Books

Two Books I LOVED

It’s been ages since I felt like I read a book that really spoke to me. This year I have given a few books the elusive five-star rating on my Goodreads account. It’s so hard to rate books on there, to be honest, and I wish I could rate specific elements of the book differently. (Oh, and I’d love a half-star!!!! Where are our half-stars?!) I try to reserve five stars for books that I without a doubt “loved.” I still wish I could rank the five stars against each other because some still rise above the rest…. you know what I mean?

Now that I’m back into a regular non-traveling routine, I have been reading quite a bit more. On Sunday morning, I even got back in bed after walking the dogs to read for a few hours. It was glorious!!! I also listen to a lot of audiobooks while I’m driving in the car. (If you have a library card, you can use the app “Hoopla” to check out audiobooks for free! The selection depends on what your library has at the moment, but I’ve never had a problem finding something good to listen to.)

Okay so first up: Hillbilly Elegy. Wow, this book was amazing; I think everyone needs to read it. It’s the best book I’ve read all year, hands down. In Hillbilly Elegy, J.D. Vance recounts his upbringing (he went from an abusive home to Yale Law School) while examining hillbilly culture. The memoir is fascinating and gut-wrenching. I couldn’t stop thinking about it every time I put it down, and now that I’ve finished it, I still can’t stop thinking about it.

Put this at the top of your list!!!!!

Commonwealth

Photo by Carter Fish

Next, I read Commonwealth. I picked it up during a sale at Barnes and Noble, and it’s been sitting on my shelf for months. (I think I’ve brought it on five trips without even so much as cracking it open.) I’m glad I finally got to it though.

It’s a little bit of a tricky read as it’s about the blending of two families over five decades. The names are difficult to keep track of, and I kept forgetting who belonged to what family. (Step siblings, plus step parents, plus divorces, plus marriages and births… I needed a family tree!) With that in mind, I had the hardest time getting into the book and almost gave up. At some point, though I realized that I couldn’t put it down. My mom read it at the same time and said the same thing. I loved the way Ann Patchett slowly weaves the story through the different family members. It may not be for everyone, but give it a try and don’t give up before the first 70 pages!

I’m currently listening to 10% Happier and reading Presence! Anything good on your nightstand right now?

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54 Comments

Kate

I’ve been having trouble getting into my reading groove this year, too. Right now I’m slowly making it through one of the new nonfictions about Jane Austen (“Jane Austen at Home”). But without a doubt, the best book I read this year (by far) has been “Lincoln in the Bardo”. I couldn’t put it down! It’s a quick read once you get into the rhythm of the writing, and I highly recommend it!

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bella

I am really enjoying The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman. It is the story of two Jewish families who live in Brooklyn, New York. It is a first time novel by the author and excellent!

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Tori

I’m reading “Room” right now and so far it’s pretty good. It’s told from the perspective of the 5 year old so the writing is simple and kind of short and choppy but it’s interesting to follow from his perspective.

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Elizabeth

I recently read Ready Player One and Crazy Rich Asians. I recommend both.

I’m currently reading What Alice Forgot.

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Ashley

Hillbilly Elegy is excellent! I just finished Fates & Furies and absolutely loves it – would definitely recommend picking that up if you haven’t already!

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carly

Okay, I LOVED Fates & Furies!!! I’ve recommended it to a bunch of people… and 50% love it and 50% hate it.

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Regan

I just finished Dark Matters a few weeks ago. It’s a super quick read but I really enjoyed it as it helped me get out of my reading rut. It’s got action and is a little science-y but definitely not out there at all like most science fiction. I would recommend if you need a quick read that engages you quickly!

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Heather C. Watson | HerKentucky.com

I loved Commonwealth — even made a special trip to Nashville to get a signed copy from Ann Patchett’s bookstore, Parnassus! Have you read Bell Canto or The Patron Saint of Liars? Those are her best works, in my opinion. Especially Bell Canto — she just creates this fragile, beautiful little world within the walls of a hostage situation, of all things!

