2025 reading is underway, but I still have a few more lists to share.
I spend a lot of time reading books as they are being published. However, I've got stacks (well, actually an entire room) of books that I keep promising myself I will read someday. I do usually pick up backlist books here and there, and mostly I am usually very happy I didn't get rid of it before I took the time to read it. Here are five backlist titles I loved in 2024:
1. On Call In The Arctic: A Doctor's Pursuit of Life, Love, And Miracles in the Alaskan Frontier by Thomas J Sims- this is a memoir, set in the Vietnam war era, as agreeing to be sent to Alaska was Sims' ticket out of being sent to Vietnam. As a newly married father, Sims was anxious to not leave his wife alone with an infant, so readily took this posting. So interesting and I couldn't help but want to watch reruns of Northern Exposure after reading this.
2. Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson - Colleen and Rich are raising their son in the Pacific Northwest, where Rich is following in his family's footsteps, working in the logging industry. They want more for their child, and Rich secretly purchases some land while Colleen starts to question the use of herbicides and what it is doing to the land and drinking water. I loved the 1977 setting, the character development and the dysfunctional family in this novel. The ending was unexpected- although perhaps I should have seen it coming.
3. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee- This novel that spans generations begins with Sunja, the beloved daughter who falls in love with a wealthy stranger. When Sunja discovers that the stranger is married- and that she is pregnant, she marries a minister who is in poor health, but who is gentle and kind. Sunja's life is full of hardship and sorrow, but I still wanted to keep reading and wished for things to turn around for her. Sometimes in books that span generations there are certain time periods and characters I am less interested in. That is not the case with this novel. I loved how Sunja and her family were developed.
4. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell - I read this in eighth grade, which I admit was a long time ago. I'm not going to give a synopsis, but I will say, that this is better than I remembered and I enjoyed familiarizing myself with this story again.
5. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry- another classic that I've had hanging around far too long. The first 200 pages were slow going, but I ended up loving this one. I also buddy read it with a good friend, and we continue to discuss how much we liked this book despite the beginning being slow.
And even though I read lots of great books, there were a few that I just didn't much care for. I didn't DNF them, but perhaps I should have. Here are five I could have skipped:
I'm looking forward to great reading in 2025!
1 comment:
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