Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading

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Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading

by Nina Sankovitch (Goodreads Author)

3.54 of 5 stars 3.54 · rating details · 2,121 ratings · 586 reviews

Nina Sankovitch has always been a reader. As a child, she discovered that a trip to the local bookmobile with her sisters was more exhilarating than a ride at the carnival. Books were the glue that held her immigrant family together. When Nina's eldest sister died at the age of forty-six, Nina turned to books for comfort, escape, and introspection. In her beloved purple ch...more

Hardcover, 241 pages

Published June 7th 2011 by Harper (first published January 1st 2011)

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May 09, 2011 Jeanette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-memoir, booky-books, four-star-nonfiction, nonfiction, av

Three years after her sister Anne-Marie died, Nina Sankovitch was living a helter-skelter life, making a mad dash away from the grief and pain, unable to accept her loss. She knew she needed to ditch the hectic schedule, hold still, reflect, and make some sense of her feelings. A year of reading and reviewing one book every day was the method she chose to give herself that healing time and "escape back into life." In Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, she shares her experiences while living that year...more Three years after her sister Anne-Marie died, Nina Sankovitch was living a helter-skelter life, making a mad dash away from the grief and pain, unable to accept her loss. She knew she needed to ditch the hectic schedule, hold still, reflect, and make some sense of her feelings. A year of reading and reviewing one book every day was the method she chose to give herself that healing time and "escape back into life." In Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, she shares her experiences while living that year, the memories it sparked, and how it allowed her to accept the unfairness of her sister's death and feel whole again.

If you believe in books as therapy, or you're working through grief of your own, or you just want to breathe new life into your reading program, this could be a book for you. It doesn't fit neatly into any category. It's a grief journal and a family history, built around observations on a year of maniacal reading while maintaining a household with a husband and four young sons.

The narrative doesn't always follow a logical progression, and the structure can be confusing, but once I adjusted to that looser style, I enjoyed all the anecdotes. There are moments of sweetness and humor that will make you wish for a big sister like Anne-Marie. There are fascinating and sad stories about their Belarusian father and Belgian mother. And there are the universally recognized book-lover bonding stories, such as the book she stole from the library (and still has); or the friendship that ended because she badmouthed someone's favorite book.

This is a difficult book to rate and review because it describes such a personal journey. She has lost a sister. I have not. She is an overachiever, whereas I am a sloth. If I thought I had to read and review a book every day, it would feel like a ball and chain. For her, it was a healing path.
Her reading tastes are very different from mine, and I didn't buy a lot of her conclusions. But when I visited her blog and saw her review of The Tomb in Seville by Norman Lewis, I felt an instant connection. I thought I was the only person in the whole country who cared about that book. I wanted to call her up right away and ask if she'd also read Naples '44, and what did she think of it? And THAT, for me, is what Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is really all about. Books are a bridge and an anchor. They can bring us new friends with whom we may have nothing else in common, and they can give us a lasting connection with those we have loved most deeply, whether they are still living or not.
Sail on, sweet Anne-Marie. Your little sister has done you proud. (less)

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Nov 13, 2012 Romina rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Non mi è mai capitato di esprimere un giudizio,le mie emozioni, prima di finire un libro; mi sento di farlo ora, con questa meravigliosa storia.
Questo libro lo sento un pò mio, mi rappresenta in vari aspetti, mi ci sento legata.
La lettura è stata per me, come per Nina, un àncora di salvezza, mi ha aiutato nei momenti piu bui e difficili della mia vita. Lo fa ancora ora.
E' vero che i libri sono
il veliero per andare dove si desideri.
" Quando sono angosciata mi ritiro nel mio rifugio non c'è nessun...more
Non mi è mai capitato di esprimere un giudizio,le mie emozioni, prima di finire un libro; mi sento di farlo ora, con questa meravigliosa storia.
Questo libro lo sento un pò mio, mi rappresenta in vari aspetti, mi ci sento legata.
La lettura è stata per me, come per Nina, un àncora di salvezza, mi ha aiutato nei momenti piu bui e difficili della mia vita. Lo fa ancora ora.
E' vero che i libri sono
il veliero per andare dove si desideri.
" Quando sono angosciata mi ritiro nel mio rifugio non c'è nessun bisogno di viaggiare. Quale destinazione più nobile, quale compagnia più amena, quale trance più deliziosa di quella letteraria?"
quanto sono vere queste magnifiche parole della mia cara amica Reéne!
Così per Nina, a causa di un grave lutto, la perdita della sorella tanto amata, decide di riempire la sua vita con varie occupazioni, sperando di dimenticare, di non ricordare, soffocando il rimorso di essere ancora in vita.
Ma come dice lei stessa: "Viviamo sopra una catasta di ricordi, cresciamo grazie al nutrimento del passato, non possiamo dimenticare".
Così si ferma, riflette, fà della lettura una disciplina
le parole diventano una fuga, NON DA, ma dentro la vita.
Usa così, la sua passione, come terapia per affrontare il suo dolore, il suo lutto.
Decide, con coraggio, ritagliandosi un posto suo, di leggere; leggere un libro al giorno, per 365 giorni, sulla sua amata poltrona viola, cercando di non trascura la sua famiglia: marito e quattro giovani ragazzi.
Nina ci riesce trova nei libri l'aiuto sperato, ma non solo quello, trova molto di più.
Conforto, saggezza, ricordi, consigli, ma soprattutto SE STESSA.

