READER’S by Nanette Zorn It’s now November during what seems to be the longest year on record. This year, more than ever, it is important to be grateful. This may mean turning your cheek, forgiving past grievances or searching for goodness. The following books confirm that connectedness looks different for everyone. Although sometimes we have to search for our happy ending, it is always good to gather graciously, give generously and be grateful.
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
Find the Good: Life Lessons from a SmallTown Obituary Writer Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman
Kate, a recently single, middle-aged woman, meets the sharp tongue and sharper mind of Miss Cecily, a curmudgeon of a woman who has a lot to say and wants to be heard. Through the sharing of a very personal recipe collection, Kate is eventually drawn into a friendship that reforms her opinion of herself, her future and Miss Cecily. This book is a reminder that in the sharing of food, we celebrate our most intimate and vulnerable moments, and those memories stay with us for a lifetime.
by Heather Lende
Nothing can give us clarity quite like death. Heather Lende faces death every day in her job as an obituary writer in small town Alaska. In her book, “Find the Good,” Lende touches on a variety of topics in quick essays, perfect for this busy time of year. Lende’s unique perspective helps remind us that finding the good is an important practice for our everyday lives.
Nina Hill is a bookseller who is amazing at trivia, highly anxious and alone. Raised by a nanny while her mother traveled the world, Nina never knew her father, until a lawyer informs her that she is one of many children of a wealthy man. Nina’s life is about to change. Can the bookish Nina and her cat, Phil, rise to embrace a new family? Or will the collapse of her beloved bookstore resign her to the comfort and safety of aloneness? Helped along by some adorable characters, Nina is poised to discover a lot about herself through the last generous gift of her father.
An aging mid-western mother wants to have her children together for one last Lambert family holiday. But, as you can guess, this simple premise is fraught with complications. Three vastly different adult children and a stubborn, ill husband set the scene for this domestic drama. The quest for the perfect holiday versus the untidiness of life is the opposing force that propels you forward. At times “The Corrections” is humorous and nostalgic and at times it is tragic and absurd, but it is consistently entertaining. Like the elusive “perfect family picture,” this book proves that sometimes you just have to take what you get and move on.
Nanette Zorn has worked for Kent District Library since 2016. Nanette is grateful for her husband, kids and dog. She enjoys chaotic and always imperfect family gatherings, generously indulges in long walks and reading and always strives to find the good.
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Women’s LifeStyle Magazine • November 2020
