended by
at The Booktender. It’s a fictional story about a real historical case, the Tichborne Trial. White Teeth was a favorite in 2019 for its crazy cast and comedic genius. If Smith carries any of that prismatic comedic timing into The Fraud I think it will be a winner.
New to Me Recs
The Dog of the North by Elizabeth Mackenzie recommended by
at Literary Leanings - “a little strange but full of so many loveable characters, overall very fun and well written”. It’s about a woman who road trips her way out of rock bottom. From the description, I’m getting upbeat Bridesmaids vibes i.e. miserable but funny? It was nominated for the Women’s Prize last year, is comped to Richard Brautigan and Haruki Murakami, and has multiple endearing reviews, so I don’t know how I overlooked this one.Even Cow Girls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins recommended by
at Something Eve Read. Not to just keep comparing books to movies but this description reminded me of Dumplin’: “Starring Sissy Hanshaw--flawlessly beautiful, almost. A small-town girl with big-time dreams and a quirk to match--hitchhiking her way into your heart, your hopes, and your sleeping bags...” Honestly, this sounds like the cutest thing I love this rec.The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving recommended by
. As a millennial product of public school, I was exposed to Irving young (A Prayer for Owen Meany anyone??) and continued on my own exploration later, but somehow missed this one. Time describes it as "a startlingly original family saga that combines macabre humor with Dickensian sentiment and outrage at cruelty, dogmatism, and injustice". Family saga, macabre humor, DICKENSIAN SENTIMENT. Hits all the loving book requirements.A Little Hope by Ethan Joella recommended by
at Weird Little Worlds. It’s about the residents of an idyllic Connecticut town and “the intertwining lives of a dozen neighbors as they confront everyday desires and fears.” Using small moments to share something bigger about life is exactly what I want in a loving book. Very Three Pines-esque but perhaps without the murder. It’s also part of Kindle Unlimited right now so A+ rec.
Like I mentioned up top, if you have anything to add to this list keep them coming in the comments - I am in my loving book era. Cheers.
READING →
I’ve now blazed through almost two Karin Slaughter audiobooks in less than two weeks. I’m determined to start at the beginning with both the Grant County and Will Trent series and luckily my many random app subscriptions are supporting this endeavor (Everand and Libby and Chirp and Libro.fm for the win!). Kathleen Early’s voice has now become the soundtrack to my life.
WATCHING →
The True Detective: Night Country finale is this Sunday and HOW THE HELL ARE THEY GOING TO WRAP THIS UP CAPTAIN?? All I know is that Kali Reis’ character better end up with that hot mountain man.
BUYING →
I traded in my old-as-rocks Kindle for a new one and man has it brightened my e-reader experience. I went with the Kindle Paperwhite and I am now less depressed when I have to read in the dark thanks to my husband’s desire to watch TV floating in space.
NEW BOOKS →
include a story about three dead teens who must solve their own deaths, a book that’s been compared to Schitt’s Creek, one that looks like the reincarnation of Daisy Jones, one that I would purchase simply for the cover, and a new title from a seriously beloved prolific historical fiction genius.
BOOK NEWS →
I love paperback books and I wish new books came with the option (who needs a trash thriller in HARDBACK?). LitHub has a list of books you might have missed now out in paperback. I’m getting this one.
RESTACK OF THE WEEK →
I shared this on Notes but sharing again because it captures the vibe I’ve been dealing with after quitting my job - COVID, cat poop, and this eerie calm that I wish I could have tapped into before my Apple Watch alerted me to contact a doctor re: anxiety heart rate.
AND CATS →
We have reached final boss cat ownership level by purchasing a cat tree. New photo opportunities abound (apologies for the low-quality-ness 'I’m working in low light, like I said).
In Case You Missed It 🖤
I ranked everything I read in 2023 from shelfmate to swindled
I asked you to romanticize your reading life
And I discussed my Roman Empire books
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See you around the bookshelf!
Natalie
Congratulations on the new job, although it can definitely be bittersweet. I cried buckets leaving my last job, and I didn't even like it that much. Lol.
Cozy book recs for me usually skew toward YA, generally fantasy - I love to lose myself in a good world and it feels like coming back to myself, in some ways, because the very best ones really transport you back into your teen years. Which in a lot of ways blows chunks, but at least I was reading some truly heartfelt books as a teenager (think: Infernal Devices, Gallagher Girls, etc.)
Okay, this is sending me because I read A Little Hope for the first time maybe about a week ago and was beyond unimpressed. Thrilled that it landed for someone else, and I hope you love it when/if you get there!
I haven't read it yet (but I own it, etc. etc.) but I've heard great things about Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries. There's a sequel out now, too, and it involves a curmudgeonly professor going to the north of England to research faeries and the adventures she has along the way.