" HO LETTO LIBRI PER TUTTA LA VIA. E QUANDO HO AVUTO BISOGNO DI LEGGERLI, I LIBRI MI HANNO DATO TUTTO QUELLO CHE CHIEDEVO E ANCHE DI PIU'.
TUTTI ABBIAMO BISOGNO DI UNO SPAZIO, DOVE LASCIARE CHE LE COSE ESISTONO, UN POSTO IN CUI RICORDARE CHI SIAMO E COS'è IMPORTANTE PER NOI, UN INTERVALLO DI TEMPO CHE CONSENTA ALLA FELICITA' E ALLA GIOIA DI TORNARE A VIVERE NELLE NOSTRE COSCIENZE.(less)

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Aug 29, 2012 Roo78lm rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, learn-english, ك-تب-للتغيير

تخيل أن تقرأ كتباً طوال العام ؟ إننا نفعل ، أوه لا لا تخيل معي أن تقرأ ذلك كتاباً كاملاً كل يوم طوال عام ؟
قد يبدو الأمر صعباً ، خاصة بأننا نبذل مجهوداً جباراً لننهي كتاباً خلال أسبوع ونشعر بالسعادة إن فعلنا ذلك خلال ثلاثة أيام ، شعرتُ حقيقة بالدهشة لأن نينا قد فعلت !! نينا هي أصغر أخواتها الثلاث ، توفيت أكبرهن بالسرطان حين بلغت السادسة بعد الأربعين ، كان هذا هو الحدث الأكثر تأثيراً في حياة نينا لتغيّر نظرتها للعالم و تشعر أخيراً بقيمة الأيام المتبقية لها وتستمع بإيقاع الحياة السريع و تمرح و تلهو...more تخيل أن تقرأ كتباً طوال العام ؟ إننا نفعل ، أوه لا لا تخيل معي أن تقرأ ذلك كتاباً كاملاً كل يوم طوال عام ؟
قد يبدو الأمر صعباً ، خاصة بأننا نبذل مجهوداً جباراً لننهي كتاباً خلال أسبوع ونشعر بالسعادة إن فعلنا ذلك خلال ثلاثة أيام ، شعرتُ حقيقة بالدهشة لأن نينا قد فعلت !! نينا هي أصغر أخواتها الثلاث ، توفيت أكبرهن بالسرطان حين بلغت السادسة بعد الأربعين ، كان هذا هو الحدث الأكثر تأثيراً في حياة نينا لتغيّر نظرتها للعالم و تشعر أخيراً بقيمة الأيام المتبقية لها وتستمع بإيقاع الحياة السريع و تمرح و تلهو بكل يومٍ بقي من حياتها دون توقف ، رغم أن فكرة الموت تصاحبها منذ وفاة شقيقتها و تقلق نومها و ترعبها وهي تقترب من العام الذي توفيت فيه أختها التي لم تستطع أيضاً بعد مضي بضعة أعوام على ذلك أن تتجاوز الحزن و الفراغ الذي خلفه غيابها . قررت نينا ذات فجأة أن تتخذ من شغف القراءة الذي تشترك فيه و أختها كطريقة للهروب من الحياة .. إليها . أخبرت زوجها بخطتها القرائية ، توجس خيفة بالطبع وحاول أن يخبرها أنها يمكن أن تفعل ذلك أيضاً بقراءة كتاب في الأسبوع ، إلا أن رغبتها في أن تجعل الموكب الجنائزي لهذه السنة الذي تحمل فيه الحزن و الألم و الفراغ إلى أقرب مقبرة لتعيش و تحيا حالت دون كل الإحباطات و الأفكار السلبية التي تعرضت لها من قبل أصدقائها و أفراد عائلتها . في فصول الكتاب أسهبت نينا في الحديث عن الكتب التي ساهمت في جعل رؤيتها للعالم بعد عام أوضح و أكثر واقعية و جمالاً ، بالإضافة لسردها بعض من حياتها و طفولتها و شبابها و قصص والديها إبان الحروب العالمية .. وجدت متعة حقيقة و أنا أقرأ ، وهذا يثير حماستي لأقرأ المزيد و أطور لغتي الإنجليزية بالقراءة ، لأن عالماً مدهشاً ينتظرني بدوري ابتدأته بهذا الكتاب .

