The Buffett Way (Not Warren)

Can I rightly claim the title "Parrothead"?  I suspect not, but I also suspect Jimmy Buffett would never have asked me or anyone to produce a membership card or state their case with evidence.  I have been a casual Buffett fan since high school.  Growing up in Greater Cincinnati, it was hard not to be.  Jimmy Buffett and The Coral Reefer Band visited Cincy's River Bend outdoor concert venue for multiple-night stands year after year.  I attended two of those River Bend concerts in the 90s and saw Buffett with my husband and some friends at Wrigley Field in 2005.  I've visited Key West on three occasions (not that I ran into Jimmy Buffett there, but I associate him with the place and its spirit).  I have a magnet purchased at a Cheeseburger in Paradise burger spot, but for the life of me, I can't recall when and where I sampled that famous burger.  I remember that I liked it, as is true for most of my cheeseburger encounters. 

I'm not a deep tracks Buffett fan, but every track on the album Songs You Know By Heart is ... a song I know by heart.  I'd probably be fine if I never heard "Margaritaville" again and I reached my max on "Cheeseburger in Paradise" a few summers ago when I introduced it to my kids and we ended up blasting it in the Odyssey almost daily.

I never thought about how I'd feel when Jimmy Buffett passed away, but turns out, I felt pretty sad and then, after days of listening to my favorite of the songs I know by heart, pretty grateful.  My forty-eight year old self couldn't help but marvel at the cleverness and wisdom of the lyrics.  My friend Kristin (who introduced me to Buffett because she had cool older siblings) and I have been texting about Buffett songs and it's been fun to connect about this music we both love, appreciate, and understand.  It's been over a month since his passing, and no one asked for my deep thoughts on Jimmy Buffett's life and work.  I don't know that I have many deep thoughts, except to reflect that if you've created music that has brought people joy and hope and fun and community and escape from everyday drudgery, you've made the world a better place.  I wanted to record the Buffett lyrics that mean the most to me in the hopes that I'll remember to press play on Buffett when I need him.  Here they are ...

From "Changes in Latitude"

If it suddenly ended tomorrow I could somehow adjust to the fall

Good times and riches and son-of-a-bitches I've seen more than I can recall 

and

Oh, yesterday's over my shoulder, so I can't look back for too long

There's just too much to see waiting in front of me and 

I know that I just can't go wrong

With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

Nothing remains quite the same

With all of my running and all of my cunning

If I couldn't laugh I just would go insane

If we couldn't laugh we just would go insane

If we weren't all crazy we would go insane

 

 

From "Pirate Looks at Forty"

Mother, mother ocean, after all the years I've found

My occupational hazard being my occupation's just not around

 

From "Fins"

She came down from Cincinnati

It took her three days on a train

Looking for some peace and quiet

Hoped to see the sun again.

From "Come Monday"

I hope you're enjoying the scenery

I know that it's pretty up there

We can go hiking on Tuesday

With you I'd walk anywhere

California has worn me quite thin

I just can't wait to see you again

Come Monday, it'll be all right

Come Monday, I'll be holdin' you tight

 

 

From "Son of a Son of a Sailor"

 

As a dreamer of dreams and a travelin' man

I have chalked up many a mile

Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks

And I learned much from both of their styles

 

and

 

Haul the sheet in as we ride on the wind

That our forefathers harnessed before us

Hear the bells ring as the right rigging sings

It's a son of a gun of a chorus

 

Where it all ends I can't fathom my friends

If I knew I might toss out my anchor

So I cruise along always searchin' for songs

Not a lawyer a thief or a banker

 

 

And the moment that really choked me up from "He Went to Paris"

Now he lives in the island, fishes the pilin's

And drinks his green label each day

He's writing his memoirs and losing his hearing

But he don't care what most people say

Through 86 years of perpetual motion

If he likes you he'll smile and he'll say

Jimmy, some of it's magic, some of it's tragic

But I had a good life all the way

 

 

I hope I can say the same ... some of it's magic, some of it's tragic, but I had a good life all the way.

