I don’t know about you, dear readers, but my mom gave me my love of libraries, reading, and sharing books. Growing up in a military family we moved a lot so we relied on a few orienting rituals to feel at home again after pulling up stakes so often. First: every box had to be unpacked in the first week. Second: we got our library cards as soon as we had a piece of mail. The practice of settling into a new library is the only memorable experience I had in some of these towns we only lived in for a few months. There were new books to discover as well as old familiar books that felt like home. How I relished those long, quiet Saturdays with mom, browsing the shelves and taking home piles and piles and piles of books. We have been reading together or book-swapping for as long as I can remember, and now that we are separated by several states, we sometimes correspond in the form of book deliveries. For this Mother’s Day post I though I would share with you a few of the books my mom and I have shared and loved as a result of our book club for two, definitely the most rewarding book club I’ve ever been in.
The Circle by Dave Eggers: We both agreed that this book is deliciously terrifying and totally spot on. She’s already seen the movie but I’ve sworn her to silence until I’ve had a chance to see it.
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: This thought-provoking and poignant post-apocalypse was right up both our alleys.
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan: I can’t believe
we read this over 20 years ago. We shared this one when I was a teenager and Amy Tan will always hold a special place in my heart.
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery: I love this book so much. This one was passed from my aunt to my mom, then on to me. I haven’t cried like that since The Joy Luck Club. Misery loves company!
Night Film by Marisha Pessl: A thrilling and strange mystery perfect for fans of macabre movies.
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt: We’re both usually fiction readers but a funny memoir is a clear second favorite.
As I write this post I’m running through my mental catalog of the 400 or so books I’ve read in the past few years (read: scrolling through my Goodreads account actually because who can remember all that?) and asking myself which book I haven’t shared with my mom yet that she would really like. Hate to spoil any surprises here but I don’t think she’s read Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A memoir of food and longing by Anya von Bremzen yet and I know she’d love it as much as I did.
There’s also this list if you need a few more good recs to send as last minute gifts.
