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How to Read a Book
A charming, deeply moving novel about second chances, unlikely friendships, and the life-changing power of sharing stories.
Our Reasons meet us in the morning and whisper to us at night. Mine is an innocent, unsuspecting, eternally sixty-one-year-old woman named Lorraine Daigle…
Violet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher. Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest. Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn’t yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed.
When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland—Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman—their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways.
How to Read a Book is an unsparingly honest and profoundly hopeful story about letting go of guilt, seizing second chances, and the power of books to change our lives. With the heart, wit, grace, and depth of understanding that has characterized her work, Monica Wood illuminates the decisions that define a life and the kindnesses that make life worth living. .
Our Reasons meet us in the morning and whisper to us at night. Mine is an innocent, unsuspecting, eternally sixty-one-year-old woman named Lorraine Daigle…
Violet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher. Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest. Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn’t yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed.
When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland—Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman—their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways.
How to Read a Book is an unsparingly honest and profoundly hopeful story about letting go of guilt, seizing second chances, and the power of books to change our lives. With the heart, wit, grace, and depth of understanding that has characterized her work, Monica Wood illuminates the decisions that define a life and the kindnesses that make life worth living. .
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2024
About the author
Monica Wood
28 books686 followersMonica Wood is the author of four works of fiction, most recently The One-in-a-Million-Boy, which won a 2017 Nautilus Award (Gold) and the 2017 fiction prize from the New England Society in the City of New York. She also is the author of Any Bitter Thing which spent 21 weeks on the American Booksellers Association extended bestseller list and was named a Book Sense Top Ten pick. Her other fiction includes Ernie’s Ark and My Only Story, a finalist for the Kate Chopin Award.
Monica is also the author of When We Were the Kennedys, a memoir of her growing up in Mexico, Maine. The book won the Maine Literary Award for Memoir in 2013, and the Sarton Women's Literary Awards for Memoir in 2012.
Monica is also the author of When We Were the Kennedys, a memoir of her growing up in Mexico, Maine. The book won the Maine Literary Award for Memoir in 2013, and the Sarton Women's Literary Awards for Memoir in 2012.
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May 23, 2024
“I am a reader. I am intelligent. I have something worthy to contribute.”
Twenty-two-year-old Violet Powell is released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a car crash that resulted in the death of the other driver. Violet, who was driving under the influence at the time, is consumed by guilt and finds it difficult to adjust to her new life in Portland - having lost her mother while serving her sentence and abandoned by her boyfriend, her remaining relatives distance themselves from her including her sister who sets her up in an apartment in Portland (away from her hometown of Abbott Falls, Maine) and tells her to stay away.
“I miss how Harriet was forever showing us how to read. How to look for shapes and layers. How to see that stories have a “meanwhile”—an important thing that’s happening while the rest of the story moves along.”
In prison, Violet had been part of a book club hosted by retired English teacher Harriet Larson. While searching for a book that she hadn’t been able to finish in prison, Violet is surprised to come across Harriet in a Portland bookstore. Harriet is sixty-four and a widow, whose children have settled abroad and her niece, who lives with her, will be moving out soon. Harriet has her share of regrets and often feels that she is underestimated by those around her. Harriet is a kind, compassionate soul who enjoys her time volunteering at the prison, giving the inmates a voice and a safe space to share their thoughts while discussing books.
“People set their husbands afire, they nurse their dying mothers, they rob demented old men, they sing songs that bring listeners to tears, they kill a woman while drunk on love and 86-proof. The line between this and that, you and her, us and them, the line is thin.”
Coincidentally, on the same day Violet meets Harriet she also encounters Frank Daigle, a sixty-eight-year-old retired machinist working as a handyman in the same bookstore who was also the husband of the woman who lost her life in the car crash. With his daughter married and settled, Frank lives alone in the home he shared with his late wife. Though he was aware of Violet’s early release from prison, he wasn’t prepared to see her in person or for the onslaught of emotions that would follow.
What follows is a transformative journey of catharsis, redemption and new beginnings.
"We are a continuum of human experience, neither the worst nor the best thing we have ever done. Or, more exactly, we are both the best thing and the worst thing we’ve ever done. We are all of it, all at once, all the time."
Whenever I see a book with the image of a stack of books/ a bookstore/ a library on the cover, I’m immediately drawn to it, but rarely have I picked up a book without perusing the blurb/ description or reading a review, more so if I’ve never read anything by the author in question. Strangely enough, How to Read a Book by Monica Wood was an exception and I went into this one blind.
Let me begin by saying that this book was not what I expected. But yes, it proved to be one of the best selections I’ve made recently because it was so much more than I had hoped it would be. This is the kind of story that stays with you long after you have turned the last page. The author writes beautifully, with insight and heart, and the way she addresses complex human emotions is both realistic and relatable. The narrative is presented from the perspectives of the three characters, the different threads of the story deftly woven into a compelling narrative that was hard to put down. Though I didn’t agree with all of her choices, I felt for Violet and was invested in her journey. Frank is an endearing character and I absolutely adored Harriet, but I must say that Ollie captured my heart! The segments about the parrots were informative and entertaining in equal measure and I appreciated the Author’s Note on the nature of the research referenced in this novel. The book club segments truly enriched the narrative, emphasizing the importance of empathy, kindness and how sharing perspectives on the books we read contribute to our understanding of the human condition. I enjoyed the literary references and found the discussions deeply thought-provoking.
