I enjoyed The Poisonwood Bible when I read it 15 years ago - from memory it features some plant and animal life and has a similar homesteading vibe to some of the outlander books (haven’t finished that series although enjoyed what I read of it).
Currently reading Demon Copperhead by the same author and it’s good (so far). Right now it’s autumn and they are cutting tobacco and it’s really heavy work - reminded me of your previous comments about harvest season being really tough.
Wow - what a jam-packed thread of book recommendations! For me, what rang out was, “What to read after Outlander?” I think this is a question all fans of Diana Gabaldon’s beloved Outlander series are left with.
And here are some other reads I might also recommend:
Pioneer Doctor: The Story of A Woman’s Work by Mari Grana
Not so “zingy,” but a historic story of a real early female American doctor.
Janet Evanovich’s books, kind of, maybe just because I was reading them around the same time I started the Outlander series, and because I’m a nerd for writer’s process and from interviews I know she’s like a polar opposite:
Where Gabaldon says she writes non-chronologically and in the middle of the night, Evanovich says she writes methodically with coffee at 5am. A totally different feel and setting, but entertaining and prolific: https://evanovich.com. However, while the backbone of her work is strong-willed female leads like Gabaldon’s, her work does not have the feeling of the religious or moral theme running through that, to me, drives so much of the power of Gabaldon’s work.
Jan Karon’s books:
I personally couldn’t get into it, but many readers have recommended Jan Karon’s Mitford series for it’s uplifting, small town, religious charm: http://www.mitfordbooks.com The are all orange in the versions I have seen, so I think of them when I think of “Fall” reading.
Patricia Wrede’s The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Juvenile, yes, but features strong, female characters and wholesome relationships across two generations—which reminds me of Gabaldon’s following of Claire and Brianna.
Oct 3, 2023·edited Oct 3, 2023Liked by Ema Hegberg
I’m reading The Seas by Samantha Hunt, it’s strange & poetic. Maybe dystopian because it’s set in a coastal town where alcoholism is rampant, but it’s written through the eyes of a love-struck 19 year old mermaid, so 🤷♀️
I also found Tom Lake by Ann Patchett deeply cozy, especially read on Audible by Meryl Streep. The drama is low, the love is high.
Lol you ban suggestions of Sci fi and dystopian fiction so I don't have anything left 🤷♀️
If you change your mind I really like the Red Rising books by Pierce Brown. Or if you want something dystopian that's eerily similar to real life but very inspiring, Article 5 by Kristen Simmons basically predicted a Trump- like president back when it was published in 2012.
Recent books that are future classics: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow & The Candy House. Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet is a novel in which the climate crisis is present, but not the focus of the book--in a really refreshing way, but it is not a tight plot that is neatly resolved. Kingsolver also does a great job with touching on the issues of the day, but lightly. I really liked Unsheltered and Prodigal summer. If you liked the classics, perhaps you might enjoy Madeline Miller's retelling of Greek myths? Circe and the Song of Achilles were both wonderful. Maggie O'Farrell and Geraldine Brooks do historical fiction so well.
Ok it’s fantasy but Olivia Atwater’s book 10,000 stitches is about regency era England and how horrible it was for anyone who wasn’t at the top of society. It has a happy ending and is a lot about labor organizing and also elves! I LOVED it.
The Friend and What are You Going Through both by Sigrid Nunez are my fave novels right now. Her style is all her own except maybe a little Woolfian. Comforting relatable voice. Creative liberties with style. Featuring dogs, cats, beauty and complexities of friendship.
Picky readers unite! I haven't the time or bandwidth for anything short of 'hell yes'. (For example, I just read the beginning and the end of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which may or may not get me kicked out of all book clubs everywhere). Glad to read thru these recommendations! And thank you for reading and sharing my Poetry Journals, it means the world!
Have you read anything by Barbara Kingsolver?
I enjoyed The Poisonwood Bible when I read it 15 years ago - from memory it features some plant and animal life and has a similar homesteading vibe to some of the outlander books (haven’t finished that series although enjoyed what I read of it).
Currently reading Demon Copperhead by the same author and it’s good (so far). Right now it’s autumn and they are cutting tobacco and it’s really heavy work - reminded me of your previous comments about harvest season being really tough.