As for Hillbilly Elegy, I have so many complex feelings on that one. My fiancé and I both grew up in towns very similar — and geographically very close — to Mr. Vance’s Appalachian hometown. So, his story didn’t shock me. It didn’t repel me or entice me — it just was. I’m thrilled for him that he got out, and for me, the right choice was to get out of the holler as well. He did a great job capturing the ethos of the area, and he isn’t wrong about the political ramifications. But, while I was impressed by Mr. Vance’s accomplishments, I was wildly underwhelmed with his portrayal of our mutual homeland. I’ve clearly thought about this one A LOT! 😉

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Ashley Corcoran

Have you seen the interview that Megyn Kelly did with J.D. Vance? If not, I highly recommend! He seems so down-to-earth considering everything he went through. You can watch it online on the NBC News website.

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Alex C.

I haven’t started a new book in forever (just re-reading things on my shelf) but I’d be tempted to try out The Commonwealth if only to have the pretty cover on my nightstand!
Alex // preppybeancounter.blogspot.com

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Allie Anderson

Check out Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler. I met her at a book signing at Oxford Exchange. She’s a fantastic storyteller– very authentic. Sweeetbitter is a great read, especially if you’ve ever worked in hospitality. Also loved Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders and Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett.

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Becky

I’ve had both of these on my To-Read list in Goodreads! I’ll have to make a Barnes and Noble stop before I head out for vacation!
Currently on my nightstand: Present Over Perfect

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Brittany

Riiiiight?! My friends are SO sick of hearing me talk about Hillbilly Elegy. It is sooo eye-opening, and I totally realized the things I take for granted (having parents who teach me about financial responsibility, growing up in a clean house, etc.). Also the fact that, more than anything, a strong attachment figure (Mamaw in Vance’s case, Mumma in mine) is not something to be underestimated. Without the influence of Mamaw, it is doubtful that Vance would have had the grit he had, despite the often crazy upbringing he had. Many many things to ponder…

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carly

YES. The part where he didn’t know how to fill out the financial aid form just gutted me.

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Allison

Someone gave me Commonwealth and I’m excited to start reading it now after hearing your thoughts.

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Ashley

Definitely will have to check out Commonwealth. I felt the same way about The Nest- I had a hard time getting into it but ended up loving the book! Overdrive is also great for renting audiobooks from your library if they have it 🙂 Thanks!

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Mel

Hillbilly Elegy has been on my list forever! Now I’m even more inspired to pick it up. Love the towel, where’s it from?

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Phoebe Wright

You have got to read Silver Girl and The Rumor by Elin Hilderbrand! Besides The Winter Street trilogy, those are my favorites of hers!

I just finished listing to Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult and I can’t recommend it enough. Required reading in my opinion!

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Brianna Wachter

I am SO happy you said that about the names in Commonwealth! I just started it Tuesday and am having the hardest times keeping track of who was who and how they were related! However, you have convinced me that it is worthwhile to see it through. 🙂

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carly

I actually drew up a little family tree to keep them straight and kept in the book while I read it, haha!

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Ali Lowndes

Carly!

Thanks for the list! I am currently reading All The Light We Cannot See…

…it is perfection. I highly suggest!!!

xoxo
A~

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Stephanie

I would LOVE a half-star on Good Reads!

I just finished Fitness Junkie by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza(hilarious, definitely recommend!) and Rich and Pretty by Rumaan Alam(boring, didn’t care for it).

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Katelyn

I just saw Ann Patchett interview Alan Alda last week at a Nashville Public Library event! If you ever make a trip to Nashville, definitely visit her bookstore Parnassus in Green Hills. I’ve never read any of her books, but after I realized who she was last week, I put her books on my hold list at the library.

I just finished the whackiest science fiction book, Year Zero by Rob Reid. It’s about aliens who have massively violated United States copyright law and need to pay off their debt. I didn’t think I’d like it at all, but after the first few chapters, I was laughing. It’s a funny satiric take on the entertainment industry and its copyright lawyers. Living in Nashville and working in the entertainment industry made the funnier to me than most people, but hey, it’s worth a read.

Next up is Alan Alda’s new book- If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?

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Tali \\ Style Cheese

Hillbilly Elegy is on my list too! My mom listened to it on audiobook and thought it was outstanding. I’m currently reading The Shark Club, I think you’d like it, it’s so charming. I’m also reading Let’s Take the Long Way home. This one is a beautiful though sad memoir of friendship. It’s set in Cambridge, MA which is where I’m from.
x Tali
street style stories > http://www.stylecheese.com

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Taylor

Currently reading Before the Fall and just finished Where’d you Go Bernadette. Sooo good! My mom read Hillbilly Elegy and raved about it — after this review I’m definitely bringing it on my lake vacay next week!