“The writer writes the words. The given reader reads the words. And the book, the unique and unrepeatable book, doesn’t exist until the given reader meets the writer on the page.”
A heartwarming and evocative story about friendship and found family, kindness, self-acceptance, forgiveness and starting over and how books can motivate and inspire positive change, this story left me with a smile on my face and a lump in my throat! I couldn’t recommend it enough!
“Because life is the same as books, Misha. There’s a story and a meanwhile, and we get to say which is which.”
This was my first time reading this author, but it surely won’t be my last.
Many thanks to Mariner Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on May 7, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
Twenty-two-year-old Violet Powell is released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a car crash that resulted in the death of the other driver. Violet, who was driving under the influence at the time, is consumed by guilt and finds it difficult to adjust to her new life in Portland - having lost her mother while serving her sentence and abandoned by her boyfriend, her remaining relatives distance themselves from her including her sister who sets her up in an apartment in Portland (away from her hometown of Abbott Falls, Maine) and tells her to stay away.
“I miss how Harriet was forever showing us how to read. How to look for shapes and layers. How to see that stories have a “meanwhile”—an important thing that’s happening while the rest of the story moves along.”
In prison, Violet had been part of a book club hosted by retired English teacher Harriet Larson. While searching for a book that she hadn’t been able to finish in prison, Violet is surprised to come across Harriet in a Portland bookstore. Harriet is sixty-four and a widow, whose children have settled abroad and her niece, who lives with her, will be moving out soon. Harriet has her share of regrets and often feels that she is underestimated by those around her. Harriet is a kind, compassionate soul who enjoys her time volunteering at the prison, giving the inmates a voice and a safe space to share their thoughts while discussing books.
“People set their husbands afire, they nurse their dying mothers, they rob demented old men, they sing songs that bring listeners to tears, they kill a woman while drunk on love and 86-proof. The line between this and that, you and her, us and them, the line is thin.”
Coincidentally, on the same day Violet meets Harriet she also encounters Frank Daigle, a sixty-eight-year-old retired machinist working as a handyman in the same bookstore who was also the husband of the woman who lost her life in the car crash. With his daughter married and settled, Frank lives alone in the home he shared with his late wife. Though he was aware of Violet’s early release from prison, he wasn’t prepared to see her in person or for the onslaught of emotions that would follow.
What follows is a transformative journey of catharsis, redemption and new beginnings.
"We are a continuum of human experience, neither the worst nor the best thing we have ever done. Or, more exactly, we are both the best thing and the worst thing we’ve ever done. We are all of it, all at once, all the time."
Whenever I see a book with the image of a stack of books/ a bookstore/ a library on the cover, I’m immediately drawn to it, but rarely have I picked up a book without perusing the blurb/ description or reading a review, more so if I’ve never read anything by the author in question. Strangely enough, How to Read a Book by Monica Wood was an exception and I went into this one blind.
Let me begin by saying that this book was not what I expected. But yes, it proved to be one of the best selections I’ve made recently because it was so much more than I had hoped it would be. This is the kind of story that stays with you long after you have turned the last page. The author writes beautifully, with insight and heart, and the way she addresses complex human emotions is both realistic and relatable. The narrative is presented from the perspectives of the three characters, the different threads of the story deftly woven into a compelling narrative that was hard to put down. Though I didn’t agree with all of her choices, I felt for Violet and was invested in her journey. Frank is an endearing character and I absolutely adored Harriet, but I must say that Ollie captured my heart! The segments about the parrots were informative and entertaining in equal measure and I appreciated the Author’s Note on the nature of the research referenced in this novel. The book club segments truly enriched the narrative, emphasizing the importance of empathy, kindness and how sharing perspectives on the books we read contribute to our understanding of the human condition. I enjoyed the literary references and found the discussions deeply thought-provoking.
“The writer writes the words. The given reader reads the words. And the book, the unique and unrepeatable book, doesn’t exist until the given reader meets the writer on the page.”
A heartwarming and evocative story about friendship and found family, kindness, self-acceptance, forgiveness and starting over and how books can motivate and inspire positive change, this story left me with a smile on my face and a lump in my throat! I couldn’t recommend it enough!
“Because life is the same as books, Misha. There’s a story and a meanwhile, and we get to say which is which.”
This was my first time reading this author, but it surely won’t be my last.
Many thanks to Mariner Books for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This novel was published on May 7, 2024.
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph
May 21, 2024
"Apologies require acceptance...But as I understand it, forgiveness flows in one direction only."
I absolutely loved this book. It is equally a story of found family, grief, loss, acceptance, forgiveness, and so much more.
Violet made a poor decision to drive under the influence and she killed a woman. Serving her prison sentence, she gets involved with a book club, run by retired teacher Harriet. These books and discussions are the most important part of the women's weeks, and Harriet shares a bit more of her life than she is supposed to. Violet is released after serving almost two years, set up in an apartment by her sister who wants nothing to do with her. At the local bookstore, she encounters Harriet, but she also comes face to face with Frank, the husband of the woman she killed. As these three people learn how to work through their individual problems, they discover more about life and each other.
