LAUREL COUNTY, Ky. — As I’m always wont to do in January, I’ve been spending a good amount of time reading in the living room curled up under a Hudson’s Bay blanket. There is, after all, nothing like a good book to allow you to both escape and feel refreshed after you return. So, I’d like to share some of my favorites in case you’re in the market for your next read.



THE PARIS WIFE, Paula McLain

I just read this one obsessively and have decided, if we ever had a little girl, her name would be Hadley, after Ernest Hemingway’s first wife. This book is the story of when Hemingway and Hadley lived in Paris and Hemingway started writing fiction in earnest. Hemingway aficionados might be thinking, “Hmm, this story was already written, by Hemingway, in A Moveable Feast.” You are correct there. But this fictional novel is written from Hadley’s ultimately tragic perspective.

At first I was taken aback by the author’s boldness to assume conversations and experiences Hadley and Hem had, but I love the era and the writer so much I set my hesitation aside and just enjoyed. And what a ride: From Gertrude Stein’s famous salon to bullfights in Spain, the story bubbles with flirtations, the brink of success and champagne.



IN THE HEART OF THE SEA, Nathaniel Philbrick

This wonderful find is a non-fiction account of the whale ship Essex and her crew, who set off from Nantucket in 1819 for a 15-month journey. That voyage ultimately ended when the ship was rammed by a sperm whale, who is believed to be the inspiration for Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. The force of the attack sunk the ship, but the 20-man crew survived and divided up in three small boats. Three months later, just eight men were alive after experiencing excruciating thirst and hunger.

Philbrick unfolds the story masterfully, touching on every last fascinating detail. I love all books that take place on the water anyway, but this has got to be my favorite.



IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY, Bill Bryson

I read this gem in the summer, but it’s a perfect escape for winter doldrums. This is Bryson’s travel account of his time in Australia, a country/continent he, uncharacteristically, falls in love with. As is always the case with Bryson, the writing is laugh-out-loud good. In fact, while my husband was reading Sunburned, he actually woke me up one night trying to suppress his laughter, which was making the bed shake.



I SEE YOU EVERYWHERE, Julia Glass

I love everything Julia Glass has ever written, and I just finished this novel a few weeks ago.

The story is about two sisters, Louisa and Clem, and their complicated, loving, competitive relationship. Louisa likes steadiness, aspiring to the perfect marriage and a solid career. Clem likes the wild side, literally, and wants to save the earth if not herself.

The writing is superb, filled with descriptions and complex characters that are so honest and real I often found myself smiling. I should mention, Glass is also a stunning food writer, so expect delicious accounts of what the characters are eating and cooking. I also recommend you look for Three Junes, for which she won the National Book Award.



THE CORRECTIONS, Jonathan Franzen

My copy of this book is puffy and rippled from reading this nearly entirely in the bath, which I did last winter when I was again in my hibernation-reading mode. Readers tend to either love or hate Franzen’s writing, and I am one of the die-hard fans.

The story is of aged Enid and Alfred and their grown children, all of whom lead troubled lives. Believing this will be their last opportunity to do so, Enid desperately wants her family to come home for Christmas. The story is so well told, Franzen is so insightful, the characters so razor sharp, this is the kind of book that enters your consciousness and makes you think about it for months.



So there you have it. I’m headed back to the couch to read Birds of Paradise by Diana Abu-Jaber. So far, I’m enjoying it, but am only halfway through. I’ll let you know how it goes.

P.S. Thanks for the dieting tips, dear readers. I’ve shed two more pounds, and the climb continues.



tkaprowy@gmail.com