Whatcha Readin'? by Sunday Dutro

What do you do if you don’t have people writing to you with their book recommendations and your TBR list isn’t in the thousands? One way to find books is to use an app like Goodreads or The StoryGraph. As you enter books you’ve read and give them ratings, the apps will recommend books for you. Or Google “authors like so-and-so” using an author you like. I write down the names of any books I come across while reading other books, and any authors an author I like mentions in an interview or has a quote from on their dust jacket. Lastly, a quick search of “award winning books” will net you an extensive list of theoretically good books.

In January I read 20 books, 14 of which I thought were four stars or better. Here they are in no particular order:

The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman…look y’all, I know I’ve told you about his books before and there’s a reason. I’m not normally a fan of the mystery genre, but his books are hysterical and fun and altogether fabulous.

Last Tango in Melrose, Montana by Dan Vichorek is a medium-paced collection of Vichorek’s essays from multiple publications. Some of them are snarky, some are borderline unbelievable, and all are interesting.

18 Tiny Deaths by Bruce Golfarb is a fascinating non-fiction book. Don’t let the title fool you, it’s not about dead babies, but about how the profession/study of forensics came about.

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman had a bit more hockey in it than Beartown, but still isn’t a book about hockey. Emotional and slightly slower paced than the first book, it takes off in the second half and becomes impossible to put down.

Someone by Alice McDermott is a slow-to-medium-paced novel that’s reflective and emotional (these are the books I love, people!). A coming-of-age book (double whammy of love here) about a woman and her family in Brooklyn that’s about nothing more than life. If you need another reason to give it a try, it’s a National Book Award winner.

Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg is a non-fiction book for writer’s looking for that nudge of inspiration.

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Nova Bailey is a very short memoir about a woman struck down by illness and confined essentially to her couch/bed where she is able to do nothing more than watch a snail that’s been brought in on a plant. Sounds boring, but I assure you it’s emotional, informative, and manages to be lighthearted.

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo is fascinating not only for it’s inter-generational look at a family of outspoken women, but also in that it’s written without convention. Punctuation, and capitalization are thrown out the window in this one, which I was nervous would frustrate me, but I ended up really enjoying everything about it.

The Guncle by Steven Rowley is a medium-to-fast-paced, extremely witty novel about a gay man who suddenly finds himself caring for his niece and nephew for several months. This is one of those summer reads that are a fabulously guilty pleasure. A girlfriend of mine calls them palate cleansers. Enjoy.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith is hilarious! It’s supposedly horror, but while it had gruesome moments, I wouldn’t say it was gory. It’s technically the prequel in the series, and I did try to read the next book and couldn’t get into it. This book is completely irreverent while also following Jane Austen’s style so well that I couldn’t help but fall in love.

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, the second book in The Hunger Games series and honestly I’m still embarrassed it’s taken me so long to catch this train. A dystopian, sci-fi adventure that’s tense, emotional and fast-paced.

Lumberjanes, Vol 1 and 2 by Grace Ellis and ND Stevenson are funny, lighthearted, and fast-paced graphic novels. They tell of the fantastical adventures of girls at summer camp.

The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman is a medium-paced, inspiring, YA book. A fictional account of a young girl coming of age in a medieval world. I’d say it’s for younger children, eight or nine-ish.

A few books I’m currently reading:

-Fairy Tale by Stephen King

-In the Next Galaxy by Ruth Stone

-When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barn-hill

-Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

-The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis

Drop me a line if you need help finding books to read or if you have additional recommendations for me.

Sunday Dutro is an avid reader and eBook convert living in Thompson Falls with her beautiful family and a ridiculously huge “to be read” pile. Reach her at [email protected].