Elva Fields Blog » books
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Latest Loves
A few things I'm loving lately:
1. After I saw the beautiful creations Joy Cho of Oh Joy! crafted with this marbling kit, I knew it would be a fun and colorful project for my favorite middle-schooler. (She may be too cool for many things these days, but thankfully not for making art with her mom.) I have so many ideas for our next attempt, and this first try at marbling was a hit. (And there are plenty of materials in the kit for future trials!)
2. Tig Notaro has been a favorite of mine since her Taylor Dane bit (I still cry laughing every time) and her new podcast, Handsome, with Fortune Feimster and Mae Martin brings so much laughter and joy to my Tuesdays.
3. Speaking of crying (though not crying laughing), that's what I was doing by the end of this beautiful (as the title would suggest) book. In the best way. I love a story of family dynamics, humans making their way among the broken bits of life, and eventually creating and finding their own wholeness.
4. I'm so excited to finally have some wearable Elva Fields merch, and especially in honor of our 20th birthday last month! It's my new favorite hat, and you can have one, too!
5. Delicious on its own or with bourbon, my most-loved of Modica's superfood goodness in a bottle is the Tart Cherry Old Fashioned (and I don't typically care much for cherry, but this is really great.) Cheers!
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Latest Loves
A few things I'm loving lately:
1. I heard this live version of a childhood favorite on our amazing local Louisville radio station 91.9 WFPK and had to add it to the latest Elva Fields playlist for some nostalgic listening, along with some other fun songs.
2. It's been a while since I've read and finished a book in just a day or two (such an indulgence!) but this one was compelling, captivating, and wholly enjoyable. Like the traditional recipe for which the book is named, I devoured it. (As a bonus, the author curates a playlist at the end of the book to accompany various scenes and characters in her novel, and I couldn't help but add one of her suggested songs to the Elva playlist this month in homage to this wonderful read.)
3. This dark chocolate bark gets rave reviews and was new to me on my last visit to Trader Joe's. I'm currently hiding the bag on a far shelf in the pantry to keep it all to myself. As it turns out, I may have to hide it even from myself soon enough.
4. Though it's billed as an overnight lip mask, I use this goodness as a regular lip gloss day AND night. Thanks to my former sister-in-law who sent it as a holiday gift, my ever-peeling lips are a little less dry and chapped these days.
5. Two shows I've loved watching lately: one with my kiddos, one without them. Both smart, funny, entertaining, and humanity-at-its-worst-and-best heartwarming.
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Reading List
Landline by Rainbow Rowell - Clever and fun and sweet and laugh-out-loud heartwarming, I loved championing the main character all through her ups, downs, and relatable life-living.
The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin - Following the lives of the four Gold siblings, this engrossing and captivating read explores how learning the date of each of their deaths during a childhood visit to a nomadic psychic informs their choices and paths. (And had me questioning how I might live differently, too, with such knowledge.)
Yes Please by Amy Poehler - I knew her work from SNL and film, but listening to Amy Poehler on audiobook made me want her to be my new best friend. She is (obviously) hilarious, but equally aware in a "let's cut to the chase and get to what really matters in life" kind of way, open and honest about her shortcomings and challenges, and so passionate about her craft that it seems like she maybe could be my new best friend. Yes, please.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - Every single character in this novel is so beautifully and intimately captured that their presence is felt beyond each page. None more so than the title character, Olive. She fumbles, she offends, she is sometimes unbearable, and sometimes so wonderfully loving and vulnerable that I couldn't help but to love her back. (No wonder this was a Pulitzer Prize winner. It's stunningly written.)
The Marseille Caper by Peter Mayle - I think I read this in late September, early October when I was trying to hold on to summer and its carefree pleasures. What a joy to be transported to the south of France for breathtaking scenery, wine-filled sunny lunches on a terrace, and a bit of mystery for entertainment. A delight.
Happy Reading!
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Reading List
Calypso by David Sedaris - I heard one of the stories from this collection, read by Sedaris, on The Paris Review podcast and then had the incredible fortune of snagging a highly-in-demand copy of the book from my local library branch not long after to read the rest. With sardonic wit and self-deprecating humor, mixed with razor-sharp assessments and observations (often specific to family and its unique dynamics) the stories are at once laugh-out-loud hilarious and heartbreaking, walking a beautiful balance between the two and reminding me to just love people where they are. (But perhaps spare no detail in writing about them!)
The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro - This story of a captivating young woman who unexpectedly heads to Paris in the 50s after a mysterious request appears in the mail for her had me interested from the start. Her experiences intertwine with those of a young woman in Paris in the 20s and 30s, and the historical richness, beautiful descriptions, and intriguing unfolding kept me hooked every step of the way.
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Steadman - I'll never look at lighthouses the same way again after this story of a lighthouse keeper off the coast of Australia and his young wife, who, in the mid-1920s, make a decision that changes everything in ways they never meant or anticipated. Grappling with overlapping and juxtaposed perceptions of right, wrong, duty, obligation, choice, and love, the characters and their interconnectedness are beautifully written and wholeheartedly compelling.
Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen - I've never read something by Quindlen that I didn't love or that wasn't incredibly insightful or wise, and this is no exception. I'm not sure what I enjoyed most: the New York City neighborhood setting, the main character's humor and strength, or the honest look at privilege that left me thinking long after I returned this one, reluctantly, to the library. -
Reading List
A few favorites from my summer reading list, whether at the beach, on my front porch, or barely keeping my eyes open before bed...and one even through ear buds while I worked away in the studio:
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng - A captivating tale of family dynamics, the interplay of overlapping lives, and the ways we love or fail to. (I listened to this on Audible.)
Beartown by Fredrik Backman - So much more than just a story of hockey, I was riveted by this small town and its beautifully-captured inhabitants.
The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks - Y'all know I love some personal development, and this one was an interesting take on the possibility that we - even inadvertently - prevent ourselves from enjoying the best that life has to offer us.
The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman - Such a warm-hearted, sweet story of an endearing single mother and her people - newly-found and newly-appreciated.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah - I'm still listening to this one during school drop-offs and am fascinated by Noah's stories of growing up with an entirely different experience than my own. I know very little about South Africa and appreciate so much learning from his perspective.
Happy reading / listening!
