thanks for my library card mom
an ode to my favorite hobby, plus the best books of 2024
My earliest memories involve reading. Every night, my sister and I selected our favorite books and curled up in bed to listen to my mom’s retelling of If You Give a Moose a Muffin or Rainbow Fish. We went to the library weekly to pick out new books. I remember shuffling through the big card catalog, pulling out the giant wooden drawers to see where the newest book from my favorite authors would be. I remember the silence of the back room, the buzz of the green desk lamps creating a white noise only interrupted by the squeaking of the old wooden chairs. I remember climbing the front stairs to second-floor children’s nooks and sitting on the windowsill flipping through new ones. My mom helped me get my first library card, which I was so incredibly proud of. Something with my name on it! I tucked it into my little girl’s purse and took great care of it.
Now I am thirty-six years old and reading is probably the only hobby that I’ve stayed consistent with my entire life. Books have been with me when people were not. Books teach you empathy, social skills, and can transport you to different times, ways of life, and social status. This year alone, I traced in the footsteps of an unhinged social climber, investigated a case of a camper gone missing in dense woods, spent the summer with an old lover in coastal Ireland, and imagined life with three daughters on a fruit farm in Wisconsin. I listened to I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself while driving my van through the red rocks of Utah, listening to Glynnis MacNicol party and dance through the streets of Paris. I listened to God of the Woods while making my kitchen curtains on a hot summer day, curious to find the next clue. I flew through Come and Get It while spending a week at Ramstein AFB in Germany, escaping the tacky mall and fast-food chains for college life in the American South.
Reading takes you someplace when you don’t have anywhere to go. And if there’s one thing I learned this year, if you want to be a good writer, you’ve got to be a good reader. I love getting book recommendations from Substackers and thought I’d share with you some of my favorite reads from the year.
If You Want Some Good Ole’ Fashioned Romance
Writers and Lovers by Lily King. This book is about a writer who is trying to publish her first book after a horrible breakup and the death of her mother. I adored the main character, Casey, who was trying to take care of herself when she was deeply sad. I was rooting for her the whole time. The love interests are so charming and sweet.
If You’re Craving Quality
Smile by Roddy Doyle. This follows the life of Victor Forde, a man who finds himself divorced and lonely. Seeing life through Victor’s eyes was moving and surprising.
If you Need to Feel Sad
The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells. Jules Moreau loses both of his parents at a young age. We see him grow up to adulthood and witness the changing dynamics with his siblings. This book does a great job describing the human condition, suffering, loneliness, and family ties.
If you Want to Change Your Perspective
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady. I read this during my van trip in Ireland. I was very impressed by this professional comedian who described what life was like growing up as an autistic woman. I was laughing, I was crying, and my eyes were opened to an upbringing very different from my own.
Best Professional Development
Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff. This was recommended to me by the head of sales at my last company but could be useful for anyone negotiating anything. The author reviews how the brain makes decisions in an effort to explain how to win deals in any situation. The author reframed so many odd situations I had encountered in business and offered solutions for how to tackle them. Some solutions seemed extreme and patriarchal. I would l love to see a woman write a reboot of this book to see what solutions might work for her. Finally, it is the first “deal-winning” book I’ve read that incorporates “woo woo” mindset work, specifically around the concept of money and desire.
If you Want to Be Transported to Ireland
Long Island, by Colm Toibin, takes place in rural Ireland. This book is a sequel to Brooklyn, a book turned into a film with the famous actress Saoirse Ronan. It is impossible not to be immersed in the character’s woes; I felt like I was standing right inside the chip shop with them.
Best Short Story
Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin. The best thing I read all year.
It has also been a year of weekly posts on Kiss Me on Tulips, my romantic escape for my intellectual interests. Here are some of my favorite posts of the year. Thank you so much for being here.
A personal essay on Clearing Space
Why the Italian concept of time is so difficult for Americans
A personal essay about becoming a softer woman in my cottage in San Diego
A Gift, A Shift, a personal essay about allowing ourselves the things we want
Have a wonderful New Year! I wish you clarity, patience, and lots of pastries in 2025!
As an adult, the library has become one of my favorite places.
OMG - I read “Strong Female Character” this year and LOVED it!!! Haven’t heard hardly anyone else talking about it!!