I’ll Never Call Him Dad Again – If you didn’t read about the woman in France whose husband had drugged her and had random men rape her while she was knocked out, you are living in a hole. The daughter writes this book (before the trial) about the trauma and the red flags that were missed. It is very powerful and a quick read.

Care and Feeding – I had to read it. Her experiences as the assistant to Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain before the #MeToo era gave us all a glimpse into the reality of the food world. Moore brilliantly meandered through this universe, completely wasted, as many were.

We Do Not Part – Winner of the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. There is a mysterious feeling to the characters in this book that is underlying trauma. It is a simple story with a lot there. Very Murakami

Things I’ve Been Silent About – I loved Reading Lolita in Tehran. This book is the author Azar Nafashi’s memoir. Nafashi’s story is about revolutions, conflict, and women’s rights, although there aren’t many in Iran. We need to read more stories about life in the Middle East from the women who grew up there. It is a tad too long.

Too Soon – The book weaves together three Palestinian women’s multi-generational lives. Seeing the Middle East and the eternal conflicts between Israel and Palestine through Shamiehs’ eyes is more of what we should all be reading. Although Too Soon is a big too long.

The Husbands – The book is funny yet provocative. A definition of our times is that people want everything, including their partners, to be perfect. Fantastic book.

Splinters – Couldn’t finish it

My Year of Meats – I don’t remember who suggested this book to me, but I recall it was one of their favorites. The book was written in 1999 and speaks loudly to the food industry, the pay for play, the integrity of journalism, and cultural differences. I loved it.

Margo Has Money Troubles – A wild ride of making money on OnlyFans, a young baby, a WWE father, a crazy mother. Captures moments of our times.

The Return of Ellie Black – Fast page turning murder-mystery book that I couldn’t put down.

Mina’s Matchbox – A story set in 1970 Japan about two young children. A simple yet beautiful book.

The Mighty Red – This book is on many of the top book lists for 2024, so I finally read it. It is a story about a community in North Dakota today. The characters and their way of life. A good read.