Sydney Reads and Reads: January

If you're a frequent reader of On The Sunnyside, you may have noticed I failed to post a book round-up in December.  The truth is, I fell into the deepest of reading slumps and only managed to finish one book. 

I'm happy to report, there was a break in the clouds in mid-January and I've been burning through books ever since! So here's what I've been reading...

Little Women is my favorite book, one which I return to year after year.  I was especially excited to revisit it in 2019 on the eve of Greta Gerwig's incredible new film adaptation and yet, I slogged through it. In fact, it took me nearly six weeks to finish.  I share this as a reminder that sometimes, even the things that bring us the most pleasure in life require unexpected work.  And that's ok.

When I heard that there was a book about a secret book club comprised of men who read romance novels in order to better understand and romance their wives I was excited.  When I heard that the central character of The Bromance Book Club, by Lyssa Kay Adams, was a professional baseball player I was IN.

After valiantly trudging through Little Women for several weeks, The Bromance Book Club (whose sequel Undercover Bromance comes out on March 10th!!) was just the lighthearted delight I needed. Don't let this genre fool you, Adams' writing is rich and her plot grounded.  I would wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking infuse a little fun into their reading life.

The perfect blend of Stephen King and Nancy Drew mystery The Sun Down Motel, by Simone St. James is creepy as hell. In a good way.

In it, we follow Viv Delaney, and her niece Carly 35 years apart.  Both are night clerks at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York, and both know there's something sinister embedded in the very fabric of the place. It's clear that someone, or something, is keeping secrets and they're determined to figure it out. This female-driven thriller is intensely readable. From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't put it down.

After losing myself in the third season of Netflix's Anne with an E in January, I was thrilled to see Marilla of Green Gables' Kindle Edition on sale. As someone who enjoys the journey even when I know the ending, getting to unpack Marilla's childhood, her courtship with John Blithe, and the origin of Green Gables its self, was a delight. Author Sarah McCoy's voice felt in tandem with L.M. Montgomery's while remaining entirely her own.

I've always enjoyed the music of Bruce Springsteen, but I wouldn't call myself a huge fan.  I have Born in the USA on vinyl, and that's about it. But I have to say, listening to his autobiography Born to Run was one of the highlights of my month. Hearing Bruce re-live his childhood growing up in the Asbury Park region of New Jersey (a place I spent a summer myself), discovering his love for music, recounting how he met each member of what would become the E Street Band, sitting with wrapt attention as he unpacked his process as a writer. It was all so inspiring I found my own head spinning with ideas, unable to get them down fast enough.

Read by Springsteen himself, Born to Run has something for everyone. Whether you're a music lover or fellow creative, run, don't walk, to get your ears on a copy of this audiobook. You won't regret it.

We're almost through February and I'm still going through books as fast as I can get my hands on them.  Including Anne Bogel's latest Don't Overthink It!  I was lucky enough to get an early look at the book as a part of her book launch team and I know it will be a hit with so many of you! See you soon! - xo Sydney