Station Eleven, Emily St John Mandel
A grueling flu pandemic wipes out 90% of the population, along with the internet, electricity, and running water, and those left have to figure out not only how to survive, but how to make life worth living again. Thinking that this sounds similar to something we all experienced, though less severe? Did I mention this book was published in 2015? The parallels of Station Eleven to those of Covid-19 gave me chills over and over again, and I only thank god that I did not read this before Covid, because I don’t think I would have made it through without developing an anxiety disorder lol. Jokes aside, Station Eleven was a gripping read that started with an actor dying from a heart attack the night the Georgia flu started and a cast of characters connected to him, including an actor who had been a young girl and on stage with him, his best friend, two of his ex-wives, and a journalist who had both interviewed and photographed him in the years prior to the pandemic. Another read I would definitely recommend, and I will be reading another of her books soon!
Today Will Be Different, Maria Semple
I read Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple after having read her other novel, Where’d You Go, Bernadette?, which was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize. It was an easy novel to read in just a few days, and follows Eleanor, a working mother, who feels overwhelmed in her own life, and uses that to look down upon everyone around her. Her inner narrative is ruthless and harsh to everyone, and I am choosing to believe that is what was behind the fatphobic comments sprinkled throughout the novel, and not Semple’s own thinking, but it’s quite possible that that is just me being generous. In the end Eleanor discovers a secret her husband has been hiding from her, no doubt because of how critical she is to everyone, including herself, and she in turn reveals a secret she has been keeping from her young son. A simple story with simple writing, this novel is nice if you are looking for something to get through quickly.