Sydney Reads and Reads: November

November was a month full of adventure and travel.  A time of long-held plans and dreams finally coming to fruition.  Amidst all of that, I found myself in the unique, and slightly embarrassing position of not remembering what I read!

I know my re-read of Rebecca from October bled into the first week of November, and I must have read something in the intervening time before I loaded up for Iceland, but I could not for the life of me remember what it was! Bless Goodreads for keeping track for me!

With the release of what looks to be an epic Little Women movie coming this Christmas, picking up Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy: The Story of Little Women and Why It Still Matters, by Anne Boyd Rioux, was a no brainer.

As I've said before, Little Women is my favorite book. Yet until now, I'd never taken much time to learn about Louisa May Alcott or the history of the book itself. How much of what happens in the book, the characters of the March sisters, is based on Alcott's family? What drove her to write Little Women in the first place? Why has this classic endured over the last 150 years to remain a favorite among girls and women (and men) all over the world? Why should more men be reading Little Women? Anne Boyd Rioux has all the answers.

I found the argument for men reading Little Women particularly interesting because Rioux is right. No one worries about girls or women not enjoying Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn because the central character is a boy. So why then should we worry about men's enjoyment of Little Women because it's girls who are center stage? This is one of those genie's you can't put back in the bottle, leaving me wondering what other male-dominated assumptions I've allowed myself to make. Literary or otherwise.

I also enjoyed Rioux's dive into the various film, stage, and TV adaptations of Alcott's cherished novel. How Katherine Hepburn's portrayal of Jo launched her career but failed to capture the emotional nuance and depth of her character.  How the following 1949 adaptation was intended to be a star vehicle for June Alyson and failed. The Winona Ryder version from 1994 which will always be a Christmas classic to me. And of course, the Broadway musical which will always be astonishing to me.

Whether you're into history, pop culture, a feminist activist, or just a life long fan of Little Women, there's a little something in Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy for everyone.

I've name-dropped Elizabeth Gilbert here on the blog more times than I can count, and with good reason! I read her latest novel, City of Girls, in June, and wrote about my experience reading Eat, Pray, Love Made Me Do It back in August. In November I revisited the book that started it all for me, Eat, Pray, Love on audio. Luckily for me, and literally the whole world, Liz narrates the audiobook herself, taking it to a whole new level!

I first read Eat, Pray, Love in the beginning of what would become my last year in New York, 2016. I was exhausted, depressed, and feeling completely adrift. Reading about Liz's journey opened my eyes to untold possibilities. Watching her methodically undo the life she'd consciously made, and have the courage to take time to work on herself to discover what would serve her best instead, was nothing short of a spiritual experience for me.  As it was for so many others.

Coming back to this title now, as I begin to reflect and dream about what life may hold for me in 2020, I felt many of those same feelings, along with a growing courage, and a reminder that when I choose to put the integrity of my heart first everything shakes out ok in the end.

If, for some reason, you've yet to pick up a copy of Eat, Pray, Love this annual season of shift and renewal is a perfect time. Enjoy. Onward.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a fly on the wall of the White House? To be on the periphery of an administration, to get all the perks of working for the President without the pressure of influencing policy or national security? Then please allow me to introduce you to From The Corner of the Oval, by Beck Dorey Stein.

Beck's memoir follows her from down and out college graduate, to answering a Craigslist ad which lands her a job in the White House steno pool, to time-zone hopping with the Obama administration, to falling in love and falling flat on her face.

Reading From the Corner of the Oval felt like watching an updated version of The West Wing unfold before me, with a dash of Carrie Bradshaw thrown in for good measure. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author and it was fantastic; the perfect follow up to Michelle Obama's memoir Becoming which I listened to in October. If you've got audible credits or gift cards to spend after the holidays, this would be a perfect purchase. It also makes a great gift. Right, Rachel Holmberg?

Beautiful Wreck, by Larissa Beck, marks another of the titles brought to me by the loyal readers and listeners of What Should I Read Next. Next time you're planning a trip and find yourself on the hunt for companion reads look no further than this community.  Their suggestions over the last few months had such a positive impact on my trip to Iceland.

In Beautiful Wreck we find ourselves in the Iceland of the not so distant future, or what remains of it. All their food is grown in greenhouses and labs, and their entertainment is virtual. Jen is a Viking language expert who designs environments for virtual reality simulations.  Until one day her dip in the VR tank goes wrong and she's thrust back in time to 12th Century Iceland where real Vikings rule.

Jen, known as Ginn to her new Viking companions, soon falls for the isolated Viking lord Heirik a man both honored and feared by the family he cares for. As Ginn integrates herself more and more into her new life, this beautiful, brutal reality she never thought she'd see, she's forced to choose between remaining as Ginn or returning to her old life, to the future, and leaving all she loves behind.

Beginning this book, as with many that switch between the past and present, I struggled with the present-day portion.  Jumping right into a future filled with advanced technology and a cast of characters blending the customs of their present with perceptions of an extinct past and, to an extent, playing dress-up did not initially appeal to l me.  Jen's lack of enthusiasm for her life didn't help matters much either. Once she lept back in time, however, I was hooked.

The detail, the richness, the history of the Viking era came through effortlessly.  Seeing that world through Ginn's eyes made it easy for me to relate, to buy into the characters and want to root for them. Ginn's journey takes her to the black sand beaches and Thingvellir both of which I visited while reading Beautiful Wreck, making the history come alive for me in an unexpected way. Where along the tectonic rift did Heirik and his family set up camp when they came to the Thing? Was it one of these caves along the beach where Ginn sought shelter?

Now, I'll state the obvious, if you're a fan of Outlander looking for something to fill the void until the new season begins Beautiful Wreck is for you. This would also make an entertaining read as we inch toward the long, cold days of January.

I'm ready to take some time in the upcoming weeks to look back on my reading for 2019 and set some intentions for the New Year.  I'll be sure to report back in Decembers round up! - xo Sydney