This is the first monthly issue featuring book recommendations and other nostalgia fueled goodies. I hope you enjoy.ย
*The next short story arrives in two weeks* (image preview below)
Outsiders finding their place in a new environment are my favorite type of protagonists:
Action stories like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games where survival depends on learning how to fit into a new context.
Mysteries where a detective must inhabit the perplexing mind of a killer to solve a crime.
Family dramas where a group realizes they donโt really know each other anymore but must find a way to acceptance or forgiveness.
Each of these types of stories sets the stage for characters to struggle in new surroundings.
This month, Iโve put together a list* of five unforgettable female protagonists from books Iโve recently enjoyed. All of these women are struggling to find their footing in new situations and come out swinging to get what they want.
**Bonus: they all have some wisdom we can take with us. After all, thatโs what makes reading so great! The escape and then feeling we have grown in some way with the protagonist when the story is over. ๐คฉ
Alex Stern from Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
-A homeless (nearly) West Coast girl must navigate a new world of wealthy Yale elite secret societies with her wits and magic. She is unapologetic and will do anything to protect her friends (of which she has few) or reach her goals. In short, sheโs a rebel.
-Plagued by the power to see ghosts, Alex comes to embrace her gift as the book progresses. Basically, Iโd love to be as much of a no-nonsense badass as Alex. Highly recommend this book if you like this type of protagonist, mystery with a historical element, and darker magic that requires a price. I preferred this first book to the second one, but Iโm going to stick with the series.
-Key Features: Fast-paced and fun! ๐ป (can get dark)
Astrid Magnussen from White Oleander by Janet Finch
Photo by Boston Public Library on Unsplash -Astrid is a survivor more than anything. In this tough, sometimes depressing coming-of-age story, Astrid makes many mistakes, but in the end, sheโs able to survive and find independence from her overbearing mother (whose claws extend beyond prison walls). The ending of this book is very open to interpretation but we get the sense Astrid is now in control of her life, though the pull of home is strong.
-I love Astrid because if she can survive gunshot wounds, attacks by dogs, a highly inappropriate first love, the list goes onโฆ Then she is proof that we can survive whatever we are going through and come out okay.
-Key features: Literary, beautiful imagery, artist protagonist, sad ๐
Helena Pelletier from The Marsh Kingโs Daughter by Karen Dionne
Photo by Amber Kipp on Unsplash -Helena is deeply connected to nature due to her upbringing in Michiganโs upper peninsula by her Native American father and her mother (who was a victim of kidnapping by said father). Helena can survive in any climate, hunt, and kill to survive. Sheโs a hero for those of us who grew up wandering the woods pretending we were Native Americans. When her fathre escapes from prison for murder and the aforementioned kidnapping, her unique skills make her uniquely qualified to venture back out into the wild to bring him down.
-The novel follows a dual timeline of Helenaโs childhood with her father and mother (a very sad peripheral character) and the present day where a grown Helena sets out to find and capture her father before he can hurt her own children. Some of the past scenes can drag a bit, but it all comes to an exciting climax in both timelines! I listened to the audio book and enjoyed it.
-Key Features: Dual timeline, detailed descriptions of life off-the-grid. (Who knew you could eat cat tails?) Lots of Helenaโs internal processing. More page time dedicated to the past timeline.๐ฑ
Inti Flynn from Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash -Similar to Helena, Inti has a strong connection to nature (Her father was also a woodsman and a bit of an odd duck). The story starts with her move to Scotland for a wolf re-wilding project. We soon learn Inti will do anything to protect her sister and her wolves which pits her against the townsfolk. Her twin sister, who has come with her but never leaves their house remains a bit of a mystery until we are given some flashback scenes halfway through the book.
-Like Alex Stern, Inti has her own interesting โpowerโ in the form of mirror-touch synesthesia, a real condition where people feel the sensation of touch when they witness others being touched. We see how tough this is when Inti accompanies her father hunting as a child. Her mirror touch gives her a strong connection to the wolves she wants to protect and also heightens the message of the novel. A power like this makes a person naturally empathetic to others but at the start of the novel Inti has closed herself off from human connectionโฆ (enter love interest)
-Key Features-a murder mystery element, some past timeline/flashback scenes, a love story๐บ & a love for the natural world.
Robin Ellacott from The Cormoran Strike Series by Robert Galbraith
Photo by Arvydas Venckus on Unsplash -Robin is an everywoman who shows how our trauma can become our strength. In this series she starts as an office temp for the private detective Cormoran Strike and by the fourth or fifth book she is a full partner in the agency. She will not stop or listen to her boss when it comes to saving someone in trouble (especially women or children). She often leaps before she looks and that recklessness can get her into trouble sometimes. As a reader, it makes us cheer for her all the more because her moral compass is so strong. Who doesnโt love the average person who becomes extraordinary when called for?
-This is one of my favorite book series, and Iโve read / listened to the audio books multiple times. The voice actor (Robert Glenister) does an amazing job if you like audio! True to JK Rowling's form (Galbraith is a pseudonym) the books seem to be getting longer and longer as the series progressesโฆ
-Key Features: A murder mystery in each book, a series long love sub-plot, a healthy sprinkling of humor, set (mostly) in London.๐ฌ๐ง
Q: What are your favorite books or characters of late?
*list organized alphabetically by characterโs first name
A Dusting of Nostalgiaย
My son is obsessed with soundtracks from the video games I grew up with right now. If you want to revel in the 90s nostalgia, check out these fun piano covers of games like Sonic, Mario, Zelda, FF, etcโฆ Ready Player Piano
Is it okay to revel in the past as we raise our children? Or is it all a marketing gimmick? Hereโs an article I wrote about growing up and nostalgia through the lens of The Velveteen Rabbit.
We just returned from a week on Lake Winnipesaukee where my husbandโs family legacy stretches back at least 4 generations. We meet up the same week each year with his family and the same group of other families he grew up with who have similar ties to the island.
A boat show we caught when we arrived and our cabin on Sandy Island
Q: Do you have a summer place your family returns to again and again or do you prefer to try new places each time?
Preview: The next short story is inspired by this imageโฆ
See you soon.