Blake Dodge's Blog

The book club pick of the month was The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

My mother was the one to select this book, her reasoning? Being a book reader who gets through 200+ books in a year, this was one of the only books that has ever made her cry in over 15 years. Plus she remembers the entire plot line, after fifteen years.

When I went to GoodReads to see what the general public thought of this book, I learned my lesson to never look to the general public for literary fiction books. With over 890K in ratings and 53K in reviews, I should have guessed that it would be a mixed bag.

Some wrote on how they thought Cormac McCarthy's prose was purely attention-seeking, an attempt to be like Hemingway or some other version of him.

Others thought it was repetitive and redundant for most of the book, and many thought it was quite deserving of its prizes.

My first thought when getting into the book was, "I really shouldn't read this book while my toddler is playing in front of me. Many fellow readers have commented on how as a parent, this book cuts deep. You know from the beginning the doomsday nature of the post-apocalyptic world, one of them is going to die. You just spend every chapter wondering if it's going to be the father or the son.

As for the grammar of the book, as a writer who was in the middle of revisions during the time I read this book, I may or may not have shouted "WHAT DO YOU HAVE AGAINST COMMAS?" a time or two. After researching his reasoning for it-- I can appreciate what he was trying to do by "stripping it down to the base of storytelling" but still, would some punctuation have killed him?

All that being said, I was happy to have experienced the Pulitzer prize winner, but it was quite dreary. Also, I did in fact cry at the end-- but I am not as tough as my mother, it doesn't take fifteen years in between reads to have that happen.

If you're at all interested in a video format of my reaction to Mr. McCarthy's work-- Check out my tiktok @books.by.blake

Have you read it? What rating did you give it?

Happy Reading Book Besties!

xo B

TW: Infertility & Pregnancy Loss

In June of 2016, I experienced one of the happiest months of my life. It was a fairytale, I was actually doing it, I was getting married to the Frenchman, the whirlwind romance that I had met only eight months earlier, with whom I didn't even speak the same language.

In August of 2016, I experienced one of the most shocking months of my life. At 21 years old, I was diagnosed with "Unexplained Infertility." It wasn't possible, it couldn't be. I had been told throughout my teenage years, that if you just look at a boy, you'll get pregnant, that's how fertile you are. Well, for me everything on paper suggested that a little bundle of joy should in theory be on its way, for the Franco-American newlyweds, 'twas not the case.

Fast forward to October 2022, we've now moved internationally, undergone multiple fertility treatments, been blessed with one miracle IVF son, who was delivered healthily and happily after six years of unexplainable health mysteries. We now tempt chance once more, on the venture to give our son a sibling.

One October Monday, in late morning, I received the call. Our treatment had failed and I was going to lose the baby that had been snuggling into its new home for only a mere two weeks. Devastated by the news, even though I had an inkling of the outcome hanging over my head for the past four days. Nothing was at all like the last time, when I went on to have a successful pregnancy with my son. I grieved but was still determined to make us a family of four so I jumped back into another treatment, tweaking protocol slightly, adding a few more needles to boot.

The day was a Monday in early January, another phone call when upon answering it, and hearing the tone of the nurse's voice on the other end, I knew the outcome. Yet another failed treatment in a "near perfect scenario." phrases like "We just don't understand, you should be pregnant with triplets by now..." are thrown around at will.

I fell into a most dire state of mind, I was drowning in the loss of control over what my life was to look like. Everyone talking around me, about what my future steps would be like, but no one speaking to me. I decided it was time for a break, financially, emotionally, and physically, it was needed.

I need something that the only guarantor is myself.

The seed for the idea had been planted years prior when I experienced an ectopic pregnancy that ended in a rupture and emergency surgery. How I cried over the unrealized hopes and dreams I had laid out in my mind for my little family in the south of France. I mourned the loss of little ones whose names had been written down in journals since I was fourteen years old. "I'm going to write a novel, no...I am going to write my novel." I am going to give myself a year, and I am going to write a story and publish it all on my own.

I had read a quote during that time that said, "You become a mother in your heart, long before you hold your baby in your arms."

I had known at that moment, years before I ever heard my son's first cry, that I was a mother. I knew, even then, that I would sacrifice everything to one day hold my child in my arms. I would undergo any treatment, surgery, needles, hormones, the works, to grow our family.

It was that feeling that seeded the question in my mind, "If a mother would sacrifice anything for her child, how much would a child sacrifice for a parent?"

It started as an image of a girl, that then became Catherine, who then became The Chemist's Daughter. A brilliant protagonist whose love for her father ran deeper than any guilt or sacrifice she would have to save him.

For a long time, I said to myself that I wrote the novel for the reason that I needed something that had absolutely nothing to do with infertility because I was sick of it consuming my life. It took me sitting here polishing off the final draft to realize, that the entire experience rather, had everything to do with how much I was willing to continue on, toward a child who was not yet in my arms.