2022 Reading Highlights

And, here you have them, my reading highlights of 2022.  I'm just sharing titles, authors, and loose categories.  If you want to know more about any of the titles, message me or check my Instagram @booksandcarbs where I have posted mini reviews of all the books listed below.  Unless otherwise indicated, these books are 2022 releases.   

 

Fiction Highlights 

People Person by Candice Carty-Williams

 

Boy Swallows Universe (2018) by Trent Dalton

 

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
 

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

 

The All of It (1986) by Jeanette Haien

 

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

 

Betty (2020) by Tiffany McDaniel

 

The No Show by Beth O’Leary

 

The Maid by Nita Prose

 

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub 

 

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin 

Memoir/Non-Fiction Highlights

How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis

 

Think Again:  The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know (2021) by Adam Grant

 

The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music (2021) by Dave Grohl 

 

I Want to Thank You: How a Year of Gratitude Can Bring Joy and Meaning in a Disconnected World by Gina Hamadey

Breaking Free:  How I Escaped My Father--Warren Jeffs--Polygamy, and the FLDS Cult (2017) by Rachel Jeffs   

 

I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy

             

Did Ye Hear Mammy Died by Seamas O'Reilly

 

This Will Be Funny Later by Jenny Pentland

 

Hello, Molly! by Molly Shannon

"New Books from Favorite Authors" Highlights

 

Smells Like Tween Spirit (Class Mom #4) by Laurie Gelman

 

Meant To Be by Emily Giffin 

 

The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

 

A World of Curiosities (Chief Inspector Gamache #18) by Louise Penny

 

2022 Year of Books -- Non-Fiction

2022 MEMOIRS, ESSAYS, and OTHER NON-FICTION

Selma Blair

Mean Baby: A Memoir of Growing Up (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Oliver Burkeman

Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals (audiobook via Libby)

 

Allie Casazza

Declutter Like a Mother: A Guilt-Free, No-Stress Way to Transform Your Home and Your Life (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Liesl Clark

The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan: Discover the Joy of Spending Less, Sharing More, and Living Generously (audiobook via Libby) 

 

Anderson Cooper

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty (audiobook via Hoopla) 

John Crist

Delete That: And Other Failed Attempts to Look Good Online (audiobook via Cloud Library)

K.C. Davis

How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing (audiobook via Libby)

Minnie Driver

Managing Expectations: A Memoir in Essays (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey

The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There (library book)

 

Lauren Graham

Have I Told You This Already?: Stories I Don't Want to Forget to Remember (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

John Green

The Anthropocene Reviewed (audiobook via Libby)

 

Jennifer Grey

Out of the Corner (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Rachel Jeffs

Breaking Free: How I Escaped My Father--Warren Jeffs--Polygamy, and the FLDS Cult  (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Ralph Macchio

Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me

 

Jeanette McCurdy

I'm Glad My Mom Died (audiobook via Audible)

Shauna Niequist

I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet: Discovering New Ways of Living When the Old Ways Stop Working (hardcover)

Zibby Owens

Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss and Literature (ebook via Kindle First Reads)

 

Seamus O'Reilly

Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? (audiobook via Audible) 

 

Mary Laura Philpott

Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives (library book)

 

Christine Platt

The Afrominimalist's Guide to Living With Less (library book) 

Priscilla Beaulieu Presley

Elvis and Me (audiobook via Cloud Library)

David Sedaris

Happy-Go-Lucky (audiobook via Audible)

 

Tim Sommer

Only Wanna Be with You: The Inside Story of Hootie & the Blowfish (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Philip Van Doren Stern

The Greatest Gift: A Christmas Tale (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Ali Wentworth

Ali's Well That Ends Well: Tales of Desperation and a Little Inspiration (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Casey Wilson

The Wreckage of My Presence (audiobook via Libby)

 

 

 

An (*) indicates a reread.  All ebooks are purchased on sale via the Kindle Store or checked out from the e-offerings of the Elmhurst Public Library.  All audiobooks are from Audible.com or the Elmhurst Public Library's e-offerings (Hoopla, Cloud Library, and Libby Apps).

