#1 [2025/CBR17] The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts

My first book of 2025 is an audiobook that I read for my book club. I wouldn't have heard of it or chosen it on my own, but that's (partly) what book clubs are for. The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America (2021) by Elizabeth Letts is the story of Annie Wilkins and her horseback adventures from Maine to Hollywood, California. 

Annie was a 63-year-old farmer, on her own in Maine, and things were not looking good. After a bad illness and lingering cough, a doctor told Annie that she would not live more than two years. In addition, she could not afford the taxes on her farm and was destined to lose it. Instead of giving up and going into her community nursing home, Annie decided that she would travel on horseback to California and see the Pacific Ocean before she died. She took her trusty dog, Depeche Toi (French for hurry up--he was named by some neighboring farm boys), and her newly purchased horse, Tarzan. (Later on in her travels, Annie was able to pick up another horse to help with the load. His name was Rex.)

The threesome headed off in November of 1954, a time when cars were taking over the road and the United States was seeing a lot of change. Although Annie did not even have a raincoat or a map when she set off, the woman, horse, and dog were all tough, determined, and seemingly cheerful on their journey. Even better, Annie found that there were many folks along the way who were willing to help her out with a place for her and her animals to stay. Annie's horseback journey seemed to hit a nostalgic nerve with many people in the country.

Annie faced bad weather, a collision with a truck, and many other challenges. She took part in parades in more than one city and was followed by national news.

On the whole, this was a nice story. I love a grand adventure, and Annie courageously took her life into her own hands. Initially I was worried about the animals, who didn't choose to trek across the United States. But, according to the book, Annie cared very much for her animals, and except for accidents, they did quite well on their adventure. It was sweet and heartening to see how people took to Annie's adventure and helped her out.

However, this wasn't a favorite book for me. I often felt like I was getting a sugarcoated version of the actual story. There's very little about her earlier life or what Annie really thought about her circumstances. I don't blame Letts for this, I think she used the information she could find. I just wanted more. In addition, the book often felt repetitive. Annie would ride on horseback, find somewhere for her to stay for the night, and do the same the next day. It probably didn't help that the audiobook narrator emoted a little too much for my taste.

In some ways, Annie's choices and adventures reminded me of a 1950's version of Nomadland. Now people are more likely to travel the country in a car, but the idea is similar. Many of today's current nomads are forced into it by circumstances, but they find that life on the road is so much better than barely (or not even) affording a tiny, run down apartment. 

2024 in Review

It's time for a quick look back at 2024 to see what I've been reading as well as some of my favorite books of the year.

Total books read: 59

Fiction: 37

Nonfiction: 22

Female Authors: 35(1/2)*

Male Authors: 23 (1/2)

Nonfiction Female Authors: 7 (1/2)

Nonfiction Male Authors: 14 (1/2)

Romance Novels: 10

Favorite Fiction:

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Favorite Nonfiction:

The Heat Will Kill You First by Jeff Goodell

Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista

*One book was written together with a male and female writer.

#59 [2024/CBR16] Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

My husband and I were married in 2022. We decided to both read a book in honor of our anniversary. We would pick the book together, finding something that reminded us of the past year. So far we've picked books based on places that we've traveled. The first year we had vacationed in Florida, and we picked Swamplandia!. It was well written and memorable, but it was also weird and disturbing. This year, we were lucky enough to go to Italy, and after some google searches, we decided on Beautiful Ruins (2012) by Jess Walter. It had good reviews and was one of NYT's 100 Notable Books. 

I think we chose well this year. Beautiful Ruins was easy to read, interesting, insightful and memorable. Both my husband and I really enjoyed it. Even the cover is the same as a picture we have of the two of us in Cinque Terre. It's like it was meant to be.

