We’re still in our honeymoon period here weather wise. It’s not too hot and flowers are everywhere. Summer’s coming though. Last night when I was walking I swallowed a bug.
After starting a stopping a number of audio books I finally settled on Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling.
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Much to Daisy’s delight I started reading Down City at around 4 this afternoon, and couldn’t put it down until I finished. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that, and I think I can say my reading slump is officially over.
This week I’m going to try to finish up some reading goals I had set for March, and start packing for my vacation coming up in a few weeks. I also need to work on my garden if it ever stops raining.
Have a good week friends!
“What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?”
In The Quick by Kate Hope Day - I heard this described at The Martian meets Jane Eyre, which as luck would have it are two of my favorite books. How could I resist?
Death By Dumpling by Vivien Chien - I’m reading this as part of a diverse cozy buddy read. So far, so good!
Lark Ascending by Silas House -- I saw this on some list somewhere of best books of 2022, and my library hold came in Friday. I’ve only just started, and I’m looking forward to some dystopia. (Yes this is the third week I’ve has this on my list. This week I am determined because it really does sound good!)
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This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
My reading slump continues. Hopefully this week will be slower and I’ll have better concentration.
This is supposed to be peak week for Cherry Blossoms here which meant a lot of traffic pre-covid. We’ll see what that means this year. My goal this week is to take a walk and see the blossoms every day. They truly are beautiful.
Have a good week friends!
“It is always fatal to have music or poetry interrupted.”
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri -- We’re reading about Syria this month for #FoodAndLit. I’d heard a lot about this book, but not loving it. I’m willing to accept this is because of my book slump and not the book.
The Old Ways by Robert MacFarlane -- I signed up for a travel writing postal book club, and this is our first book. I’m looking forward to this group so much!
Lark Ascending by Silas House -- I saw this on some list somewhere of best books of 2022, and my library hold came in Friday. I’ve only just started, and I’m looking forward to some dystopia.
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This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
Everything is in bloom here this week, and I am loving it. The whole world looks like an Easter basket. It’s been cold this weekend, but so far the blossoms seem to be holding on.
How are you all doing with the time change? Our schools are closed for a teacher work day tomorrow which I think is really smart! Let the kids ease into it I say.
Last week was really busy so I didn’t read much. I’m hoping this week will be better. I have a lot of good books going on!
Have a good week friends!
“You’re bound to get idears if you go thinkin’ about stuff.”
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck -- This is my third time reading this chunkster classic. It’s one of my favorites.
Caroline: Little House, Revisited by Sarah Miller -- I’ve been doing a chapter a day re-read of the Little House books on Litsy, and it inspired me to re-read this one. It’s Little House on the Prairie told from Ma’s perspective.
Lark Ascending by Silas House -- I saw this on some list somewhere of best books of 2022, and my library hold came in Friday. I’ve only just started, and I’m looking forward to some dystopia.
Note: links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
I took last week off from blogging. My new year hadn’t gotten off to a good start, and I decided I needed a reboot. Now I’m back, rested and refreshed, and just a little bit organized. I’m looking forward to catching back up with you all and talking books!
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng - This has a long wait at the library, so I have to return it next week. From what I’ve read so far that won’t be a problem!
Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell - I’ve been listening to this on audio off and on, but it is also due back at the library soon. I need to get back at it!
End of the Lane by Sonia Parin - I needed something short and light for kindle reading on my commute. I hope this is it!
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This post is linked to The Sunday Post on Caffeinated Reviewer.
This isn’t my cat. This is my neighbor’s cat. He sits by my back door and gives me dirty looks most days. It’s kind of the way I feel about January in this area. Too warm to snow, too cold to garden. Oh well, at least it’s good for reading.
Here’s the best of the best from December.
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny - I read this slowly trying to make the time to the next one as short as possible until I couldn’t take it any more and rushed through to the end. What a ride. This installment was more dark and twisted than usual and I‘m here for it.
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley - I loved this book- the characters and the setting. One of those books that they call YA because of the age of the main character, but it’s not really. (I got this from the library, but I see it’s free on Kindle Unlimited right now.)
Flying Solo by Linda Holmes - I used to love reading Linda’s reviews on Television Without Pity, and I’m happy to say I enjoy her books just as much. I really liked the story line here. There was a whole decoy duck subplot I just got a kick out of.
Search by Michelle Huneveno - After spending the last year hiring in various capacities and on assorted committees this book was so relatable.