 

2022 Year of Books -- Fiction

 2022 FICTION 

Lyssa Kay Adams

A Very Merry Bromance (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Alexandra Andrews

Who is Maud Dixon? (audiobook via Libby)

Louis Bayard

Jackie and Me (audiobook via Libby)

 

B.K. Borison

Lovelight Farms (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Julie Buxbaum

Year on Fire (ebook via Cloud Library) 

Candice Carty-Williams

People Person (audiobook via Libby)

 

Katherine Center

The Bodyguard (hardcover)

 

Ann Cleves

The Long Call (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Jennifer Close

Marrying the Ketchups (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Jenny Colgan

An Island Wedding (Mure #5) (audiobook via Libby)

Welcome to the School by the Sea (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Katie Cotugno

Birds of California (audibook via Libby)

 

Sophie Cousens

Before I Do (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Trent Dalton

Boy Swallows Universe (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Andrew DeYoung

The Temps (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Robert Galbraith

The Ink Black Heart (Cormoran Strike #6) (audiobook via Audible)

 

Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry (hardcover)

 

Laurie Gelman

Smells Like Tween Spirit (library book)

Emily Giffin

Meant to Be (hardcover)

 

Nina De Gramont

The Christie Affair (audiobook via Libby)

 

Elly Griffith

The Stranger Diaries (Harbinder #1) (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Jasmine Guillory

Drunk on Love (ebook via Cloud Library)

Jeannette Haien

The All of It (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Greer Hendricks

The Golden Couple (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Emily Henry

Book Lovers (ebook via CloudLibrary)

 

Sally Hepworth

Unchartered Waters (audiobook via Audible)

The Younger Wife (ebook via Cloud Library)

Kristan Higgins

Out of the Clear Blue Sky (ebook via  CloudLibrary)

 

Elin Hilderbrand

The Hotel Nantucket (hardcover)

 

Sarah Hogle

Twice Shy (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Linda Holmes

Flying Solo (audiobook via Libby)

 

Abby Jiminez

Part of Your World (ebook via Cloud Library) 

 

Louise Kennedy

Trespasses (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Marian Keyes

Again, Rachel (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Barbara Kingsolver

Demon Copperhead (audiobook via Audible)

 

Jean Hanff Korelitz

The Latecomer (audiobook via Audible) 

Elinor Lipman

Ms. Demeanor (ebook via Cloud Library)

Sarah Lotz

The Impossible Us (audiobook via Libby)

 

Lia Louis

Eight Perfect Hours (audiobook via Libby)

Portia MacIntosh

Just Date and See (audiobook via Hoopla)

The Meet Cute Method (audiobook via Hoopla)

Single All The Way (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Joyce Maynard

The Influencer: A Short Story (audiobook via Audible)

 

Lauren McBrayer

Like a House on Fire (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Mhairi McFarlane

Mad About You (audiobook via Audible) 

Dervla McTiernan

The Murder Rule (audiobook via Audible)

Jean Meltzer

The Matzah Ball (audiobook via Hoopla)

Lydia Millet

Dinosaurs (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Denise Mina

Confidence (audiobook via Audible) 

Annabel Monaghan

Nora Goes Off Script (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Margarita Montimore

Acts of Violet (audiobook via Libby)

 

Meg Mitchell Moore

Vacationland (hardcover) 

 

Beth Morrey

Delphine Jones Takes a Chance (audiobook via Cloud Library) 

 

Maggie O'Farrell

The Marriage Portrait (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Beth O'Leary

The No-Show (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

George Orwell

Animal Farm* (paperback) 

Louise Penny

A World of Curiosities (Chief Inspector Gamache, #18) (audiobook via Audible)