It's really difficult to write a short synopsis of this book, because there's so much nuance. There are amazing grey parrots (which caused me to go on quite a tangent of looking up videos of how absolutely smart these birds are) and learning and growth. There were times that Violet frustrated me, but after a while I really understood that the years she spent in prison changed her emotional maturity. I did like how she eventually learned how to stand up for herself.
I also really liked how the different books were used as jumping off points for the growth of the characters. Particularly Spoon River Anthology, which is now on my TBR. I love books that explore second chances, and this book does that in such a unique way. It has the characters exploring what their lives mean and what they want to be remembered for.
This is such a heartfelt, lovely book that will really stay with me.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I absolutely loved this book. It is equally a story of found family, grief, loss, acceptance, forgiveness, and so much more.
Violet made a poor decision to drive under the influence and she killed a woman. Serving her prison sentence, she gets involved with a book club, run by retired teacher Harriet. These books and discussions are the most important part of the women's weeks, and Harriet shares a bit more of her life than she is supposed to. Violet is released after serving almost two years, set up in an apartment by her sister who wants nothing to do with her. At the local bookstore, she encounters Harriet, but she also comes face to face with Frank, the husband of the woman she killed. As these three people learn how to work through their individual problems, they discover more about life and each other.
It's really difficult to write a short synopsis of this book, because there's so much nuance. There are amazing grey parrots (which caused me to go on quite a tangent of looking up videos of how absolutely smart these birds are) and learning and growth. There were times that Violet frustrated me, but after a while I really understood that the years she spent in prison changed her emotional maturity. I did like how she eventually learned how to stand up for herself.
I also really liked how the different books were used as jumping off points for the growth of the characters. Particularly Spoon River Anthology, which is now on my TBR. I love books that explore second chances, and this book does that in such a unique way. It has the characters exploring what their lives mean and what they want to be remembered for.
This is such a heartfelt, lovely book that will really stay with me.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
January 20, 2024
If I waited, I could write a more coherent review. But instead I want to record the way this book made my heart feel full, and warm, and overflowing with light.
Few books manage to capture the human condition so clearly. Few stories maintain their realism while showing that life is hard. It is unfair. And it often takes more than it gives. But it DOES give. And there is good. And you find it in the most unusual places.
This book taught me love and compassion anew.
Each characters viewpoints revealed different aspects of being human. They were each unique and believable and real. And I love them all. (Especially Ollie).
Read the book.
Few books manage to capture the human condition so clearly. Few stories maintain their realism while showing that life is hard. It is unfair. And it often takes more than it gives. But it DOES give. And there is good. And you find it in the most unusual places.
This book taught me love and compassion anew.
Each characters viewpoints revealed different aspects of being human. They were each unique and believable and real. And I love them all. (Especially Ollie).
Read the book.
June 7, 2024
3.5 Stars.
This is a book about second chances, found family, forgiveness and the magic of books and parrots- just so you know, really smart grey parrots.
We meet Violet, a 22 yr old, who has just been released from jail after serving time for killing a woman while drunk and driving. While in prison, she attended a bookclub being given by Harriet, a retired teacher. We also meet Frank, the husband of the woman killed by Violet. Their paths intersect and their lives become intertwined.
Overall, this was a sweet, easy read. We want these three to find happiness but and this is a big but for me, it just was so darn easy. A bit of a fairytale in my opinion.
Monica Wood is a go to author for me. I have loved her memoir When We Were the Kennedy’s and Ernie’s Ark and The One in a Million Boy. I liked this book, but I did not love it as I loved her others.
Published: 2024
This is a book about second chances, found family, forgiveness and the magic of books and parrots- just so you know, really smart grey parrots.
We meet Violet, a 22 yr old, who has just been released from jail after serving time for killing a woman while drunk and driving. While in prison, she attended a bookclub being given by Harriet, a retired teacher. We also meet Frank, the husband of the woman killed by Violet. Their paths intersect and their lives become intertwined.
Overall, this was a sweet, easy read. We want these three to find happiness but and this is a big but for me, it just was so darn easy. A bit of a fairytale in my opinion.
Monica Wood is a go to author for me. I have loved her memoir When We Were the Kennedy’s and Ernie’s Ark and The One in a Million Boy. I liked this book, but I did not love it as I loved her others.
Published: 2024
May 21, 2024
✰ 3.5 stars ✰
“We are a continuum of human experience, neither the worst nor the best thing we have ever done. Or, more exactly, we are both the best thing and the worst thing we’ve ever done. We are all of it, all at once, all the time.”
You may think just by reading the title that How to Read a Book would be a a novel that tells its readers what is the right way to read a book - how to savor it for what it's worth, how to appreciate all the finer details that enrich the content and truly absorb it to its full potential. And while Monica Wood's latest novel did concern books, it is so much more than simply about reading books. It is the story of three different people whose lives become intertwined through fate or coincidence or simply the opportune moment where all three of them desperately needed each other to fill the void, to find the balance, or to simply guide each other from out of a shadow of a past and into a chance for a better life. 🫶🏻🫶🏻 Told through their three distinct perspectives, it is a story about redemption and forgiveness, second chances and contrition, as well as the heartbreaking glimpse into those unfortunate souls who may never have the opportunity to make amends, but it doesn't mean that they are any less deserving of having a shot of happiness. 🫂
“What is the purpose of an epitaph? Whom would you trust to write yours? Is it possible to sum up a human life?”
