Favorite Novels with Older Characters

 

I feel as if I've shared a similar list of books with favorite "older" characters in the past, but decided to put together a visual for future reference. Every one of these books is worth reading more than once. I've re-read a few and look forward to re-visiting the others in the not-too-distant future. 

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans (read twice) (5/5)

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark (5/5)

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (read twice) (4.5/5 and 4/5)

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf (4.5/5)

Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy (4/5)

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher (read twice) (5/5)

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout (read twice) (5/5 and 4.5/5)

Henry, Himself by Stewart O'Nan (5/5)

We Spread by Iain Reid (4.5/5)

Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan (4.75/5)

Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen (4/5)

Evensong by Stewart O'Nan (3/5)*

Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg (5/5)

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (4.5/5)

Evenings at Five by Gail Godwin (read twice) (4/5)

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (4.5/5)

A Year of Pleasures by Elizabeth Berg (5/5)

*So odd. I thought I enjoyed this one better until I re-read my review!

Life, Death, & Giants

 

Life, Death, & Giants by Ron Rindo

Fiction

2025

Finished on October 6, 2026

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

Gabriel Fisher was born an orphan, weighing eighteen pounds and measuring twenty-seven inches long. No one in Lakota, Wisconsin, knows what to make of him. He walks at eight months, communicates with animals, and seems to possess extraordinary athletic talent. But when the older brother who has been caring for him dies, Gabriel is taken in by his devout Amish grandparents who disapprove of all the attention and hide him away from the English world.

But it’s hard to hide forever when you’re nearly eight feet tall. At seventeen, Gabriel is spotted working in a hay field by the local football coach. What happens next transforms not only Gabriel’s life but the lives of everyone he meets.

Life, and Death, and Giants is a moving story of faith, family, buried secrets, and everyday miracles.

Life, & Death, & Giants hasn't shown up on a lot of the blogs that I follow, and I think I first heard about it on a friend of my daughter's Substack page. She raved about it, so I decided to give it a try. I went into the book cold, curious to see where it would take me. Reminiscent of John Irving's magnificent best-selling novel, A Prayer for Owen Meany, I was quickly engrossed, enjoying the prose as well as the story. Told from four points of view, we observe Gabriel's unusual life through the eyes of his grandmother and three other adults who are involved in his young life. Baseball, football, and wrestling play major roles in Gabriel's youth and early adulthood, and I didn't mind the lengthy details about those sports, although the wrestling matches weren't as interesting as the other two. Despite a couple of surprises toward the end of the novel, I felt the book began to drag in the last third of the story. What started out as a 5-star read, fizzled out with a quiet whimper. I have a feeling this book will stay with me, and I enjoyed it a lot, but I wish I could say that I loved it.

Looking Back - True to Form

Looking Back... In an effort to transfer my book journal entries over to this blog, I'm going to attempt to post (in chronological order) an entry every Friday. I may or may not add extra commentary to what I jotted down in these journals.

True to Form by Elizabeth Berg

Katie Nash #3

Fiction

2002

Finished on June 30, 2002

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

In this warm and engaging novel, New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Berg revisits the heroine she so lovingly brought to life in Durable Goods and Joy School.

It is 1961, and thirteen-year-old Katie is facing a summer full of conflict. First, instead of letting her find her own work for the season, Katie's father has arranged for two less-than-ideal baby-sitting jobs. Worse, Katie has been forcibly inducted into the "loser" Girl Scout troop organized by her only friend Cynthia's controlling and clueless mother. A much-anticipated visit to her former home in Texas and ex-best friend Cherylanne proves disappointing. And then comes an act of betrayal that leaves Katie questioning her views on friendship, on her ability not to take those she loves for granted, and most important, on herself.

Full of the anguish and the joys of adolescence in a much more innocent time, True to Form is sure to make readers remember and reflect upon their own moments of discovery and self-definition.

My Original Thoughts (2002):

Touching. Took me a few chapters to get interested.

My Current Thoughts:

I still have the ARC of this novel. I re-read the first in the Katie Nash trilogy this past January, and plan to give both Joy School and True to Form a second reading, as well.

