What book or books are you reading this week? Please share! We’d love to know.
I finished Let’s Call Her Barbie for our upcoming book club read next month. I was a little surprised that it’s really more a fictionalized history of the people behind Mattel as opposed to the actual creation of the doll (although there’s plenty of that in there, too). Fun fact: Barbie’s unreasonably tiny waist was created to make her clothes fit better. Since fabric is fabric (can’t be made smaller) she looked too dumpy in her high fashion clothes with a normal size waist - the fabric was too thick/bulky. Anyway, it was an interesting book to read & I’m looking forward to the discussion. On to Orbital!
In audiobook I’m in mourning because I finished the last of my Slough House novels. One of my favorite series is by Michael J. Sullivan - the Riyria Revelations. The characters he created for those six books were outstanding, so much so that he went back & created a set of prequels featuring those same characters. Well, the latest was released in October, so that’s what I’m listening to now. Unfortunately, I’m having a lot of trouble getting into it. I thought picking a book that was completely different from the Slough House series would help me move on, but my current listen isn’t anywhere near the same quality as that series. Oh well.
Finished Babylonia yesterday for the online bookclub in January. Will start Flowers for Algernon today for my Banned Bookclub also in January.
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I finished Time of the Child by Niall Williams and Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor. Two Irish titles back to back.
I’m now reading an older book from by unread tbr: The Incarnations by Susan Barker. I don’t recall what led me to buy this book but it carries a sticker stating it is a New York Times notable book of the year. Has anyone read it?
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Time of the Child is my favorite book of this year!
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Night Swimmers by Roisin Maguire. Yet another book from an Irish author!
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Just finished The Wedding People! Great book. Starting The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rejulak. Orbital …on my list to read too. I read just about anything but it seems like I’m reading all about wedding’s this month.
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Just finished Babylonia for Bookbrowse online club and have been listening to the God of the Wood which I am greatly enjoying.
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Just finished reading Daughters of Shandong. Very enjoyable.
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Reading The Plot so I can read The Sequel
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Reading Playground by Richard Powers. Such a powerful writer!
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The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson
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Yay! I hope to hear your thoughts when you’ve finished Night Swimmers.
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Currently reading The Moors Account by Lilai Lalami. “The Moor’s Account” is a fictional memoir of Estebanico, the Moroccan slave who survived the Spanish Narvaez expedition across the southern US and into Mexico in the 1500s with Cabeza de Vaca. He is widely considered to be the first African explorer of America, but little is known about his early life except for one line in Cabeza de Vaca’s chronicle: “The fourth [survivor] is Estebanico, an Arab Negro from Azamor.” * (Wikipedia). An expedition that started as a search for gold became one of survival because of the Spaniards’ hubris toward the land they were exploring and its inhabitants.
It is of particular interest to me, living in Southwest Kansas, because Estanbanico was a direct link to the later Coronado expedition looking for the Seven Cities of Gold in Kansas. He fed the Cities of Gold legend to Coronado and his associates. Coronado crossed the Arkansas River and the first Christian Mass within the continent was said about 4 miles from my home. Every schoolchild in Kansas is taught about the Coronado expedition so it has fascinated me for years. There is a very large cross at the Mass site that visitors can climb a hill to visit.
I seem to be drawn to the Irish writers this year! 
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I am finishing up “The Eyes & The Impossible”(Newbery Winner) and starting “Everything We Never Had.” BookBrowse voters nail the YA Winner every year so I am looking forward it.
I’ve just started A VERY IRISH CHRISTMAS, a book of short stories by Irish writers. Some I am familiar with (Anne Enright, Colm Toibin, W.B. Yeats (actually that one is a poem), Claire Keegan and James Joyce… Others I will be introduced to.
I bought both in audio book format for that very reason - I want to read The Sequel but have a policy about reading series in order.
Playground was one of my favorites for 2024. I hope you enjoy it!
I need to find a way to discuss books in a way that’ll allow spoilers. @Nick, maybe a topic like, “Spoilers: Books we’ve read and want to discuss”? I desperately want to talk to someone about the ending of that book but don’t want to spoil it for others.
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Time of the Child is on my list, too! It wasn’t in stock when I went to one of my favorite Indie bookstores last week. I know I could order it . . . but I was looking forward to picking it up on impulse.
I haven’t heard of The Incarnations but am looking forward to your thoughts on it - sounds interesting!
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