To say that I enjoyed a story that deals with such a serious subject feels wrong, but it was a very moving and touching read. You can't help but feel for twenty-two year old Violet Powell, who paid the price for her ill-timed actions that cost her three years of her young life in prison and now finally released, she's trying to make a chance for a new lease on life. Being on the Outs - it is a struggle for her - a challenge. 'I am a person trying to face my mistakes.' 😞 Finding love again after the dreadful way her previous relationship ended - that, too, is a conflict that she doesn't know how to navigate in - especially considering the circumstances, but she's trying. She's trying to right the wrongs - to amend her mistakes in the eyes of her family - to not be judged too harshly by those she hurt and find a way to forgive herself for what she did. ❤️🩹❤️🩹 You want her to succeed - to be able to cope with the change in her life and find a way back to the world of the living. Even when it's to make the unlikely mistakes - even if it's about finding a place for yourself - it is up to her to figure out whether carrying the guilt of her past will always be a part of her present. Or can she overcome those feelings of shame to forge a path entirely of her own? 🥺
“A long, humming flood of adrenaline comes out of nowhere. You get that a lot in prison, but this time I think it’s just gladness—gladness that two people besides Vicki know where I live.”
Alongside Violet's journey are two unlikely characters who made her story slightly more interesting in the way that an unexpected meeting has them become a part of her life - handyman Frank - the husband of the woman Violet killed in a drunken car accident and retired English teacher, Violet - who ran the book club in the prison Violet was in. I liked their honest personalities - their open-heartedness - their eagerness to help and appease others, which, somehow, feels like it is a setback to how they allow others to walk over them - namely, their own family members, but it just showed me how much more love they had to give. 'Tomorrow, though: tomorrow was already a wonder-in-progress, a gift unwrapping, as if Frank, too, had just been released from prison.' 😟 How much kindness and acceptance and forgiveness was something that came so readily easy for the both of them that they trusted each other with their innermost secrets - an unlikely confidante that they found in one another - learning to overcome their own fair share of loneliness, by revealing intimate details about their own marriages and how they, too, were behaving differently than what their hearts truly felt. Love and attraction wasn't exactly what I was expecting and perhaps, could have done without, but it leaves you with a feeling of hope. That, despite the unfortunate circumstances, despite the lingering doubts, that door somehow finds a way to open itself again. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
“She’d fully committed to exposing the women to the open air of literature, to the sunshine of fresh ideas—an endeavor not unlike gardening after all. The sowing and reaping. The fruitful mistakes. The tang of expectation.”
The writing was very -- calming. Calming even in the most hectic of moments or impassioned of instances - even when either of them was anxious or the tension was palpable - I just felt at ease with the writing. A soothing motion that despite how heavy the scene would turn - things would turn out okay. I don't want to divulge much into the storyline, itself, but one part of the narrative that stood out for me the most were the moments when Harriet was conducting her book club at prison - gauging the reactions of the inmates as they read the books she brought them, exchanging their thoughts and ideas, being able to express their own feelings and convey the message of what their heart is unable to cope with or handle - it was bittersweet and heartbreaking. 🥺 Their penchant for reading, their love for traveling into worlds unseen and unheard of - living other people's lives and amusing themselves with their problems and issues. 'Those books felt like family. Those books took us through the worst of winter—a heartless one, too much snow, too many days without yard time.' 📚😢 It is that sharp contrast of how those on the outside can never understand how good they have compared to those who are on the inside. It is that sinking truth of uncertainty of whether or not they will ever have the chance to be outside again - that in these few moments of escape where Harriet allows them to feel normal - to feel good about themselves - who would want to rob them of that one hour of reprieve where they can just be who they are? 😔
“Because life is the same as books, Misha. There’s a story and a meanwhile, and we get to say which is which.”
This is the story where I was left asking myself what is it in life that I want? What am I living for and am I living it enough? Am I making the most of it when there are those who would do anything -- give anything to have another chance at it? Life is very much like a book - there is the beginning, a middle, and an end to it. It is not so much about how to read a book, but how to live a life. The choices we miss - the mistakes we make - the chances we take - the friends we lose - the family we have - and learning to live with it in the best of ways. 😢 Even if the story is centered around how the three of them are connected, it is perhaps the reflection of the sadness and loneliness in the prison inmates who have no sight - no sign of having a happy life again that is what is most hard-hitting. It is so subtly down, but heartbreakingly so. It served as a reminder of how important it is to be kind to yourself - to not hurt yourself so much that you don't even regard your own emotions. Each of the three characters sacrificed a part of themselves - gave up something of their own - to simply accept what they were given. It takes time, but learning to realize that you are worthy of having more - that life is a blessing that we shouldn't take for granted is the feeling that I walked away with. 🤍🤍
“We are a continuum of human experience, neither the worst nor the best thing we have ever done. Or, more exactly, we are both the best thing and the worst thing we’ve ever done. We are all of it, all at once, all the time.”