من الصعب كتابة مراجعة لكتاب بلغة غير لغته ، لكنني أجدُ شخصياً متعة في أن أكتب عن هذا الكتاب - خاصة - بلغتي ، أريد أن أشكر من يعود لها الفضل بعد الله في قرائتي للكتاب : صديقتي الجميلة مها ، شكراً شكراً و شكر عميق آخر لنينا(less)

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Nov 22, 2011 Judy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: memoir lovers, bibliophiles, people experiencing grief

Shelves: bio-memoir, books-about-books, favorites, 2011-reads

4.5 stars

In anticipation of immersing myself in the reading this book, I began reading my first selection of Tolstoy, War and Peace(which I haven't finished, but do enjoy) and tried to finish a book a day for a week. All three are worthy of experience.....

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Contrary to the dust jacket, Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading is not strictly a book about a year's worth of reading. Ac...more

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Jun 19, 2011 Susan rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: everyone

"Tolstoy and the Purple Chair" is a book for people who love to read. From the first chapter with the author's description of a day spent on a bench by the sea reading Bram Stoke's "Dracula", ultimately finishing the last of its' 400 pages in her hotel room that night, I was totally caught up in her story. After Nina Sankovitch's beloved older sister Anne-Marie dies of cancer at age 46, Nina spends the next three years cramming as much as possible into her days, not just to escape the pain of lo...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Gerrianne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: roman

Een heel bijzonder boek over een vrouw die een jaar lang iedere dag een boek leest en op deze manier wil proberen om te leren omgaan met de dood van haar zus.
In de boeken vindt ze de zin van het leven terug.

In het boek geeft de schrijfster een beschrijving van vele boeken. Boeken die ze in haar leesjaar gelezen heeft, maar ook boeken die ze vroeger gelezen heeft.
Het boek gaat ook veel over het leven van haar zus. Aan de herinneringen aan haar zus. De herinneringen die haar zus levend houden.

Ik v...more

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Feb 06, 2012 Literary Mama added it

Shelves: memoir

"Every day for one year, Nina Sankovitch read an entire book and posted a review on her website -- all while raising four boys. As a mother of just two children, a mother who struggled to find time to read this one book, I was curious to know how Sankovitch did it. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: My Year of Magical Reading tells her story. ...

"While Tolstoy and the Purple Chair is about grief and the power of reading, it also chronicles the day-to-day logistics of trying to accomplish a monumental...more

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Aug 17, 2012 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir

After Nina's 46 yr. old sister died from cancer, Nina tried over the next 3 years to make things better but it didn't work. Nina, a book lover, made a bold decision to DAILY read a book and write a blog with a book review (ReadAllDay.org) for one year. (With the help of her husband and her children pitching in at home). During this period Nina discovered the power that books have in our lives to heal those suffering from loss. (Ten pages of all the books she read are in the back of the book.)

"Th...more

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Apr 05, 2012 Sally rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: to-read-in-2013, 2013-challenge

Nina Sankovitch loses her sister to cancer, and as part of her grieving, decides to read a book a day for a year. She sets up rules for this adventure (1" thick spine so as not to get too long, no repeat reads, and no reads by the same author), and also blogs her reviews of each book. Somehow, she will do this, as well as run a household with a husband and 4 boys.

The concept behind it was wonderful - I would love to be able to curl up each day and read a book. I'm sure it was also quite therape...more