Wordless Wednesday (more or less) - Cape Blanco

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Cape Blanco State Park, Oregon

This isolated lighthouse holds five Oregon records: it is the oldest continually operating light, the most westerly, it has the highest focal plane above the sea, (approx. 250 feet), James Langlois has an unmatched tenure at any other West Coast lighthouse (42 years) and Oregon’s first woman keeper, Mabel E. Bretherton signed on in March 1903. (Cape Blanco Heritage Society)

A Month in Summary - September 2026

 

Cape Blanco, Oregon

September 2026

Well, I suppose summer is now officially over. I'll try not to whine. We've been very fortunate this year. It actually felt like we had a summer. We didn't have the terrible heat that others suffered through, but we had a lot of sunshine and comfortable temps (60s). 

We got away for another camping trip right after Labor Day, spending a week near Coos Bay, and several other days at Cape Blanco. We had very nice weather, which was good for long walks and sitting by the campfire.

After our return, we enjoyed a nice visit with both of mom's siblings and their spouses. Lots of reminiscing, good meals, and a little Dodger baseball.

I didn't get much reading in during September, especially toward the end of the month. I had hoped to read a lot of mysteries, but couldn't get interested in several that I tried. I wound up filling two bags to donate to our community library. After that, I started looking at the books on my "keeper" shelves and filled another bag with books I know I'll never read again. Nice to see some space on those shelves.

As far as what I did read, I enjoyed two and the other two were just so-so. One was a re-read that dropped in my rating since my first reading. I'm hoping October will be a bit better with regard to quantity and quality.

Books Read (click on the title for my review):

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion (Volume 2) by Beth Brower (4/5)

Faithful Place by Tana French - reread (3/5)

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell (4/5)

Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel (3.5/5)

Gave Up On:

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf 

Since She Went Away by David Bell

The Unforgotten by Laura Powell

Movies & TV Series:

Downton Abbey - I enjoyed all three movies, although the third wasn't as good as the other two. I miss Dame Maggie Smith!

Bergerac - Well. This was ok, but an awful lot of angst on Bergerac's part. 

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare - This was a fun movie. A bit violent, but not gory.

Trips:

I plan to post about our trip, but here are a few favorites:

Eel Lake

William Tugman State Park, Oregon

Port Orford, Oregon

Cape Blanco State Park, Oregon

We're off on another camping trip in the van in a couple of weeks. Heading up to Washington to a lake near Mount Saint Helens, Whidbey Island, Port Townsend, and then back down into Oregon to Cannon Beach. Fingers crossed for beautiful fall weather!

Wordless Wednesday - Tillamook, Oregon

 

Last month we "boondocked" at the Blue Heron French Cheese Company in Tillamook, Oregon. They've created a lovely garden and courtyard which I wandered through one morning while waiting for the store to open. I would love to have a perennial garden like they have, but we don't get enough sunshine in our yard. 

This is how is looked a few years ago:

Enormous Wings

 

Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel

Fiction

Narrated by Becky Ann Baker

Finished on September 24, 2026

Rating: 3.5/5 (Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

At seventy-seven, Pepper Mills is too old to be a stranger in a strange land. She didn’t choose the Vista View Retirement Community of Austin, Texas—that would be her three grown children—but when she grudgingly moves in, she not only makes new friends, she falls in love. Then the exhaustion, vomiting, and confusion start. Her children and grandchildren worry it’s cancer, dementia, a stroke. But a raft of tests later, the news is even more shocking: she’s pregnant.

Once word gets out, everyone wants a piece of her: the press and the paparazzi, activists and medical researchers, all descending on Vista View as Pepper tries to determine her next move. Soon Pepper has some hard decisions to make—and some she’s not allowed to make.

Enormous Wings is an urgent novel about female agency and bodily autonomy, morality and mortality. It’s about what happens when you don’t get to choose. It’s about motherhood and family, sex and love and friendship, and how those bedrocks—even so late in the day—can still change, and then change everything.

Enormous Wings is the fourth novel of Laurie Frankel's that I've read. Other than This Is How It Always Is, which was a 5-star read for me, her novels tend to be just okay. They keep me entertained, but they aren't keepers, nor do I feel compelled to recommend them to my book group. Enormous Wings is an unbelievable, yet timely story. One must suspend disbelief that a seventy-seven-year-old can get pregnant, but the challenges she encounters in Texas (Pro-Choice vs Pro-Life) are sadly believable under the current administration. Frankel also touches on themes such as retirement communities, aging, and death. Maybe there are enough topics here to discuss with others.