You may think just by reading the title that How to Read a Book would be a a novel that tells its readers what is the right way to read a book - how to savor it for what it's worth, how to appreciate all the finer details that enrich the content and truly absorb it to its full potential. And while Monica Wood's latest novel did concern books, it is so much more than simply about reading books. It is the story of three different people whose lives become intertwined through fate or coincidence or simply the opportune moment where all three of them desperately needed each other to fill the void, to find the balance, or to simply guide each other from out of a shadow of a past and into a chance for a better life. 🫶🏻🫶🏻 Told through their three distinct perspectives, it is a story about redemption and forgiveness, second chances and contrition, as well as the heartbreaking glimpse into those unfortunate souls who may never have the opportunity to make amends, but it doesn't mean that they are any less deserving of having a shot of happiness. 🫂
“What is the purpose of an epitaph? Whom would you trust to write yours? Is it possible to sum up a human life?”
To say that I enjoyed a story that deals with such a serious subject feels wrong, but it was a very moving and touching read. You can't help but feel for twenty-two year old Violet Powell, who paid the price for her ill-timed actions that cost her three years of her young life in prison and now finally released, she's trying to make a chance for a new lease on life. Being on the Outs - it is a struggle for her - a challenge. 'I am a person trying to face my mistakes.' 😞 Finding love again after the dreadful way her previous relationship ended - that, too, is a conflict that she doesn't know how to navigate in - especially considering the circumstances, but she's trying. She's trying to right the wrongs - to amend her mistakes in the eyes of her family - to not be judged too harshly by those she hurt and find a way to forgive herself for what she did. ❤️🩹❤️🩹 You want her to succeed - to be able to cope with the change in her life and find a way back to the world of the living. Even when it's to make the unlikely mistakes - even if it's about finding a place for yourself - it is up to her to figure out whether carrying the guilt of her past will always be a part of her present. Or can she overcome those feelings of shame to forge a path entirely of her own? 🥺
“A long, humming flood of adrenaline comes out of nowhere. You get that a lot in prison, but this time I think it’s just gladness—gladness that two people besides Vicki know where I live.”
Alongside Violet's journey are two unlikely characters who made her story slightly more interesting in the way that an unexpected meeting has them become a part of her life - handyman Frank - the husband of the woman Violet killed in a drunken car accident and retired English teacher, Violet - who ran the book club in the prison Violet was in. I liked their honest personalities - their open-heartedness - their eagerness to help and appease others, which, somehow, feels like it is a setback to how they allow others to walk over them - namely, their own family members, but it just showed me how much more love they had to give. 'Tomorrow, though: tomorrow was already a wonder-in-progress, a gift unwrapping, as if Frank, too, had just been released from prison.' 😟 How much kindness and acceptance and forgiveness was something that came so readily easy for the both of them that they trusted each other with their innermost secrets - an unlikely confidante that they found in one another - learning to overcome their own fair share of loneliness, by revealing intimate details about their own marriages and how they, too, were behaving differently than what their hearts truly felt. Love and attraction wasn't exactly what I was expecting and perhaps, could have done without, but it leaves you with a feeling of hope. That, despite the unfortunate circumstances, despite the lingering doubts, that door somehow finds a way to open itself again. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
“She’d fully committed to exposing the women to the open air of literature, to the sunshine of fresh ideas—an endeavor not unlike gardening after all. The sowing and reaping. The fruitful mistakes. The tang of expectation.”
The writing was very -- calming. Calming even in the most hectic of moments or impassioned of instances - even when either of them was anxious or the tension was palpable - I just felt at ease with the writing. A soothing motion that despite how heavy the scene would turn - things would turn out okay. I don't want to divulge much into the storyline, itself, but one part of the narrative that stood out for me the most were the moments when Harriet was conducting her book club at prison - gauging the reactions of the inmates as they read the books she brought them, exchanging their thoughts and ideas, being able to express their own feelings and convey the message of what their heart is unable to cope with or handle - it was bittersweet and heartbreaking. 🥺 Their penchant for reading, their love for traveling into worlds unseen and unheard of - living other people's lives and amusing themselves with their problems and issues. 'Those books felt like family. Those books took us through the worst of winter—a heartless one, too much snow, too many days without yard time.' 📚😢 It is that sharp contrast of how those on the outside can never understand how good they have compared to those who are on the inside. It is that sinking truth of uncertainty of whether or not they will ever have the chance to be outside again - that in these few moments of escape where Harriet allows them to feel normal - to feel good about themselves - who would want to rob them of that one hour of reprieve where they can just be who they are? 😔
“Because life is the same as books, Misha. There’s a story and a meanwhile, and we get to say which is which.”
