So this is Christmas

 

I try to buy stuff that was made in America for all my Christmas shopping. I've been doing it for over a decade and I'm so happy to report it has gotten easier.

This year, a badly timed cold delayed my Christmas shopping, making it nearly impossible to be sure everything arrived on time. I only buy for my friends' kids and I ended up spending about an hour on etsy.com, where you can find unique hand crafted gifts made by artisans around the world. You can narrow your search to the US.

For several years now, my family has decided to donate to charity in lieu of gifts to each other. We have given to Unicef, Heifer, CharityWater, and OxFam to name a few. Before selecting a charity, I always check them out at Charitynavigator.org to find out how much of donations go to services and how much they pay the CEO. (I can't stand charity CEOs who make millions.) I recommend checking out your charity here before donating. You can even look at their list of top-rated charities if you need ideas.

This year, I gave to the Arizona Friends of Foster Care Foundation, and was able to specify which program to direct my donation. I chose their Keys to Success program which focuses on kids aging out of the system.
 

Book Review: Vigil Harbor

 

The acknowledgement at the end of this book makes a reference to how difficult it was to write, that it took years and many different versions. It sort of confirmed my experience reading the book. The climax seemed to come too early and the last half of the book was the multiple narrators rehashing their perspective of the ending when there were no longer any stakes.

That said, Julia Glass could not write a bad book if she fell asleep on her keyboard. Vigil Harbor was not my favorite thing she's written,  (for that, check out The Whole World Over) but I still enjoyed it. For character driven stories about people who feel real, there's nobody who does it better.

I was hesitant to pick this up because the description mentions a supernatural element I wasn't sure I could get on board for. Thankfully the author never takes a hard line on this and you're free to dismiss it as a crazy fantasy, as I did.

The not-so-distant future world where this story is set is on the edge of climate apocalypse and, unfortunately, comes  across as thoroughly believable.    

Book Review: Writers and Lovers

 

If you're a writer, you'll get the way this main character thinks. Casey has been working on her first novel for years, scraping by as many of her writing peers desert the dream for more sensible careers. She is struggling with a recent heartbreak that has her questioning her  own judgement and the loss of her mother, which has shaken her to her core.

Writers & Lovers is set in Boston in the nineties, but manages to feel somewhat timeless. Casey's drive to be  published may make more sense in a time period when writers had a better expectation of making a living with their art. The story includes a romantic dilemma, but I appreciated that it was not the main focus. It's simply a normal part of her complicated life.

Lily King creates a flawed character you easily root for and a compelling story that keeps you turning the pages, eagerly. I look forward to reading other novels by this author.

Book Review: Our Missing Hearts

 

This was my first ever audio book and I thought Lucy Liu did a great job with the reading.  I have been a fan of Ng's previous books, and I just didn't think this was her best. The premise was well-timed and interesting, the characters were compelling, but the ending was so anti-climactic, it called into question whether the story preceding it had been necessary. It kind of felt like the author had painted herself into a   corner.

That said, it was well written, an enjoyable listen and full of issues worth thinking about.

For a  list of my favorite reads of 2023, check this out!

Book Review: Monogamy

Sue Miller is one of my favorite authors. Top five. Whenever she releases a new book, I splurge for the hardcover and keep it on display on my bookshelf, assuming there will be many rereadings over the coming years. This is true of very few other authors: Julia Glass, Jennifer Haigh, Barbara Kingsolver, Ann Packer.

Although I haven't been able to finish a book in years, I sped through this. She has the unparalleled ability to create characters who seem real and flawed and complicated. Her stories do not rely on plot. They're about the inner struggles of the MC, somehow made more relateable by their specificitty.

I've read and loved all her previous novels and I'm always hoping to find someone to recommend an author who writes like this.