Sometimes I'm Trendy

Somehow I enticed over 20 friends of mine to participate in read-alongs as a birthday celebration. Here's the original invitation -- will be posting reflections and reviews next!

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To celebrate my birthday this year, I'm asking my favorite people for my favorite thing — mini book clubs! I’ve chosen four books to re-read in October, and I’d love for you to read-along.

Pick one to read and share your thoughts with me. We can find time for a phone call, a walk or coffee date, or simply email me your thoughts/reflections on October 30 — if there's one thing I love more than book club, it's emailing friends :)

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (Contemporary Fiction)
Sharp novel about race, privilege, and messy relationships.
320 pages | ~10 hrs audio

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (Nonfiction / Epistolary)
Delightful letters between a writer and a bookseller.
112 pages | ~2 hrs audio

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (Children’s Fantasy / Classic)
A 4th grade throwback(!) about the price of immortality.
144 pages | ~4 hrs audio

The Library Book by Susan Orlean (Nonfiction / History)
A blend of true crime, history, and love letter to libraries
317 pages | ~12 hrs audio

A few notes:
1. If you are unable or unwilling to participate, I promise not to judge (you’ll likely be in good company with my very own husband, haha!). If you do join me, I’ll be simply delighted!

2. I’ve only recently embraced re-reading, and I’m excited to do it more often — maybe even annually. For one thing, it guarantees I’ll have a great birthday month of reading if I'm picking up past favorites.

3. If you’ve already read all of these and are firmly against re-reading, let me know and I’ll give you a personalized assignment. <3

Birthdays are for doing things you love,

- SJW

I told friends I'm dabbling in Seattle Book Bingo, but the truth is, I've been gunning for blackout! I've been an absolute nut -- zipping through audiobooks and flying through pages. Although this was my first year to participate, I've essentially been playing my own Book Bingo with my self-assigned monthly reading categories. I enjoy matching books to various prompts, and this summer I found ways to read books that have been on my TBR for a while. Similar to a book club, it also led me to pick up several titles I wouldn't have normally selected. Of the 23 books I read, here were my all-stars (half of which were re-reads!):

I love the diversity in this collection -- length, genre, content, style, authors, publishing year, and also my enjoyment...haha! I'm sharing quick thoughts and a letter grade (taken from podcaster Erica Ladd's book review system) to make it easy to scan.

A = Amazing! Awesome! Above and Beyond!
B = Buzz-worthy! Book I'd recommend
C = Could have been better...could have been worse
D = Disappointing
F = F*** this book

Suggested by a Library Worker | The Favorites by Layne Fargo (B-)

(2025; 437 pages) // Contemporary Fiction

This book is a Wuthering Heights retelling in the world of ice dance, and I found the drama-filled story fun...it made me want to go ice skating and watch the Winter Olympics :) A little too long but overall a page turner and can see why it was a popular book.

SAL Speaker (Past or Present) | Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates (B)

(2015; 152 pages) // Nonfiction
Glad I finally read this (albeit too quickly)! It was more lyrical and poetic than I was expecting and he meanders a bit, but his main themes and ideas are striking and important!

Grief | Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (B+)

(2025; 298 pages) // Thriller
I picked this up on the recommendation of Mr. Fleece's cousin and really enjoyed it! Beautifully written and interesting plot and themes. Would love to pick up more climate-related novels and explore more of McConaghy's backlist.

PNW Nature | Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (C)

(2022; 368 pages) // Contemporary Fiction🎧
I saw this book everywhere and wanted to know what it was about. Glad I did it on audio -- my favorite chapters were voiced by Marcellus. I liked the characters more than the plot, and wasn't blown away by the writing.

Censorship | The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (D+)

(1951; 277 pages) // Classic YA
As one of the most banned books of all time, I thought this prompt was a great excuse to pick up this classic I had never read. Too cynical, negative, and stream-of-consciousness for my taste and didn't like being in his head or following his nighttime escapades. My two favorite parts were when you understand the title and the bittersweet carousel scene/paragraph with his sister.

Author from Another Continent | Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl (A+)

(1970; 96 pages) // Children's Literature🎧
By today's standards, there are lots of reasons why this story isn't great for children -- guns! starvation! Some of the language...But gosh, NLW and I really love this one! The audiobook narrator Chris O'Dowd (same voiceover as Puffin Rock) completely makes the experience!

Suggested by an Independent Bookseller | Ordinary Time: Lessons Learned While Staying Put by Annie B. Jones (C)

(2025; 240 pages) // Essays
I listen to From the Front Porch podcast on occasion, so was intrigued enough to read her book. The reflections on daily life, community, and faith were pleasant, but nothing really stuck with me two months later. Probably would have liked it better on audio...