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Hannah Olson

I loved Hillbilly Elegy, especially since my upbringing was in a rural, Midwestern community! I didn’t know much about it before I read it, which made me glad since I may have avoided it had I know he was more “conservative” than I am.

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Lillie McPherson

Commonwealth is next on my list (audio) after finishing and 5*ing her “State of Wonder”.

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Michelle

The Hate U Give (Angie Thomas) is a must read! Long but a page turner—took me about two days. Another good fiction book was She Rides Shotgun—it’s a great thriller about a young girl and her excon dad who are on the run. I wrote my term paper on the white working class in Appalachia/the Rust Belt, so in addition to Hillbilly Elegy I read White Trash, which examines the history that has lead to the culture Vance writes about. Definitely more historical, but really interesting if you want to do more reading on that subject! Lastly, if you’re into poetry, I picked up Morgan Parker’s There Are More Beautiful Things Than Beyoncé about a month ago and it was amazing.

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Alexia

I really enjoyed “A Dictionary of Mutual Understanding”. I read a lot of books, and it’s one of the more original ones I’ve come across. It follows a series of events that unfolded during the end of WW2 in Nagasaki including the nuclear bomb.
Not sure if you’ve read it but the Nightingale is amazing. I cry every time I read it. Georgia Hunter’s We Were the Lucky Ones is also EXCELLENT. It’s based on her family history and follows them through their years in Poland during the Holocaust.

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Alexia

I think you would enjoy “We Were the Lucky Ones” too, then! It’s a bit heavier in parts but so, so rewarding, even more so by the fact the story is true.

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Peyton

I recently finished Our Little Racket- about a family scandal in Greenwich, loved it!

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Emma

I recently finished “The Light We Lost” and loved it! I finished it in, like, 2 days, I couldn’t put it down. You know how you visiualize the characters you’re reading about in your head?As I was reading, I always pictured the main girl as you! I think it’s in the way she’s physically described. Anyway, I loved it, I think you would too!

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Elizabeth

You have to read The Glass Castle! Seems similar to Hillbilly Elegy but instead it is a memoir about a girl and her wild (not in a good way) family. I read it 5 years ago and still think about it (literally). The movie is coming out this fall and I couldn’t recommend it more!

-e
thesweetliz.wordpress.com

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Briana

I second your thoughts on Hillbilly Elegy. He provided such an insightful perspective.

Briana | youngsophisticate.com

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Nora

As someone from Eastern Kentucky and a decidedly “Hillbilly” background, J.D. Vance’s memoir really frustrated me. If Vance treated his memoir as a commentary on his own life, rather than giving making over-generalizations about an entire culture and ignoring structural explanations for poverty, I could really understand. As a reader, I really want to encourage you to take Vance’s description of “hillbillies” with a grain of salt. His story is impressive and inspiring. I’m from a low income family in Appalachia and am now
at an elite school and I can relate to the struggle of adjusting to cultural capital expectations. However, I find the way he talks about folks from my home pretty destructive. People in poverty don’t have low work ethics or inappropriate cultural values, and it’s really troubling that he gets a pass to say things like that.

If you’re interested in further reading, I definitely recommend reading anything from this list: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UehozuPr3Rc-AdILy6AMurBeSyAbZvDoiNajdrFzk94/mobilebasic

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Nicole W

My own family come from the western NC part of Appalachia. I, like Vance, grew up in a city outside of the area but we travelled repeatedly as children. My parents were working class and my own father continues to work full time at 80 years old to keep the bills paid.

One thing I liked about the book is it gave a voice to the working class. It also named my own ethnic heritage, Scots-Irish of which I am proud of.

I’d highly recommend American Nations by Colin Woodard and Albion’s Seed which give some background on who the Scots-Irish Appalachians were and are.

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Stephanie

Wow! When I saw that you had read Hillbilly Eledgy, I immediately remembered that it is one of my summer reading books. Now that you’ve said how great it is, I am super excited to read it now!

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