This is the story where I was left asking myself what is it in life that I want? What am I living for and am I living it enough? Am I making the most of it when there are those who would do anything -- give anything to have another chance at it? Life is very much like a book - there is the beginning, a middle, and an end to it. It is not so much about how to read a book, but how to live a life. The choices we miss - the mistakes we make - the chances we take - the friends we lose - the family we have - and learning to live with it in the best of ways. 😢 Even if the story is centered around how the three of them are connected, it is perhaps the reflection of the sadness and loneliness in the prison inmates who have no sight - no sign of having a happy life again that is what is most hard-hitting. It is so subtly down, but heartbreakingly so. It served as a reminder of how important it is to be kind to yourself - to not hurt yourself so much that you don't even regard your own emotions. Each of the three characters sacrificed a part of themselves - gave up something of their own - to simply accept what they were given. It takes time, but learning to realize that you are worthy of having more - that life is a blessing that we shouldn't take for granted is the feeling that I walked away with. 🤍🤍
March 10, 2024
Having read The One In a Million Boy and When We Were The Kennedys, I was very excited to read this author's new book. I was not disappointed. The focus is on forgiveness and second chances. The characters are well developed and engaging. Violet is a young woman we meet as an inmate participating in a prison book club. Harriet is the 64 year old woman who runs the book club and Frank is a handyman who is also the husband of the woman violet killed in a drunk driving accident. The way the character's lives come together is at the center of the book. As an animal lover I found the Grey African Parrots that Violet works with in her first job after her release adorable. Definitely worth the read.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy
June 6, 2024
Added on June 6, 2024: Rating modified from four to five stars and why is that? Cuz I find myself thinking about this book over and over! Darn book! But when that happens, when it sticks to me like glue and I keep remembering Harriet, Violet and the wonderful Frank I have got to give it five stars. And...
Kind of a feel-good story, maudlin actually, and I'm really not the reader for this kind of book, however...
These kinds of tales do draw me in, and I actually (again!) need a break now and then from horror mystery more horror more mystery...
Set in Maine, USA.
Violet, twenty-two, is serving time for causing the death of a woman. (Spoilers if I say too much!) She's a member of a book club which Harriet, an older, retired woman (a widow) runs. This part of the book, fabulous. A group of women - old and young, timid and out-spoken - serving sentences for a variety of crimes, and sitting in a group discussing books. Of course, the conversation meanders into other things: ex-boyfriends, ex-husbands and why they (the women) are sitting in prison. Harriet tries to keep things on track - 'we should be discussing books, not personal matters' - but often meanders herself.
So the story is about Violet, about Harriet - and about Frank, the husband of the woman who died because of Violet. (Again, not saying too much - spoilers!) The interaction between these three - and those in the book club - and a few 'others' was very well done. Realistic. You can see and hear these people in your head and are the kind of characters that for me, the reader, want to shout at: "Don't put up with that!" "OMG, just tell her off!"
I didn't. But there's another facet to the story which I found very compelling: research done with gray parrots, based on actual research with actual gray parrots. Truthfully, I'd like to read more of this in another story. Fascinating!
So even though it was a sentimental read - but about some very true-to-life issues -
Four stars? Nope
Five ACTUAL stars!
Kind of a feel-good story, maudlin actually, and I'm really not the reader for this kind of book, however...
These kinds of tales do draw me in, and I actually (again!) need a break now and then from horror mystery more horror more mystery...
Set in Maine, USA.
Violet, twenty-two, is serving time for causing the death of a woman. (Spoilers if I say too much!) She's a member of a book club which Harriet, an older, retired woman (a widow) runs. This part of the book, fabulous. A group of women - old and young, timid and out-spoken - serving sentences for a variety of crimes, and sitting in a group discussing books. Of course, the conversation meanders into other things: ex-boyfriends, ex-husbands and why they (the women) are sitting in prison. Harriet tries to keep things on track - 'we should be discussing books, not personal matters' - but often meanders herself.
So the story is about Violet, about Harriet - and about Frank, the husband of the woman who died because of Violet. (Again, not saying too much - spoilers!) The interaction between these three - and those in the book club - and a few 'others' was very well done. Realistic. You can see and hear these people in your head and are the kind of characters that for me, the reader, want to shout at: "Don't put up with that!" "OMG, just tell her off!"
I didn't. But there's another facet to the story which I found very compelling: research done with gray parrots, based on actual research with actual gray parrots. Truthfully, I'd like to read more of this in another story. Fascinating!
So even though it was a sentimental read - but about some very true-to-life issues -
Four stars? Nope
Five ACTUAL stars!
June 20, 2024
Having read and loved 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘯𝘦-𝘪𝘯-𝘢-𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘉𝘰y, I was excited to read Monica Wood’s latest- 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤. It was everything I'd hoped for: charming, moving, reflective and comforting. I was moved by the slice-of-life elements alongside second chances, unlikely friendships, and found family. It also reminded me of the transformative power that comes with sharing our most vulnerable stories.
I think I need a copy for my shelves.
MORE: I cannot recall a time where I've loved an acknowledgement section more.
“𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘖𝘳, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.”
I think I need a copy for my shelves.
MORE: I cannot recall a time where I've loved an acknowledgement section more.
“𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘶𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘯𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘖𝘳, 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.”
July 23, 2024
How to describe "How to Read A Book":
It's a refreshingly different and heartwarming tale of deeply flawed individuals, new beginnings, forgiveness, perseverance, and resilience.
It's a "Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight" kind of book.
And it's also a commentary on how life can horrifically change in seconds, as well as the power of making positive changes.
I especially enjoyed the author's well-crafted epilogue.
I listened to the audiobook read by Eileen Stevens, who did an outstanding job with the narration.
Since the book unfolded from multiple POVs, a full-cast audiobook narration would have been preferred.
4.5 stars, rounded up.
June 23, 2024
Breathtaking, astounding, heartbreaking. Monica Wood is a master of stringing words together in the most perfect, luminous way. This book will make you think and feel and cry…and appreciate the nuances of forgiveness.