 

Tom Perrotta

Tracy Flick Can't Win (audiobook via Libby) 

Rosamunde Pilcher

Winter Solstice* (audiobook via Hoopla)

Claire Pooley

Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting (audiobook via Libby)

 

Alexandra Potter

Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up (audiobook via Audible) 

Jessica Redland

Making Wishes at Bay View (audiobook via Audible Unlimited)

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Carrie Soto is Back (audiobook via Audible)

Jason Rekulak

Hidden Pictures (audiobook via Libby)

 

Jane L. Rosen

A Shoe Story (audibook via Cloud Library) 

 

Kamila Shamsie

Best of Friends (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Maggie Shipstead

You Have a Friend in 10A: Stories (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Kate Spencer

In a New York Minute (ebook via Cloud Library) 

Julia Spiro

Full (audiobook via Audible)

Wallace Stegner

Angle of Repose (audiobook via Libby)

Crossing to Safety (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Nina Stibbe

One Day I Shall Astonish the World (audiobook via Audible)

Emma Straub

This Time Tomorrow (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Lynn Steger Strong

Flight (audiobook via Libby)

Elizabeth Strout

Lucy by the Sea (Amgash #4) (audiobook via Cloud Library)

Elissa Sussman

Funny You Should Ask (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Anthony Trollope

Christmas at Thompson Hall (audiobook via Hoopla) 

The Warden (Chronicles of Barsetshire, #1) (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Anne Tyler

French Braid (audiobook via Cloud Library) 

 

Shelby Van Pelt

Remarkably Bright Creatures (audiobook via Libby) 

Rosie Walsh

The Love of my Life (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Jennifer Weiner

The Summer Place (hardcover)

 

Julia Whelan

Thank You for Listening (audiobook via Audible)

 

Charmaine Wilkerson

Black Cake (audiobook via Libby) 

 

Tia Williams

Seven Days in June (audiobook via Libby) 

Julia Whelan

Thank You for Listening (audiobook via Audible)

Kevin Wilson

Now Is Not the Time to Panic (ebook via Cloud Library)

 

Kerry Winfrey

Just Another Love Song (audiobook via Cloud Library)

 

Gabrielle Zevin

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (hardcover)

 

 

 An (*) indicates a reread.  All ebooks are purchased on sale via the Kindle Store or checked out from the e-offerings of the Elmhurst Public Library.  All audiobooks are from Audible.com or the Elmhurst Public Library's e-offerings (Hoopla, Cloud Library, and Libby Apps). 

 

 

 

 

 

2021 Year of Reading -- Non-Fiction

 2021 MEMOIRS, ESSAYS, and OTHER NON-FICTION

Liz Alterman

Sad Sacked: A Memoir (audiobook via Audible)

Sam Anderson

Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding, Its Apocalyptic Weather, Ist Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis  

(audiobook via Libby)

Maeve Binchy

Maeve's Times (audiobook via Libby)

Cheryl Diamond

Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Oonagh Duncan

Healthy as F*ck: The Habits You Need to Get Lean, Stay Healthy, and Kick Ass at Life 

(audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Emma Forrest

Your Voice in My Head (audiobook via Hoopla)

Danielle Henderson

The Ugly Cry (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Carl Hiaasen

The Downhill Life: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport (audiobook via CloudLibrary) 

Olivia Hussey

The Girl on the Balcony: Olivia Hussey Finds Life after Romeo and Juliet (audiobook via Audible)

 

Marian Keyes

Making It Up As I Go Along (audiobook via Hoopla)

Joseph Langford

I Thirst: 40 Days with Mother Teresa (paperback)

Michael Leviton 

To Be Honest (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Andrew McCarthy

Brat: An 80s Story (ebook via CloudLibrary) 

Matthew McConaughey

Greenlights (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Hayley Mills

Forever Young (audiobook via Audible)

 