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Dec 08, 2011 Sonia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Un paio di anni fa lessi un articolo su Repubblica (http://www.repubblica.it/2009/10/sezi...) che parlava di una donna e della sua sfida: leggere un libro al giorno per un anno intero. 365 libri, letti e poi recensiti giorno per giorno nel suo blog.
A primo impatto pensai: wow, allora è possibile! Era sempre stato un mio sogno, quello di essere in grado di leggere un libro al giorno, senza però trascurare la vita. (Perché, diciamocelo: spesso la vita è d’intralcio alla lettura...).
Quando ho sco...more Un paio di anni fa lessi un articolo su Repubblica (http://www.repubblica.it/2009/10/sezi...) che parlava di una donna e della sua sfida: leggere un libro al giorno per un anno intero. 365 libri, letti e poi recensiti giorno per giorno nel suo blog.
A primo impatto pensai: wow, allora è possibile! Era sempre stato un mio sogno, quello di essere in grado di leggere un libro al giorno, senza però trascurare la vita. (Perché, diciamocelo: spesso la vita è d’intralcio alla lettura...).
Quando ho scoperto che quella donna aveva deciso di raccontare la sua esperienza, mi sono emozionata, mi sono rallegrata: volevo assolutamente capire cosa l’avesse spinta a farlo, come era riuscita a portare avanti quel percorso, come si era sentita prima, durante e dopo.
Nina Sankovitch è davvero in gamba: un marito, quattro figli da accudire, una casa da portare avanti. Nei tre anni che precedono l’anno di letture, Nina non si era fermata un attimo. Si era riempita la vita di impegni pur di tenersi occupata, pur di tenere la mente occupata. Era un modo per fuggire dai ricordi e dal dolore. La sorella era morta proprio tre anni prima, a soli 46 anni e Nina non era ancora riuscita ad accettare quella perdita.
Qualcuno potrebbe chiedersi cosa c’entrano i libri con tutto questo.
I libri sono stati la cura.
La Sankovitch decide di fermarsi, di smettere di scappare. Rinuncia ai mille impegni per dedicarsi alla lettura. Sente che un libro al giorno la aiuterà. A capire, ad accettare, ad andare avanti. Sente che ciò che gli autori le racconteranno attraverso i loro personaggi non sarà altro che la vita in tutte le sue sfaccettature, e lei ha bisogno di quella vita, per potersela riprendere, per poter ricominciare. La sua è una vera e propria terapia, da osservare secondo determinati orari e luoghi, e da portare avanti anche in caso di inconvenienti che potrebbero rallentarla. Immersa nella sua vecchia e rovinata poltrona viola, Nina ce la farà.
Leggerà per se stessa, per la sorella, per conoscerla meglio attraverso le letture che a lei piacevano, per conoscere meglio il suo dolore e la sua forza. Le sue letture si mescolano ai ricordi, a momenti più belli e altri più tristi: il tutto ha un sapore nostalgico ma efficace.
Scopriamo insieme a Nina il potere profondo che hanno i libri, scopriamo attraverso di lei nuovi autori che prima non conoscevamo, abbiamo voglia di appuntarci tutti i suoi riferimenti e andare alla ricerca di quelle storie, farle nostre…
Alla fine, ci rendiamo conto che Nina si è salvata, e ci è riuscita da sola grazie ai libri. Noi abbiamo tifato per lei e abbiamo capito, una volta di più, che la vita è bella anche grazie a loro.

qui:
http://cuoredinchiostro.blogspot.com/...(less)

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Nov 07, 2011 Mary Ronan Drew rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library-book

Reading Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch today, I came across a reference to Deborah Crombie, an author of whom I’m fond and whose books I’ve been gobbling up recently. Sankovitch is in a hospital room with her 46-year-old sister, who is dying of cancer.

Piles of books were stacked along the windowsill of Anne-Marie’s hospital room, gifts from friends and from family. I was borrowing as many as I brought in. Anne-Marie had just introduced me to the writer Deborah Crombie and her sl...more

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Jun 24, 2011 Ed rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, 4-stars, memoir, new-author-to-me, non-fiction, read-on-kindle, books-about-books

I am pretty sure I became aware of Nina Sankovitch during the year that would become the focus of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair. I either stumbled upon her website readallday.org or maybe it was Huffington Post, but while at the time I didn't know why she was reading a book a day for an entire year, I still thought it was a pretty cool idea... and okay, maybe bit nuts and slightly hard to believe too!

It didn't take long into the book for some of the my questions to be answered. Why? To help the g...more I am pretty sure I became aware of Nina Sankovitch during the year that would become the focus of Tolstoy and the Purple Chair. I either stumbled upon her website readallday.org or maybe it was Huffington Post, but while at the time I didn't know why she was reading a book a day for an entire year, I still thought it was a pretty cool idea... and okay, maybe bit nuts and slightly hard to believe too!

It didn't take long into the book for some of the my questions to be answered. Why? To help the grieving process over death of her older sister who died at age 46 and who she shared a loved a reading with. How? I assumed she was a fast reader (70 pages/hour), but was somewhat relieved that she chose shorter books (typically under 300 pages) for this project, still massively impressive nevertheless.

I have followed Nina ever since and have kept up with her less frantic/"normal" reading program (including tackling behemoths like War and Peace). When I saw she joined GoodReads, I "followed" her and she quickly replied back with a "friend" request. While pleasantly surprised at the time, now having read the book and knowing Nina's feelings of a connection/bond between all readers, I see now the "friending" was a perfectly natural reaction for response from her.

A few years back and much like Nina (tho to a far, far, far! lesser extent), I made a conscious commitment to read more books and to write about them. That said, going into this one I was a bit concerned about the awkwardness of what to write knowing there was a good chance the author would read it (btw, Hello Nina!) -- what if I didn't love it or even like it?

I'll admit I was slightly cynical going, thinking it was yet another blogger-gets-a-book-deal deal. But given the bond amongst readers that Nina professes, I was quickly won over and relieved, given my concerns in the paragraph above. This isn't just a "boom, boom, boom" collection of book reviews, nor was its sole focus this one particular year of reading, but a collection of life memories and experiences that all were tied to Nina's passion for reading. Often when I write about books I have read, the plot or other details of the book are secondary or not even mentioned, just what brought me to it and what I got out of it. If you share this passion... have a compulsion/obsession to read, you will relate to this book.

