February 2021: Beautiful writing is its own kind of joy

Hello everyone,

This month, I think I may have hit a saturation point for pure comfort reading, and I found myself reaching out for other books. What I discovered (remembered?, rediscovered?) is that while there is joy in simple, easy stories and mysteries, there is another level of joy to be found in beautifully written books.

The three books/series that I want to highlight today share very little except for this fact: they are all exceptionally written and their language enchanted and delighted me.

Non Fiction Essays – Small Wonder by Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver is an wonderful novelist who has written some of the most haunting and beautiful books I have ever read. The Poisonwood Bible has to be in my top lifetime books, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle is the best (and least pretentious) food/food system book I have ever read and Flight Behavior fundamentally changed the way I look at the world. I read this book of essays, written in late 2001 and 2002 (right after 9/11) years ago, and remembered it fondly, and I loved it again this time too.

The thing is, Kingsolver is just so darn good at writing, and this is no exception. These essays artfully connect the experiences of raising two girls, raising food and being an author, all while dealing with a world that feels like it is going insane around you, and her conclusions are often spot on and still relevant 20 years later.

That is not to say that aspects of these essays are not dated. It is a product of the time, and in a way, reading it now adds another layer, as you see both where she is truly prescient in her assessment of the world, and where she has internalized narratives she is actively fighting against. There is also a fair amount of middle class white lady hand-wringing that might grate some people (for a refreshing and more up to date antidote, pair this with her recent masterpiece, Unsheltered, which tackles all the same subjects (including white middle aged hand-wringing), but from a more recent perspective)

If you have been wanting to read nonfiction that feels emotionally relevant without being too on the nose, this is a great choice.

Classic Fantasy – The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

I know most of you will be skipping to the next section here – Tolkien isn’t new, exciting, undiscovered or even a hidden gem. These are books that everyone has an opinion on, regardless of whether or not they have read them, and I get that. I also get that our brains are wired to respond to our childhood books in certain ways, and I might be biased, but hear me out! There is a reason these books are so beloved.

In a month when I was often so stressed I struggled to sleep, these audio-books kept me sane. These books have often kept me sane in hard times, which is funny because the whole plot of about ordinary people doing extraordinary things because the situation calls for it, and maybe that is why they resonate when I’m struggling.

The writing in these books is exquisite, and each book is better than the last. I actually found myself tearing up when I got towards the end of the Return of the King. This was after I also found myself so gripped by the story I almost looked up what happened to know that things turn out OK. If the ability to get a reader who has read these books at least 10 times to actively forget what happens isn’t mastery of a craft, I am not sure what is.

I genuinely think everyone should read (or at least listen) to these books at least once, but again, I recommend these to anyone who needs the comfort of hearing about other people going through a hard time and succeeding against all odds.

Contemporary Fiction with a Twist – A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

I’m actually scared to say too much about this book because if I had heard the full synopsis before I picked it up, I’m not sure I would have started it. Basically, there is an author named Ruth living on a remote Canadian island who discovers a diary on the beach that is written by a lonely young woman living in Japan. There are Japanese feminist nuns, elements of magical realism and discussions of philosophy, quantum physics and the nature of reality.

You would think this wouldn’t work, but (it’s the theme this week!) Ozeki’s writing and storytelling pulls all these crazy strands together into a story that made me think, made me squirm, made me laugh and really moved me in a way I didn’t expect, and I suspect I’ll be thinking about it for a while.

This book does have some dark themes and plot points, including suicide, prostitution, and some really graphic bullying scenes, so if that doesn’t work for you, you may want to skip this, or at least skim parts of the book.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants something a little weird and different, doesn’t mind off the wall stories and appreciates great writing!

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I got wordy about these books this month – I feel like there is something for everyone here, and I hope they pique your interest!

I’ll be back next week with Miss Marple’s next mystery, A Murder is Announced, and the following week with a who collection of great Irish tales in honor of St Patrick’s Day.

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