I believe every woman has the right to choose, but I felt Enormous Wings went on too long, bordering on didactic or preachy. It did have moments of hilarity, as well as a few tender moments between characters, but I didn't love the book. However, the audio, which is narrated by Becky Ann Baker, is well done. I had no trouble distinguishing between characters, male or female, and especially loved Moth's British accent.

Click on links for reviews of previously read novels by Frankel:

This Is How It Always Is (5/5)

One Two Three (3/5)

Family Family (3/5)

Other than This Is How It Always Is, I have absolutely no recollection of the details for these books.  Completely forgettable.

Then She Was Gone

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Mystery

2018

Finished on September 23, 2026

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher’s Blurb:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Family Upstairs and None of This Is True comes an “acutely observed family drama” (People) about the lingering aftermath of a young girl’s disappearance.

Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her.

And then she was gone.

Now, her mother, Laurel Mack, is trying to put her life back together. It’s been ten years since her youngest child disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than Laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away.

Because looking at Poppy is like looking at Ellie.

Laurel is haunted by her long unanswered questions. What happened to Ellie? Did she run away from home, as the police have long suspected? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?

Then She Was Gone is my first encounter with Lisa Jewell’s mysteries. Divided into five parts, and told from four perspectives, this sinister tale kept me guessing. I truly thought I knew what was going on, but was surprised by some of the revelations at the end of the book. I have to admit that this story made me feel anxious as I read late at night, not really sure I wanted to continue. It’s a story of obsession and deceit. The conclusion was satisfying, so I may give this new-to-me author another read.

Faithful Place (Re-Read)

Faithful Place by Tana French

Mystery
2010
Finished on 4/2/10
Rating: 5/5 (Outstanding!)
FTC Disclosure: Received ARC from Kate Lloyd (Sr. Publicist, Viking/Penguin)

UPDATE:

Finished on September 18, 2026

Rating: 3/5 (Good)

After re-reading In the Woods and The Likeness, I decided to give this third installment in Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad series a second reading. Sadly, it did not live up to my enthusiastic reaction the first time around. I quickly grew weary of Frank's family drama, and even after a 16-year lapse, I still remember whodunit. Sometimes re-reading a favorite book is worthwhile, but every so often I'm disappointed. 

In all your life, only a few moments matter. Mostly you never get a good look at them except in hindsight, long after they've zipped past you: the moment when you decided whether to talk to that girl, slow down on that blind bend, stop and find that condom. I was lucky, I guess you could call it. I got to see one of mine face-to-face, and recognize it for what it was. I got to feel the riptide pull of my life spinning around me, one winter night, while I waited in the dark at the top of Faithful Place.

Publisher's Blurb

The hotly anticipated third novel of the Dublin Murder Squad from the New York Times bestselling author.

Back in 1985, Frank Mackey was nineteen, growing up poor in Dublin's inner city and living crammed into a small flat with his family on Faithful Place. But he had his sights set on a lot more. He and Rosie Daly were all ready to run away to London together, get married, get good jobs, break away from factory work and poverty and their old lives.

But on the winter night when they were supposed to leave, Rosie didn't show. Frank took it for granted that she'd dumped him—probably because of his alcoholic father, nutcase mother, and generally dysfunctional family. He never went home again.

Neither did Rosie. Everyone thought she had gone to England on her own and was over there living a shiny new life. Then, twenty-two years later, Rosie's suitcase shows up behind a fireplace in a derelict house on Faithful Place, and Frank is going home whether he likes it or not.

Getting sucked in is a lot easier than getting out again. Frank finds himself straight back in the dark tangle of relationships he left behind. The cops working the case want him out of the way, in case loyalty to his family and community make him a liability. Faithful Place wants him out because he's a detective now, and the Place has never liked cops. Frank just wants to find out what happened to Rosie Daly—and he's willing to do whatever it takes, to himself or anyone else, to get the job done.