Beautiful Ruins begins in 1962 in Porto Vergogna--a fictional, tiny little nothing of a fishing town down the coast from the famous Cinque Terre. Since his father's death, Pasquale runs an almost entirely empty hotel there with his aunt and mother. Usually the only guests stumble onto the town by accident, thinking they're going somewhere else. But one day, a beautiful, American woman is dropped off. She is sick, and Pasquale is told that she has cancer. Her name is Dee Moray.

Dee Moray is an actress on her first job, filming Cleopatra in Rome with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Michael Deane, a cutthroat producer sent her out to Porto Vergogna in order to get her away from Richard Burton--a man she'd been having an affair with.

The next time we see Michael Deane is present day (2012). He is a famous, powerful producer with most of his good work far behind him. His assistant, Claire, is unhappy with her boyfriend and her job and looking for something new. However, one day, Pasquale shows up in Los Angeles, looking for Dee Moray. It's been almost fifty years, but Michael Deane immediately jumps into action, hiring a private detective to track her down. Shane Wheeler, a man who used to be privileged and optimistic is reeling from his recent divorce and book failure. He's roped into this whole thing when he goes to Los Angeles to pitch a screenplay to Michael Deane and becomes the Italian translator for Pasquale.

Another important character that ties into the plot is Alvin Bender. He is a World War II veteran who was stationed in Italy at the end of the war. Surviving the war when others did not haunts him, and he copes by drinking tremendous amounts of alcohol. After stumbling on Porto Vergogna one summer, he now comes back every year to work on his book. It's been many years now, and he has still written only one chapter.

Walter uses a number of techniques to tell this story. The chapters jump back and forth from Claire, Shane, Pasquale, Michael Deane, and others. In addition, one chapter is the first chapter in Alvin Bender's book; another chapter is Shane Wheeler's move pitch; another is the unpublished first chapter of Michael Deane's book; and one of the later chapters is the first scene in an original play. This technique reminded me a little of A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, and I thought it was well done in both books.

In the end, this book is about love in all its imperfection. All of the characters mess up, but they are trying and in the end they do extraordinary things for each other--even though it's not perfect. Michael Deane may be the only character who won't or can't experience love. All of these love stories are tinged with loss and heartbreak, which makes them feel especially real and moving. I was very impressed by Walter's writing. His characters feel real, and his descriptions are clear and often even funny. Definitely recommended.

#58 [2024/CBR16] Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb

I was so excited when the new NPR's Favorite Books List came out this year, and I immediately pored over it, surprised by how few books I knew. But one book immediately caught my eye. I sent the title to my husband who said it was written for a niche market of one (me!). The book was Birding with Benefits (2024) by Sarah T. Dubb, and it is a romance novel about birding. 

Some years ago now, I discovered that there were more birds in Colorado than just Mallards and Robins. It was a glorious epiphany that widened my view of the natural world. Now that I have a dog, I rarely go out specifically looking for birds, but I still keep my eye out. I have learned so much about birds in the intervening years, and they are fascinating creatures on so many levels.

Celeste has been divorced a couple of years. She has one daughter who is a senior in high school. She figured out that she lost herself in her marriage, trying to please her husband, and she doesn't want that to happen again. So, she has decided to forego men until she can trust herself a little more. Instead, she is focusing on living life and enjoying new experiences. John recently broke up with his girlfriend when he saw her kissing another man. He's quiet and watchful. He loves the outdoors and being outdoors and is not particularly aggressive about "achieving." He left academia because he found it unsatisfying.

When John's best friend has to bail on a team birding competition called the bird binge (I love this title), Celeste offers to step in. She's under the impression that she needs to show up one morning and pretend to be John's girlfriend. When she discovers that John actually needs a partner for the birding competition, she figures she might as well do that, too--even though she has no experience.

John teaches Celeste the wonders of bird watching, and the two spend more and more time together--both fake dating and genuinely enjoying each other's company. When the sexual tension gets too high, they decide birding with benefits for the length of the competition is the solution. Celeste is still too afraid of losing herself to get into another relationship.

