My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
What did I read during the last week?
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: Loved it! My review is here.
The Lieutenant’s Nurse by Sara Ackerman: Historical fiction/romance centered around the attack on Pearl Harbor. My review is here.
Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You by Lin-Manuel Miranda, illustrated by Jonny Sun. A sweet book — my review is here.
In audiobooks:
I listened to Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely, which was an Audible freebie last month. It’s a short, fluffy, modern romance — not really my thing, but pleasant enough to keep me entertained while driving.
Pop culture goodness:
I finished watching season 5 of Grace & Frankie!
Anyone else feel like most of the characters are getting really mean? And that Frankie is becoming more and more intolerable? I’m still really having fun with this show, but certain moments really made me cringe. And now we wait for season 6!
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week! I mean, yes, I did get a few library books (that will probably end up going back unread)… and well, yes, I did end up grabbing a few price-dropped e-books this week:
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
Woman 99 by Greer Macallister: Historical fiction — off to a good start!
Now playing via audiobook:
Tortall and Other Lands by Tamora Pierce: More Tortall! After finishing the Beka Cooper books, I didn’t want to pull myself completely away from this fantasy world. So far, I’m enjoying this collection of stories set in and around Tortall, featuring some familiar characters as well as introducing us to new people and magical creatures.
Ongoing reads:
Two ongoing reads with my book group, plus one more on my own just for kicks:
A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon: Continuing our journey through all of the Lord John books and stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Our group classic read.
The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens: I’m reading this classic via the Serial Reader app, and really enjoying it! I’m at 70% — the end is in sight!
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Life.
What a week. Insanely busy at work, and then crazy hectic at home too. So… my reading time got squished down to almost nothing, leaving me frustrated. Boo.
What did I read during the last week?
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: I actually finished this the previous weekend, but just posted my review this week.
That Ain’t Witchcraft by Seanan McGuire: The 8th book in the super-fun InCryptid series! My review is here.
In audiobooks:
I finshed the Beka Cooper trilogy by Tamora Pierce! Loved these books so much. My series wrap-up post is here.
Also, I listened to…
The Test by Sylvain Neuvel: The audiobook version of this novella is short (2 hours, 12 minutes). I can’t say I was bored, but I thought overall that this work of speculative fiction lacked true depth, and the key plot twist is just too obvious. Not a bad way to kill a couple of hours, but certainly nowhere near the greatness of the Themis Files books.
Pop culture goodness:
What a week for theater! I ended up seeing two terrific performances this week:
What a fun production! The costumes are so eye-poppingly colorful, and the choreography was a treat too.
But the true highlight for me was seeing…
HAMILTON!!! This was my 2nd time seeing the show, and if possible, I loved it even more the 2nd time around. I saw it Saturday night, and have been walking around with a dopey grin ever since, singing my own off-key version of the songs and feeling some serious afterglow.
Oh, and I got this shirt, which makes me very happy.
Yes, I absolutely needed a Hamilton in San Francisco shirt!
Fresh Catch:
I picked up a print copy of the book I’m reading via Serial Reader, to make it easier when I need to go back and check details.
AND… it’s always a treat to get an email from Goodreads about winning a giveaway! I won a Kindle edition of this book this week:
Gorgeous cover, right? And the premise sounds amazing. Since the book doesn’t come out until September, I’ll probably hold off a bit before reading it — but I’m so excited to have a copy of my own!
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
I’m bouncing between a few books right now:
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: So excited to be starting this book finally.
Here by Richard McGuire: A graphic novel recommended to me by a friend.
Gmorning, Gnight! … because I’m high on Lin-Manuel Miranda right now.
Now playing via audiobook:
Lucky Suit by Lauren Blakely: Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that this does not look like my sort of listen. Still, it was an Audible freebie last month, it’s under 2 1/2 hours, and what the heck? Might as well go with something quick and light before committing to one of the longer listens in my library.
Ongoing reads:
Two ongoing reads with my book group, plus one more on my own just for kicks:
A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon: Continuing our journey through all of the Lord John books and stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Our group classic read.