The sentence by Louise Erdrich was one of my recent fave novels - sort of a ghost story but not in a class spooky sense.
Wow - what a jam-packed thread of book recommendations! For me, what rang out was, “What to read after Outlander?” I think this is a question all fans of Diana Gabaldon’s beloved Outlander series are left with.
I thought I’d share Diana’s own list: https://dianagabaldon.com/wordpress/resources/the-methadone-list/
I really enjoy keeping up with the the book excerpts on her homepage: https://dianagabaldon.com/wordpress/
And here are some other reads I might also recommend:
Pioneer Doctor: The Story of A Woman’s Work by Mari Grana
Not so “zingy,” but a historic story of a real early female American doctor.
Janet Evanovich’s books, kind of, maybe just because I was reading them around the same time I started the Outlander series, and because I’m a nerd for writer’s process and from interviews I know she’s like a polar opposite:
Where Gabaldon says she writes non-chronologically and in the middle of the night, Evanovich says she writes methodically with coffee at 5am. A totally different feel and setting, but entertaining and prolific: https://evanovich.com. However, while the backbone of her work is strong-willed female leads like Gabaldon’s, her work does not have the feeling of the religious or moral theme running through that, to me, drives so much of the power of Gabaldon’s work.
Jan Karon’s books:
I personally couldn’t get into it, but many readers have recommended Jan Karon’s Mitford series for it’s uplifting, small town, religious charm: http://www.mitfordbooks.com The are all orange in the versions I have seen, so I think of them when I think of “Fall” reading.
Patricia Wrede’s The Enchanted Forest Chronicles
Juvenile, yes, but features strong, female characters and wholesome relationships across two generations—which reminds me of Gabaldon’s following of Claire and Brianna.
https://pcwrede.com/pcw-wp/books/enchanted-forest/
Kathleen Ragan’s Fearless Girls, Wise Women and Beloved Sisters
Episodic, quick reading, but this anthology has been very meaningful to me! I recommend all women to have a copy of it for coffee table reading.
https://www.kathleenragan.com/books-and-anthologies
Happy reading!
I’m reading The Seas by Samantha Hunt, it’s strange & poetic. Maybe dystopian because it’s set in a coastal town where alcoholism is rampant, but it’s written through the eyes of a love-struck 19 year old mermaid, so 🤷♀️
I also found Tom Lake by Ann Patchett deeply cozy, especially read on Audible by Meryl Streep. The drama is low, the love is high.
Lol you ban suggestions of Sci fi and dystopian fiction so I don't have anything left 🤷♀️
If you change your mind I really like the Red Rising books by Pierce Brown. Or if you want something dystopian that's eerily similar to real life but very inspiring, Article 5 by Kristen Simmons basically predicted a Trump- like president back when it was published in 2012.
Recent books that are future classics: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow & The Candy House. Dinosaurs by Lydia Millet is a novel in which the climate crisis is present, but not the focus of the book--in a really refreshing way, but it is not a tight plot that is neatly resolved. Kingsolver also does a great job with touching on the issues of the day, but lightly. I really liked Unsheltered and Prodigal summer. If you liked the classics, perhaps you might enjoy Madeline Miller's retelling of Greek myths? Circe and the Song of Achilles were both wonderful. Maggie O'Farrell and Geraldine Brooks do historical fiction so well.
Ok it’s fantasy but Olivia Atwater’s book 10,000 stitches is about regency era England and how horrible it was for anyone who wasn’t at the top of society. It has a happy ending and is a lot about labor organizing and also elves! I LOVED it.
The Friend and What are You Going Through both by Sigrid Nunez are my fave novels right now. Her style is all her own except maybe a little Woolfian. Comforting relatable voice. Creative liberties with style. Featuring dogs, cats, beauty and complexities of friendship.
Thanks so much for sharing!
Picky readers unite! I haven't the time or bandwidth for anything short of 'hell yes'. (For example, I just read the beginning and the end of The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, which may or may not get me kicked out of all book clubs everywhere). Glad to read thru these recommendations! And thank you for reading and sharing my Poetry Journals, it means the world!