I grew up in a reading household. I will even go as far as to say that I am a fourth-generation bookworm. I remember vividly going to the mailbox and finding the yellow, bubble wrap-lined envelopes that my great-grandmother would send my mother after she had finished reading her latest murder mystery. There was a four-book minimum for bedtime stories.

I read the entirety of the "series of unfortunate events" series in a month at the age of eleven, have I set the stage well enough? Okay good, moving on.

I thought about this list for quite some time the three books that truly felt altering for me as a reader were the following.

Ida B

This was a scholastic book pick for us in the 5th grade, so we read it as a class. This was the first book that I had ever read, that made me forget I was reading. How magical is that feeling? My bookworms get it. It was the first book that I read a character who was my age, and I was experiencing the world through her eyes. I believe the fact that I remember the story details eighteen years later, speaks volumes.

Next up; Snow Flower & The Secret Fan

This book taught me so much about developing characters; human relations, and how strong of a narrative a friendship can drive. I'm not here to spout philosophy about human connection and its driving force, because I am not the expert. But the friendship between Snowflower + Lily is nothing short of magic.

This was also my first introduction to the Historical Fiction genre (which now is my preferred reading genre.) I am not a history buff by any stretch of the imagination, in fact, it was my least favorite subject in school. I was too young at the time to appreciate the intense amount of work that goes into researching and executing a historical fiction in a way that doesn't feel like info dumping or pushing a political agenda of some sort. Lisa See in my mind, reigns as one of the queens in the kingdom of historical fiction genre.

Last but not least, The Bird King

I will admit openly, that fantasy is very rarely a book genre that I look forward to diving into. I know all the BookTok girlies will have strong recommendations to change my mind, however...

THIS BOOK! This book was one that I picked up on the way to the airport when going to collect my baby brother from LAX. If I'm being completely frank, I chose it mostly for the cover, and it was on one of the display tables at Barnes & Noble.

The world-building was immaculate, quite descript and I had to have focus to comprehend, but the way I was sucked into the adventure was an experience that has yet to be matched by anything else.

I want to know in the comments below, what are your books that still remain ingrained in the foundation of who you are as a reader?

There can be so many factors from the age you read it, a time in your life that the story helped you tread uncharted waters, a character that made you feel seen...

Till next time book besties, Happy Reading

xo Blake

In the month of September, I launched my very own book club! Every last Saturday of the month I have a group of lovely ladies come over to my house and we discuss (& drink) themes, diction, prose & who we would cast in the live-action film of the book choice.

Even though it was still 90 plus degrees here in Nevada, I was determined to choose something that said Autumn so my pick for our debut book club was *insert drumroll here*

This historical fiction based in Oxford in the late 1900's was just what we needed to bring in the fall. This coming-of-age character study follows the life of Esmé. Daughter of Oxford lexicographer Harry. The setting is placed in Oxford in the 1870s to start with during the creation of the First Oxford English Dictionary.

The story follows her sheltered existence and all-over love of words paired with her curious nature leading her to ask the question "What happens to the words of the working class, that aren't written down and put into the dictionary?"

While the consensus was fairly 50/50 some loving it, some felt there was absolutely no plot and all vibes (an opinion I happened to share) I ended up giving this a 3.75 star rating.

Themed cocktails included "Gin Sour with a sorted pass" whose recipe was a total experiment but also a huge success.

Who to cast for the film adaptation? The Votes are in First off, we of course need our leading lady: EsmeHere are our contenders.

While the general consensus from the book club was the Lovely Lily James, (yes I see that I spelled her name incorrectly on my diagram.) I will only see Esmé as Eleanor Thompsin in my brain forevermore.

The general consensus for this role was to be played by Ms. Kierra Knightly, whom I disagreed with and felt needed to be more homely. Who could ever consider Knightly, homely?

To be honest, there was absolutely ZERO consensus on this one, Harry the beloved father. We were all over the map! What are your thoughts? who would make a lovely Irish scholarly lexicographer?

Then there was dear aunt Edith, sassy spinster, and godmother extraordinaire! There was a resounding vote for Helena Bonham Carter.

Darling Gareth, English love interest and hardest working employee at the Oxford Press. Not going to lie, I totally used ChatGPT on this one, "British male actors between 20-40, here were the contenders. This was a mixed bag as well.

Now I want to know your thoughts in the comments below! Have you read this debut novel by Pip Williams? I loved the dark academia, and autumnal Oxford aesthetic, but overall felt like there were a lot of half-developed plot ideas and unsatisfying conclusions.

Thanks for reading Book Bestie, I'll see you next time Feel Free to Follow along on Social Media Platforms to see what I am reading in real time.