Amanda Montell

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism (audiobook via Audible) 

 

Elizabeth Passarella

Good Apple: Tales of a Southern Evangelical in New York

 

Ann Patchett

These Precious Days: Essays (audiobook via Audible) 

Tom Rath

It's Not About You: A Brief Guide to a Meaningful Life (audiobook via Audible Included)

Seth Rogen

Yearbook (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Maggie Rowe

Sin Bravely: My Great Escape from Evangelical Hell (audiobook via Hoopla)

Sara Schaefer

Grand: A Memoir (audiobook via Audible)

 

David Sedaris

A Carnival of Snackery: Diaries 2003-2020 (audiobook via Audible)

Themes and Variations (audiobook via Audible Included) 

 

Maggie Smith

Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity, and Change (hardcover)

 

Ray Studevent

Black Sheep: A Blue-Eyed Negro Speaks of Abandonment, Belonging, Racism, and Redemption (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Laura Tremaine

Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First: 10 Questions to Take Your Friendships to the Next Level 

(ebook via CloudLibrary)

Nina Willner

Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall 

(audiobook via Hoopla)

Michelle Zauner

Crying in H Mart (audiobook via Libby)

 

 

 

An (*) indicates a reread.  All ebooks are purchased on sale via the Kindle Store or checked out from the e-offerings of the Elmhurst Public Library.  All audiobooks are from Audible.com or the Elmhurst Public Library's e-offerings (Hoopla and Libby Apps).

2021 Year of Reading -- Fiction

 2021 FICTION 

Sara Nisha Adams

The Reading List (audiobook via Audible)

 

Kate Albus

A Place to Hang the Moon (library book)

Dolly Alderton

Ghosts (library book)

Kristen Arnett

With Teeth (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Mateo Askaripour

Black Buck (ebook via CloudLibrary)

 

Ashley Audrain

The Push (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Jane Austen

Persuasion* (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Chandler Baker

Oh. What. Fun.  (audiobook via Audible)

Jenny Bayliss

A Season for Second Chances (ebook via CloudLibrary)

 

Maeve Binchy

The Glass Lake* (audiobook via Hoopla)

Scarlet Feather* (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Matt Boren

Brackish Waters (audiobook via Audible Included)

Katy Birchall

The Secret Bridesmaid (ebook via CloudLibrary)

Laura Blackett

The Very Nice Box (audiobook via Audible)

 

Holly Bourne

Pretending (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

C.J. Box

Open Season (Joe Pickett #1) (audiobook via Libby) 

Melissa Broder

Milk Fed (audiobook via Libby)

 

Alafair Burke

The Wife (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Frances Burney

Evelina (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Mary H.K. Choi

Yolk (ebook via CloudLibrary)

Diane Clarke

Thin Girls (audiobook via Hoopla)

Molly Clavering

Love Comes Home (ebook via Kindle Store)

Mrs. Lorimer's Quiet Summer (ebook via Kindle Store)

 

Kate Clayborn

Love at First (audiobook via Hoopla) 

Jenny Colgan

The Christmas Bookshop (audiobook via Audible)

 

Elle Cosimano

Finlay Donovan is Killing It (Finlay Donovan #1) (ebook via CloudLibrary) 

Sophie Cousens

This Time Next Year (paperback)

Laura Dave

The Last Thing He Told Me (hardcover)

 

Jen DeLuca

Well Matched (Well Met #3)

 

Trish Doller

Float Plan (audiobook via Hoopla)

Emma Duffy-Comparone 

Love Like That: Stories (ebook via Libby)

 

Jesse Eisenberg

When You Finish Saving the World (audiobook via Audible)

Helen Ellis

American Housewife (hardcover)

 

Elizabeth Fair

The Mingham Air (ebook via Hoopla)

A Winter Away (ebook via Kindle Store)

 

Virginia Felton

Mrs. March (ebook via CloudLibrary) 

Linda Rui Feng

Swimming Back to Trout River (audiobook via Libby)