The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens: I’m reading this classic via the Serial Reader app. So good! I’m now at 40%.
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Life.
So my son (very dedicated to his anti-book stance), now a high school student, casually dropped at dinner this week: “Hey, mom, that author was at school this week. You know, the guy that wrote that Scythe book.” Me: *freaking out* *freaking out* *freaking out*
He mentions this to me days after the fact! And said (grudgingly) that the talk was interesting. And that he (Neal Shusterman) talked for about an hour. And talked about writing Challenger Deep, which I really need to read.
I swear, school is wasted on the young! I wish I could have transported my consciousness into the body of one of the students for the day so I could have been in the audience. Sigh.
What did I read during the last week?
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: I wrote about reading this children’s classic (as well as Anne of Green Gables) here.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: A powerful, multi-generational family drama set in Korea and Japan. This 500-page book took up most of my reading time this week! I’ll post a review in the next few days, I hope.
Fresh Catch:
Nada! No book purchases this week.
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
That Ain’t Witchraft (InCryptid, #8) by Seanan McGuire: I’d intended to start this last week, but then got side-tracked by Pachinko and ran out of time. I’m so excited to be starting this book! I love the series so far.
Now playing via audiobook:
Mastiff (Beka Cooper, #3) by Tamora Pierce: The trouble with listening to a great book is getting close to the end, dying to know what happens, but not having enough listening time to actually finish. I’m at 83%, and I’m so tempted to switch to print so I can race through the big finale! But nope… I’m going to practice a little self-restraint and stick to the audio. For now.
Ongoing reads:
Two ongoing reads with my book group, plus one more on my own just for kicks:
A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon: Continuing our journey through all of the Lord John books and stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Our group classic read. The writing is so beautiful.
The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens: I’m reading this classic via the Serial Reader app, and love it so far. I’m at about 25%.
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
What did I read during the last week?
A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev: My book group’s February pick. My review is here.
The Secret of Clouds by Alyson Richman: A new release for this week. My review is here.
Golden State by Ben H. Winters: Weird and wonderful. Finished late Sunday. My mini-review is here.
Fresh Catch:
I treated myself to the newest book by Charlie Jane Anders. Looks amazing!
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
I have two books on the go right now:
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls: Filling in yet another gap from my childhood reading.
That Ain’t Witchraft (InCryptid, #8) by Seanan McGuire: Love, love, love this series (and pretty much everything written ever by Seanan McGuire). I’m so excited to be starting the newest InCryptid adventure!
Now playing via audiobook:
Mastiff (Beka Cooper, #3) by Tamora Pierce: The third and final Beka Cooper book… and I’m loving it!
Ongoing reads:
Two ongoing reads with my book group, plus one more on my own just for kicks:
A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon: Continuing our journey through all of the Lord John books and stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Our group classic read. The audiobook version is fantastic.
The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens: It’s been a while since I’ve used my Serial Reader app (which is awesome — see here for more info). I’ve been wanting more Dickens in my life, and figure that 10 – 12 minutes a day is a reasonable investment!
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Life.
I’m back! After a tough week, I’m back home and trying to get back into my normal routines, including blogging. Thank you to all who reached out for your support! It’s nice to be part of a community that cares.
What did I read during the last week?
This is actually two weeks’ worth of reading, since I was offline most of last week.
Reviewed:
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse: My review is here.
Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan: My review is here.
Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks: My review is here.
Not (yet) reviewed:
Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery: I did it! I finally read the book I’ve been talking about reading for YEARS. I’ll write up some thoughts later this week (or maybe after I read more in the series), but the short version is — I loved it! I definitely want to continue the Anne books.
Triquetra by Kirstyn McDermott: An excellently creepy novella about what happens later in Snow White’s life. Check it out — it’s available as an e-book or you can read it for free on the Tor website.
