Sydney Reads and Reads: April

My reading life in April was interesting. I struggled to make time, to keep my brain working (even for pleasure) after coming home from draining days at work, and I got a new kitten.  Which, let's be honest is more captivating than even the greatest book. But the stories I did experience captivated me completely, and I'm so excited to share them with you!

When I chose The Age of Light, by Whitney Scharer, for my February Book of the Month, I was excited! Romance, the description said, Paris, the 1920s! But as February ended, and March rolled into April I started dreading it more and more, fearing it would be too schmaltzy and bleh.  I was so wrong! The story follows Lee Miller, American Vogue cover model who has recently moved to Paris to pursue a career as a photographer.  After months of struggling, and having her first camera stolen she connects with famed photographer Man Ray, and the rest is history. What begins as a working relationship quickly develops into romance, each feeding the other as their twin passions grow.  What I liked about Lee's story is her insistence that her work, her opinions, are equal to Man's.  And though she loses herself for a time in the relationship (as we're all guilty of doing), her personal ambitions are the primary driver of her decisions. We also get peaks of Lee's life during WWII as a war correspondent for American Vogue which carves a stark contrast to her glamorous life as Man Ray's partner and muse.  I'll confess, I knew nothing of either Lee Miller or Man Ray before The Age of Light, and now I'm thirsty for more.

Beyond the Point, by Claire Gibson, follows friends Dani, Hannah, and Avery from their senior year of high school, through their time at West Point, 9/11, and beyond. I was drawn to this as my Book of the Month pick because of the military aspect, I loved Army Wives, and the focus on female relationships on such a male-dominated space but I by no means expected to find it quite as relatable as I did.  I mean, what could I a theatre nerd book worm have in common with three NCAA Athlete Army cadets? A lot. These women go from frenemies to family, see each other through everyday tragedies and life-changing ones, grow apart as they pursue their careers, and so much more. Though this story may begin in a rather extraordinary place, West Point, when it comes down to it, what Claire Gibson has created here is a story about life. And those are the best kind.

I read Me Before You and After You for the first time the summer I was transitioning home from New York and enjoyed them so much. I was in a bit of a reading slump after finishing all of the Outlander books, not entirely ready to give up what I'd so enjoyed about that vast world, but totally at a loss as to where to turn. Cue Jojo Moyes. Her characters and style brought me back to the present while still maintaining the heart, feeling, and passion I had so enjoyed from Outlander.  But what a contrast between the two novels! Will is so much of the heart and heartbreak of Me Before You, and it was easy to feel Louisa's loss as she tried to find her way without him in After You. I spent some time this month revisiting these titles on audio which was so enjoyable.  The narrators, though different for each book, so charmingly and authentically brought Louisa Clark and her world to life I kept listening long after I'd gotten up from my desk and moved into my evening routine.  For the record, I have also read Still Me, but the waiting list for the audio on my library app was longer. So I'll have that to look forward to in May! 

There are a few days a year when the snowfall and the light outside are perfect, when the temperature is hovering juuust around freezing, and the only thing to do is curl up on the couch under a pile of blankets and watch Love Story. The last such day I experienced was in February.  Jefferson City got completely dumped on, shutting down the city over almost an entire weekend.  After spending the morning watching Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neal fall in love in the snow, I took a big walk through the drifts and up around the Capitol.  It was so quiet.  The only other people around where the State snow removal crew who I'm sure thought I was bonkers to be out.  But I was craving the fresh air, and the cold felt good on my face as I trudged through the snow banks to the Love Story film score by Francis Lai.  All this is to say that after I came home from my walk, I got on Amazon and bought an old used copy of the novel by Erich Segal. Reading it this month took me right back to those snowy winter days I love so much and served as a great reminder that we have the choice to slow down and enjoy our lives no matter the time of year.  Though snowstorms certainly help. I hadn't realized until I read the book that the story is entirely from Oliver's perspective.  I can't think of another romance I've ever read that allows you to get inside a man's head in quite this way. It was both refreshing, and ultimately heartbreaking, as I knew it would be.  

Looking back on this month's titles again I am struck by the steady throughline of strong women. Thinking about it yesterday I suddenly felt like Kate Winslet's character in The Holiday, watching movie after movie about strong female heroines. These books and their women keep finding their way into my life, and I can feel it influencing the way I view things, the decisions I make.  It's unexpected, but I'm not mad about it! I wonder what May will bring!-xo Sydney