October Books and the Inaugural Bookish Interview
So many book recommendations!
This is a monthly round-up of every book I read—the good, the bad, the fun, the academic—with more thoughts than I can fit into the Sunday post and extra bookish bits. You can read previous monthly issues here. In addition to the books I read the previous month, there is also an interview with a fellow bibliophile on what their reading life looks like and their recent reads and recommendations.
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Drum roll please…the inaugural bookish interview! When I was deciding who to ask for this very special task, my first (and only) thought was my friend Liz who I met through my Master’s program. In fact, if I recall correctly, I think our friendship really started when she noticed me adding books to my Goodreads list in the middle of a class - oops. Liz is a VORACIOUS reader whose curiosity leads her to read books of all genres and on a variety of topics. One minute she is reading the latest literary fiction, next a chunky investigation into the state of public health, then a classic detective novel.
I’m always so inspired by the depth and breadth of her reading life and I’m honoured that she took the time to share with us her recent reads, the most delightful bookstore, and some advice for books to gift friends for the holidays.
1. Hello! Introduce yourself as a person and a reader.
Hi! I’m Liz; I live in Cambridge, MA, with my two labs, Gulliver and Freya, and husband, Max. I work in research compliance for Harvard University, with the bulk of my portfolio being public health research. I love to hike, rock climb, do yoga, cook, and, of course, read. I usually have two books going at once: one audiobook and one physical book. I spent much of my childhood going on long car trips, and we always had an audiobook playing to entertain us. I love being read to, especially when a book has an amazing narrator.
I read just about everything from Agatha Christie murder mysteries to South American political history. I love having a mix of books that educate and entertain. I’m always looking to learn a little bit more about history, politics, public health, science, etc., but if I’m being honest, some of those topics can be really bleak, so I definitely rotate in light reads to balance it all out.
2. How/where is your ideal place to read? Describe it for us.
My favorite place to read is my mother-in-law’s house. She has an amazing window seat in her living room that looks out into her yard, but it’s quiet and disconnected from the rest of the house. In the late afternoon, there’s an amazing burst of sunlight that drenches the room, and my dogs will come in and sunbathe while I read.
I also love to read outside on a covered/shady porch, especially on those days with a cool breeze. However, outside reading can be really difficult for me because I am easily distracted by noise or moving objects, like birds. In my ideal world, my brain would be able to ignore those things, but I’m not there quite yet.
3. A bookstore you wish everyone could visit once in their life.
Rodgers Book Barn in Hillsdale, NY. It is a whole vibe and the book selection is fantastic.
Closer to home, I recommend Brattle Bookshop in Boston and the Harvard Bookstore in Cambridge. The author talks at the Harvard Bookstore are fantastic!
4. Who is one author you wished more people read?
Oo, this is a tough one. Some of my favorite authors this year were Maggie Shipstead, Dolly Alderton, Lauren Elkin, Kaveh Akbar, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Julie Otsuka, Kevin Wilson, and Lauren Groff. I don’t know if I have a particular author that I would say we need to read more of, but I particularly loved the authors I listed because of the diversity of their stories.
I find that when I read best sellers or popular books, the stories feel familiar. I like it when each book I read is completely different from the one before (unless it’s a murder mystery series; those are formulaic, and that’s why I enjoy them).
5. What did you read in the month of October?
Wellness by Nathan Hill; Psycho by Robert Bloch (I actually had no idea that the movie Psycho was based on a whole series. Psycho was not just a single book); My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante; Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe; Hitchcock’s Blondes: The Unforgettable Women Behind the Legendary Director's Dark Obsession by Lawrence Leaner.
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff; Memento Mori by Eunice Hong; The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science by Sam Kean and Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont by Robert Bilott.
My favorite of the month was probably either Wellness or Memento Mori, which made me cry but was lovely. However, everyone should read Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont; we need to know about the chemicals in our water.
6. What is on your TBR for November?
Greta and Valdin by Rebecca Reilly; The Knockout Queen by Rufi Thorpe; The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas; Decolonizing Wellness: A Qtbipoc-Centered Guide to Escape the Diet Trap, Heal Your Self-Image, and Achieve Body Liberation by Dalia Kinsey; Jane Austen’s Letters by Jane Austen; Color Scheme by Ngaio Marsh and The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck.
7. What book(s) do you think would be a great gift for friends for the upcoming holiday?
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead; Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar; Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah; Good Material by Dolly Alderton; The Blue Maiden by Anna Noyes (for your witchy friends); Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe.
The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne (for your friend who likes a memoir peppered with celebrity cameos); Rules of Civility by Amor Towels (or really any of his books); The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, and Sociopath: a Memoir by Patric Gagne (I know it might seem like a weird rec, but it’s a great book. Just make sure the person you gift it to won’t take it as a hint. Maybe save this one for someone who is really interested in mental health/human behavior).
Oh man, I could go on and on with this list. This is really just a bare-bones starting point. I always recommend that if you read something and loved it, you gift it to your friends!
Thank you so much for sharing with us Liz! I have just added about 20 books to my TBR. I think Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont by Robert Bilott is going to be my next read!
In October, I read five books: two current novels, one memoir, and two non-fiction books - all but one written by women.
Let’s get into them!
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