Yes, Thanksgiving is over and we’re likely all still a bit drowsy from Thursday’s turkey-coma (or possibly the Black-Friday shopping coma; no judgment), but I still think this weekend is a good time to reflect. It’s early enough in the holiday season that we can still take a breath and pause. Besides, once the holidays really get going, we’ll barely have enough time to read, let alone reflect on our reading lives.* With that, dear readers, I give you a brief list of books that I haven’t yet mentioned but I’m thankful to have read. The list isn’t exhaustive and these books haven’t all been published in 2015, but they were all devoured by your devoted Saturday blogger at some point this year:

As Always, Julia edited by Joan Reardon

I didn’t love Julia Child as a kid. While I would occasionally tune in with my grandparents if “The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show” got preempted and we were killing time before “Candlepin for Dollars,” on a Saturday, she didn’t win my young heart the way she did so many Americans. My grandmother found her diction insufferable and considered some of her television cooking practices to be wasteful. However, the more I learned about Julia Child through biography, cookbooks and memoirs, the more she grew in my esteem. Let’s face it, Julia Child was an immensely cool lady and this book highlights her tenacity, entrepreneurship and humor wonderfully. The evolution of a friendship through letters is a hugely satisfying way to get to know someone posthumously and this book gets more delightful with each passing correspondence.

You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day

It’s a rare treat when I can devour an entire book in one sitting. The book has to be both compelling enough to keep me page turning and light enough to not bog me down. This book fit the bill perfectly. As a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, I recognized Day from her recurring role in the seventh and final season, and her show The Guild has been in my Netflix queue for over a year, but I had no idea how smart and interesting she was overall. She’s well rounded, eloquent and entirely relatable. This is an easy but satisfying read as you look into the life of someone who isn’t afraid to share her neuroses and a few humorous anecdotes but still remain genuine and vulnerable as you keep turning pages.

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast

This book is an amazing, honest, humorous work that can appeal to anyone who: a) has parents; b) has conflicting commitments; c) worries about the future; or d) enjoys a good belly laugh. Chast’s memoir, told graphic-novel style looks at her relationship with her parents during their final years and the joy, stress and heartache it can cause. Like most good humorists, she delves into the pain and difficulty of those times, but manages to temper it and find the laugh in a sometimes impossible situation. Be prepared for some genuine tears mixed in with your laughter, but it’s definitely worth the read.

A Wild Swan by Michael Cunningham

This is a great book hangover cure. It’s a quick read of re-told fairy tales, but with dark, modern twists. Cunningham blends time and genre as he peels back the curtain and speculates: what might become of these fairy tale characters in modern times?; what happens after the traditional ending we all know? or even what some well-known characters motivations might have been? It’s not a long book, but its beautiful, haunting prose and modern themes give you a lot to think about.

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

OK, so I’m sort of cheating here as this book has been mentioned on the blog before, but it hasn’t technically been reviewed here. If possible, I *highly* recommend reading the audiobook as it has exactly the type of bonus material we at the blog love. It’s narrated by Palmer and the listener winds up with a deep sense of intimacy with the subject and the author. Plus, she sprinkles some of her music into the narrative which gives a broader perspective of the content in general. I walked away from this book wanting to be a more open, trusting and hopeful person and, really, couldn’t we all use a bit of that in our lives?

This year, I’m thankful for all the books I’ve read, listened to, finished and given up on (yes, that happens even to the most devoted of readers…) as they weave into the fabric of my reading life and become a part of who I am. I’m thankful for the incredible friends in my life to whom I can talk about books (and just about anything else) and get fantastic recommendations that I might not have considered otherwise. I’m also deeply thankful for all of you: the readers, watchers, listeners, patrons who make the Peabody Library such a wonderful place to be. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend!

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*Don’t worry; you’ll still be able to come to the blog for all things bookish, interesting and wonderful during the holiday season. We at the library always make time for reading, even if it’s carving out just a few minutes in a day.