May 27, 2024
The first half of this book is great, almost magical in the sense that it’s written in a complex and even surprising way that both makes sense and shocks a bit. Things take a turn in the absolute wrong direction when the main character, Violet, seemingly falls in love with her older, married boss out of nowhere. Cheesy sex scenes and dialogue ensue, even though I felt extremely uncomfortable in the MeToo era watching a young girl being preyed upon by a lecherous boss twice her age (and I wasn’t sure if the author wanted me to root for this drek or if I was to see how wrong it all was). It all comes together in an insanely rushed ending, which includes a strange “whole life overview” for Violet that is accomplished in all of 2 sentences.
Started off like an interesting Fredrik Bachman book and ended up a bit too Colleen Hoover for me. Any and all romance involving Violet was completely unnecessary to the more interesting story or redemption, forgiveness and second chances.
Started off like an interesting Fredrik Bachman book and ended up a bit too Colleen Hoover for me. Any and all romance involving Violet was completely unnecessary to the more interesting story or redemption, forgiveness and second chances.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2024
A heartwarming, feel-good book about a woman recently released from prison who finds comfort in a book club and the community of its members and gets caught up in an affair with a Professor who is conducting research on African Grey Parrots. This was good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Colleen Hoover's Reminders of him. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good book about books and book clubs (think the Jane Austen book club by Karen Joy Fowler).
April 19, 2024
From the award-winning author of The One-in-a-Million Boy, How to Read a Book will take your breath away.
Having read and loved The One-in-a-Million Boy, I was extremely excited to read Monica Wood’s new book. It surpassed my expectations. This is the story of a young woman recently released from prison, the husband of the woman she killed, and the woman who leads the prison book club. With chapters alternating among the three, we get deep insight into each of these characters, but ultimately, this is Violet’s story.
Toward the end of the book, I slowed the pace of my reading. I wanted to savor each word and not let it end too quickly. Few books show such empathy for the entirety of the human spectrum. Neither our best moments nor our worst moments singularly define us.
This book is so gorgeously written, that I found myself highlighting passages, a thing I don’t typically do when reading. This is no doubt one of the best books I’ll read all year.
How to Read a Book is a story of second chances, compassion, and human connection and will leave you feeling happy and deeply satisfied. You will fall in love with the characters, including the talking parrots (yes, there are talking parrots; not a joke and totally relevant to the plot). I cannot recommend this book more strongly. It comes out on May 7th. Pre-order a copy today!
Having read and loved The One-in-a-Million Boy, I was extremely excited to read Monica Wood’s new book. It surpassed my expectations. This is the story of a young woman recently released from prison, the husband of the woman she killed, and the woman who leads the prison book club. With chapters alternating among the three, we get deep insight into each of these characters, but ultimately, this is Violet’s story.
Toward the end of the book, I slowed the pace of my reading. I wanted to savor each word and not let it end too quickly. Few books show such empathy for the entirety of the human spectrum. Neither our best moments nor our worst moments singularly define us.
This book is so gorgeously written, that I found myself highlighting passages, a thing I don’t typically do when reading. This is no doubt one of the best books I’ll read all year.
How to Read a Book is a story of second chances, compassion, and human connection and will leave you feeling happy and deeply satisfied. You will fall in love with the characters, including the talking parrots (yes, there are talking parrots; not a joke and totally relevant to the plot). I cannot recommend this book more strongly. It comes out on May 7th. Pre-order a copy today!
May 17, 2024
This book was sooo sweet. I came into it not really knowing what to expect and came out of it being, surprisingly, interested to read more about Parrots! A soaring, tender book about human kindness, forgiveness, and second changes.
June 22, 2024
At around 20 percent in this one grabbed me and didn’t let go. Such a great story about second chances, found family, forgiveness, trust, and how books bring us together. So many tender moments that had my eyes welling up. My only complaint was the overuse of the “f” word. It just felt unnecessary at times.
“Books won’t solve my problems, Harriet.”
“ no, but they give your problems perspective. They allow your problems to breathe.”
Even the least eventful life holds an avalanche of stories.
“Books won’t solve my problems, Harriet.”
“ no, but they give your problems perspective. They allow your problems to breathe.”
Even the least eventful life holds an avalanche of stories.
June 21, 2024
Violet and Harriet meet in prison. Violet is there serving time for manslaughter after a drunk driving accident that killed a kindergarten teacher. Harriet is a retired English teacher who runs a prison book club that Violet is in. Frank’s wife was the one killed in the car accident. After Violet is released, the three meet unexpectedly and their lives are slowly transformed.
The story of these three and their lives is told in a beautiful unfolding manner. I grew to love these characters. And let me just say, the birds that Violet works with and gets to know… what fun! This is one of my favorite feel-good books I’ve read in a while.
The story of these three and their lives is told in a beautiful unfolding manner. I grew to love these characters. And let me just say, the birds that Violet works with and gets to know… what fun! This is one of my favorite feel-good books I’ve read in a while.
May 29, 2024
This book just might turn out to be one of my favorite books this year! It's so beautifully written that I never wanted it to end, but literally couldn't put it down. So highly recommended!!!!
June 30, 2024
This book started a little slow, but the story evolved wonderfully! I truly thought it was going to be a palate cleanser between a couple of heavier reads, but this was rather impactful...
