It’s another quick roundup this week, but with some true gems — favorites old and new!
Persuasion by Jane Austen: With every reread, this book only grows dearer. Austen’s characters are so real, in all their weakness and their strength, and even on this my unknown –nth reread, I laughed and cried with them. Persuasion is the only Austen novel I consider a true romance, in the way we think of romance today, and as a romance, it’s all you could want and more.
The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone by Audrey Burges: This is a rare case where flashing back and forth between multiple time periods actually worked for me, even if I still ended up preferring timeline over the other. At its best, The Minuscule Mansion of Myra Malone reminds me of John Steinbeck’s haunting East of Eden — and even at it’s worst, it’s still a darn good book, full of whimsy and heart. If I never quite fell in love with the modern protagonists’ and their story the way I did with Willa’s tale, that’s entirely a reflection on my own taste, I’m sure. If you’re looking for something engaging and different, this is worth picking up. My thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Cheaper by the Dozen by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey: This is another lifelong favorite, and much of the book has made its way into my everyday vocabulary and thinking. What else can I blame for my obsession with efficiency? My too-eager desire to multitask? Not only are the Gilbreth’s contributions to time and motion study fascinating, but the family’s story, as told by two of the older children, is funny, heartwarming, and one of the ultimate comfort-reads in my personal library.
—b
Book It With Becca 