Jennifer Frost Writes

“We write to create the books that we would like to read, that haven’t yet been written—possibly.”—Joyce Carol Oates

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Category: Monthly Book Recommendations

June Reads

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Monthly Book Recommendations

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
― Albert Camus

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The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton

Truly great summer reads are hard to find. Many novels make for difficult beach reading while light-hearted rom coms are all too predictable. The Moonflower Vine is neither a heavy saga nor a flighty poolside diversion. It’s just right for summer afternoons, wherever you like to spend them, and leaves a lasting impression.

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

With years of painstaking research, Truman Capote made In Cold Blood his life’s work. Though he is known for many other books and stories, this shocking true crime drama is his masterpiece. Adapted to film and often mis-shelved as fiction in bookstores, audiences love the chills Capote evokes as he unravels this gruesome tale. Keep it close by in case the A/C gives out.

Naked by David Sedaris

In this collection of nonfiction essays, David Sedaris gives a full dose of his humor and pragmatism. He finds meaning and hilarity everywhere, sharing what he sees, who he meets, and how it all goes wrong. And sometimes, right. Naked is a book with heart and a perfect fit for most carry-on luggage.

Country Wisdom & Know-How: A Practical Guide to Living Off the Land by M. John Storey

Summer is a time for growing things. Even city-dwellers can appreciate the practical tips for making the most of summer produce. Full of recipes and rules of thumb, Country Wisdom & Know-How is an antidote to your standard summer vacation. Because anyone can buy an icy cold beer. But M. John Storey can show you how to make one.

Children’s Shelf

Alexander and the Magic Mouse by Martha Sanders and Philippe Fix (Illustrator)

The Old Lady lives with her animal friends in a house on top of the hill. They overlook the river below and the town beyond, playing games to pass the time and drinking tea with yak’s butter. A rainstorm threatens to flood the river and wash away the town. It will be up to The Old Lady and her companions to warn the townspeople and save the day.

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May Reads

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Monthly Book Recommendations

“It is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.”
― C.S. Lewis

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Orlando by Virginia Woolf

A young man lives from the 16^th century to the 20^th, contained by a house as big as a village and transformed by time. With the feel of a great gothic novel, Orlando is among Woolf’s last works. It is accomplished, flawless, and deeply moving.

The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

A medieval mystery memorably adapted to film in 1986, Eco’s novel immerses readers in history while tantalizing them with the search for clues to identify a monastic murderer. Tense and sometimes spicy, The Name of the Rose leaves a lasting impression.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

An exclusive college campus is the setting for The Secret History, where a dark drama unfolds. We are ushered in by a young student on scholarship, adapting to a place where privilege is taken for granted. As he is drawn into events he never planned for, tensions rise in a pitch perfect novel by a gifted writer.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

When’s the last time you had this much fun reading a book? The movie franchise has milked it dry but whether you loved or hated the films, the novel that started it all is as fresh as ever. Read it on the beach or relaxing in the tub. Guaranteed to make you smile.

Children’s Shelf

Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat, illustrated by Marc Simont

Nate is a consummate professional private detective, taking cases for the kids in his neighborhood. In the first installment of this charming series, the 10-year-old sleuth searches high and low until he finds a lost picture for the little girl down the street. Nothing can distract him from solving the case. Except maybe a stack of fresh, hot pancakes. Recipe included.

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April Reads

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Monthly Book Recommendations

“April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixty-four.”
― Mark Twain

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Cooking For Kings: The Life of Antonin Careme, the First Celebrity Chef by Ian Kelly

A biographical cookbook, Cooking for Kings presents scenes of daily life in royal Regency kitchens from the firing of the coal ovens before dawn to the spinning of breathtaking sugar creations for elaborate feasts. Many recipes are included interspersed with lavish descriptions of palaces and aristocrats. Most seem too ambitious for the home cook but reading them brings to life a world of opulence and indulgence.

Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Brought Them Together by Ron Hall

Hall gives us his story with an open heart. Haunting memories of his traumatic childhood lead him into poverty and despair with no hope of redemption. At this low ebb, the unexpected love of strangers intercedes. Deeply spiritual, Hall’s memoir is fierce in its love and loyalty.

My Antonia by Willa Cather

My Antonia swells my heart. The longing of a boy for the out-of-reach girl he admires threads through a story of hardships and endurance. Constricted by the mores of their times and the difference in their ages, Jim pines for Antonia as they find their separate ways from the farmsteads of rural immigrants to the wider world.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie

A sometimes-banned must read. This book is challenging, not just because it tackles issues and racial and cultural discrimination, but because it is so real, so angry, so heartbroken. Too honest to let us look away, Alexie throws aside any romantic notions we may have about First Nations and forces a conversation about human tragedies too long ignored.