That said, I still am not sure I have as many revelatory or earth-shaking moments brought about by reading books that Nina does, nor have I experienced such an intense and crushing personal loss, that I am looking to find solace in. But without getting too new-agey I do relish ending most every day with some quiet "me" time, to settle down, try to re-center myself.... or okay, sometimes just doze off! So this passage from the book certainly hit home (as I am sure it will for others):

"... now my days ended with a book in my lap. The experience of just me and my book under the light of one lamp was like sitting before a spotlighted stage in a dark theater. The whole performance went on just for me. No intermission, no interruptions, and every word illuminated."

P.S. Of the 365 books Nina read, I've read 14 of them... which I thought was pretty darn good! Also, kind of fun the Nina is also a avid tennis fan. Guessing I may be in the minority of readers who know who she actually talking about when she mentions Caroline Wozniacki, Kim Clijsters, and Tommy Haas.(less)

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Dec 05, 2011 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

People always express amazement at how many books I read, but Sankovitch has them beat, reading a book a day for a year. This "job" helped her truly come to grips with her loss of her sister, who died at 46. Her gift lies in sharing how reading allowed her to remember Anne Marie and learn other lessons. I was able to relate to Sankovitch as she dealt with her grief, as I, too, have lost a sister.

However, the title was a turn off, as it immediately makes me think of Joan Didion's book, The Year o...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Bonnie marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Just FYI, I did not actually finish this novel, however I still want to put in my two cents but I won't include a rating since I don't feel it fair to rate a book I didn't finish.

This started out as a heartbreaking yet uplifting novel about Nina surviving the grief after the death of her older sister who died of cancer. Nina and her sister shared a love of books and 3 years after her sister's death, when Nina turned 46 (the same age her sister was when she died) she decided to begin reading a bo...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Carmen rated it 2 of 5 stars

A book about books, sounds great right? I wanted to like this book so badly, but unfortunately was never able to connect. I felt like all I got out of this book was a summary of a few people's lives, a summary of a couples books, and a flowery and somewhat forced optimism. It felt sparse and it felt redundant. There just wasn't enough depth for me in any of the characters or the general content. I guess just the way it was written didn't allow me to connect with the writer or any of the individu...more

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Jun 20, 2011 Maryj rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. I read the whole thing yesterday on several flights between Syracuse NY and Reno NV, taking notes about all the OTHER books I want to read. Basic story is that the author takes a year to slow down and read a book a day. I think most avid readers would enjoy it.

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Mar 08, 2013 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-reads, true-life

I have struggled with myself when I've thought about how I should write this review. You see, prior to reading this book, I read The End of your Life Book Club. THAT book was a wonderful story about a wonderful woman and her relationship with books and her son. It was lovely, profound, sad and a book that made me feel like a better person for having read it. This book, well, I wish I had not wasted my reading time with it. I don't say things like that about a book often. If you are thinking of r...more

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Dec 29, 2012 Gail rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-and-autobiograph

I loved the idea of this book - it's the true story of a woman who decides to work through her grief at her older sister's death by reading a book a day for a year.

This sort of project really appeals to me - I think it would be a fantastic experience to read a book a day and write about one's thoughts on each book, and what one learns. Of course, realistically, most people wouldn't be able to do this - but this woman could afford to not do any paid work, but just focus on reading. She even saw...more I loved the idea of this book - it's the true story of a woman who decides to work through her grief at her older sister's death by reading a book a day for a year.

This sort of project really appeals to me - I think it would be a fantastic experience to read a book a day and write about one's thoughts on each book, and what one learns. Of course, realistically, most people wouldn't be able to do this - but this woman could afford to not do any paid work, but just focus on reading. She even saw her reading as her full-time work.

The book disappointed me though. The year of reading was a very positive experience for the author, which is great, but somehow I just didn't warm to the author or the book. She seemed rather selfish in many ways, with regard to her husband and children - things like not going to her husband's sister's funeral because she thinks it will upset her too much, and also screaming in an out-of-control way when she hears of her sister's death, when her 3-year-old is alone in the car with her and is terrified. Of course, this book is just a snapshot of her life, and there is no doubt lots we don't see, but somehow it seemed like her feelings took precedence over her husband and children's feelings, and she was a bit of a diva about it all!

The book seemed to focus more on her life than on the books she read - and I didn't particularly find her life very interesting. I wanted more focus on the books, and on what she learnt, how she changed, as a result of the year of reading. The various snippets of things she learnt seemed quite basic - things like learning that she isn't the only person in the world to suffer. And she reads so incredibly quickly, I wonder if she would have learnt more, and had a deeper experience, if she'd taken a slower pace. But she did what she did, and obviously her experience was real and valid for her, as such she couldn't really have written the book differently. It just didn't really do much for me. I liked the idea, and that was it. It make me contemplate what sort of reading challenges I might set for myself.

