Show Us Your Books May 2022

Pat Conroy’s house in Beaufort, South Carolina

I was away for last month’s Show Us Your Books so this is two months worth of reviews. I’ve been on a roll lately so there’s some good ones here that you all probably ready years ago.

Five Stars

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne - I‘ve had this book on my TBR for years and I‘m glad I finally read it. Every emotion was contained in this book, and I easily gave it five stars.

Sandworm by Andy Greenberg - Wow! If you want to know why everyone got really scared about cybersecurity about a month ago read this book. I‘m going to have to read it again just to make sure I caught everything.

Four Stars

The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy - This was an impulse read because I spent some time in Beaufort, SC last month. I‘m really glad I read this sweeping, epic story of the Wingo family. It was a bit too drawn out in some places, but overall an excellent read. I might have to read it again now that I know what happens in the end.

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver - This was a re-read for me. I still love this book although I forgot how long it takes the ending to come. I think Kingsolver does a masterful job of developing the voices of these girls, and that really comes out in the audiobook.

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford - I‘m ever so slowly chipping off the books that have been on my TBR the longest. This one, added in 2016, I almost skipped because it‘s yet another WWII book. I appreciated the different spin on this one though, and liked the background about jazz on the West Coast. I‘m glad I finally got to it.

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson - I really liked this book about a Cold War federal agent who also happens to be an African American woman.

Pride: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Ibi Zoboi - These modern Austen retellings set in different cultures than the original British versions really work for me.

Three Stars

Indemnity Only by Sara Paretsky - I was blown away by this series when I first read it in the 90‘s so I thought I‘d give it a re-read this year. I still like VI and her tough as nails crime fighting ways.

Hell and Other Destinations by Madeline Albright - I enjoyed this memoir about Albright‘s career after being Secretary of State. I didn‘t/don‘t know a lot about her, but she seemed very funny and smart. I‘d like to read more of her books.

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia - This dragged some in spots, but the time period and setting made up for it.

This post is linked to Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit.

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Show Us Your Books July (What!?)

Meet Daisy. Brother Oliver is too fast to get a good picture yet.

Two good things happened since we last met up. One, my library opened for curbside pick up! Two, we adopted two kittens who are adorable and love to lay around with me while I read. We also took a very socially distant trip out of town to go hiking, and that meant audiobooks in the car. So, a good month for reading.

(Note, I was worried to leave my city which is filled with pretty serious social distancing mask wearers to go someplace that didn’t have as good of a reputation, but it was fine. No confrontations I’m happy to say.)

And how is it mid-July already?

The Best Book I Read Last Month

The Color Purple by Alice Walker - I read this a long time ago, and picked it back up again early last month. So much good stuff here. You need to read it if you haven’t.

“I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don’t notice it.”

— The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Food For Thought

A $500 House in Detroit - I thought I was getting a HGTV style makeover book, but what I got was a really interesting look at race and class in Detroit around 2008.

Parable of the Sower - I read this for a reading challenge not knowing that a dystopian novel set in the year 2025 would seem so believable based on the year 2020. This is the second book I’ve read by Octavia Butler, and I will be reading more. (The other book, Kindred, was also really good.)

Ten Days In A Mad House - In 1887 journalist Nellie Bly had herself committed to a “mad house” so that she could report on the conditions. Once you read about the conditions and the ease of commitment in those days you will be amazed by how brave she was.

Chicago

I weirdly ended up reading three books set in Chicago last month.

Rodham - A book about what might have happened to Hillary if she hadn’t married Bill. I thought this book was super clever, and have recommended it to a bunch of people (including you!)

Becoming - I loved the behind the scenes looks at the White House, and the very real struggles the Obamas had raising two kids with two working parents. This might have been bad timing though, because to me a lot of the things we worried about in 2008-2016 just seem so quaint.

A Raisin In The Sun - I love this play, and read it often. This was the first “grown up” book I read when my mom took me to see it in Boston as a high schooler. The struggles in this play just poke my heart.

Just For Fun

Mary Anne Saves The Day - Yup, I’m 42 years old and read a Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel in preparation for watching the Netflix series. So sue me.

Anne of Windy Poplars - Still reading through Anne’s books. I enjoy them, but they’re feeling more and more like filler that LMM’s publisher talked her into writing.

Twisted Twenty-Six - These books are always the same, and I always enjoy them. This was the first one I’ve ever done as an audiobook, and I liked the narrator.

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September 2017 Audio Books

Fall flowers

Summer is officially over, and after running here, there, and everywhere for weeks I'm looking forward to some weekends at home puttering and listening to audiobooks! I haven't listened to much lately, but here's a few I did manage (mostly in the car.)

In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson -- I read this book a long time ago, and decided to give the audio a try this summer. I like this one - it's more like A Walk in the Woods than some of his others that I find to be too judgey.

Al Franken, Giant of the Senate by Al Franken -- Interesting to see how the sausage gets made. He wants to run for president right? That's why he wrote this book?

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald -- Still one of my favorites, and I love it on audio. For such a short book, there's so much there. Beware of careless people.

That's all for this month! Hopefully next month I'll be back in the swing of things.

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March 2017 Audiobooks

Happy Tuesday? Anybody else have a snow day today? We have about 2 inches of frozen sleet and more banging the windows as I type. I don't mind snow, but when there's ice I stay put. Time to figure out a snow day reading list!

How The Light Gets In and The Long Way Home by Louise Penny - This series. It just keeps getting better and better. How The Light Gets In had me close to sobbing in the metro station. Then The Long Way Home returned to some of the humor and lightness of the first few books. I'm so glad to see there's a new one coming in August, because the thought of coming to the end of these is grim.

Animal Farm by George Orwell - I was thrilled when I started listening to this and figured out that it was read by Ralph Cosham, the same guy who does the Inspector Gamache books. Anyway, I read this book in high school, but only remembered the bare outlines. I still didn't find it to be particularly engaging, but it felt right to revisit this year.

It Worked for Me by Colin Powell - This book (read by Colin Powell himself!) ranged between incredibly insightful to just plan weird. I care about his thoughts on leadership a lot more than about what makes a good clock for a hotel room. Overall, a worthwhile listen.

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