Children’s Shelf

Scuffy the Tugboat by Gertrude Crampton

One of the beloved Little Golden Books series, Scuffy has been a happy childhood memory all my life. Though his adventures take him a little too far from home for a toy tugboat, Scuffy is rescued by the boy who loves him and safely returned to the bathtub. Toot, toot!

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Reading Room Recommends

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Monthly Book Recommendations

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

March Reads

The Road Through the Wall by Shirley Jackson

This novel, Jackson’s first, came not long after her collection of short stories, The Lottery & Other Stories. The Road Through the Wall, while not an instant classic, reveals the awakening of Jackson’s voice in fiction. With a cast comprising an entire neighborhood, the book ranges in and out of the households that line Pepper Street. Protagonist, Harriet, lives an adolescence not unlike Jackson’s own growing up. Ambitious in every way, this novel tackles the issues of class and race inequality in Jackson’s day with insights that reach into our own century. Beyond all this, it is an emotional novel with a story of friendship at its heart, perfect for the window seat on a rainy spring day.

Tomorrow Will be Better by Betty Smith

A lesser-known title by the author of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, this novel fell out of print for decades after its 1948 publication. The story is a layered look at a young woman’s quest to be happy despite a world that seems determined to grind her down. Surrounded by despondent adults and careless friends, Margy Shannon struggles against the undercurrents of urban poverty but nevertheless finds herself in a mismatched marriage to a man she doesn’t understand. Margy’s optimism carries her through, though the reader wonders if she’ll ever find what she seeks.

How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson

A fun read with historical insights and a run-down of the most influential inventions of the modern era. With the Industrial Revolution, the door to modern conveniences as we know them opened. The 19^th and 20^th centuries saw meteoric advances in technology, communications and medicine, which changed our day-to-day lives in ways our ancestors could never have dreamed. Some of the ‘conveniences’ we rely on every day have even deeper relevance, as explored in Johnson’s How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World, a great read for lunch hours and bedtime.

Loaves and Fishes by Dorothy Day

Dorothy Day was among the founders of the Catholic Worker House, an early 20th century institution designed to address homelessness and poverty. Loaves and Fishes traces the journey of this monumental project from its ideological inception through decades of tireless effort to open shelters, provide meals and offer basic services to the poor. A farm is established to supply the food, volunteers are recruited to cook and serve. An activist, advocate, and proud single mother (when women like her were shamed and humiliated), Dorothy Day gives us a book that remains a road map for those who seek to serve our most vulnerable neighbors.

Children’s Shelf

Sam & Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Jon Klassen

An adventurous story of two boys, their dog, and a search for buried treasure. The excitement rises as the boys dig deeper and deeper. The illustrations make for a fun journey underground and beyond. An easy read for 1^st grade and a great story for all ages. Will Sam and Dave find what they seek? And what secrets will the dog uncover along the way?

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Reading Room Recommends

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Monthly Book Recommendations

“Why, what’s the matter,
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?”
William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing

February

My Mistress’s Sparrow is Dead by Jeffrey Eugenides (Editor)

This anthology of love stories includes pieces by an array of literary notables. Never trite or tired, Eugenides has selected stories that matter. Romantic tropes and hackneyed language often trivialize love. Not so in this collection. Read it with your bookish Valentine.

The Assignation by Joyce Carol Oates

The Assignation, a 1988 collection of short stories, offers us glimpses of longing. The opening piece, “Flesh,” is just one paragraph long and most of those that follow aren’t much longer. Oates’ lean, sharp prose makes no bones. While the stories are taut with sensual tension, a need for love and acceptance fuels the lust.

Letters of Abelard and Heloise by Peter Bayle

This collection of correspondence between medieval lovers, Héloïse d’Argenteuil (abbess, writer, scholar) and Peter Abelard (philosopher, theologian, logician) isn’t standard Valentine fare. This doomed couple’s romance bloomed in 12^th century France and ended in disgrace for both. Heloise bore a son and named him Astralabe. Though she and Abelard were never free to marry, her passionate love letters and his longing replies unite them in eternity.

Valentines by Ted Kooser

These poems are tender and sincere, penned by the Poet Laureate over many years and mailed annually to a long list of Valentines. They feature Kooser’s conversational style, unpretentious and unforced. Short enough to fit on postcards, these gems don’t need many words to describe the many trials of the heart.

Children’s Shelf

Fairy Tales: A Beautiful Collection of Favorite Fairy Tales by Parragon Books (Editor)

A book to share with your little Valentine, Fairy Tales is a bright collection of well-loved stories. Illustrations keep the pages lively and the familiar tales reinforce reading skills while entertaining with stories loved for centuries.