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Dec 13, 2012 Chung-yee rated it 4 of 5 stars

The power of books. The author spent a full year reading a book a day, “year of magical reading”, then wrote a review of the book including what she gained from the book. The author had hoped that the project would provide a year of change from the hectic life as well as a period of mediation following the death of her sister three years before. Her readings varied, mostly fiction from mysteries to classics and a small selection of non-fiction works. Included at the end of the book is the readin...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Steffi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-bibliomanes-libraries

Mal wieder darauf reingefallen. Ein Buch verspricht, über die Freuden des Lesens zu berichten und dümpelt dann seicht vor sich hin. Die Autorin beschließt nach dem Tod ihrer Schwester, den Verlust dadurch aufzuarbeiten, indem sie an die gemeinsame Leselust anknüpft und plant ein Jahr lang jeden Tag ein Buch zu lesen und zu besprechen. Das geht natürlich nur, weil sie als amerikanische Hausfrau und Mutter nicht arbeiten muss, einen verständnisvollen Mann und vernünftige Kinder hat und so jeden Ta...more

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Oct 15, 2012 Sheri rated it 2 of 5 stars

Ugh! I take great pleasure in talking about books and sharing thoughts about books with my friends. So I expected to really like this non-fiction account about the author's year of reading -- one book a day for a whole year. So I was greatly disappointed to find myself in the midst of this preachy account of what the author learned about life, death, love and loss from her reading. She didn't really talk about the books so much as make her teachy, preachy points with snippets of this and that fr...more

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May 25, 2012 Sacha rated it 5 of 5 stars

When Nina Sankovitch's eldest sister Anne-Marie died of bile duct cancer in May of 2005, life as she knew it became bereft of meaning, her days filled with sorrow and endless internal inquiry as to why tragedy had struck her family. Desperate to preserve her sister's memory and find solace in her absence, Nina proposed to her family in October of 2008 that she would read a book a day for an entire year. Her purpose: to heal herself through connectivity and commiseration with the joys and sorrows...more When Nina Sankovitch's eldest sister Anne-Marie died of bile duct cancer in May of 2005, life as she knew it became bereft of meaning, her days filled with sorrow and endless internal inquiry as to why tragedy had struck her family. Desperate to preserve her sister's memory and find solace in her absence, Nina proposed to her family in October of 2008 that she would read a book a day for an entire year. Her purpose: to heal herself through connectivity and commiseration with the joys and sorrows of human interest stories, while honoring the Sankovitch family's deep-seated passion for literature.

"Tolstoy and the Purple Chair" is introspective, nostalgic, philosophical, and wonderfully lyrical, recounting books of Nina's past, books she reads throughout her project, and stunning stories of her Belarusian roots as she forges ahead through one novel after another in the quest for quietude and life affirmation. She muses on life, death, love and relationships, raising children, and history and legacies, keeping her sense of humor about her while accruing Zen-like realizations along the way. In the end, she preserves her sister's memory beautifully, exhibiting adulation and gratefulness for having her in her life. One gets exactly what they want from this memoir - lots of self-reflection, strength through adversity, and powerful personal stories. At the finish, the reader truly feels as if they know Nina and have grown to love her and her extended family.

When she began what she dubbed "The 365 Project" and launched its corresponding website (readallday.org), Sankovitch chose to read books that were an inch in width, assuring her that she would be reading no more than 250-300 pages total and could finish it in just a matter of a few hours (she can read 70 pages per hour), leaving her plenty of time to write a review of what she'd just read and attend to other matters (housework, children, etc.). She read many places but one of her favorite spots was an old chair in her living room that had been reupholstered over the years with a dark purple fabric, a chair that always carried the faint smell of cat urine from a beloved pet having repeatedly marked it as its own in years past.

Coincidentally, "Tolstoy and the Purple Chair" is a pat 222 pages, making it easy for someone who can match Sankovitch's reading velocity to finish it in just over three hours' time. Though I don't read as expeditiously as she does, I was enraptured by her journey and found myself glued to her memoir all throughout the day, finishing it in two days time between meeting the demands of two small children and a house in constant need of cleaning. My "purple chair" ended up being my bed, my couch, a sofa at the library, and a park bench.

Sankovitch provides her reading list in its entirety in the back of her book (all 365 of them!), putting into action her stance on the importance of sharing books with others. She says: "My book-a-day project affected not only my life but those of everyone with whom I shared my reading. I spread the gratification of reading through discussing books, much as authors create bliss by writing them. What a gift, to share the joy and the comfort and the wisdom! Everything I shared, I found first through the simple act of sitting down in my purple chair and reading a book." (pg. 211) As a result, I have now added several titles to my "to be read" list (which grows larger by the day - ack!) due to the loving and often moving explications she gives on the stories' central themes ("The Assault" by Harry Mulisch is an example that immediately comes to mind).

