Julie's Journal : What I've Been Reading

2022 was a horrible reading year for me.  I read about half the number of books I usually do, and about half of those were re-reads.  I couldn't get in the mood for a good reading binge and I had a hard time finding new titles.  I wanted to change that this year, so I put out a request on Facebook for book recommendations and have paid closer attention to recommendations I've seen online.  So far this year I've read several new-to-me authors and some really good books!

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin

Sadie and Sam meet at a children's hospital where Sam is a patient and where Sadie is visiting her sick sister.  Their friendship blossoms over a shared love of video games, but as will come to characterize their relationship, a misunderstanding separates them.  When they meet again, by chance, in college they begin to create video games together.  Eventually, with Sam's roommate, they form the company that will make them rich and define their lives.  

This book is long, spanning nearly 30 years.  As someone who enjoys video games, I enjoyed the gaming industry being the backdrop for the story.  I enjoyed the descriptions of games I know and love as well as the fictional games Sam and Sadie created.  Some of them I wished I could play!  The book is not just about the games, though, but about the many relationships that are formed as people come in and out of Sam and Sadie's lives. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a book that I was able to get completely immersed in.

Hench, by Natalie Zina Walschots

The world of this book is very similar to ours, but it is populated by both Superheroes and Supervillains who are constantly fighting each other and amongst themselves for dominance.  Both heroes and villains need infrastructure though, and have corporate offices to manage their affairs.  Anna is a data analyst just trying to make a living.  When the Supervillain she works for wants her to be a background prop at a press conference, Anna goes along.  However, a Superhero crashes the party and in the ensuing chaos, Anna is badly hurt.  As she recuperates, Anna starts running a new data analysis - this time of the collateral damage done by Superheroes in the course of their heroic deeds.  She starts a blog detailing her findings which brings her to the attention of the biggest Supervillain of all.  

I liked this story and the unique world that the author created.  It was long, and detailed, but I enjoyed it all the way through.

The Invincible Miss Cust, by Penny Haw

This book is fiction, based very closely on the real-life story of Aleen Cust, the first female veterinarian in Ireland and England.  When Aleen is born in 1868 it is unheard of for an aristocratic woman to have a career outside of the home.  Aleen, however, knew from a young age that she wanted to be a veterinarian.  She faced enormous obstacles from her own family who were scandalized by her ambitions, society at large, and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.  Only after her brother died and left her an unencumbered inheritance was she able to attend Veterinary College.  She completed her studies with honors in 1897, but her trials were far from over.

I especially enjoyed the afterward included by the author that detailed the ways in which the fictionalized version differentiated from the historical record of Miss Cust's life.  The story stays very true to the historical events, and for me was quite infuriating.  I am so thankful that I don't live in a time where I might have to fight to pursue my chosen career.

Tamar, by Mal Peet

I just finished this spy romance set against the backdrop of the Dutch Winter of Hunger during WWII, an event I knew nothing about.  The story is told in a dual time-line with the majority of it being during 1944-45.  The other part is told from the point of view of the granddaughter of the main characters in 1995.  Tamar is part of the Dutch Resistance and is based on a farm in the countryside.  He and the daughter of the farm, Marijke, are a couple, although they do not tell Tamar's partner Dart.  In 1995, 15 year old Tamar, named after her grandfather, is trying to put together the mystery of her family's past and what she discovers is a betrayal of the worst kind.

I enjoyed the story and I ended up researching information about the Dutch Winter of Hunger which was an aspect of WWII I wasn't aware of.  I couldn't help but wish for a different ending to the story though and I was dissatisfied with the way all the loose ends were tied up.  In spite of that, though,  I would still very much recommend it.

I read all of these on Libby, the library's e-reading app.  If you need help getting started with Libby, just give us a call.  The Invincible Miss Cust is available as a physical book for checkout from FCL as well.

I have several more lined up to read as soon as they become available on Libby.  Next are Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey, Alone, by Megan Freeman, Mexican Gothic, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, All Creatures Great and Small, by James Herriot, and All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doeer.  Keep those recommendations coming.  I'm hoping for a much better reading year in 2023!