What are you reading this week? And what did you think of last week’s books? Please share! We’d love to know.
I’m currently reading National Book Award winner The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine. I’m about a third of the way through and I’m finding it absolutely delightful. I’ll probably start Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood after that. She’s such a wise, irreverent, and entertaining lecturer I imagine her memoir is going to be pretty good.
I finally finished King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby in audiobook format. Wow, what a dark, dark, book. It definitely doesn’t leave you feeling happy, and I kinda wish I’d saved it for January or February; not the kind of thing to read during the holidays. Don’t get me wrong - it was great - but I certainly didn’t come away feeling anyone in that book was a hero. Now I’m on to The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. It’s not my regular genre, but a lot of people have spoken highly of it so why not.
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A few weeks ago I described my “retro reading” quest. I started with East of Eden, which was wonderful. The strong theme of “Thou Mayest” still resonates. Next came The Light in the Forest. My heart felt for the boy who was kidnapped and then raised in a loving Native Indian family/clan. Years ago I read a biographical account about a young Texan boy who lived through his teens as a valued and honored member of his Indian family. He was returned to his German family who lived near Austin, TX. He was miserable and couldn’t continue to live.
I’m still exploring great books and authors from the 1950s. Catcher in the Ryeis definitely worth rereading. It’s important to consider the context of the time these books were written.
I’m finishing a mystery, The Big Empty by Crais. Cursed Daughters awaits.**
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I am reading ‘Only here, only now’ by Tom Newlands. No idea how I landed on this one! It follows a novel, which shall remain nameless, that I actually gave up on. Something I hardly ever do but it wasn’t grabbing me and lack of quotation marks in dialogue confused me. Last week I read two books focusing on friendship and aging, Evensong by Stewart O’Nan (4 stars) and Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer (somewhere between 3-4 stars for me)
I’m reading Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens (for a class), A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr (for a book group), and Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (because we are going to see the play next week).
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I listened to The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams and found it to be lovely. It was only 30 minutes long, but is a beautiful children’s classic. I can’t believe how many of these I missed out on, but am thinking that’s okay as I seem to appreciate them more in my senior years.
I just started listening to The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie. I’ve never read any of her books so am interested to find out how I take to her writing.
I’m still reading Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera and wondering if I will ever get through it, but forcing myself because it checks off so many challenges in my Always Fully Booked planner/journal.
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I am reading “Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Combahee River Raid, and Black Freedom during the Civil War” and am struggling. It is so long with so much setup and I am losing interest. It is unfortunate since the story is so important. Last week’s “The Covenant of Water” was almost as long but it held my interest. I feel like a failure when I DNF.
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I’ve checked off three of my four reading group picks. Spent by Alison Bechdel, The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer and The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett. Let’s just say I will look forward to January picks and hope they are more to my liking. I did like The Serviceberry and found it well wortht the read, leaving me with much to ponder. My RL book club is reading This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed. I’m about a third into it. I like the topic (Banned Books) but am not a fan of YA. This just wasn’t a banner month for my collective reading. From my personal reading table, I have started When Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen. Next up My Friends by Fredrick Backman. I hope it is as good as the hype!
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When the Cranes Fly South and My Friends were both 5 stars for me!
I have been at the lake this week visiting with my daughters and family. I let myself enjoy the cold wintry days by reading and so I read The House on the Cerulean Sea, The Ghostwriter, Buckeye. Each very different. I adore the Cerulean Sea, liked the Ghostwriter even if it started slowly and I have yet to decide on Buckeye. I realize it was chosen by Amazon as it book of the year, however, I did feel the story was not that solid. Have others read it? If so how to you feel about it.
So glad you like the Crane book, it will help me to it as my next read.
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I am reading The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong, Voices in the Stones by Kent Nerburn, and listening to The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien.
There are sad parts - but sweetness too.