Thankful Reads

In honour of Canadian Thanksgiving on October 14th, I’m sharing books I’m thankful for—thankful they were written, thankful they found their way into my life, and thankful I get to share them with others.

One thing book-related that I’m thankful I finally embraced is the joy of DNFing (Did Not Finish) a book. I used to feel it behooved me to finish every book I started like there was some inherent virtue in powering through. Now I’m all about knowing when to stop and move on. I fully admit some of those DNFs may have been the right book at the wrong time, so I’m keeping a “for later” list, just in case.

Here are a few DNFs from the past few months, with a few short comments as to why:

Miss Morgan's Book Brigade: I liked Janet Skeslien Charles’s The Paris Library, and I have a weakness for books featuring WWII heroines, but I couldn’t get past the weird plot jumps in this book. For example, in one chapter, this group of international women helping rebuild devastated French communities near the front are trying to win over suspicious villagers. By the next, all the villagers suddenly trust them for no apparent reason.

A Talent for Murder: Okay, I admit I did finish this book, but only because I was travelling in early September, and I had nothing else to read. It was so meh that I couldn’t even remember the plot, which includes a serial killer until I searched for the link to include here. So yeah, meh. 

Tom Lake: Ann Patchett’s latest has made many best-of and must-read lists, but it only made my DNF list. I’m not sure why. I like Ann Patchett and loved The Dutch House, but I kept trying to get into Tom Lake and couldn’t. 

Have you read any of the above? Did you have different reactions? Should I give any of them a second chance? I’d love to know what you think!

I’m especially thankful for everyone who has subscribed, commented, shared ATK Reads with your friends, and followed me on Instagram!

Here are my thankful reads:

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Remarkably Bright Creatures, or “the octopus book,” as most people I know refer to it, is a remarkably lovely, character-driven novel that makes you feel better about the world. It’s about friendship, including the unlikely one between the protagonist and an octopus, our need for family in the different forms it may take, and hope. I think of books like this as “quiet,” focused on small, personal worlds without grand quests or adventures. But sometimes, those inner journeys are richer because they reflect lives more like our own. This is the first book I’ve read narrated partly by an octopus—and I hope it won’t be the last!

The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichel
I’ve devoured all of Ruth Reichel’s fiction and nonfiction books, so I wasn’t surprised that this book was so lovely, but I was delighted. It’s a foodie, fashion and literary feast with meals at iconic French restaurants (think Les Deux Magots), lots of haute couture (Dior), and Shakespeare and Company plays a large role, as does art. This story is about living a passionless life out of fear and being pushed out of your comfort zone to discover what makes you sing. It feels like a modern fairytale, and I mean that in a good way. Also, you will want to go to Paris!

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
I enjoyed Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere but loved Our Missing Hearts. With shades of The Handmaid’s Tale it’s set in a dystopian America governed by laws designed to preserve “American culture” after years of economic instability and violence. It’s about parents’ love and desire to protect their child but also about fighting for the future of all children, not just your own. Even if that comes at the expense of your child. If a society where libraries are forced to remove unpatriotic books, internet searches are blocked, and people of Asian descent are targeted sounds too close to home, then you’ll want to read this. 

A little something extra: During the pandemic, I was very thankful for hand sanitizer, but I was less thankful that my hands seemed to be aging ten times faster than the rest of my skin due to frequent washing. That’s when I discovered Paume “skincare for your hands.” I love their Probiotic Hand Cream and Renewing Hand Serum. The only catch? Their products are quite spendy, so I probably use them too sparingly to see results such as more even skin tone, improved elasticity and texture, and the reduction of brown spots and fine lines, but I like to think that at least I’m trying.