Ex Libris NC

The broken hip reading list

The scourge of women of a certain age—a fall. A broken hip.

Astonished that it happened to me—an active, reasonably fit person devoted to strength-training sessions at the gym--I went through the usual passage in a bit of a fog. Surgery, hospital stay, two weeks in a rehab facility, then home. And homebound. Hobbling around with a cumbersome walker, no driving, certainly no dog-walking. Plenty of help from family, neighbors, and friends, really overwhelming help and kindnesses that surprised me.

But I couldn’t really do much of anything. So I turned to reading. Always my pleasure, reading became escape from boredom, a reminder that a wider world existed outside my small house and community. And how it sustained me! 

Some books were pure comfort—familiar authors and genres—some drew me into new worlds. Here’s what I have read since August 8…

Where’d You Go, Bernadetteby Maria Semple—Not a very good book, but at least in the early chapters, a real “page-turner,” a distraction for which I was grateful in the early post-surgery days

Thank You for Not Talking: A Laughable Look at Introvertsby Ben Alper—This gift was the perfect antidote to crazy-making early days in the rehab facility when I was stuck with a nonstop talker for a roommate

The Weight of Inkby Rachel Kadish—A remarkable tale of research and scholarship in two different time periods; long and dense and rewarding.

The Secrets We Keptby Lara Prescott—WWII women too smart to be only secretaries, and a reminder that literature may save democracy

She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movementby Jodi Kantor and Meghan Twohey—An impressive and important  piece of reporting crafted into a compelling narrative

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett—I liked this far more than her previous three novels

Lady of the Lakeby Laura Lippman—Talk about multiple points of view! 

The Winter Soldierby Daniel Mason—Impressively researched and beautifully written, this novel set in WWI is intense and absorbing

What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World(Young Readers Edition) by Cat Warren—This author knows dogs and conveys their astonishing abilities in clear prose with a touch of humor

Olive, Againby Elizabeth Strout—Olive—back again! As crochety as ever, but with an elegiac tone. 

The Water Dancerby Ta Nehisi Coates—His first novel 

A Bitter Feastby Deborah Crombie—The latest from the Texas mystery writer who gets all things British police procedural pitch perfect

And a big shout-out to members of my book group, the Eclectics, for knowing just what would cheer me up. On my first day home, my friend Dianne arrived with a basket overflowing with books, gently used favorites from group members, to be read over time. Some were new titles to me, a few I’d already read, but collectively, this made up a glorious present 

A few of the selections:

Stonerby John Williams

Outlineby Rachel Cusk

In the Midst of Winterby Isabelle Allende 

Dear Lifeby Alice Munro

Death in Summerby William Trevor

We Are Not Ourselvesby Matthew Thomas

And if all that wasn’t bounty enough, the gift basket also included tasty items to enjoy while reading—biscotti, banana bread, almonds, savory crackers. Sigh of contentment.

Ten days remain until the projected official end of my recovery, so I still have time to tackle a TBR pile. In addition to a couple of books from the Eclectics basket, here are some books I’m considering:

The Nickel Boysby Colson Whitehead

Washington Blackby Esi Edugyan

I Have Always Lived in the Castleby Shirley Jackson.

Any other suggestions from readers of this blog?