Helen Fielding

Bridget Jones's Diary (And Other Writing): 25th Anniversary Edition (hardcover)

Kate Forster

The Best Worst Christmas (audiobook via Audible)

Jonathan Franzen

Crossroads (audiobook via Audible)

  

Tana French

The Searcher (audiobook via Libby)

The Trespasser (Dublin Murder Squad #6) (audiobook via Libby)

The Witch Elm (audiobook via Libby) 

 

Elyssa Friedland

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel (audiobook via Audible) 

Emma Gannon

Olive (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Mike Gayle

All the Lonely People (audiobook via Audible)

Laurie Gelman

Yoga Pant Nation (Class Mom #3) (library book)

Jasmine Guillory

While We Were Dating (Wedding Date #6) (ebook via CloudLibrary)

 

Karina Halle

The Royals Next Door (ebook via Libby)

 

Joe Halstead

West Virginia (audiobook via Hoopla)

Laura Hankin

A Special Place for Women (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

Rebecca Hardiman

Good Eggs (ebook via CloudLibrary)

Jane Harper

The Survivors (audiobook via Audible)

Zakiya Dalila Harris

The Other Black Girl (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Rachel Hawkins

The Wife Upstairs (audiobook via Hoopla) 

 

Katherine Heiny

Early Morning Riser (audiobook via Audible)

 

Emily Henry

People We Meet on Vacation (hardcover)

 

Sally Hepworth

The Good Sister (hardcover)

 

Kristan Higgins

Pack Up the Moon (library book) 

Elin Hilderbrand

Golden Girl (hardcover)

The Sixth Wedding (28 Summers #1.5) (ebook via Kindle Store)

Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock

Everyone Dies Famous in a Small Town (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Angie Hockman

Shipped (audiobook via Audible) 

 

Natalie Jenner

The Jane Austen Society (hardcover)

Lisa Jewell

Invisible Girl (audiobook via Libby)

Abby Jiminez

Life's Too Short (The Friend Zone #3) (ebook via Libby)

Sandie Jones

The Half Sister (audiobook via Libby)

Claire Keegan

Small Things Like These (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Lindsey Kelk

We Were On a Break (ebook via Kindle) 

 

Lily King

Five Tuesdays in Winter (audiobook via Audible)

Stephen King

Later (audiobook via Libby) 

 

Jean Hanff Korelitz

The Plot (audiobook via Libby) 

William Kent Krueger

Ordinary Grace (paperback)

Dorothy Lambert

Much Dithering (ebook via Kindle Store)

 

Tracey Lange

We Are the Brennans (hardcover)

 

Allison Larkin

The People We Keep (hardcover) 

Christina Lauren

The Soulmate Equation (audiobook via Libby)

 

Mary Lawson

A Town Called Solace (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

Emily Layden

All Girls (audiobook via Hoopla)

Lauren Layne

To Sir, with Love (ebook via CloudLibrary)

 

Jenny Lee

Anna K: Away (Anna K#2) (audiobook via Hoopla)

Alex Light

The Upside of Falling (ebook via Kindle Prime Reading)

Emma Lord

You Have a Match (audiobook via Hoopla)

Claire Luchette

Agatha of Little Neon (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Portia Macintosh

Faking It (audiobook via Hoopla)

Life's A Beach (audiobook via Hoopla)

Will They, Won't They? (audiobook via Hoopla)

 

Meg Mason

Sorrow and Bliss (audiobook via Audible)

 

Mhairi McFarlane

Just Last Night (audiobook via Audible)

Who's That Girl? (audiobook via Audible) 

You Had Me At Hello (audiobook via Audible)

 

Dervla McTiernan

The Sisters (Cormac Reilly, #0.5) (audiobook via Audible)

The Roommate (Cormac Reilly, #0.7) (audiobook via Audible)

 

Mameve Medwed

Minus Me (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Denise Mina

The Less Dead (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Beth Moran

Christmas Every Day (audiobook via Audible)