Whooweee! I really enjoyed In the Woods. And I loved The Likeness. But, Faithful Place gets top honors as my all-time favorite of Tana French's mysteries. While the previous two are also set in Dublin, I felt they could have taken place pretty much anywhere. However, with Faithful Place, French takes her readers deep into the grittiness of Dublin's tenement neighborhoods. The dialogue and characters are rich and authentic, reminding me a little bit of Frank McCourt's childhood in Angela's Ashes. The pacing is even and taut, holding my attention late into the night. I could have easily devoured this book in a few short days, but I wanted to make it last as long as possible, so I stretched it out to almost two full weeks. As soon as I finished, I wanted to start all over again. But other ARCs were vying for my attention, so I'll save it for another time. I am tempted to go back and re-read The Likeness, just to re-visit Frank's character from this new perspective. Maybe I'll listen to all three on audio, as I await French's fourth installment. There will be another, right?!

I loved Frank's colorfully idiomatic language and slang: "arse," "eejit," "Fair play to you," "No one gives a toss," "Jaysus," "You're grand," "Ah, cop on, will you[...]she'll be mad into some girl band," and "feckin." It was great to hear authentic Dublin in every sentence.

I love how Frank cares so much about his daughter and the crazy world she's growing up in:

"This is not trivial shit, Jackie. I want Holly to be aware that there is a difference between truth and meaningless gibberish bullshit. She's completely surrounded, from every angle, by people telling her that reality is one hundred percent subjective: if you really believe you're a star then you deserve a record contract whether or not you can sing for shit, and if you really believe in weapons of mass destruction then it doesn't actually matter whether they exist or not, and fame is the be-all and end-all because you don't exist unless enough people are paying attention to you. I want my daughter to learn that not everything in this world is determined by how often she hears it or how much she wants it to be true or how many other people are looking. Somewhere in there, for a thing to count as real, there has got to be some actual bloody reality. God knows she's not going to learn that anywhere else. So I'm going to have to teach her all by myself. If she occasionally gets a little stroppy along the way, so be it."

Frank on the Murder Squad:

For the first time in my career, I was getting an inkling of why Murder love their job the way they do. When undercovers go hunting, we'll take anything that wanders into our snares; half the skill is knowing what to use as bait, what to toss back where it came from and what to knock on the head and bring home. This was a whole different thing. These boys were the specialists called in to track down a rogue predator, and they focused on him like they were focusing on a lover. Anything else that wandered into their sights, while they were trawling the dark for that one shape, meant sweet fuck-all. This was specific and it was intimate, and it was powerful stuff: me and that one man, somewhere out there, listening hard for each other to put a foot wrong. That evening in the Very Sad Cafe, it felt like the most intimate connection I had.

Frank on his Rosie:

The lights had changed to a deep underwater haze and behind me a girl started singing, low and throaty and strong. In the slow spinning beams of green and gold Rosie looked like a mermaid, like a mirage made out of color and light; for a second I wanted to grab her and crush her right against me, before she could vanish between my hands. She took my breath away. We were still at the age when girls are years older than guys, and the guys grow up by doing their best when the girls need them to. I had known since I was a tiny kid that I wanted something more than what the teachers told us we were meant for, factories and dole queues, but it had never hit me that I might actually be able to go out and build that something more with my own hands. I had known for years that my family was fucked up beyond repair, and that every time I gritted my teeth and walked into that flat another little piece of my mind got strafed to rubble; but it had never once occurred to me, no matter how deep the crazy piled up, that I could walk away. I only saw it when Rosie needed me to catch up with her.

Final thoughts: This is such a great story! French is a marvelous storyteller and is well-deserving of the numerous awards bestowed upon her for In the Woods (the Edgar, Anthony, Macavity and the Barry awards for Best First Novel). I was completely transported, right along with Frank Mackey, to Dublin's Faithful Place. It's been over two months since I closed the book, but French's memorable characters remain just as vivid as the day I met them. Kudos, Ms. French. You're three for three!

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion (Volume 2)

 

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion (Volume 2) by Beth Brower

Fiction

2019

Finished on September 3, 2026

Rating: 4/5 (Very Good)

Publisher's Blurb:

“I was sitting at my desk reading, with a cup of tea, my windows flung open, when I heard The Tenant enter his garret, just on the other side of the wall from myself.”

The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s.

Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.