April 21, 2024
Monica Wood has a knack for creating deeply human characters who evoke empathy in the reader. How to Read a Book is a story about loss, regret, and beginning anew. It's about the transformative power of forgiveness of others and self. And it shows the impact books can have on our lives.
This book releases in June 2024... put it at the top of your TBR. In the meantime if you haven't read Wood's One- in-a- Million Boy, read that to tide you over until this one releases.
This book releases in June 2024... put it at the top of your TBR. In the meantime if you haven't read Wood's One- in-a- Million Boy, read that to tide you over until this one releases.
June 12, 2024
Thanks, Mariner Books, for the early review copy via NetGalley. (Available now!)
Second chances, found family, and how books bring people together—put that all together in a huggable story with characters you care deeply for, and warn your friends and family. I wept, laughed, sent phrases to friends, and lost sleep, stopping only when my Kindle ran out of battery.
Violet has just been released from prison and is trying to start her life alone in Portland. She runs into Harriet at a bookstore, whom she knows from the book club Harriet (“Bookie”) ran at the prison. Together, they meet Frank, a retired machinist turned handyman who fixes little things here and there for the store. “These kids, who had acres of poetry committed to memory and the mechanical skills of an aardvark, they needed him.”
It’s that simple on the surface. But, oh, the feelings. Guilt, forgiveness, transformation, trust: this book cracks the reader wide open but does it with a warm hug, a chuckle, and a pat on the back. Heck, even the author’s note is exceptional. Don’t even get me started on the Grey African Parrots. I miss them already.
I have a soft spot for Maine authors, a softer one yet for those who get the people and landmarks right. Multiply that with my adoration of perfect phrasing, and Monica Wood is one of my all-time favorites. If you haven’t already, read her memoir about growing up in Central Maine WHEN WE WERE THE KENNEDYS. I compared it to A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, except the tree grew in Maine and was made into paper.
“Books won’t solve my problems, Harriet.”
“No, but they give your problems perspective. They allow your problems to breathe.”
May 22, 2024
Violet Powell was drunk and high when she got behind the wheel of a car and caused the death of a teacher. She's served her time in prison and now has been released, six months early.
She doesn't expect her life outside of prison to intersect with the husband of the woman who died. It does.
She also doesn't expect to have an outside-of-prison relationship with Harriet Larson, "Bookie" to the members of the prison's book discussion group. But there they are, becoming friends.
In "How to Read a Book," Violet learns to tell her story. She gets guidance from Harriet and an anthology of dead folks' epitaphs. She gets distracted by a scientist who is studying parrots. Yep. The parrots are pretty distracting, too.
I read Monica Wood's "The One-in-a-Million Boy" and fell in love with that story, so I had high hopes for "How to Read a Book." Wood writes a thoughtful, nuanced story. It falls short of the high bar set by "The One-in-a-Million Boy," but that was an exceptional book. This one is very good.
She doesn't expect her life outside of prison to intersect with the husband of the woman who died. It does.
She also doesn't expect to have an outside-of-prison relationship with Harriet Larson, "Bookie" to the members of the prison's book discussion group. But there they are, becoming friends.
In "How to Read a Book," Violet learns to tell her story. She gets guidance from Harriet and an anthology of dead folks' epitaphs. She gets distracted by a scientist who is studying parrots. Yep. The parrots are pretty distracting, too.
I read Monica Wood's "The One-in-a-Million Boy" and fell in love with that story, so I had high hopes for "How to Read a Book." Wood writes a thoughtful, nuanced story. It falls short of the high bar set by "The One-in-a-Million Boy," but that was an exceptional book. This one is very good.
July 6, 2024
I want to come up with some clever words to tell you how wonderful I thought this book was. But I am at a loss for words. How to Read a Book is about flawed people carrying around their life baggage and doing the best they can with it. Everyone carries regrets, secrets, sadness, and memories of all the choices they made. I loved how the author created the wounded cast of characters in this story and had them intersect in moving, brave, and heartfelt ways. If your heart needs a hug today pick up this book and see how tight it gets squeezed.
July 9, 2024
Thought this would be too sweet and predictable for my jaded heart and soul, and it almost was, but it wasn’t. Plus, there are parrots. 🦜
May 9, 2024
Утешительно)
May 30, 2024
Cute, heartwarming, all the feels.
June 11, 2024
Loved this book. I’d hug it if I could.
June 6, 2024
4.5
Great book club pick! Truly memorable characters and layered plot.
RTC
Great book club pick! Truly memorable characters and layered plot.
RTC
June 5, 2024
3.5
The ending seemed a bit abrupt to me. I loved the endnote/epilogue, but prior to that, the conclusion seemed to come in a rush and added an element that I didn't think was necessary. I did love the three main characters, as well as the basic storyline of how their lives intersected - I just wish there had been more exploration of that and less of some of the side stories.
The ending seemed a bit abrupt to me. I loved the endnote/epilogue, but prior to that, the conclusion seemed to come in a rush and added an element that I didn't think was necessary. I did love the three main characters, as well as the basic storyline of how their lives intersected - I just wish there had been more exploration of that and less of some of the side stories.
May 26, 2024
A beautiful book about forgiveness, friendship, and the power of reading.
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