It was a bad week, reading-wise, for me. The book I finished never grabbed me and, in fact, I told my mom to skip it and just put it in a donate box. It was not, however, a bad week for reading my inbox. Three North Shore Readers wrote in, and that more than made up for the dud making its way to Goodwill.
Mariann actually wrote the same week as our latest responder, the Reading Farmer, but her note slipped into my spam folder where it definitely did not belong. Funnily enough, she mentioned The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, one of the very books we brought into last week’s issue. I’m starting to think this column has created a few book brainwaves, with readers thinking about the same authors and books. Or perhaps we all have good taste.
Inside her email, Mariann called herself a simple reader, meaning she reads to relax and to fall asleep, so she doesn’t go looking for complicated plots. She shared a few other favorites that fit that easy, end-of-day style: Labor Day, 28 Summers, and The Accidental Tourist.
I admit, I have seen the movie versions of both The Accidental Tourist and Labor Day but have not read the books. I think I shall, as I am curious how the plots may differ and what details the films might have trimmed away or added.
As for 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand, that happens to be on my shelf, a hand-me-over from my mom and one that now will move up on my physical TBR pile. You know, that stack where each book screams ‘me next, me next’!
I’m not the only one with issues with my TBR, and it happens to be something contagious, thanks to all of you who have written in. Dee Brazell of Grand Marais wrote to say how much she likes the North Shore Journal but added, “My only problem is that my ‘to be read’ list keeps growing, and your column isn’t helping.”
Though Brazell recently took up guitar, which is occupying most of her free time, she had some time over the winter to read some Helen Hoover books, beginning with A Place in the Woods.
“I loved reading about her move from Chicago and the discovery of Gunflint Lake. It gave me a renewed respect for nature and a greater appreciation for a simpler, albeit more difficult, way of life,” wrote Brazell.
Book brainwaves are at it again. Though I’ve yet to read Helen Hoover, I have read Her Place in the Woods: The Life of Helen Hoover. And I’ve interviewed the author, David Hakensen. It was a great book and made me really admire Hoover. (See Bringing the Northwoods to Life: Hakensen on Helen Hoover from our September 11, 2025 issue for more at northshorejournal.co)
Though she may need to switch to Audible to help shorten the list while she strums her new instrument, Brazell forgives us for adding to her TBR. Which is good because Barb Liukkonen wrote in with a slew of recommendations that all sound good.
First, she mentioned that the Reading Farmer was right about Karl Marlantes’ Deep River, so I think I’m onto something about North Shore Reading Roundup readers having great taste.
“It was an engaging and captivating read. Not a book for reading in bed at night; at 700-plus pages it’s too heavy to hold up. It’s really worth reading and goes fast,” she wrote. “The Reading Farmer was right — it’s hard to put down.”
Being a fan of our column, she deduced that I would personally like Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. The story is about a midwife in the late 1780s in Maine. She felt the author put in a lot of research to capture the period well. There’s also a murder mystery involved.
Liukkonen is right; that sounds right up my alley. She also points out, “My brother liked this one, too, so it’s not just a ‘girls’ book.’”
She recently finished Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan and advised that it’s a small book, quick read, but one that “really gets one thinking.”
“Keegan’s writing is so evocative, and she conveys whole backstories with just a couple sentences,” she said. “There’s no huge excitement or action, just the everyday life of an Irish family in the 1960s. Really worth reading.”
Another book that drew her in was The Antidote by Karen Russell. She described it as a complex story about small-town personalities and happenings during the Dust Bowl years.
“And a witch,” she added, was included in the storyline, which immediately made me doubly intrigued.
Liukkonen has been asking the same question I’ve been asking lately, about books you are reading but you’re just not enjoying, mentioning her struggle with Yesteryear by Elizabeth Egan. Lots of people are reading and liking the story about a modern influencer who pretends to live an old-fashioned back-to-basics life, when in reality what she promotes and how she lives are different. She is then transported to the real “good old days” and finds things aren’t as simple or as easy as she thought.
“I’m stuck in that dilemma of whether to plow ahead and finish a book in which I don’t care about any of the characters. There are so many good books, and so little time; why do I want to invest my time in a book I don’t like? I’m not one of those who believes that just because you start a book doesn’t mean you have to finish it. It seems you’re struggling with this same dilemma this week,” Liukkonen sympathized.
I sure was, and I ended up choosing to plow through to the end, hoping for the book to redeem itself. I didn’t think it ever did, but I’m curious if anyone else has read Go Ask Fannie by Elisabeth Hyde. It follows three adult siblings who gather at their childhood home, only to find themselves circling old wounds, old loyalties, and old misunderstandings.
Critics noted that the story moves slowly and leans heavily on internal family squabbles, and I agreed. It never quite found the momentum I hoped for.
After that, I started a John Saul book. I was in the mood for something spooky after all that family angst, something with shadows instead of squabbles and a plot that actually pulls you forward.
And that brings me back to where I began. Some weeks the books don’t land, but the readers always do. So please keep writing in, keep sharing your favorites, and keep those book brainwaves humming. My TBR may be out of control, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thank you, Mariann, Dee, and Barb, for writing in!
North Shore readers, our respondents would like to hear what you thought of these titles, and so would I! Please write to sarahwritesnsj@yahoo.com and let me know your thoughts on these recommendations and all things bookish. Don’t wait 28 days or until Labor Day. Sending in book titles you love gives our readers a Deep River of choices to add to their list. Small Things Like These bookish brainwaves need to be shared. Remember, you can remain anonymous and always check your local bookstores and libraries for these titles and more!