And in audiobooks:
The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson: An Audible Original telling the sad story of porn actress August Ames, whose death by suicide rocked the porn world. Jon Ronson narrates his investigation into the life and death of August, and while he doesn’t come up with any easy answers, the story paints a portrait of a woman worn down by her life and by mental illness at much too early an age, and at the same time illustrates some of the unfortunate circumstances facing women in the industry as a whole. It’s a moving, interesting listen, although the takeaways are a little muddled at times.
Bloodhound (Beka Cooper, #2) by Tamora Pierce: Ah, this trilogy rocks! I just finished listening to the 2nd Beka Cooper book, and loved it. I’ll write up my thoughts on the series as a whole once I finish #3, which I’m starting immediately!
Fresh Catch:
Yay, Quirk Books! I received this ARC in the mail while I was away this week, and couldn’t be more excited:
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev: This is my book group’s selection for February (the group tends to pick romances every Feb for Valentine’s Day). I’m just a few chapters in, but liking it so far.
Now playing via audiobook:
Mastiff (Beka Cooper, #3) by Tamora Pierce: I’ve been listening to Tamora Pierce’s novels since the fall, and I just can’t stop! The Beka books are so darned good, and the narration is terrific. I’m just starting, but expect to love it.
Ongoing reads:
Two ongoing reads with my book group:
A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon: Continuing our journey through all of the Lord John books and stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Our group classic read. The audiobook version is fantastic.
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
What did I read during the last week?
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro: My (audiobook) review is here.
The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman: My review is here.
Unmarriageable by Soniah Kamal: My review is here. (Loved it!)
Outlander, baby!
Season 4, where did you go???? I can’t believe it’s over!
Here’s my reaction post for the season finale, Episode 413, “Man of Worth” (aired 1/27/2019).
Pop culture goodness:
My husband and I had a night out! We went to the theater to see Come From Away, and loved it. It’s based on a true story (which is also told in an amazing book I reviewed last year, The Day the World Came To Town). If you have a chance to see the show, do it!
Meanwhile, my son and I have just about wrapped up our Game of Thrones binge! We’re down to the last couple of episodes from season 7. Now the waiting begins!
Fresh Catch:
Once again, no new books purchased this week… unless you count Kindle books, in which case — I may have over done things a bit. Plus, I got this book from the library — and despite not have small children in the house, we all loved it:
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse: Our local library picked this book as a citywide read for January/February. I’ve only just started, but I’m really liking it so far.
Now playing via audiobook:
The Last Days of August by Jon Ronson: I’ve become a fan of Jon Ronson’s audiobooks, both because of his always interesting subject matter and his skillful narration. This investigation into a porn star’s death is fascinating so far.
Ongoing reads:
Two ongoing reads with my book group:
A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon: Continuing our journey through all of the Lord John books and stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Our new group classic read starts today! We’re discussing two chapters per week. I’m giving it a shot via audiobook — so far (chapter one), I’m loving the narration!
The acclaimed and beloved author of Hourglass now gives us a new memoir about identity, paternity, and family secrets—a real-time exploration of the staggering discovery she recently made about her father, and her struggle to piece together the hidden story of her own life.
What makes us who we are? What combination of memory, history, biology, experience, and that ineffable thing called the soul defines us?
In the spring of 2016, through a genealogy website to which she had whimsically submitted her DNA for analysis, Dani Shapiro received the stunning news that her father was not her biological father. She woke up one morning and her entire history—the life she had lived—crumbled beneath her.
Inheritance is a book about secrets—secrets within families, kept out of shame or self-protectiveness; secrets we keep from one another in the name of love. It is the story of a woman’s urgent quest to unlock the story of her own identity, a story that has been scrupulously hidden from her for more than fifty years, years she had spent writing brilliantly, and compulsively, on themes of identity and family history. It is a book about the extraordinary moment we live in—a moment in which science and technology have outpaced not only medical ethics but also the capacities of the human heart to contend with the consequences of what we discover.
Timely and unforgettable, Dani Shapiro’s memoir is a gripping, gut-wrenching exploration of genealogy, paternity, and love.