I was pleased to see a list of characters at the beginning of this second installment of Emma Lion's journals. The first volume introduces an extensive cast of characters which made it somewhat challenging for this reader to keep track of all the relationships. I enjoyed volume two quite a bit better than the first, and I'm eager to reader more of this charming series. 

The Only Plane In the Sky

I published this review in 2020. Today is the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and I have decided to repost it in memory of all those who lost their lives, as well as everyone affected by this terribly attack on our country. May we never forget. 

The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 by Garrett M. Graff
Nonfiction - History
2019 Avid Reader Press
Finished on January 11, 2020
Rating: 5/5 (Excellent)

Publisher's Blurb:

The first comprehensive oral history of September 11, 2001—a panoramic narrative woven from the voices of Americans on the front lines of an unprecedented national trauma.

Over the past eighteen years, monumental literature has been published about 9/11, from Lawrence Wright’s The Looming Tower, which traced the rise of al-Qaeda, to The 9/11 Commission Report, the government’s definitive factual retrospective of the attacks. But one perspective has been missing up to this point—a 360-degree account of the day told through the voices of the people who experienced it.

Now, in The Only Plane in the Sky, award-winning journalist and bestselling historian Garrett Graff tells the story of the day as it was lived—in the words of those who lived it. Drawing on never-before-published transcripts, recently declassified documents, original interviews, and oral histories from nearly five hundred government officials, first responders, witnesses, survivors, friends, and family members, Graff paints the most vivid and human portrait of the September 11 attacks yet.

Beginning in the predawn hours of airports in the Northeast, we meet the ticket agents who unknowingly usher terrorists onto their flights, and the flight attendants inside the hijacked planes. In New York City, first responders confront a scene of unimaginable horror at the Twin Towers. From a secret bunker underneath the White House, officials watch for incoming planes on radar. Aboard the small number of unarmed fighter jets in the air, pilots make a pact to fly into a hijacked airliner if necessary to bring it down. In the skies above Pennsylvania, civilians aboard United Flight 93 make the ultimate sacrifice in their place. Then, as the day moves forward and flights are grounded nationwide, Air Force One circles the country alone, its passengers isolated and afraid.

More than simply a collection of eyewitness testimonies, The Only Plane in the Sky is the historic narrative of how ordinary people grappled with extraordinary events in real time: the father and son working in the North Tower, caught on different ends of the impact zone; the firefighter searching for his wife who works at the World Trade Center; the operator of in-flight telephone calls who promises to share a passenger’s last words with his family; the beloved FDNY chaplain who bravely performs last rites for the dying, losing his own life when the Towers collapse; and the generals at the Pentagon who break down and weep when they are barred from rushing into the burning building to try to rescue their colleagues.

At once a powerful tribute to the courage of everyday Americans and an essential addition to the literature of 9/11, The Only Plane in the Sky weaves together the unforgettable personal experiences of the men and women who found themselves caught at the center of an unprecedented human drama. The result is a unique, profound, and searing exploration of humanity on a day that changed the course of history, and all of our lives.

I have so many thoughts about this book. As I began, I discovered I couldn't stop reading, very much like that September morning 18 years ago when I couldn't stop watching the news. It brought back vivid memories of where I was, who I was with, and how the shocking events of the attacks unfolded before my eyes as I watched the news reports in disbelief and horror. Like Garrett Graff's excellent compilation of interviews and transcripts, I simply could not pull my gaze from the scenes. I was afraid there would be more attacks and I felt compelled to know what was happening at every moment. At that time, my teenage daughter and I were living in Texas and my husband was working in Nebraska, so I was even more anxious, not being together as a family to face whatever might come.

From the first pages of this outstanding narrative, I was quickly engrossed, reading far into the night, which was not particularly a good thing since my dreams were full of images of that terrible day. I noticed that as I read, I was holding my breath, literally on the edge of my seat, despite the fact that I knew the terrible outcome as I turned each page. Yet, the intimacy of the oral histories revealed so much more than I saw on the TV broadcasts.

I had considered listening to the audio version of this book, but I'm glad that I decided to go with the print. Each chapter is arranged in a format of individual accounts, noting the name, place of employment, or relationship to a family member involved in the attacks. Without those visual references, I would have lost track of who was who; the print version made it easy to flip back and forth, refreshing my memory of the specific individual describing a particular anecdote. I also think the audio book (and hear all of those stories, which are read by a full cast of actors) would gut me. 

