October booklist

Between Two Kingdoms

Suleika Jaouad (memoir, narrated by the author. 4 1/2 stars)

"Home will always be the in between place." / "Recovery is not about salvaging the old. It's about accepting that you must forsake a familiar self forever, in favour of one that is being newly born. It is an act of brute, terrifying discovery" / "It is possible for me to alter the course of my becoming."

"The idea of striving for some beautiful, perfect state of wellness, it mires us in eternal dissatisfaction. A goal forever out of reach. To be well now is to learn to accept whatever body in mind I currently have."

The Storied Life of AJ Fikry

Gabrielle Zevin, fiction (3 stars)

Managed to read this on my travel day to BC. Not as good as I was hoping for. A light read.

"We read to know we're not alone. We read because we are alone. We read & we are not alone."

"We are not quite novels. We are not quite short stories. In the end, we are collected works."

Mastering the Art of French Eating

Ann Mah (food memoir / 3 stars)

A little too much information for me, but enjoyed her personal experiences in France.

"Sometimes, I thought, living in Paris was like living in a museum - beautiful & poignant & untouched by time." / "Shouldn't we make time for our favourite things in life?"

The Dog Stars

Peter Heller (post-apocalyptic fiction / audio / 4 stars)

My second book by this author, a different genre for me.  Like the narrator - Mark Deakins.

"From up here, there was no misery, no suffering, no strife. The immortal stillness of a landscape painting."

Everything Sad is Untrue

Daniel Nayeri (memoir / audio, narrated by the author / 4 1/2 stars)

This was a random recommend. Told from the author's 12 year old perspective as a refugee from Iran to the States, this was disarming - at times gut wrenching & hilarious. Really enjoyed the audio.

"Memories are tricky things ~ they can fade, or fester. No matter how hard I clench my fists, the memories pour out & disappear." / "My mom is the heart of this story by the way. The legend of my mom is that she can't be stopped."

Flora & Ulysses

Kate DiCamillo (youth fiction, a re-read with Asher)

A quirky little book, we had a few laughs.

"The world in all its smelly glory." / "I will see you again."

Me: Do you know what capacious means?

Asher: basically like jelly sandwiches

Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow

Gabrielle Zevin

Did not really enjoy this one but got about 3/4. Found the writing style disjointed & didn't love the content.