I picked up Inheritance on a whim, after a book group friend mentioned plans to attend a talk by the author at an upcoming event. The little bit I heard sounded interesting enough to make me want to know more: The author, raised in an Orthodox Jewish family, discovers through DNA testing that the man who raised her wasn’t actually her biological father.
With the proliferation of inexpensive testing resources like 23andMe and AncestryDNA, anyone can learn a little bit about their genetic background. Author Dani Shapiro’s half-sister had done DNA testing, and Dani decided to do it as well. But when she got her results back, she was startled: According to the data, she was only 52% Ashkenazi Jewish, not the 100% she was certain was her correct heritage. She’d been raised in an Orthodox Jewish home, and her father’s lineage in particular was practically a who’s who of important people in the Orthodox world. She and her half-sister shared a father, but when she compared their results, it turns out that the two women were not actually biologically related at all.
The author was in her mid-50’s at this point, and both her parents were already deceased. She began to follow the scanty available clues, among them memories of her mother stating that she’d been conceived thanks to a medical institute in Philadelphia, and within days, made the discovery that her parents had turned to a fertility center that relied on donor sperm to help infertile couples have children. With only the most preliminary attempts at sleuthing, the author was able to trace connections and find her biological father, a man who was a sperm donor for a period of time as a medical student in Philadelphia in the 1960s.
The book focuses on Dani Shapiro’s search for both the facts of her heritage and conception, and the bigger truth about her identity. Much of Inheritance is spend on understanding the essential question: Who am I? The author, in discovering that the facts of her entire life were false, found herself unmoored and in desperate need of answers. Did her parents truly understand the treatment they sought? Did they know that donor sperm would be used? If they truly knew, how could they hide the truth from her for her entire life? Does this truth change her history, her understanding of her parents’ marriage, her place in the family history?
The author narrates the audiobook, which lends it greater immediacy and emotion. When she describes her soul-searching and her moments of pain and shock, it feels genuine — as though the author was allowing us a peek inside herself, letting us see the turmoil she experienced.
I must admit that there were sections that made me feel very impatient. The degree of shock and dislocation experienced by the author was hard for me to fully understand. I mean, I get being shocked by learning in midlife that there’s a big family secret that was hidden all this time — but the extreme questioning about whether she was still herself and whether she still belonged to her family struck me as over the top. What about people who’ve been adopted? What about all the other people out there whose parents used assisted reproductive technologies involving donor sperm or donor eggs? Why should the use of donor sperm in conception mean that the father who raised her wasn’t really her father?
As a whole, Inheritance spends a great deal of time on introspection and the search for meaning. Which I guess is the point of a memoir, so maybe I’m just not a particularly good memoir reader? In any case, I was much more interested in the unraveling of clues, the discussion of the medical ethics, and the research into fertility approaches in the 1960s than in the contemplative sections on identity and belonging.
That being said, I did find Inheritance quite fascinating as a whole. It’s a relatively quick listen, with lots of food for thought, and elements focused on the author’s Jewish upbringing and how that carries through to her current life particularly resonated for me.
_________________________________________
The details:
Title: Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love Author: Dani Shapiro Narrated by: Dani Shapiro Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Publication date: January 15, 2019
Length (print): 272 pages
Length (audiobook): 6 hours, 44 minutes
Genre: Memoir
Source: Purchased
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
What did I read during the last week?
In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire: My review is here.
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon: My review is here.
Outlander, baby!
I’m writing reaction posts for each episode of season 4. Here are the two most recent: Episode 411, “If Not For Hope” (aired 1/13/2019) – my reaction post is here. Episode 412, “Providence” (aired 1/20/2019) – my reaction post is here.
Season finale next week! Where did the time go?
Pop culture goodness:
The Game of Thrones binge continues! We finished season 5 this weekend. Probably my least favorite season of the entire show, but even a less than stellar season of GoT is better than most other TV out there!
Fresh Catch:
No new books this week! Amazing, right?
… although I did pick up a stack of library books, but at least I didn’t BUY any books this week!
