Ladies and gents, this is the moment you’ve waited for… (Name that movie!) It’s CFB Book Club time!
As predicted, my reading pace slowed down a bit since the spring. But have no fear! I’m still on track to reach my reading goal for the year.
19. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
A while back, I read A Gentleman in Moscow as part of a book club through my office. I really enjoyed it! So, when I saw this earlier novel of Towles’s on sale, I went for it.
Almost regardless of a story’s plot, I’m an easy sell on any story that highlights the magic of New York City. And this book does just that.
The actual story is an entertaining one in itself — about a set of friends navigating through some extreme circumstances. But set in the wealthy circles of 1930’s Manhattan makes it all the more special.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys modern historical fiction and anyone who has as much love for NYC as I do.
20. The Price of Privilege by Madeline Levine
You know how parents are always second guessing themselves and wondering if they’re doing a decent job of raising their children? This book does nothing to help that.
While I do agree with a lot of the points the book brings up, growth is always kind of tough.
The main takeaway I got from it was that it’s important to let kids have to deal with difficult situations. No one likes to see their children struggle, but it’s an important part of forming a sense of self necessary to being a successful person down the line.
Let your kids make decisions for themselves, and challenge your own thinking on parenting from time to time.
21. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
It’s true; I finally jumped on the bandwagon. This is my first selection off of the Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club, and let me tell you, she knows how to pick ’em.
A complete departure from the previous book set in New York, this one is set very rural North Carolina.
At it’s core, it is a coming-of-age story, but to me, it was so much more. There was romance and poetry. And there were science lessons and murder mystery.
It was beautiful and tragic and sad and sweet. Even if you typically try to avoid whatever is popular (no? just me?), I highly recommend you make an exception for this one.
22. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Confession time: I have never read this American classic. Truthfully, I’ve never read most of the classics. I read things like Dreaming in Cuban (magical realism!) and Invisible Man (Black existentialism!) in high school.
But the rave reviews the Broadway iteration is getting made me want to check it out.
I don’t mean to be harsh, and truthfully I haven’t finished it yet, but… I don’t get what all the fuss is about. It must be more about context (who wrote it and what the social climate was at the time). Because I just haven’t found the story that compelling.
Have you read this one? What did you think? Do you have any other classics I should consider checking out?
It was a slow summer, but I’m confident that the fall will bring another successful year of the CFB Book Club. If you’re not already, be sure to “friend” me on Goodreads to follow my reading journey in real time.
Until January…
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