 

Liane Moriarty

Apples Never Fall (audiobook via Audible) 

Julie Murphy

If The Shoe Fits (Meant to Be #1) (ebook via Hoopla)

Matthew Norman

All Together Now (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Maggie O'Farrell

Hamnet (hardcover) 

 

Beth O'Leary

The Road Trip (audiobook via Audible)

Louise Penny

The Madness of Crowds (Chief Inspector Gamache #17) (audiobook via Audible)

Christina Pishiris

Love Songs for Skeptics (audiobook via Hoopla)

Julia Quinn

The Viscount Who Loved Me  (Bridgertons #2) (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons #3) (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

Romancing Mr. Bridgerton (Bridgertons #4) (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

Kirthana Ramisetti

Dava Shastri's Last Day (audiobook via Audible)

Penny Reid

Kissing Tolstoy (audiobook via Audible Included)

Beauty and the Mustache (audiobook via Audible Included) 

 

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Malibu Rising (hardcover)

Sally Rooney

Beautiful World, Where Are You (audiobook via Audible)

Jane L. Rosen

Eliza Starts a Rumor (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Rainbow Rowell

Kindred Spirits (audiobook via Audible)

 

Kate Russo

Super Host (audiobook via CloudLibrary) 

J.D. Salinger

Nine Stories* (paperback)

 

R.C. Sherriff

The Fortnight in September (paperback)

Laura Silverman

Recommended for You (library book)

 

Rachel Lynn Solomon

The Ex Talk (ebook via CloudLibrary) 

Marissa Stapley

Lucky (audiobook via Libby)

 

Brina Starler

Anne of Manhattan (library book) 

Domenico Starnone

Trust (ebook via Hoopla)

 

D.E. Stevenson

Smouldering Fire (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

Vittoria Cottage (Dering Family #1) (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

Mrs. Tim Flies Home (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

Music in the Hills (Dering Family #2) (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

Winter and Rough Weather (Dering Family #3) (audiobook via CloudLibrary) 

Elizabeth Strout

Oh William!  (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

J. Courtney Sullivan

Model Home (audiobook via Audible)

 

Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

Good Company (audiobook via Audible)

 

Sally Thorne

Second First Impressions (audiobook via Audible) 

Amor Towles

The Lincoln Highway (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

Lacie Waldon

The Layover  (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Dawnie Walton

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (hardcover)

 

Jennifer Weiner

That Summer (hardcover)

 

Lauren Weisberger

Where the Grass is Green and the Girls Are Pretty (audiobook via Audible) 

Denise Williams

How to Fail at Flirting (ebook via CloudLibrary)

Kerry Winfrey

Very Sincerely Yours (ebook via CloudLibrary)

 

Rachel Yoder 

Nightbitch (audiobook via CloudLibrary)

 

Samantha Young

Much Ado About You (audiobook via Audible)

 

An (*) indicates a reread.  All ebooks are purchased on sale via the Kindle Store or checked out from the e-offerings of the Elmhurst Public Library.  All audiobooks are from Audible.com or the Elmhurst Public Library's e-offerings (Hoopla, Cloud Library or Libby/Digital Library of Illinois).

2021 Reading Highlights

You know what they say about not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. 

Prepare yourself for an imperfect look at my best reading experiences of 2021.  I can't promise to do these books justice.  I can't promise that you'll love the same books I love.  I can promise that if you're a middle-aged, Midwestern suburban mom, you'll be able to find at least one book you'll enjoy (and probably more).

