We had a cozy final Book Club of 2020 on Wednesday with Ms. Melinson, Mrs. Strong, and Samhita in attendance. Ms. Melinson shared that she planned to read How to Connect, another book in the Mindfulness Essentials series (previously she shared How to Fight, a book not about actual fighting). Ms. Melinson said this book is perfect for right now because it discusses digital overload and not being able to connect in person. She then talked about some winter reads: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao (it’s like the YA version of Crazy Rich Asians); The Bear and the Nightingale (suspenseful and wintery) by Katherine Arden; and Uprooted by Naomi Novik (high fantasy).
Samhita shared that she read I Hope You’re Listening, a mystery with a true crime podcast twist. She also recently read Rent a Boyfriend and found it cute. Mrs. Strong talked about A Fire Story, a graphic novel about the author losing his home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa. She said it was good, but had to take frequent breaks due to how sad it was. She’s also planning on reading How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective over break for her upcoming class on women and gender studies.
Ms. Melinson brought up the upcoming Writer’s Night hosted by Mr. Hinojosa and featuring Country Day alum discussing their books, of which we have several in the library. She also mentioned her new favorite winter holiday, Jolabokaflod, an Icelandic tradition where you spend Christmas Eve reading and eating chocolate. Ms. Melinson asked what books we might be giving as gifts this year, with her top choice being a book from the Mindfulness Essentials series. Mrs. Strong said she doesn’t give books unless she knows for sure the person will enjoy it and Samhita said she’s not thinking about Christmas gifts until Christmas Eve.
President Barack Obama released his top reads for the year, as he does every year. They’re always great picks, although Ms. Melinson and Mrs. Strong agree that he should read some YA. Check out our Goodreads page to see all the books we’ve discussed in Book Club this past year and in many previous years. And if you’re need of reading suggestions, we have several Padlets for you!
Books & Bytes 