Slow Reading and My March Wrap-Up
Check out every book I read in March and why I'm slowing down this week.
Hi, readers!
We’ve been social distancing for about three weeks now and I’ve been teaching online for two of those weeks. I wish I could say I’m finally settling into a groove but I actually think that this last week is when everything started to hit me just a little bit harder. And as the novelty of distance learning wears off for me and my students, there’s a lot of real anxiety about how well I can prepare my students exclusively through online platforms.
All of this is to say, my reading slowed this week as my work picked up. And I’m okay with that. I’m trying to set aside bits of time each day to fully immerse myself in my current book rather than feeling like I need to be plowing through my unread stacks. Ritualizing reading is making it all the more enjoyable and reminding me that slowing down is almost always a good thing.
This week I read…
The Clergyman’s Wife by Molly Greeley. This is a sequel to Pride and Prejudice about Charlotte’s life after marrying Mr. Collins. I find a lot of Austen retellings or sequels to be off-putting, but I thought this one was really sweet, earnest, and in keeping with the characters Jane created. In this story, Charlotte reckons with what she may have sacrificed to obtain the security she desperately wanted. I appreciate that Greeley keeps her characterization consistent and her commentary nuanced.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Didion’s classic memoir reflects on her life in the year after her husbands’s death. As you can imagine, it’s incredibly tragic, but she also weaves in some truly inspiring commentary about love, marriage, and family that I really enjoyed reading, even in these dark times.
How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang. A western unlike anything I’ve ever read, How Much of These Hills is Gold is set during the California Gold Rush and follows the orphaned children of Chinese immigrants striving to make it in a cutthroat world. Zhang is a brilliant writer and the book weaves themes of tradition, loyalty, family, and gender identity into a pretty fast-paced, heart stopping story. At times, however, I felt like the writing kept me from fully immersing myself in that story. It’s very intricate and I often needed to pause and reread sentences to make sure I was following the plot. This is a book that rewards a slow and careful read.
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. I reread this classic for an episode of Novel Pairings, and, once again, found it extremely enjoyable. I’m excited for you all to hear my discussion with Chelsey and find out what more contemporary books we paired with it!
Now I’m reading…
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. I’ve had this book on my to-read list for a long time, but I’ve been putting it off because of its length (close to 500 pages). I decided now was a great time to dive into an expansive story, and I’m loving this book so far.
Severance by Ling Ma. My book club decided to read this pandemic book for our next meeting. The illness Ma depicts is so drastically different from Covid-19 that I’m not finding it too hard to read, although it is quite eerie.
Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde. I’ve read a few of the essays from this book previously, but hearing them (I’m doing this one on audio) as a full collection is even more powerful.
March Reading Wrap-Up
The Clergyman’s Wife by Molly Greeley. For a thoughtful and charming Pride and Prejudice sequel that’s not too saccharine.
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare. For super steamy Regency romance full of witty banter and sassy female characters.
Five-Carat Soul by James McBride. For a brash, beautiful, and highly imaginative short story collection from a master writer.
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel. For an intricate puzzle and a surprising examination of fate and loss.
How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang. For a one-of-a-kind Western that examines coming-of-age and cultural identity.
The Illness Lesson by Clare Beams. For a page-turning novel about a mysterious commune, mass hysteria, and the social pressures faced by 19th century women.
Invisible Women by Caroline Criado-Perez. For a hard look at the real ways our world is designed by and for men.
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. For pure escapist joy.
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. For one of the best introspective character studies every written (and to be ready for Tuesday’s episode of Novel Pairings!).
Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. For an honest and straightforward look at the history of race and racism in American tailored for young readers.
We Wish You Luck by Caroline Zancan. For a campus novel about obsession, language, and the pursuit of perfection.
Weather by Jenny Offill. For a darkly humorous but very real depiction of a modern-day existential crisis.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. For an utterly devastating and incredibly beautiful depiction of loss.
You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen. For an inventive, female-focused thriller.
You can shop for all of my March reads and support independent bookstores through this link!
Bookish reading.
Given my current reading life, I was really glad to see NPR share one of my favorite Ted Talks: Jacqueline Woodson’s thoughts on slow reading.
Read It Forward has some great advice for starting your own virtual book club.
Vox’s book recommendations are particularly thoughtful and original.
Do you need Dolly Parton to read you a bedtime story? I thought so.
It’s great to see what Bookshop.org is doing for independent bookstores right now. (note: I’m a Bookstore affiliate but I also spend my own money purchasing many books for them!)
I’m truly loving all of the reflections about the importance of art and literature in these times. This article about reading in isolation, Ann Patchett’s thoughts on life changing books, and this one about what books can teach us about life during and after a pandemic are particularly lovely.
The Hard Sell: The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde
April is National Poetry Month and while I’m not an avid reader of poetry, there are a handful of poets I adore and whose work is worth picking up even if poetry typically turns you off. Audre Lorde is at the top of that list. Her work is urgent, vibrant, and brimming with self love and acceptance. Adrienne Rich said that “the first declaration of the black, lesbian feminist identity took place in these poems,” and how lucky are we that we get to witness Audre Lorde’s glory?
I hope that even if you don’t pick up this whole collection, you’ll spend a morning this month browsing Lorde’s work on Poetry Foundation or Poets.org (try starting with “Coal”). Her language and imagery are truly spectacular and something to behold.
Have a wonderful week, readers, and happy slow reading!
-Sara