 

2021 Fiction Highlights 

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason -- the torture of mental illness but with wit and humor and one beautiful moment of generosity

Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell -- gorgeous writing, imagines the life of Shakespeare's beloved, deceased son Hamnet and his mother

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny -- community, an expansive view of family, the extraordinary ordinary

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan -- short Christmas book set in 1985 Ireland, hard but also beautiful

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson -- the lifts and limits of small town life

Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout -- Strout is a genius.  Third book of a series that begins with My Name is Lucy Barton 

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles -- A Great American Story (caps necessary) of friendship and brotherhood, my heart swelled

The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff -- British classic and the loveliest novel of an ordinary family on holiday

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty -- parents, siblings, spouses, tennis ... Moriarty at her (recent) best

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder -- if new motherhood was tough for you, this story of a mom who becomes (sort of) a dog may resonate with you, it won't be everyone's cup of tea but it worked for me

All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle -- British setting, sometimes hard but a heartwarming story of community and connection

The Very Nice Box by Laura Blackett -- an IKEA-esque product designer reckons with her past, very unique 

Golden Girl by Elin Hilderbrand -- Elin did it again!  Probably my favorite of her last five books.

With Teeth by Kristen Arnett -- woman struggles in life, love, parenthood ... really strong writing and scenes that have stuck with me ... another one that won't be everyone's cup of tea

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz -- literary mystery that is perfectly plotted!

Yolk by Mary H.K. Choi -- baggage, sisterhood, NYC, Texas

The Push by Ashley Audrain -- read this book early in the year and am still thinking about it, guaranteed to shake you up

 

2021 Non-Fiction Highlights

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett -- perfect collection of essays by a national treasure ... it's the follow up to This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage so read that gem first

Boom Town:  The Fantasical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding, Its Apocalyptic Weather, Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis by Sam Anderson -- everything you didn't know that you wanted and needed to know about OKC, you will be rapt, excellent storytelling

Keep Moving by Maggie Smith -- short book for anyone who needs a dose of inspiration and courage 

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell -- I wanted more but still enjoyed this look at various cultish groups, movements, companies, MLMs, etc.

Crying in the H Mart by Michelle Zauner -- beautiful memoir of a mother and daughter, music, persistence, food

The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport by Carl Hiaasen -- you may not know that I am obsessed with golf (despite being closer to terrible than decent at it) ... Hiaasen's memoir of his return to the game had me nodding my head like yeah

 

"Jump Right In" Reads 

I feel uncomfortable when someone recommends a book and says, "but it's just a fluffy beach book" since I'd cut off my big toe to be able to write a book that someone would be willing to read on her vacation.  So anyway, the books below are not "beach books" but books that would be easy to jump right into any time you need to be transported into a story that's satisfying but not too heavy.  They're in no particular order.

The G-Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman

Eliza Starts a Rumor by Jane Rosen

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth (BTW, the most delightful author to follow on Instagram)

The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall

Yoga Pant Nation by Laurie Gelman (read Class Mom and You've Been Volunteered first)

Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

 

Final Thoughts

This booklist is not intended to be a flex.  Reading is my (unpaid) life's work.  A lot of my reading is via audiobook (and no, I'm not interested in discussions about whether audiobooks "count") and that has been especially true this past year, which has been frequently stressful and sometimes shitty and did not lend itself to as many cozy hours in a chair with a book as I'd have liked.  All of this is just to say if you read even one book you enjoyed this past year, that's enough. 

I find so many wonderful ebooks and audiobooks, including new releases, through the awesome Elmhurst Public Library.  If you haven't explored the digital options at your local library, make it a priority!!!  Also, I have been an Audible subscriber since 2003 and have been so pleased with the "bonus" content (more and more each month) that they offer in addition to monthly credits (which I use for new releases I don't want to wait to read).  

I couldn't make myself put together a collage of book covers so I hope you enjoy the beautiful scene from our mountain vacation.

I'm still thinking about my 2022 reading goals so stay tuned.

If you're waiting on my 2019 and 2020 Reading Highlights, please continue waiting until I find the notebooks where I collected my thoughts.

I hope to write more in 2022, but just in case I don't, you can more reliably find my bookish content on Instagram.  I'm @booksandcarbs and would love to connect with you there.

Please share your recent reading highlights in the comments!