Bottom line: Poignant and meditative, "Tolstoy and the Purple Chair" is an exquisite homage to a beloved woman, encouraging healing and cogitation through one's passions. Sankovitch is bound to inspire many who read this work, whether it is the motivation to find their own bliss, or simply the recommendation and subsequent power and enjoyment of a great book. (less)

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Apr 21, 2012 Christine Christman rated it 3 of 5 stars

I did love this book and I kept thanking Nina in my heart for articulating and putting down so well the many reasons that I love books and stories and the many gifts they bring to my life. She opens her 365 day journey of reading a book a day with one of my new favorites "The Elegance of the Hedgehog" so I was immediately hooked and curious to see what it meant to her. I have not been through the experience of losing a person as close to me as a sister so I don't have anything to go by, but the...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Florinda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

From books to blog and back again, Nina Sankovitch chronicles her “year of magical reading” in TOLSTOY AND THE PURPLE CHAIR. In describing it that way, Sankovitch intentionally references Joan Didion’s THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING; this is a time of healing from loss, as she turns to books--reading one each day, every day for one year, and writing about it on her blog Read All Day--to help her make sense of life following the death of her beloved sister from an aggressive form of cancer.

If you d...more From books to blog and back again, Nina Sankovitch chronicles her “year of magical reading” in TOLSTOY AND THE PURPLE CHAIR. In describing it that way, Sankovitch intentionally references Joan Didion’s THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING; this is a time of healing from loss, as she turns to books--reading one each day, every day for one year, and writing about it on her blog Read All Day--to help her make sense of life following the death of her beloved sister from an aggressive form of cancer.

If you didn’t know what was motivating Nina to undertake this project, it would be easy to envy this stay-at-home mother of four sons for having the luxury of spending the bulk of her days reading and blogging for an entire year. And once you DO know her motivation for it...well, it’s still hard not to be just a LITTLE envious, but that’s greatly tempered by compassion. This isn’t a vacation--Nina is not taking a year off from her family or domestic responsibilities to bury herself in books. It’s not a vague, idealistic quest for “self-improvement” either--this is FOCUSED, or as she describes it, “intense.” This is reading as therapy--and it seems to have been pretty effective therapy, at that.

TOLSTOY... is an engaging and inspiring read. While it’s a chronicle of an endeavor fueled by sad circumstances, it’s also a record of accomplishment. Nina actually manages to read 365 books in one year, at the rate of one per day, and write about them all, but that’s really all in service of a larger goal; books are her tools. At the end of that year, working with the tools she’s chosen, she’s gained insight and understanding about how to keep living and loving and moving forward. She discusses selected, personally significant books in some detail, but this isn’t so much a “book about books” as it is a book about one particular thoughtful, articulate reader’s personal journey through one transformative year, which has a narrative arc of its own.

While not exactly a book about books, TOLSTOY AND THE PURPLE CHAIR IS a book about reading, and it’s clearly a book FOR READERS. The idea of using books to help process a significant life event--not strictly looking for information, but seeking emotional truth in stories both real and fictional--makes perfect sense to a reader. It’s something many of us probably have done, or would do under equally personally-challenging conditions, even if we couldn’t devote a full year exclusively to it. However, as readers, we can appreciate that Nina Sankovitch did, and chose to share her story; it’s evidence of the life-changing power of books...literally.(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Denise rated it 4 of 5 stars

Want to read a book about reading books to heal from life’s curves? Then this is the book for you! To heal from the death of her sister, Anne-Marie, Nina Sankovitch lived life for 3 years at full throttle. She tried to live not only for herself, but for her sister who died too young. But it didn’t work. The author was ragged and still grieving.

One common interest the sisters shared was reading. Therefore, to heal, Ms. Sankovitch chose to “escape back to life” by reading a book a day. She read b...more

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Mar 07, 2012 S. J. Bolton rated it 5 of 5 stars

'The next day I read Watership Down, all 476 pages of it.'

When Nina Sankovitch lost her sister to cancer at the age of 46, grief threatened to overwhelm her. Taking a time-honoured path, she used endless family-centred activity to keep the heartache at bay. At last, close to exhaustion, she turned to something she had always been able to rely on - books. For the next 365 days she read, and reviewed, a different book each day.

The premise behind this book is so unusual that I honestly had no idea...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Chicagobluesgirl rated it 2 of 5 stars

So glad to find that some others felt as I did while reading this book. I almost quit reading it because of the author's seemingly selfish approach to life. Let me first say that when someone is grieving, they need to take care of themselves and that there is no timeline for any one person's grief or road to healing. I wish Nina well on that road that all of us take, if we live long enough.

I was deeply troubled by parts of this book. I was upset that the author (she casually mentioned) could not...more So glad to find that some others felt as I did while reading this book. I almost quit reading it because of the author's seemingly selfish approach to life. Let me first say that when someone is grieving, they need to take care of themselves and that there is no timeline for any one person's grief or road to healing. I wish Nina well on that road that all of us take, if we live long enough.