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa - On an unnamed island things just disappear, and the Memory Police make sure it stays that way. This book was haunting. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I really liked this book and will read more by this author.
Maggie-Now by Betty Smith - This was the last of Betty Smith‘s books that I had left to read, so finishing it was bittersweet. Like Smith’s other books this one took place in Brooklyn and explored the push and pull between what women want and what society expects.
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Channeling my inner Pete The Cat
Just another average reading month for me. Nothing exciting happening. How about you?
Most of my March reading took place before social distancing took place. You would think that staying at home most of the time would lead to an increase in reading, but my brain is scribble scrabble. Obviously 2020 isn’t turning out to be the year to care about reading goals or challenges. In the mean time I’m doing puzzles, making bread, and working in the yard.
Here are a few things I did manage to finish:
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - This is the one book I did manage to finish in the first few weeks of staying at home. The world of Anne is so comforting, and I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. I feel lucky to just be discovering this series now.
The Day The World Came To Town by Jim Defede - It was inspiring to me to read about how people came together during another time of crisis.
Finding Mrs. Ford by Deborah Goodrich Royce - Mrs. Ford is living the good life until the FBI shows up. If you like the twists of Ruth Ware books I think you’ll like this one too.
Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips - This one is getting a lot of good reviews, and I think they’re deserved. It starts with an abduction of two sisters in Russia, but the book itself is only slightly related to the abductions. Instead we get a story each month about others in the community which of course includes mention of the missing sisters. It’s very interesting how it all comes together. I had to return it to the library, but if I hadn’t I would have read it again right away once I knew how it all fit together.
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett - Good, old-fashioned girl power YA dystopia. Give it a try of you like that kind of thing.
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Winter sports have started which means a lot of my reading takes place at the ice rink now.
It never fails. As soon as I hit publish on my list of favorites from 2019 I read 3 amazing books. Don’t get me wrong, too many amazing books is a good problem to have, but I feel bad for my books. I hope they know they are all my favorites in their own way.
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - This read like a warning to us all, with a glimpse of a silver lining. It’s not too late, but you need to pay attention. I was worried this sequel would be awful, but I liked it quite a bit.
The River by Peter Heller - A lot of the reviews on this book went back and forth on if it should be called a thriller. The tension of people vs. nature plus the constant threat of a hidden adversary thrilled me.
Stoner by John Williams - This book shows up a lot on lists of classics you probably haven’t read. I finally read it for a book club and thought it was wonderful. It sounds boring if I describe it - the story of an undistinguished man’s life, but Williams wrote with such a thoughtful melancholy and I loved it.
Cookies don’t bake themselves, and I needed the help of some good audiobooks.
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane - A good story that kept me guessing until the end. However I probably wouldn’t recommend this on audio because the narrator mispronounced all of the Massachusetts names and it drove me nuts.
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem - Another one that kept me guessing. However this one worked especially well on audio. If you tried to read this and couldn’t get into it because of the main characters ticks you might want to try it again.
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou - Completely bananas. I couldn’t believe this was a true story. If you think you know workplace drama, give this one a try. Woah.
Part of project re-read
A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline - Once again this book ripped out my heart and crumpled it up like an old piece of paper. It’s very similar to Stoner now that I think about it.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith - I’ve been seeing this book everywhere lately, and I’m so glad it’s getting the love it deserves.
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I brought my two kids on an epic East Coast road trip last week, and as the only driver I really wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for audiobooks. The problem with family road trips though is you have to be selective about the books you pick. Here are several that have been acceptable for all the kids ages 8-42 in my family.
Leave recommendations for our next trip in the comments section!
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Spring is here, and I'm spending a lot of time listening to audiobooks while I walk under flowering trees. I'm enjoying it as much as I can before summer starts, and I need to stay inside near my air conditioner! I live in DC, so probably about another two weeks.
I found Z for Zachariah in the kid's section of my library, but it freaked me the heck out, and I'm glad I didn't try to listen to it with my kids. It's an end of the world novel about a girl living alone on a farm after a nuclear war - until a man finds her.
I finished The Nature of the Beast, and am sad to say I only have one book left in the series until the new one comes out in August. I liked this one as much as I have liked the last few. That is to say, a lot. Plus there's physics! Yay physics! Can anyone recommend a similar detective series that is good on audio?
I've also been busy reviewing books for The Armchair Audies.
Here are my review so far:
Reviews for the last two in the category will be coming this month, and then I'll announce who I think should be the winner in the category.
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A blog for all things bookish.