I generally enjoyed this book, although my excitement died down a bit as I read. I didn't feel like Dubb quite captured the wonder of discovering birding, so that was a little disappointing. I also didn't feel a ton of emotion while I read, only a little here and there. Finally, I got a little frustrated with their dilemma. "We only have until the end of the birding competition!" That's a very arbitrary rule. If you find someone you really like and have amazing sex with, I think you need a much better reason than that to stop. The book's central problem also got solved very quickly and easily. On the whole, this book was enjoyable, but I think I began it with too high of expectations.

#57 [2024/CBR16] Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo

I found Master Slave Husband Wife (2023) by Ilyon Woo on NPR's Favorite Books List. It is the true story of Ellen and William Craft, who escaped from slavery in Georgia in 1848. I thought this book was solely about their escape, but Woo also describes the families of Ellen and William, their enslavers, as well as a significant time period after their escape. On the whole, I thought this book was well-written and interesting--although the pace lags in a couple of places. If you've only taken U.S. History in high school, I imagine some of it will be very eye opening. 

William and Ellen Craft were a married couple in Georgia. They had two different enslavers, but they had been given permission to marry. In some ways, they were very lucky, because they had skills as a carpenter (William) and a seamstress (Mary) that made their lives much easier than if they were forced to work in the fields. However, this didn't protect them from the harrowing ordeal of having your family torn apart at auction when an enslaver died, was short of money, or felt like getting rid of his slaves--which happened to both Ellen's and William's families. It was probably this fear that pushed them escape when they did. In fact, Ellen did not want to have children with William because of the fear of having that child taken from her. 

There were many slaves fleeing their captivity, but Ellen and William Craft stand out for the way they escaped. Ellen's mother was half white, and her father was her mother's enslaver (not uncommon, at all), so Ellen had very light skin and had been mistaken as white often before. In fact, it enraged the mistress of the house that Ellen was sometimes mistaken for one of her own children. When Ellen's half-sister was married, Ellen was given to her half-sister as a wedding present, even though she was still a young child. Ellen left her mother and moved with her half-sister to her new husband's house in another town.

So, Ellen could pass for white, but a white woman could not travel alone with a black man. So, they decided that Ellen would dress as a white slave master, and William would be "his" slave. They made her into a young invalid man with a broken arm, so she wouldn't have to sign anything--as it had been illegal for her to learn to read or write. Then they daringly took trains and ferries up the long journey North. They told no one and had no one helping them. This was one of the most exciting parts of the book. The journey was harrowing and stressful, and they faced dire consequences if they were caught.

Once they arrived in Boston, Ellen and William connected with antislavery groups and began a circuit of lectures up North. Ellen was especially sought after because of her skin tone and was sometimes billed as the "white slave." I did think the book slowed down here a bit. Although it was interesting to get a glimpse of the antislavery movement, I lost interest in the details of every lecture.

But in 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, a desperate bone thrown to the Southern states to keep them from seceding. This act required Northern states to assist in bringing fugitive slaves back to captivity in the South. Suddenly, enslavers were back up North, specifically trying to capture William and Ellen and drag them back into slavery. This part of the book was just as fascinating as their escape. The lengths the antislavery people went to in order to keep them from being sent back into slavery was impressive. Also, I learned about the Fugitive Slave Act in school, but reading how it directly impacted and threatened the lives of two people you've been rooting for the entire book was very powerful.

Because Ellen and William were no longer safe up North, they took a ship to England where they spent some more time lecturing. Once again, I was not as engrossed in the lectures, but it was interesting to read about their experiences in England--where slavery had been abolished and race had different connotations.

Sometimes this book struggled because there was simply not enough historical information. Woo could find plenty of information on the Crafts' enslavers, but there was relatively little on the Crafts themselves--even though they'd written a book about their experiences. In addition, Woo sometimes used Ellen and William as a jumping off point to hit on other important historical aspects of slavery. This included the Fugitive Slave Act, other daring escapes of the time, the treatment of slaves, and the auctioning off of families. I feel like I learned a lot. Despite some of the slower portions of this book, I do think this book was worth reading. 

