November 9, 2021 — Last weekend at the beach, a nice woman strolled over and asked if she could join a couple of friends and me parked there by the water. By way of introduction, Beatriz explained that she and her husband had recently moved to Miami Beach from New Jersey and, after a bit of chit-chat, she asked, “Anyone want to start a book club?”
I thought, “Isn’t she the clever one?! Like the guys who go up and down the beach with their metal detectors hoping to find gold, Beatriz is using the book club question as a device for digging up potential new friends!” 😉
Haha, that reminded me of how, for years, I used The Goldfinch as a litmus test … when getting to know someone, I’d ask if they’d enjoyed this book that had won the Pulitzer for fiction and spent more than 30 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list back in 2014. If they said no, they considered it a tedious tome, I knew I’d found a kindred spirit. “Yippee! I thought I was the only odd ball who did not get into it! Sooo glad to meet you!”
Which brings me to our Cardie Community’s 2nd Annual Whatcha Reading? issue of the newsletter. As Contributing Cardie Paige Baker posted a year ago when we invited you to share, “I LOVE this exchange of book recommendations! After all, we have something wonderful in common with our love of Cardthartic cards. Another reason to love our Cardie Community — book tips!!”
Just below is how Paige and cardie counterparts around the country answered our call for titles last year. I went right to it and have made it through most in the 12 months since. All still good reads!
Below that is your 2021 invite to tell us: Whatcha Reading, Cardies?! Thanks for sharing your suggestions (but I better not see The Goldfinch! 😳🤣)
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
Paige Baker My read this week is Kristen Hannah’s True Colors. I love those intricate family stories and her bold female characters!!
Linda Smith I’m reading Lilac Girls! Thanks for connecting us! Love ur cards!!
Nancy McGinn I’m just starting Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah for book club and just finished Educated by Tara Westover. Also Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson, which I hope everyone would read. So many books, so little time!
Candy Clausell Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul – 101 Stories to Open the Hearts and Rekindle the Spirits of Women. What’s not to like about chicken soup? So good for the soul.
Ruth Mills Recently finished reading a chapter each night of Sigmund Brouwer’s Pony Express Christmas to my 3-4th grade Sunday school class (via Marco Polo). I read it almost every year about this time. Love the western adventure, marriage self-talk we all struggle with and surprises all tied up in the message of Christmas. Looking forward to picking up Lee Child’s latest Reacher book over the weekend!
Susan McGrath Braiding Sweetgrass … Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Beautifully written, like a Cardthartic card!
Dot Coltrane Looking for a book from the past to take my mind off our Very Un-United country, I am rediscovering Rosamund Pilcher’s The Shell Seekers. I read it almost 20 years ago, and had forgotten most of the story. What wonderful characters! My favorite book read this year was The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. A fictionalized version of the packhorse librarians who delivered books to families living in remote areas of Kentucky, inspired by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Lovely writing and strong characters!
Mauri Truesdell Just started The Operator by Gretchen Berg with my book club ladies. I agree with Dot that I think my favorite this year might have been The Giver of Stars. I agree, Nancy, everyone should read Just Mercy. It’s been quite some time since I read it; maybe I’ll read it again!
Denice Brice I am looking forward to reading The Giver of Stars which should pair nicely with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson. My book club had a wonderful discussion about it. But first we are getting ready to read The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. A book that I enjoyed was This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger. It is about four orphans in an Indian School and their adventures. If you are a WWII buff or not (I am not) I encourage you to read The Splendid and the Vile. I felt like I had to read it since it was given to me. I am so glad I did.
Rosemary Tolliver I recently enjoyed Lisa Wingate’s Book of Lost Friends and am just starting Deacon King Kong. Now to take notes on all these recommendations — thank you, fellow-cardies!
I recently retired. After almost 40 years of corporate life, I am rediscovering a passion for reading books (not reports, nor proposals, and certainly no “decks”!). I am currently reading Indra Nooyi’s “My Life in Full”. I’m thrilled that she is still focused on supporting women. Next up is James McBride’s “Deacon King Kong”. And based on your list, I must check out Kristen Hannah’s novels and Bryan Stevenson’s memoir. Thank you for such wonderful recommendations!
I am reading THE SECRET OF SNOW by Viola Shipman. All of his books are amazing, thought provoking bringing back memories and awakening so many feelings.
Hello,
I just finished the Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku. This man lived through Buchenwald and Auchweitz. He is c urrently living in Australia at the age of 101. His book reminded us of the depth and power of friendship. He also points the power of loving your mother.
Just, just finished the Book of Hope by Jane Goodall. It gives us lots of thoughts to put into our lives to save our planet. The roots and shoots program is heart warming. I am so glad that I have read both of these books. I tend to go to nonfiction. If anyone has outstanding nonfiction books I would love some suggestions.
It is marvelous that we were taught to value reading in our homes and school when we were young.
Teresa
I am re-reading “ON TYRANNY – TWENTY LESSONS FROM THE TWENTIETH CENTURY” by Timothy Snyder. To give you a feel for his twenty lessons I’ll recap the title of the first and last lessons that this book explains: Number 1 is ‘Do NOT obey in advance’ – Number 20 is ‘Be as courageous as you can’. It is an inspiring book that says to the reader stand up and protect our dear Democracy.
I’ve been reading a series of books by Keith McCafferty that starts with the Royal Wolff Murders. For those of you familiar with fly fishing that’s a particular fly. I know nothing about fishing but I love a good mystery with great characters & a good dose of humor.
I am reading “The Choice” by Dr. Edith Eva Eger, a survivor of Auschwitz. Her writing is poetic as she describes her survival and ability to face her past so she can live a life filled with love.
