One month out from my birthday read-along, I thought I’d share a little recap — why I chose each title, what stood out on my re-read, and recommendations of what to read next.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (Contemporary Fiction)
As someone who'd prefer to grab a classic or memoir from the shelf, this was one of the first contemporary novels I truly enjoyed. On my first read, I was drawn in by the two main characters and the unusual, but could-totally-happen-in-real-life situations and decisions they navigate. It’s a great balance of character-driven and plot-driven storytelling enhanced by their alternating perspectives. On my re-read, I appreciated the tension Reid builds while capturing the tragedy of letting insecurities get the best of us. The ending is a little open-ended, but I honestly loved the full-circle zinger of a farewell that Emira gives, even while her heart breaks over Briar.
“One day, when Emira would say good-bye to Briar, she'd also leave the joy of having somewhere to be, the satisfaction of understanding the rules, the comfort of knowing what's coming next, and the privilege of finding a home within yourself.” ― Kiley Reid, Such a Fun Age
If you liked this, try Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (2017).
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (Nonfiction / Epistolary)
I first encountered this slim gem on the Novel Pairings podcast. Both times I read it, I was instantly charmed by Helene’s frankness and floored by her cross-continental generosity. It’s brimming with humor, hope, and the simple beauty of connecting with others. I picked it because I want more people to know about it — and because it’s wonderfully short!
“Did I tell you I finally found the perfect page-cutter? It's a pearl-handled fruit knife. My mother left me a dozen of them, I keep one in the pencil cup on my desk. Maybe I go with the wrong kind of people but I'm just not likely to have twelve guests all sitting around simultaneously eating fruit.” ― Helene Hanff, 84, Charing Cross Road
Next up for me: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (2025), another epistolary story, this time fiction.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt (Children’s Fantasy / Classic)
Tuck Everlasting was on my 4th-grade reading list — the first time I remember learning about similes and metaphors. I still love how the prologue immerses us in Babbitt’s figurative language with the wheel of time, and how her scenic descriptions radiate off the page. The premise, pacing, and fairy-tale quality make it an enduring classic for me and a personal favorite carried over from childhood. The toad, the music box, the fishing scene — I love it all.
“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color.” ― Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting
If you're equally happy as me to be celebrating the book's 50th anniversary, I'd recommend Tuck Everlasting: The Graphic Novel by K. Woodman-Maynard (2025). Beautiful watercolors and true to the original.
The Library Book by Susan Orlean (Nonfiction / History)
I chose The Library Book because it was my first encounter with narrative nonfiction — the kind that blends research, storytelling, and journalism so seamlessly. I love how Orlean meanders through tangents that somehow all circle back to the central story of the Los Angeles Public Library fire. I listened on audio and once again enjoyed her writing and style — I still think it’s clever how she uses the library catalog as a preview device for each chapter’s content. I’m drawn to these stranger-than-fiction histories — reading them feels like watching a documentary.
“In Senegal, the polite expression for saying someone died is to say his or her library has burned. When I first heard the phrase, I didn’t understand it, but over time I came to realize it was perfect. Our minds and souls contain volumes inscribed by our experiences and emotions; each individual’s consciousness is a collection of memories we’ve cataloged and stored inside us, a private library of a life lived.” ― Susan Orlean, The Library Book
The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel (2023) provides a very similar reading experience — fascinating and immersive.
Just for fun, I pulled a quote from each book that connected to an idea in one of the others.
I love making these little connections :)
“The messages between Emira and this new person were of that cool and careful variety that only exists at the beginning of something, as you try to exude spontaneity and effortless humor, and space out responses to appear busy and even-keeled.”
― Kiley Reid, Such a Fun Age
“I don't browse in bookshops, I browse in libraries, where you can take a book home and read it, and if you like it you go to a bookshop and buy it.” ― Helene Hanff, 84, Charing Cross Road
“The library is a gathering pool of narratives and of the people who come to find them. It is where we can glimpse immortality; in the library, we can live forever.” ― Susan Orlean, The Library Book
“Things had happened to her that were hers alone, and had nothing to do with them. It was the first time. And no amount of telling about it could help them understand or share what she felt. It was satisfying and lonely, both at once.” ― Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting
Thanks for playing along!
-SJW