#56 [2024/CBR16] The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

I've read two books by Liz Moore so far, and I've been very impressed with both of them. Long Bright River and The Unseen World have interesting, three-dimensional characters, original plots, and are well written. I was also surprised and impressed by how different these two novels were. So, when I saw that Liz Moore had a new book coming out, I immediately put it on hold at the library. The God of the Woods (2024) is another completely different story. Although it is a well-written page turner with very interesting characters, it is probably my least favorite of the three.

In the early morning of August 1975, a thirteen-year-old girl, Barbara Van Laar, is discovered missing from her summer camp cabin. Any missing child is big news, but Barbara Van Laar is the daughter of the very rich family that owns the camp and summers in the big house up on the hill. Not only that, but Barbara's older brother, nicknamed Bear, disappeared sixteen years before when he was only eight years old. 

When Barbara's disappearance is reported, the police come charging down to help with the search and begin the investigation. Judyta has just been promoted to investigator, and she is the only female investigator in the state. Her mentor is both helpful and condescending. There are many potentially suspicious characters and/or witnesses, including: Louise, the camp counselor in charge of Barbara; TJ, the woman who runs the camp; Barbara's family; one of the camp cooks; Tracy, Barbara's best friend at camp; Louise's boyfriend, who is also a friend of the Van Laar family, and more. 

The book jumps back and forth, both in time and perspective, sometimes from the mother's point of view before she is even married, to Louise's perspective when she is arrested for possession of drugs shortly after Barbara's disappearance. This may have been one of my least favorite aspects of the book. We'd just be getting somewhere, and then the story would jump over to someone else. However, it also sometimes increased the tension. After reading a chapter from Louise's perspective, I knew what Louise had actually done and where the police were going wrong.

Once again, I was very impressed with the writing and Moore's ability to keep the mysteries straight and the characters feeling like real people with unique motivations. However, I was a little disappointed with the final revelations. Although Moore set up the story to make it believable, it was just a very unsatisfying ending for me.

I'm still very impressed by Moore and would definitely recommend this book. I think Judyta and Bear's mother Alice were some of the most memorable characters for me.

#55 [2024/CBR16] Grown Woman Talk by Sharon Malone

I've read Michelle Obama's books, but it's usually Barack Obama's book recommendations that I pay attention to every year. However, I noticed Grown Woman Talk: Your Guide to Getting and Staying Healthy (2024) by Sharon Malone had a glowing recommendation from Michelle Obama. Now that I'm forty-five years old, I've become a little more aware of my health and the upcoming challenges that may occur with perimenopause and menopause. I'd rather not get my all of my health information from Instagram, so I thought this book might be helpful.

Sharon Malone has been an Ob-gyn for over thirty years, and in this book she shares some of her knowledge and history with us. Her goal is to keep us healthy and empower us to make good medical decisions. She includes stories about her life and her family's lives as well as stories about other women she's had as patients. Although anyone could read this book and learn interesting and useful information, this book is geared towards women, specifically women of color.

Malone covers a lot of ground with this book. She has basic advice about how to choose a doctor, when to go to the hospital, gathering family medical advice, and keeping track of your own medical care. Every chapter, she tells a story of a real patient to keep things grounded and practical. In addition she encourages, women of color (and all women) to sign up for medical research because there is dearth of medical research on women of color.

Malone also covers perimenopause and menopause. She talks about possible issues that may occur with the hormone changes, and what options people have. I like that even as she discusses options, she emphasizes that it's the patient's choice to choose what works best for them. Finally, Malone even covers getting your affairs in order before you die.

I thought this book was very well written and approachable with helpful information and good advice. Although I am lucky enough to not have to deal with heavy periods, fibroids, endometriosis, and other common women's health problems, it was helpful to see what other women sometimes have to deal with. This book also instigated a useful discussion with my mom and my book club about what to expect from perimenopause and menopause. Recommended.