Flower on the Cover/In Title | Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid (A)

(2019; 368 pages) // Historical Fiction
I just love the way the story unfolds and how real it feels. Camila Dunne's love for her husband is just wonderful! I read on the page this time, but would recommend on audio. The TV show is great too <3

Intergenerational Friendship | The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa (C+)

(2005; 180 pages) // Fiction🎧
I had heard about this title from a few different places and thought the premise sounded interesting: a housekeeper who cares for a professor whose memory resets every 80 minutes. It was a little bit too slow, quiet, and sweet for my taste, but glad to have included a book in translation on my list!

New-to-You Format | Missed Connections: Love, Lost & Found by Sophie Blackall (B)
(2011; 129 pages) // Nonfiction
We often rotate library books that we can display on our coffee table and this one was a delight! I originally discovered Blackall through the world of picture books but in this collection she illustrates online confessions from strangers that range from silly and quirky to endearing and sweet.

Dystopia | The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (B+)

(2008; 374 pages) // YA
I really wanted to finish Station Eleven by Emily St. James, but I just wasn't engaged with the story. So instead, I went with a tried and true page-turner -- I love the balance of familiar scenes and it's-been-so-long-that-I've-forgotten combo that comes through on a re-read.

Found Family | Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette (A-)

(2021; 273 pages) // Literary Fiction
I picked this up on recommendation from Annie B. Jones (author of Ordinary Time...see above!) and loved my reading experience. It's similar in a lot of ways to The Housekeeper and the Professor (see above!) in that they are both quiet books with unusual premises that are ultimately about connection, but I enjoyed the writing and storytelling of this one a lot more, probably because it explored the topics of faith and finding yourself.

Resistance | One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad (A)

(2025; 208 pages) // Nonfiction🎧
Another book I read too quickly -- and would honestly pair well with Between the World and Me. Nevertheless, I appreciated his main argument and thought audio was a great first-time exposure as he narrates it himself. This would be a good one to read again, and ideally with someone to discuss!

Humor | The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky, and Death by Colson Whitehead (C)

(2014; 234 pages) // Memoir🎧
I almost never reach for the "humor" section and wasn't sure what to pick up for this category. I originally planned on reading Whitehead for the BIPOC historical fiction, but instead stumbled upon this niche portion of his life in which he enters a World Series of Poker competition. Parts were funny and I enjoyed the Texas Hold ’em nostalgia, but overall this was a little too sarcastic/obscure for my taste.

Disability | Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann (B)

(2020; 232 pages) // Nonfiction

Wonderful book to read if you're interested in learning about the activism and disability rights movement -- something I was quite ignorant about! Glad to have some more context and learn about one of the key leaders on this part of our country's history.

Great Escapes | A Marriage at Sea: A True Story of Love, Obsession, and Shipwreck by Sophie Elmhirst (C)

(2024; 256 pages) // Biography🎧
What a wild true story! Their personalities, unique decisions and circumstances, and immediate fame that resulted were all so intense. Still not sure what I think about this one.

Monsters | Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes (B)

(2022; 373 pages) // Mythology

This was no Circe or The Song of Achilles, but a fun mythology retelling nonetheless. An empathetic, feminist view of Medusa.

Read in Public | Robot Dreams by Sara Varon (C)

(2007; 208 pages) // Graphic Novel
I stumbled across this book when putting books on hold for NLW. I liked the idea and themes, but wasn't crazy about the artwork itself. Read it quickly at a park while my kids were on the playground.

BIPOC Historical Fiction/Nonfiction | The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (A+)

(2011; 144 pages) // Historical Fiction
I needed something short as I was nearing the end of the challenge, and am so glad I picked this up! It's unusually told from a first-person plural "we" group of women. The sentence structure was often repetitive, but ultimately really effective. I absolutely loved considering this time in history from the perspective of these women -- following Japanese "picture brides" all the way to their forced internment after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Otsuka's final chapter is so smart in that it flips the voice and we hear from the white American neighbors in the community. I think this would be a great book club selection!

One Big Book | Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (A+)

(1936; 959 pages) // Historical Fiction🎧
This is an epic novel with such vivid characters. I love the dialogue, the descriptive writing, and the foils between Rhett, Ashley, Melanie, and Scarlett. So good!

Hope | Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (B)

(2021; 476 pages) // Science Fiction
I finally picked this up while on vacation because I wanted to know what all the hype was. It's not what I'd normally pick up, but overall I still liked it and thought it was a perfect fit for the "Hope" square. Glad I read it so close to the movie coming out and will be fun to compare.

Gender Bender | A Girlhood: A Letter to My Transgender Daughter by Carolyn Hays (C)

(2022; 282 pages) // Nonfiction🎧
I appreciated the chance to consider the trans experience through the perspective of a parent. The reflections are heartfelt, though the book sometimes wandered into tangents. Overall it deepened my empathy toward families navigating similar journeys as the author.

Buddy Read | Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (D)

(2025; 352 pages) // Romance
Read this with my West Seattle Book Club and found it slow, with most of the conflict taking place in the main character's head -- not my favorite. I'd recommend watching the documentary Sally instead.

Any book can be a beach read,

-SJW

Sometimes I'm Trendy

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