Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
How to Breathe Underwater
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
Nine brave, wise, and spellbinding stories make up this award-winning debut. In "When She is Old and I Am Famous" a young woman confronts the inscrutable power of her cousin's beauty. In "Note to Sixth-Grade Self" a band of popular girls exert their social power over an awkward outcast. In "Isabel Fish" fourteen-year-old Maddy learns to scuba dive in order to mend her family after a terrible accident. Alive with the victories, humiliations, and tragedies of youth, How to Breathe Underwater illuminates this powerful territory with striking grace and intelligence.From the Trade Paperback edition.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
Anna40
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image
Pickpick

Orringer writes about what everyone writes about -but she does it so much better than everyone. Some stories were a bit too dark for me - pretty much every story has death in it.I loved The smoothest way is full of stones: Coming of age set in an Orthodox Jewish family caught between the secular world and the secluded way of Orthodox life by the arrival of a secular cousin.And it‘s the cousin who finds meaning in Orthodox life…

19 likes1 stack add
review
ImperfectCJ
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image
Pickpick

These stories explore the different ways people deal with trauma and loss. Orringer's characters are mostly children/teens, but even her grown-ups don't have things figured out much better. Mostly these stories take place in the 1990s, based on the absence of cell phones and on how uninvolved the adults are in their children's lives. I can't tell if Orringer intends this as an indictment of Baby Boomers' parenting style, but that's how I read it.

TheBookHippie Interesting. I raised my daughter then (she‘s in her 30s) and I was super involved- but not helicopter involved- I‘m raising my son now and the difference is astounding to me. I feel these parents are insanity at best 😂😂🤷🏻‍♀️😝However my childhood no one‘s parents knew where any of us were at any given time or what was going on in our lives 🤷🏻‍♀️nor did they care. Depends where and what kind of community I imagine that you are living. 3y
ImperfectCJ @TheBookHippie "I feel these parents are insanity at best." Do you mean the parents in these stories or parents raising children in the 2020s? Regardless of one's opinions about parenting styles, I certainly get the impression from these stories that Orringer isn't keen on the laissez-faire method. 3y
TheBookHippie @ImperfectCJ Today IRL 2022 -in my experience with other parents 😱😆 it‘s interesting .. or I‘m just OLD and too Hippie. As for the book- Orringer- She‘s no hippie that‘s for sure . 3y
ImperfectCJ @TheBookHippie Based on how things went in her story with the hippies, I'm betting you're right about Orringer. Overall, although I don't agree with everything parents are doing, most of what I see in parenting these days is a big improvement on most of what I saw growing up in the 80s and 90s. But like you say, it's probably going to depend on community, individual circumstances, etc. 3y
TheBookHippie @ImperfectCJ having been mostly raised by nondrug using altruistic hippies some of the “helicoptering” is just -wow. What‘s funny to me is I was considered over protective with my daughter and waaay to involved and with my son I‘m considered not protective enough. I‘m exactly the same and Mr Book Hippie thinks I‘m way more protective this go round. So I agree it‘s your surrounding community and perspective. 3y
48 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
April
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image
Pickpick

A beautiful collection of stories about girls and women making sense of a world that can at times be cruel, beautiful, underwhelming, and bizarre by turns. My favorite story of the bunch was "The Isabel Fish," though all were moving. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

review
Zoe_reads_books
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image
Pickpick

The best books of short stories I‘ve read in a long time! It took me a while to read because I wanted to savor it. Yes, the stories are very bleak, but they are written absolutely beautifully! 5/5 stars

24 likes3 stack adds
blurb
rmaclean4
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image

Rainy Saturday morning read. So far the best short story collection I have ever read. I find I am reluctant to pick it up because I dont want it to end.

blurb
rmaclean4
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image

I am blown away by these short stories!! #sundaynightplans

blurb
rmaclean4
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image

When too many of your library books come in at once! #problemsofareader #firstworldproblem #thestruggleisreal

EvieBee Have you been watching Mercy's bookshelf tour? Because I have these same title on my list to pick up from the library...especially How To Breathe Underwater. 7y
rmaclean4 @EvieBee84 I do watch Mercy's videos. Love her recommendations and that she supports small publishers. Have you ever gotten a Moth Box? 7y
EvieBee @rmaclean4 I had no idea she was doing those! I feel so out of the loop. Have you received one? I trust her judgement. 7y
rmaclean4 @EvieBee84 i have not ordered one...but have been very tempted. 7y
4 likes4 comments
blurb
leslieisreading
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image

Some keepers from my shelf. #publishedinthe2000s #readjanuary

blurb
Zoe_reads_books
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image

I went to Half Price Books to sell some books and I came home with two new ones. But I'm also $1 richer, so I'd say my purchases were justified!

Notafraidofwords How to breathe underwater is so good 😊. Beautiful passages and stories. 8y
23 likes1 comment
blurb
Sraexx
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image

Chili burbling for hour 2, hiding from my wildling children in my scruffy kitchen.

MrBook Love it ☺️👏🏻 8y
6 likes1 comment
blurb
Sraexx
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image

Short stories are hard for me to get through but so far so good. #booksandfood hearty breakfast bread and cheddar.

review
Notafraidofwords
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image
Pickpick

'da fudge did I just read? Wha?? This was freaking amazing. I will never forget them. Each story touched my heart. In the core of this collection is the question: why do girls hurt each other so much and where do boys fit in the equation of that hurt? Read. It.

BookishTrish Her novel is simply amazing too 8y
Alena So glad you loved it! 8y
Notafraidofwords @Alena I really did. 8y
31 likes9 stack adds4 comments
quote
Notafraidofwords
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image

"Now we are different girls, it seems to me, carrying a different kind of weight." This book y'all. I keep telling myself "one more story and I go back inside" but each story sucks me in!

47 likes6 stack adds
blurb
Notafraidofwords
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image

So so good. I've liked all the stories so far. Even the ones that left me scratching my head and saying 'huh?' And I'm not even done yet!

Alena Oh yes. 8y
Notafraidofwords @Alena have you read it ? 8y
Alena Years ago. I'm a fan of short stories. 8y
Notafraidofwords @Alena I like them, but I have to love them to stick through them. 8y
42 likes3 stack adds4 comments
review
woohoobooks
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image
Pickpick

#Recommendsday Pick! A Beautiful short story collection that encompasses the dark, tragic, yet hopeful experiences of youth. These will hit you hard in the best way possible.

6 likes1 stack add
blurb
Janet
How to Breathe Underwater | Julie Orringer
post image

Loving the first story in this collection I acquired at the #wi11 Backlist Book Swap. ❤️

hellohellolacy It's so good! I hated missing that book swap. Stupid Jonas delays. 9y
8 likes4 stack adds1 comment