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman: I’m about halfway through this historical novel about the strained relationship between two sisters, set against the backdrop of an American military town during WWII.
Now playing via audiobook:
Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro: A really interesting memoir focusing on the author’s discover in her mid-50s that her father wasn’t really her biological father. I’ve listened to about a third so far — quite intriguing.
Ongoing reads:
Two ongoing reads with my book group:
A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon: Continuing our journey through all of the Lord John books and stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Our next classic read starts the end of January. Can’t wait!
Plus, our book of the month for January is The Girl Who Wrote in Silk by Kelli Estes. I haven’t even started yet, so I’ll be late to the discussion — but I’m hearing good things from my book group buddies so far!
Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?
Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.
When Dimple Met Rishi is a sweet, fun young adult romance, focusing on two teens, fresh out of high school, dealing with the expectations of their Indian families while also trying to find their own way in life.
Dimple is passionate about her future as a coder, and despite her mother’s focus on finding a husband for her headstrong daughter, Dimple swears that she’s going to be laser-focused on her education and career. Rishi is devoted to his parents and is determined to make them happy, by becoming an MIT-educated engineer and settling down with a nice Indian wife.
Dimple and Rishi meet at Insomnia-con, a six-week coding competition held on the campus of San Francisco State University. Students work in pairs to develop their own unique app, and the winning team gets a chance to work with a successful web developer, Jenny Lindt — Dimple’s idol, who is everything she aspires to be.
Things are rocky right from the start for Dimple and Rishi. He greets her as his “future wife”, and Dimple throws her iced coffee on him. Yeesh, not good. It turns out that their parents have conspired to bring them together, and while Rishi is totally on board for this, Dimple isn’t. Not only is she not on board, she’s also completely unaware — her parents didn’t share their plans with her. Dimple is furious, even more so when she learns that Rishi and she have been assigned to be partners, so she’ll be spending oodles of time with him over the next six weeks.
Once past her initial anger, Dimple starts to appreciate Rishi. He’s not a hardcore coder like she is — in fact, he doesn’t care all that much about Insomnia-con, whereas she’s been living for this opportunity. Still, realizing how important it is to Dimple, Rishi throws himself into it as well. As the summer progresses and their tech ideas take wing, a friendship blooms between Dimple and Rishi… and from friendship, attraction and romance start to bloom as well.
The characters are really engaging and likable. Even though they have very different outlooks on life, it’s clear to see that they’re both passionate in their own ways. Rishi, it turns out, is following his parentally approved path to MIT, but in his secret heart of hearts, his true calling is to become a comic book artist. Through Dimple’s eyes, we learn just how talented he is, and it’s hard to understand how he could shut off that piece of himself in order to please his parents.
The two main characters’ Indian heritage adds so much to this story, as we see the weight of family traditions and expectations, but also see the cultural aspects in everyday aspects of their lives such as clothing, food, music, and more. When Rishi and Dimple are required to compete in the Insomnia-con talent show, they choose to perform a Bollywood-inspired dance, from this video:
I felt that the inner struggles both Dimple and Rishi face were portrayed really convincingly. Dimple is completely thrown off guard by her feelings for Rishi, and desperately wants to avoid allowing romance to derail her from her career aspirations into a life more suited to her mother’s preferences. And Rishi is so afraid of letting his parents down that he refuses to even consider taking the opportunities that come his way in the art world.
On the negative side, the pacing is a bit… off. It felt as though the first three weeks of the summer took up most of the story, and then suddenly we jump to the final days of the competition. That means a lot of time is spent on the early days, and then, somewhat bizarrely, on the talent show. I didn’t quite get why a talent show was at all relevant in a coding program, except for the fact that the winners get prize money to put toward their project development. Still, there’s way too much time spent on Dimple and Rishi rehearsing their dance number, and as adorable as they are together, it didn’t quite mesh with the rest of the story.
Some of the emotional crises in the relationship felt rather hollow and immature. They each goad each other and mistrust each other in some pretty petty ways… although to be fair, they’re young, and I suppose the depiction of a turbulent first love is probably pretty realistic.