Here are just a few passages that gave me pause:

For those at the tip of Lower Manhattan, the only viable evacuation route turned out to be the water. A makeshift, unorganized armada of more than 130 ferries, pleasure yachts, sightseeing vessels, Coast Guard and police vessels, fireboats, and tugboats gathered--many without being asked--at Battery Park and nearby piers. By the end of the day, they had collectively evacuated somewhere between 300,000 and 500,000 people from Manhattan--a maritime rescue larger than the World War II evacuation from Dunkirk.

and

James Luongo, inspector, NYPD: At one point, there had to be 200 construction workers walking down West Street. I said, "Who's in charge?" They said, "Nobody's in charge. We're here to help." I'll never forget those men--big burly guys, coming down. So much of that day, so much of that day was just New Yorkers. People who can help people. A lot of credit goes to the fire department. A lot of credit goes to the police department and emergency response people. But that's what we get paid for. The amount of New Yorkers--just everyday New Yorkers--who stepped up to the plate that day was incredible.

and

Ileana Mayorga, management specialist, Volunteer Arlington: At 1:00 the phone started ringing, people who wanted to come and help. I put the names of all these people in an Excel sheet and what it is that they wanted to do. They wanted to help dig out the people at the Pentagon. They wanted to secure the area themselves. They wanted to enlist to go and fight. I had a man who called and he said, "I am 80 years old. I still fit in my pilot uniform from World War II. I can still see. I can still hear. I have kept up with my training as a pilot. Tell whoever you can tell that I'm ready to report for duty." That broke my heart, this 80-year-old man saying that.

and

Ileana Mayorga: It was completely amazing, the feeling of support, of unity. I felt so proud that my community, the Hispanic community, were calling. Suddenly the phones were ringing and saying, "This is the country that we chose to come to. Nobody will destroy our country." They would say, "I'm not legal in the United States. Do you think they will accept me to do volunteer work?"

and

As the morning of September 11th passed, a stunned, wounded nation found itself enveloped in a quiet--businesses and schools closed, traffic thinned, the normal air traffic overhead fell silent. Many Americans, both ordinary civilians and government officials, were glued to the television, soaking in the news, overcome with emotion.

and

At Ground Zero, an impromptu bucket brigade had begun work, trying to sift through the acres of burning wreckage in hopes of finding survivors and recovering the dead. The fires at Ground Zero would burn for another 99 days, until they were finally extinguished for good on December 19.

and

Paul McFadden [firefighter, Rescue 2, FDNY]: When everything settled, I lost 46 friends. The were either my friends or they were sons of my friends. 

I've read two other books that deal with the horrors of 9/11. The first is The Usual Rules by Joyce Maynard (reviewed here). The second is a memoir by Abigail Carter called The Alchemy of Loss: A Young Widow's Transformation (reviewed here). Both are excellent and The Only Plane in the Sky has inspired me to pull them from my shelves for a second reading.

Click here to listen to the Garrett Graff explain his research process and motivation for creating this comprehensive and important oral history of 9/11.

We must never forget.

20 Books of Summer Reading Challenge Results - 2026

 

Another Summer Reading Challenge completed! This was my seventh year of participating, and it's my favorite challenge next to the November Nonfiction Challenge.  In previous years I chose to wait until the fall equinox rather than Labor Day to wrap things up, giving myself a few extra weeks. But this year, I decided to stop and get this posted before we head out on another camping trip.

As always, I chose 20 books with a mix of new releases and backlist titles. I gave up on seven, but subbed in nine (some for book club, as well as a few audio choices). I read eighteen in all, which is one more than last year (and in less time!). Four of the books were over 400 pages, and one of those was over 1000 pages!

Completed for 2026

I won't link to each review (I've already done so on my monthly summaries), but here are the final ratings:

Two 5-star books

Four 4.5-star books

Nine 4-star books

Three 3-star books

Below are my original picks. I'm still planning to read Land, Love by the Book, Life: A Love Story, and All the Broken Places, but maybe not until the end of the year. I'm ready to spend the next two months reading mysteries.

For past posts (and results) about this challenge, click here.