WHAT I'M READING V. 50

1. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl

It has everything I love - food reviews, recipes, stories about food and how to get food, dressing up in disguise, and being a working mom. She writes with humorous clarity, and her stories were a fascinating look into the offices of The New York Times and into the restaurant scene of NYC during that time.  After this one, I quickly put myself on the hold list for her new book, "Save Me the Plums".

2. On the Come Up by Angie Thomas 

I read Thomas' first book: "The Hate U Give" and was very impressed with the her voice and the specificity and nuance of an important story that must be told over and over again, all from the perspective of a teenage girl. It was one of those books that I was thankful existed in literature, and especially more so that it was a YA book that teenagers would readily read. This one was also a very fun and satisfying read, although I didn't like it as much as her first one, I loved how Thomas explored the complexities and difficulties of what it means for a teenage girl - and her multi-faceted identity of race, neighborhood and daughter - to have a voice. 

3. The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose 

I listened to this one on audio via Hoopla - I had never heard of this one before but Hoopla recommend it to me and when I saw that it was based around the Modern Museum of Art ("MOMA"), I was intrigued. It turns out this story is inspired by the performance artist, Marina Abraomvic's performance piece called "The Artist is Present" that occurred at MOMA several years ago.  Something about this felt like the purpose of this book was to give the author a chance to speculate on her curiosity about the artist, which is interesting in of itself, but as a novel, I didn't love this one and wouldn't recommend it unless! you are a fan of Abramovic yourself. There was something very poetic and intimate about this story though that kept me captivated and I don't regret the time I spent with this one at all.

4. The Giant's House by Elizabeth McKracken 

I heard a guest on a "What Should I Read Next" podcast episode recommend this one, saying that Elizabeth McCracken was one of her favorite authors and saying that this was a good book to start with. My interest is always piqued when anyone says so-and-so is their favorite author; it immediately gives the book recommendation a whole lot more credit because I assumed that the person is intimate with the author's body of work and has thought about it a good amount. I have to say, this is another one I wouldn't recommend to just anyone.  The premise is unusual - a librarian living in a small town in the 1950s falls in love with a boy who has giantism - and if you get too fixated on the logistics, you may miss the point altogether.  The loveliness of this book in the way the language brings you into the isolation of the narrator, and her connection to another person. There is a sadness to it that stays with you afterwards, which I attribute to the skill of the author.