My other issue with the story is that Dimple is so focused on winning the competition that there’s not much consideration given for any of the other students involved, other than a group of “Aber-zombies” who rely on nepotism rather than talent to get ahead. Granted, Rishi came to Insomnia-con to meet Dimple, but it bugged me that they’re always referring to their project as Dimple’s, and the focus is on whether Dimple wins, not them as a team.
A note on the narration:
The dual narrators, Sneha Mathan and Vikas Adam, take turns narrating sections told from each of the characters’ perspectives. We bounce back and forth between “Rishi” and “Dimple” sections, and the narrators are great at capturing their voices, inner thoughts, and emotions — love, frustration, anger, disappointment, laughter, and more. Plus, they’re able to convey other characters, like their parents or other Insomnia-con participants, in a way that makes the story feel energetic and full of life.
Wrapping it all up:
When Dimple Met Rishi is truly a lot of fun to listen to, although the pacing issues with the story occasionally made the audiobook feel like it was dragging. Overall, though, I really enjoyed it. Dimple and Rishi are great characters with good hearts, and the storyline as a whole is engaging and hopeful, and sends some good messaging about being true to oneself and following your dream. I’ll definitely want to check out more by this author.
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The details:
Title: When Dimple Met Rishi
Author: Sandhya Menon Narrated by: Sneha Mathan, Vikas Adam Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication date: May 30, 2017
Length (print): 380 pages
Length (audiobook): 10 hours, 45 minutes
Genre: Young adult fiction
Source: Library
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Reading goals
Or should that be: #readinggoals (???)
Nah, I’m not really a fan of random hashtags. In any case, I kind of swore to myself that I’d request fewer ARCs and concentrate more on my existing stacks of books, plus focus on reading whatever the hell I feel like at all times… and yet, I already have 18 (yes, 18) ARCs lined up to read between now and the beginning of June. So, trying to meet my obligations as well as stick to my plan, my current plan of attack is to read one ARC per week, more or less in sync with the books’ release dates, and read according to my whims in between all those ARCs. Will this plan stick? We shall see.
What did I read during the last week?
I read two works by Josh Malerman — a novel (Bird Box) and a novella (A House at the Bottom of a Lake), and really liked them both. I’m probably the only person who hasn’t watched the Netflix version of Bird Box yet, but as soon as I do, I plan to write up some thoughts on the book and the movie.
I wrote one book review this week:
The Nowhere Child by Christian White: A contemporary thriller set in both Australia and Kentucky. My review is here.
I also finished In An Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire late Sunday, and loved it (just like the rest of the books in the Wayward Children series). I’ll write up my thoughts a bit later in the week.
Outlander, baby!
I’m writing reaction posts for each episode of season 4. Last week’s post went up a little later than usual – check it out: Episode 410, “The Deep Heart’s Core” (aired 1/6/2019) – the post is here.
And here’s the newest: Episode 411, “If Not For Hope” (aired 1/13/2019) – my reaction post is here.
Pop culture goodness:
More Game of Thrones! The kiddo and I are about halfway through season 4. He’s loving it, and I’m loving having a good excuse to rewatch the entire series.
Fresh Catch:
I picked up a couple more books for my Great American Read challenge:
… and treated myself to one more new release that I’ve been wanting:
What will I be reading during the coming week?
Currently in my hands:
Roomies by Christina Lauren: I picked this up at the library on a whim, because there’s never a bad time for a Christina Lauren pick-me-up.
Now playing via audiobook:
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon: This is just so frickin’ adorable! I’m about halfway through – can’t wait to hear the rest.
Ongoing reads:
Two ongoing reads with my book group:
A Plague of Zombies by Diana Gabaldon: Continuing our journey through all of the Lord John books and stories.
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: Our next classic read starts the end of January. Can’t wait!
My Monday tradition, including a look back and a look ahead — what I read last week, what new books came my way, and what books are keeping me busy right now. Plus a smattering of other stuff too.
Bookshelf Fantasies 