It’s been ages since I’ve shared book recommendations so I decided that, although I won’t create a list that goes back a year or two, this will serve as a major catch up on a few of my more recent books. Each of these I’ve read and own and feel they are worthy of recommendation. I will likely do a few more of these catch-up recommendations so watch for multiple posts in the near future.
The Sweetness of Water (Oprah’s Book Club): A Novel is a page-turner, full of surprises, about social friction so intense that an entire town is ignited. It’s also a tender story of resilience and compassion in a divided time. In eloquent prose Harris writes convincingly of ordinary people struggling through exceptional times.
Harris brings to life George Walker, his wife Isabelle, recently emancipated brothers Prentiss & Landry, and the troubled Caleb in this epic story.
In writing this novel, Nathan Harris is essentially asking: how does a community make peace in the wake of civil war? It’s a question that Americans haven’t yet figured out to this day.
I thought the reviewer Carole Bell’s statement hit the nail on the head when she wrote, “The Sweetness of Water joins the national conversation on race and reckoning with history already in progress. In struggles over flags, monuments, textbooks, and university tenure, we’re still fighting over how to frame this event in public memory, so those old wounds feel particularly fresh. Nathan Harris makes those extraordinary, still contested times comprehensible through an immersive, incredibly humane storytelling about the lives of ordinary people.”
I believe this is the book I will be nominating for next season’s book club. Highly recommended.
Island of Sea Women — I knew there were people who could free dive in the sea to collect food from its depths, but had no idea of this particular culture.
The story of women’s friendship between Mi-ja and Young-sook, and the travails of their lives and families was fascinating and often incredibly heartbreaking.
This is not just a novel about friendship but of a deep-rooted culture and of historical events that should be given far more ‘air time.’
As with most of Lisa See’s books, she captures your imagination with the depth of her storytelling and doesn’t let you go, even once you’ve turned the last page.
Recommended, particularly for book clubs.
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos: A Novel Beginning in 1631 and bridging through to the year 2000, the two art worlds come together at the adept hand of Dominic Smith. He’s given us interesting characters, an intriguing story, and behind-the-scenes in the world of art — from the Dutch masters, art restoration, and forgery. Plus, the even more rare: female Dutch painters.
The author moved adeptly between three different times and points of view without ever losing my interest. Well written and woven together, well-researched and, as I’ve mentioned, with a very interesting plot with no parts of the novel getting bogged down.
Importantly, the novel also inhabited interesting, flawed characters caught up in onerous situations. Between protagonists Sara de Vos and Ellie Shipley, their stories will capture the attention of anyone who enjoys a well woven story with history and art thrown in.
This was a book club selection and it induced a lot of discussion. Even before finishing it, I contacted an artist friend of mine to recommend the book.
For the Foodies, or those who simply appreciate darn good food! Here is a wee bonus. I know that so many people these days look up recipes online but I still love my cookbooks. With that in mind, here is one of my all time favourite cook books straight from the West Coast of Canada: The Sobo Cookbook: Recipes from the Tofino Restaurant at the End of the Canadian Road.
Happy Reading! oh and of course, happy cooking!
If you enjoyed this why not share it with a friend or post about it on social media. Thank you for reading and sharing your time with me. — Diane
I always appreciate recommended books from bibliophiles! 🙂 I’ve stumbled on to many a favorite author from another person’s list. I’m currently on the latest Louise Penny book in her Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series.