None of these are recently published, but they are all books I’ve read more than once. Enemy Women by Paulette Jiles, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini, That old Ace in the Hole by Annie Proulx, and LaRose by Louise Erdrich
whopee !! book time
i love books
i love the library
i love bookstores
AND I LOVE CARDTHARTIC
i am presently reading
“the beatryce prophecy”
by kate dicamillo
it is magical.
i just finished
“the speckled beauty”
by rick bragg.
VERY VERY FUNNY
and bittersweet.
why ? i do not know
but i think of him
as ricky instead of rick?
i think i knew him from
somewhere in another life ?
before i read his first book,
“all over but the shouting”.
i have read and enjoyed
all of his books.
he has that SOUTHERN HUMOR
of which i am enamored !
the next book
waiting in the bookbag
to be brought forth is,
“rooftoppers”
by katherine rundell.
it is illustrated by the fan brothers.
the fan brothers write and illustrate
the most
delightful and magical books
for children.
two of my favorites:
“the antlered ship”
and “ocean meets sky”.
YES I READ CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOKS !!!
never to forget where we came from and to praise the bridges that carried us over
be well and read on !!
A few that I have enjoyed recently: A Line to Kill-Anthony Horowitz, No Hiding in Boise-Kim Cooper, The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina-Zoraida Cordova (if you like magical realism such as Garcia-Marquez I think you might like this), The Book of Form and Emptiness-Ruth Ozeki.
Anything by Willy Vlautin. His books are infrequent and spare but so true to life.
And Jodee, I totally agree about The Goldfinch. I loved The Secret History so was really looking forward to the Goldfinch. Did not finish. too tedious!
Whew I had to look back at my list of favorite books in my life and fortunately the Goldfinch wasn’t there!! Now I am hoping someone is going to show me the secret handshake and password for this club!! I think Jodee knows I have a passion for books about the South. Just finished Plantation by Dorothea Benton Frank. Talk about strong female characters!! Next is Porch Lights. That said I just wrote down several recommendation from these shared comments. Thanks Ladies!!!
Don’t forget to send me the secret handshake!!!
paige baker — you had me at SOUTH.
then read a review of PLANTATION
and i was had again when i read
MISS LAVINIA (what a great name) WAS MADDENINGLY ECCENTRIC.
i love eccentric being eccentric myself !!
Judy — Perfect for you I have a list of books on the South that I have loved — over the decades as you can see. I left this list (with many other book titles) for my children to see so that even when I am gone they can read and know me in that way too.
Gone With The Wind — Margaret Mitchell
Before We Were Yours — Lisa Wingate
Cold Sassy Tree — Olive Ann Burns
To Kill a Mockingbird — Harper Lee
The Secret Life of Bees — Sue Monk Kidd
The Last Original Wife — Frank
Sullivan’s Island – Frank
Just finished The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. If you went to Catholic school it is a must read. I love WWII novels the latest I read was Eli’s Promise. I wil read anything by Kristin Hanna.her latest The Four Winds was wonderful.
I have a friend who loved The Goldfinch, I asked her if she was smoking something!
I never picked up The Goldfinch… so, what does that tell you!?
I am currently enjoying We Came, We Saw, We Left — a laugh-out-loud book from Charles Wheelan whose family traveled the world for the better part of a year. Next I will pick up the latest Jeffrey Archer novel in the William Warwick series; I find all his books intriguing. The book that is staying with me this year is Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, who teaches environmental science and is an enrolled member of the Potowatami nation. THANK YOU ALL for sharing these meaningful recommendations!
paige baker — thank you soooo much !!!
i also like your idea of leaving book titles
you enjoyed so your family may know you.
i have a friend who has a box filled
with articles she particularly enjoyed
so that her family may know who
what was important to her.
we are made to tell the world there are no outsiders.
be well
OH THANK YOU CARDTHARTIC !!!!!!
ALL THESE BOOKS
ALL THESE BOOK READERS
WHAT FUN !!
i have started a new list
at the library where i
can “stash” titles
i WANT to read.
titles i have culled from
these fellow BOOK SISTERS.
i plan to read “plantation” next,
recommended by paige baker.
i will have to “stuff” ROOFTOPPERS
deeper into my book bag,
promising to read it NEXT so that
he/she/it won’t weep.
this is just what i needed
to bring me out of my
orange funk.
occasionally we will be overwhelmed but mostly we will be enchanted.
remain calm
and read on.
OMG~ I am going to need to go to a desert island ( with all amenities, of course) so that I can read some of these fantastic books.
I totally agree about The Goldfinch. I did not like it, yet many of my book club members loved it. I could suggest many books~I have kept a list of every book that I have read since 1999!
These are the ones that I offer to y’all as some of the best reads in the past years~
The Midnight Library ~ Matt Haig ( such an intriguing premise of this book)
The Alice Network~Kate Quinn ( WWII – women spies)
The Warmth of Other Suns~ Isabel Wilkerson ( don’t let the length deter you~ I thought much better than her touted book CASTE)
Kitchen Table Wisdom – Rachel Naomi Remsen, MD
The Devil in the White City~ Erik Larson. Most of his books are amazing.
Thanks so much for these titles! I have read a good many of them but there are titles that I haven’t read that really intrigue me.
I found The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles very interesting. My favorites also include The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan, anything by Rosamund Pilcher, Louise Penny’s books (mystery, with the wonderful main character of Chief Inspector Gamache and the marvelous characters of Three Pines), The Parish Library, The Personal Librarian, and all the beach books by Mary Alice Monroe.