This was a season of realizing our dream of traveling the world.
I rarely read while on vacation (I actually brought a book to Vegas, which is hilarious) so the bulk of my reading came during the weeks when Spencer was working 12-hour shifts.
My final tally for books read in 2018 is 68, which is pretty good considering all of the changes we had this year.
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
I can't believe it took me this long to read this book. In November I visited Paris for the first time. Before traveling, I read as many Frenchy-type books as I could get my hands on. This was by far the best. Hemingway revisited his time as a blossoming writer in the 1920s in Paris. The writing paints a perfect picture of the City of Light.
Blackkklansman by Ron Stallworth
I could not put this book down. Mr. Stallworth tells his own story about being an undercover detective in the 1970s in Colorado. He becomes involved with the KKK. It was cringe-worthy and intense but such an important read, and there are definite parallels to the racism we still see today.
Humboldt's Gift by Saul Bellow
When I first met Spencer's mother, I was happy to discover that she too is an avid reader. At the beginning of our relationship, we formed the world's smallest book club. The three of us opted to read Pulitzer Prize winners only, and the book choice would rotate. This came to a screeching halt during residency. The Doc often looked forward to the day that we'd be able to read and discuss a specific book again. We let him choose, obviously, after the long hiatus. In this story, Charlie Citrine, a successful writer, remembers a pivotal and destructive figure in his life, Von Humboldt Fleisher. This story is dense and has myriad layers. It took me three months to read this book, but it was well worth the wade. The language is just about perfect.
I love that my mother in law and I now spend countless hours talking about and swapping books.
Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain
One of my big book regrets seems to be, "I wish I had read this sooner." Anthony Bourdain's breakout book reads like a haute cuisine version of Vanderpump rules. Sex, drugs, and steak au poivre. Bourdain is witty, sharp, funny, and likable despite some pretty terrible personality traits. I was super depressed when I finished reading this book, because we now know how his story ended.
Did you meet your reading goal for 2018? What books are you excited about coming in the New Year?
Other Books Read Fall 2018
The Child in Time by Ian McEwan
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
Girls' Night Out by Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll
The Paris Secret by Karen Swan
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Girl Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis
The Best American Short Stories, 2018 edited by Roxane Gay
I Might Regret This by Abbi Jacobson
A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt
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