Books Lighting Me Up

January 2025

It’s the last Friday of the month and that means it’s time to share what I’m currently reading. Let’s get to the good books fast.

Best Adult Fiction

White Mulberry by Rosa Kwon Easton is historical fiction inspired by the life of Easton’s grandmother. Reading about the life of a young Korean woman living in 1930’s Japan was inspiring and harrowing at the same time. The character development is deep and the plot moves fast. I love the voice and tone of this book. Rosa is a friend and I couldn’t be happier that her book has found an audience. I can’t wait for the next book which she’s currently writing.

Best Comfort Book (That Seemed Like Appropriate Reading During the LA Fires)

One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder by Brian Doyle is a book I cherish. This is a collection of essays and every one is a gem. He writes with compassion and humor, describing observations about life that I wish I could articulate. I had a lot of DNFs (books I Did Not Finish) this month and this is the book I turned to when I wanted to get lost in amazing writing and good humanity. I am not a person who regularly rereads books, but this is one I reach for at least once a year.

Best Middle Grade Fiction

Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi won the National Book Award for young people’s literature. I love books in verse and this one delivers insight about the life of a seventh-grade Syrian American boy and his struggles, big and small, as he navigates middle school.

Best Middle Grade Graphic Memoir

Uprooted by Ruth Chan is a gem. Ruth lives in Toronto, but her parents decide to relocate back to Hong Kong. While her family feels like they fit in, Ruth does not. By the end of the book, Ruth learns the real meaning of home. I was in Barnes and Noble yesterday and the graphic section is huge. I’m glad this genre is growing in popularity.

Currently Reading

The Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. This won’t be on my best book of the year list, but I’m enjoying it so far. From the publisher: A beautiful portrait of grief and the world-shaping bond sisters share.

The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This is our book pick for the Once-in-a-While Book Club meeting on April 27th. It’s a short and sweet book you could read in an afternoon, but it will also be great for conversation. Email me if you’d like to join us in Palos Verdes (LorrieTom@LorrieT.com).

Here’s the publisher’s blurb: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.

Added to Lorrie’s Little Free Library Today!

Breakfast on Mars and 37 Other Delectable Essays will inspire students to think differently about the much feared assignment in elementary and middle schools around the country: essay writing.

Miracle Creek by Angie Kim was Winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel and a Time Best Mystery and Thriller Book of All Time. From the publisher: The “gripping… page-turner” (Time) hitting all the best of summer reading lists, Miracle Creek is perfect for book clubs and fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell who also wrote Invisible Girl and None of This Is True. From the publisher: This is a “riveting” (PopSugar) and “acutely observed family drama” (People) that delves into the lingering aftermath of a young girl’s disappearance.

The Perfectionists Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler was selected for USA Today's Best Books of 2023 and was an Editor's Pick in Amazon's Best Books of 2023. From the publisher: This book is an invitation to every “recovering perfectionist” to challenge the way they look at perfectionism, and the way they look at themselves.

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen is a book I didn’t finish, but since it’s #5 on the New York Times Best Books of the Century List, I know one of you will love this!

Stay tuned for next week’s Substack which will be a new once-a-year feature dropping on Super Bowl Sunday: One Book That Lights Me Up in ALL the Wrong Ways! I have big thoughts about Mr. Franzen’s book.

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There is still space in the Once-in-a-While Book Club. I hope you can join us in Palos Verdes on April 27th. Email me if you’d like to attend. All INFO HERE.

The March 16th Women’s Mini Retreat is full, but feel free to add your name to the waitlist. We might be able to squeeze you around the table. I don’t want to turn anyone away. ALL INFO HERE.