Books read in 2019 ― History & Geography, Novels & Essays

History & Geography

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery — At 67 years old Grandma Gatewood told her family she was “going for a walk” but actually she was headed to walk the Appalachian Trail. She had a blanket for a sleeping bag, a shower curtain for a raincoat/tent, a pair of Ked tennis shoes, and a sack with just a little bit of food. She foraged for berries and stayed with people who lived along the trail and she became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone! But that wasn’t the end. She hiked it again years later and hiked several other trails. I enjoyed the book very much. I would love to hike the AT someday and to know Grandma Gatewood did it at 67 years old gives me hope! If I do it, however, I’m not going to do it in Keds with a shower curtain!

She introduced people to the A.T., and at the same time she made the thru-hike achievable. It didn’t take fancy equipment, guidebooks, training, or youthfulness. It took putting one foot in front of the other—five million times. ― Ben Montgomery

Walking Thru: A Couple’s Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail by Michael Tyler — As I live on the West Coast now, I thought a story about the Pacific Coast Trail might be nice. It was. The writing wasn’t top of the line, but I still enjoyed the stories and descriptions of the trail. One of my favorite things about the books was the way the author and his wife actually found their relationship was strengthened by the journey. It wasn’t even something they thought about until a family member brought it to their attention.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard — Candice Millard is an excellent storyteller. I’ve read all three of her books now, including River of Doubt and Hero of the Empire, and I’d be hard-pressed to choose a favorite. In this book, she writes the intertwined stories of President Garfield, Alexander Graham Bell, and Joseph Lister. I knew I wanted to read it because Millard is so good that I trusted it would be good, but how much of a story can there be when the president was shot after only 6 months in office? Well, months after reading it I am still marveling over the details and wishing I could have met this great man. It was SO good! I recommend everyone read this and I dearly hope Miss Millard is working on her next book.

What has survived of Garfield, however, is far more powerful than a portrait, a statue, or even the fragment of his spine that tells the tragic story of his assassination. The horror and senselessness of his death, and the wasted promise of his life, brought tremendous change to the country he loved – change that, had it come earlier, almost certainly would have spared his life. ― Candice Millard

Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World by Anthony Doerr — I love travel memoirs, but they don’t always come packaged in such beautiful writing. In this book, Doerr brings us along as he and this blossoming family spend a year in Rome when he is awarded a creative writing residency. The poetic descriptions of Rome are mixed with the very practical storyline of new parents of twins. I really enjoyed it.

[Rome] is a Metropolitan Museum of Art the size of Manhattan, no roof, no display cases, and half a million combustion engines rumbling in the hallways.” ― Anthony Doerr

Argo: How the CIA & Hollywood Pulled Off the Most Audacious Rescue in History by Antonio Mendez — This is the true story of how Tony Mendez, a CIA agent, accomplished the rescue of six American diplomats who were hiding in Tehran after the embassy was taken. I liked learning about the behind the scenes work of the CIA. You would think this would be an intense drama, but it was oddly bland and quirky. Still, I enjoyed it.

One of the main lessons I had learned is that exfiltrations are almost ninety percent logistics – just making sure everything is lined up as it needs to be. ― Antonio J. Mendez

Novel, Essays & Short Stories

Peace like a River by Leif Enger — The writing, the storyline, and the characters in this book were all wonderful. Some parts were a little fantastical, but for the most part, I could easily relate to each of the characters. Sometimes we see life as so black and white – at least when it is not our own life or family in question, but in this book, you felt the tension between accountability and loyalty.

Let me say something about that word: miracle. For too long it’s been used to characterize things or events that, though pleasant, are entirely normal. Peeping chicks at Easter time, spring generally, a clear sunrise after an overcast week—a miracle, people say, as if they’ve been educated from greeting cards. I’m sorry, but nope. Such things are worth our notice every day of the week, but to call them miracles evaporates the strength of the word.

Real miracles bother people, like strange sudden pains unknown in medical literature. It’s true: They rebut every rule all we good citizens take comfort in. Lazarus obeying orders and climbing up out of the grave—now there’s a miracle, and you can bet it upset a lot of folks who were standing around at the time. When a person dies, the earth is generally unwilling to cough him back up. A miracle contradicts the will of earth.”
― Leif Enger

Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver — I usually really like Kingsolver’s books but this one disappointed me. The natural history included was wonderful and of course, Kingsolver’s writing never disappoints, but the ending made me so mad. Very modern. I saw it coming but I couldn’t put the book down so near to the end. I wish I had. It actually taught me a lesson ― loyal to a book is not a virtue.

But being a stay-at-home mom was the loneliest kind of lonely, in which she was always and never by herself. ― Barbara Kingsolver

Where the Crawdad’s Sing by Delia Owens — I was a little leery of a “modern” book after the last one, but happily, this was a great book through to the very end. It follows the life story of “the marsh girl” who grows up, mostly alone, along the coast of North Carolina. The natural history included was copious and very interesting, (of course, that would get my attention!) and the personal storyline of abandonment and finally love was very satisfying. I have a low tolerance for storylines that tear me apart emotionally or are too edge-of-your-seat. I mention that because if you are into that kind of thing, I suppose you could find this story too tame. But it was perfect for me. I will also note that I listened to the audiobook narrated by Cassandra Campbell. She did a wonderful job of expressing the rhythm of the writing.

Most of what she knew, she’d learned from the wild. Nature had nurtured, tutored, and protected her when no one else would. … Kya was bonded to her planet and its life in a way few people are. Rooted solid in this earth. ― Delia Owens

Middlemarch by George Eliot — Liz, Emily and I read this book for an episode of A Delectable Education podcast (which has not yet aired.)  It was first published in 1871, and if you don’t know already, George Eliot is actually Mary Ann Evans. The story is set in a small village in England where the lives of several people are, or become, intertwined through family, friendship, or marriage. It includes such a large and varied cast of characters that I sometimes got mixed up about who we were talking about when we recorded the podcast! But it was just their names I was forgetting — I don’t think I can ever forget each one’s character, the trials they went through and how they dealt with them. I enjoyed it and am glad I read it, though I wish I would have taken it a little more slowly. I didn’t realize it was almost 700 pages until a month before we were to record. I should have started much sooner! This is a book you want to just sink into and live inside for a while.

Character is not cut in marble – it is not something solid and unalterable. It is something living and changing, and may become diseased as our bodies do. ― George Eliot

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout — This won a Pulitzer Prize, but I’m not sure I have anything good to say about it. Would I read it again? No. Would I read the sequel? No. I did make it to the end, but I’m not sure why I kept at it. It is a collection of stories, many of which involve Olive in some way. Sometimes she is just the person the other characters need, but more often she is just annoying and rude. Some of the individual stories were good, but others were odd or just depressing. I get enough real life, in real life!

The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old and New by Annie Dillard — And we end with something wonderful! Another Pulitzer Prize-winning author, but one that I rejoice over. Before this, I had only read Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Long excerpts from that were included in The Abundance, and it was so nice to revisit them. It was also a nice introduction to her other work, especially the essays from An American Childhood and one called “A writer in the world,” from The Writing Life. and I look forward to reading more from Annie Dillard in the future.

Beauty and grace are performed whether or not we will or sense them. The least we can do is try to be there. ― Annie Dillard

Books read in 2019:
Bible
Science & Nature Study; Education & Parenting