I’m always adding to my To Be Read List (TBR List). Sometimes, I read new releases while other times I pick out titles from previous years’ popular titles.
If you, like me, are always looking for the next best read, then check out these five titles and see if they garner your interest:
Spoonbenders by Daryl Gregory
I listened to the audio version of this book over the summer and it went quickly. I found the characters and the premise engaging and I wanted to know what would happen next such that I listened every chance I had.
If a multi-layered family story wrapped up in generations of a family full of psychics sounds intriguing, then this story would be for you. I loved not only each character’s backstory, but also how those stories intertwined and created a colorful timeline of family triumph and defeat.
A truly loved matriarch’s gift and her fierce protection of her sensitive child launched the family onto a different trajectory than once planned. But, when history rears its ugly head and old problems arise anew, the family’s way of dealing with it is unmatched in sincerity and hilarity.
Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson
Another audiobook from summer, this must-read also involves an eccentric family. Frank, the nine-year-old show stealer, is as perplexing as he is endearing. His reclusive, once famous author mother locks herself away to churn out a promised book while leaving Frank in the care of an unsuspecting aspiring writer sent to assist in meeting the manuscript deadline.
Rather than writing and editing, Alice must learn to interact with Frank in a way that does not upset the delicate balance of his world. Frank has a dry wit, a vintage fashion sense, and a tough time relating to his fourth grade classmates.
This story is another heavily character driven one that I listened to in short order. You will laugh and gasp out loud as Alice and Frank learn to co-exist and you will certainly remember Frank long after you finish the book.
Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving by Mo Rocca
My friend sent me this book for my birthday and it’s a delight. Personally, I think one of the biggest travesties in television is that Mo Rocca’s show “My Grandmother’s Ravioli” was not renewed in perpetuity. We watched every episode more than once and smiled the entire time. If you didn’t catch it, you can stream episodes pretty easily. Watching Mo travel the country and learn a family recipe from a grandma or grandpa is a great way to spend an afternoon.
The book, and coincidentally Mo’s podcast, draw readers/listeners in to the stories of interesting individuals’ lives. Mo is an admitted obituary reader (as am I) and he takes it upon himself to encapsulate the life experiences lost to history in bite-sized chapters. This is my favorite part of the book! You can read cover to cover in a few sittings, or take your time and read a chapter a night before bed.
Definitely an interesting read and may even help you answer an obscure trivia question or spark a fun dinner conversation.
