What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? Please share! We’d love to know.
FINISHED:
PLY by Hernan Diaz—Texas Book Festival author 2026.
I entered Ply with a bit of trepidation because Hernan Diaz is so, so smart. But enter it I did and while some of the science/technology was beyond my grasp I just love the way he tells a story. It took a little bit of time in the early pages to understand the world in which the story resides. The main character is not named but goes by “pincher” which means she steals electricity to power “bricks” that are strung together to power underground concerts. She’s living in a very interesting dystopian world set in a distant future where most of the traditional systems along with infrastructure, buildings, and social services have crumbled. PIncher is a complex and very talented teen living a hardscrabble life, mostly alone to keep herself safe. Hernan Diaz has been labeled an “intellectual gamesman” and it is exactly that aspect of his storytelling that I so enjoy contemplating long after the final page.
MISS WOLCOTT’S GHOST (Inspector Gamache #21) by Louise Penny— Clara Morrow features in this 21st publication set in Penny’s beloved Three Pines. The salvage man was a distant relative of Clara’s late husband, Peter. This story covers the historic sinking, botany, haunting memories and at least brief appearances by all the Three Pines favorites. In an author note [that should NOT be read before finishing the book] Louise Penny writes about the historical notes that she had held until finding a way to build a respectful story around them. It is this thoughtful approach that makes her and the series such favorites.
NOW READING:
THE BEAUTY OF THE DAYS GONE BY by Jason Stone, read by Richard Poe—
Texas Book Festival author 2026.
In early pages this seems to be a cross between Larry McMurtry and Cormac McCarthy.
NORTH WOODS by Daniel Mason—rereading for irl book club.
WHAT CAME WEST by Josh Weil—
NEXT UP
VENUS, VANISHING by Rebecca Birrell
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I am reading “Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution” by Amanda Vaill right now. The story is solid but the title is a little misleading since they talk about Hamilton more than his wife and her sisters. It is still an engaging historical tale. Hamilton did not do anything for me, so I had low expectations.
I finished “You Like It Darker” by Stephen King last week, which was personal growth for me, since I rage quit his last few works. Some of the stories are better than others, and, as a general rule, the longer ones are better. “Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream” was a particularly interesting “Law & Order” episode.
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I am currently reading Madame Fourcade’s Secret War: The Daring Woman Who Led France’s Largest Spy Network Against Hitler It is an older book (2019) but worth reading. Marie-Madelaine Fourcade was an amazing woman. She and her network were instrumental to the Allies winning World War 2. It is a great work of non-fiction.
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I finished Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus. It’s quite the romp about a wannabe poet finally landing a job in a prestigious publishing house. Parts of it are just delicious and parts are over the top silly, but I’d give it a strong 4 of 5. Certainly, a departure from ho-hum.
Currently still making my way through The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas hardy (published 1886). It is surprising in its modernity while sometimes taking a few too many words to make a sentence if you know what I mean. By the same token, some are so masterful, I read them twice. It definitely has its charm.
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Oooh, Madame Fourcade’s Secret War sounds really good, @Michelle_S! Thanks for the recommendation.
For me, I read Red Ants, a really fantastic collection of short stories written by Anishinaabe author and poet Kimberly Blaeser. They all concern contemporary Anishinaabe culture. Although I’m not generally a huge fan of short stories, I did love this set and highly recommend the book.
I’m just about done with Daughters of the Sun and Moon by Lisa See for a book club discussion, and then it’ll be on to Tiger’s Mouth by Lucy Tan for review.
In audiobook format, I finished Chris Bohjalian’s latest, The Amateur. It was fine, but there are other books he’s written that I’ve enjoyed more. Our reviewer gave it a four and I think that’s fair. Now I’m listening to Luna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie Orringer and mostly enjoying it. I got a little hung up on the dog in the first section, but that’s not the story the author is trying to tell here, so that’s a me thing. Enjoying the next section more.
I’m reading a book for book club: WHAT THE EYES DON’T SEE by Mona Hanna-Attisha. It’s nonfiction about the Flint, Michigan water crisis. I wanted to read about this, but I had another book in mind, I forget it’s title. I’m not even halfway through this book, and I already have lots of problems with it. First, it’s not just about the water crisis but also about the author. Granted, she was involved with Flint because she’s a pediatrician there, but this is her memoir about lots more than just the Flint water crisis. We hear about her family and where she went to a high school and the city she grew up in, etc. But I also grew up in that same city and I’m familiar with nearly every place she talks about. She gives her opinion about everything, and I don’t always agree with it. I’m really not happy with this book. but I’ll keep reading it for as long as I can stand it.
I just finished reading LAST ONE OUT by Jane Harper. I liked that one. I like everything Harper writes.