I was deeply troubled by parts of this book. I was upset that the author (she casually mentioned) could not bring herself to attend her husband's sister's funeral; I seriously could barely read from beyond that point. Here she was expecting her entire family to pick up the slack over her year long exercise in grief (especially her husband) and then could not give him a fraction of the same support she expected everyone to give her. I saw this selfishness repeated as almost a theme throughout the book--there was her son's illness which seemed to be in the way of her reading, various times when her children would call to her and while as a parent you can't always be there for your child's every whim, she seemed to throw out gestures to assuage like what one might use to put off a pesky pet. Another time I felt incredulous was when I read about an occasion where she was with her sister and Anne Marie was lamenting how unfair it was that her life was to be cut short. Nina buried her face in her sister's sweater (which she still has and wears) but did not listen to anything her sister said!! She wished later she had heard those words of her sister's incredible struggle to accept her own death? Who was that event about--not Anne Marie's apparently.

I have lost loved ones but never a sibling so maybe I would feel differently, but I doubt it. I can't imagine expecting the world to stop because I grieved or my responsibility as a parent to go on sabbatical for a year. Yes, we should get all the time we may need to grieve, but most don't have the luxury to burden everyone around them with that sorrow.

I think it is great that she found solace in books and her advice to search for wisdom there is right on. The book list is astounding and her accomplishment is admirable. I just struggled with several aspects of at what cost her own needs were met.
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Feb 05, 2012 Kristy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'd say this is a mixed review of this book. It's a memoir, this author decides to read a book a day for a year (and she actually does!) as a way of working through the grief of losing her sister to cancer. I liked the way she talks about grief and recovery, she also had great stuff to say about why we read and how fabulous books are (those parts would make excellent book group discussions). But, she reads a book a day for a year. She talks about sitting on the beach with her family (husband and...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Cynthia Davidson rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: every reader

Recommended to Cynthia by: found out about it online at Amazon

Am so glad I started my new year off with this book! Was reading it quickly, because I'd gotten it for my mother, but found it so full of wisdom and the infectious JOY of reading, I slowed down because I didn't want it to end.

I'll definitely be recommending it, as my choice this year, for our Prudence Island Book Club. Ideally each book club ought to choose a title that revisits the very reasons why we read!

Although the word 'bibliotherapy' is never mentioned, this is the best example of it, I'...more Am so glad I started my new year off with this book! Was reading it quickly, because I'd gotten it for my mother, but found it so full of wisdom and the infectious JOY of reading, I slowed down because I didn't want it to end.

I'll definitely be recommending it, as my choice this year, for our Prudence Island Book Club. Ideally each book club ought to choose a title that revisits the very reasons why we read!

Although the word 'bibliotherapy' is never mentioned, this is the best example of it, I've seen in practice! Nina Sankovitch certainly found a way that's worked for her, and for many other people reading along over her shoulder. Hers is a great example of 'good health' in both attitude and action. She is already quite tethered to 'reality' due to her daily involvement in her family; with four growing boys and a husband, so her reading is not 'escapism' in the unhealthy sense. She was not hiding out from the world, by reading a book a day, but rather putting herself back into circulation, by entering the worlds the authors were offering up for her (our) exploration. And this approach drew her quite successfully out of her depression after the death of her 46 year old sister.

I believe this book was the best possible form of honoring that sister, her entire extended family, and our human family because it acknowledged the pain, suffering, wisdom & worth of everyone else's struggles, rather than blowing her own out of proportion to the world as a whole. This is a precious key to anyone's return to wellness, and she learns many other valuable lessons from the books she reads and writes about.

It's my hope that more people will reach for the books rather than the pills, the booze, the drugs which are such scourges upon our modern day society. And that they will also share what they learn, via a blog, Facebook, or any other method for keeping in touch, with reality & each other so the sense of isolation can shrink back into odd moments rather than all the time. The books are out there, our time is our own, enough to follow her example, even if we give ourselves more than a single day to complete each book. See her website ReadAllDay.org for more information and inspiration.(less)

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Oct 10, 2011 Kim rated it 3 of 5 stars

I debate between three and four stars. Aspects of this book I adored. What, for a reader, is not to love about a book about a super-devoted reader, with plenty of details of books both known and loved, known and disliked, and unknown and awaiting judgment? And yet there are things not to love, namely that in her use of blog posts to create a book, Sankovitch tells at least three stories more than once. Some readers may not be bothered by seeing the same phrases reappear, or the same story with a...more

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About Nina Sankovitch

Nina has worked at many jobs and pursued a variety of careers, but for the past few years has been reading and reviewing hundreds and hundreds of books. From October 2008 through October 2009 Nina read and reviewed a book a day.

Her memoir of a life of reading, entitled Tolstoy and the Purple Chair, comes out in June 2011. Tolstoy and the Purple Chair not only tells the story of Nina's life of read...more

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“It is a gift we humans have, to hold on to beauty felt in a moment for a lifetime.” — 14 people liked it

“We are what we love to read, and when we admit to loving a book, we admit that the book represents some aspect of ourselves truly, whether it is that we are suckers for romance or pining for adventure or secretly fascinated by crime.” — 13 people liked it

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