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The Beauty of Days Gone By sounds right up my alley. I love Larry McMurtry and Cormac McCarthy, although I have to take Cormac in small doses sometimes because of the violence in some of his writing.
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Kim, that’s exactly the way I felt about THE AMATEUR, that it was fine, but Bohjalian has written other much better books.
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Hey @Lana_Maskus I’m happy to learn there is another western lover here. It really doesn’t get much better than a comparison to McMurtry and McCarthy, right? So both of the authors that I mentioned (Weil and Stone) get that comparison and they are on a panel together for the book festival. Stone’s book, set in Texas seems to be more about the history with the characters (many are based in history) as secondary, a little grittier and more violent (Indian raids, kidnapping, etc) while Weil seems to be more about the characters and the story while still being historically relevant. Weil’s story is set in the Sierra Nevadas during the gold rush. I’m listening to both and it may simply be a matter of narrators but I’m finding Weil’s to be an easier listen. In my mind Stone’s storytelling is more like McCarthy and Weil’s is closer to McMurtry. I think there are distinct audiences for both.
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I just finished Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li. Kim’s review is perfect! Towards the end, I thought there was a questionable amount of time spent on one character but I’m wondering if it sets up the content for the next book in the trilogy.
I’m planning to stay in the world of classical music and start Barbara Kingsolver’s Partita next.
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After finishing “Welcome to Murder Week” by Karen Dukess, which was a pleasant romp through the English countryside, I moved on to Samantha Downing’s “Too Old For This”. This was my third female serial killer of a certain age book this year–is this a new sub-genre?–which moved a little more slowly but I did learn various ways of disposing of bodies without leaving evidence. I’ve just started “The Birthing Tree” by Amanda Peters–have been waiting for it so look forward to settling down with it this weekend.
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Re: Madame Fourcade’s Secret War
This is a non-fiction book I recommend a lot! A must-read story of an amazing woman. Definitely a book that falls in the “truth is better than fiction” category.
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I finished Ill Met by Moonlight, the November 1000 books read. Not really my cup of tea, but I thought it was interesting. Will look forward to hearing what others think about it.
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I finished Miss Wolcott’s Ghost which was true to Penny’s previous books. The mystery is intriguing as it involves a hundred year old sinking of a ship. I’m just into Kraus’ Whalefall. We’ll see. I admit the movie trailer caught my attention although I didn’t go see it at a theater. How does Jay survive? I continue to read and enjoy Lambeau Ladies which is about some of the wives of the Packers. Different perspective about the NFL in earlier days.
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Thanks for the compliment, @Diane_Jones! Partita is high on my list, too. I think it will make a great companion read with Music Against the Night.
I think Music Against the Night will make a great War & Peace companion. Did you know there is a connection?
Yes, and you’re right, there was definitely some overlap.
I finished Passing by Nella Larsen and was bowled over by it. It is about as perfect as a book can be.
I also completed A Very Short History of the Israel-Palestine Conflict by Ilan Pappe. It provides a history of the Palestinian state and subsequently Israel from the breakup of the Ottoman Empire. I do somewhat regret listening to the audiobook while driving because it would have been extremely helpful to have been able to refer to maps of the region.
An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Turston was such a fun little book. Maud, the 88 year old “elderly lady”, is one of a kind.
This week I’m listening to The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes, continuing Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, and starting Ill Met by Moonlight by W. Stanley Moss. It took well over a month to borrow it through ILL, but it looks very interesting.
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DAUGHTERS OF THE SUN AND MOON by Lisa See
This historical fiction follows the lives of two Chinese women and one Chinese American woman. Their lives intersect in the dusty pueblo of 1870ʼs Los Angeles. It explores the dark chapter of the Chinese Massacre of 1871 in LA. I enjoyed the book because it increased my knowledge of the intense racism against the Chinese at that time period.
ANGEL DOWN by Daniel Kraus
I was hesitant to read this book because I haven’t been in the mood for another war novel. However, due to the recent book awards it has recently received I gave it a shot.
The writing style and narrative with one continuous sentence was difficult for me to grasp. I had many tedious tasks to complete so I switched to the audio version. A BIG DIFFERENCE - The audio offers a more engaging read by giving the listener a more tense and visceral read.
NIGHT CAME WITH MANY STARS by Simon Van Booy
Another example of this authorʼs novels and stories of how ordinary people trying to balance their lives through tragedies that focus on how families find themselves through love and acceptance. I am really enjoying this author’s perspective of how love endures through trauma.
I am currently reading THE BONESETTERʼs DAUGHTER by Amy Tan. Similar to her novel THE JOY LUCK CLUB the plot examines the mother-daughter conflicts of Chinese motherʼs with their daughters.
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