It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Tuesday Edition)

I know. I know. It’s Tuesday!

Having an extremely hard time finishing books. Anything really. I am distracted. Wonderfully, horribly distracted. A little bit grumpy, too, if I am honest. Not really liking this combo, but what’s a girl to do? Read my way out of it?

I recently finished two books.

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

This was my book club’s selection. These book club members are teachers, psychologists, marketing content…I got distracted again…

This is what I emailed to a book friend yesterday describing this book:

“This was my book club’s pick. What a literary group they are! It’s like Mr. Bridge or Mrs. Bridge. Did you read those? Or Seinfeld. Nothing overly dramatic happens, but you’re glued to the mundane. It’s about relationships, marital and otherwise, day-to-day working academics, college professors, writing! All the things you love! It is wonderfully written. Kind of Stoner-esque without the sex. I enjoyed and found it incredibly compelling. I recommend!!!”

I will definitely tackle another Stegner. Boy, does he write characters well!

Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman

I decided to pick up this one because I very much liked Sunburn. I have had bunches of driving time lately, so listening to a thriller was in order and needed to balance out simultaneously reading Crossing to Safety, which requires treading carefully.

I found this one engaging and satisfying! Actually, I fell asleep last night listening to it through my pillow and had to replay a large chunk this morning. I was in a need to know now mood.

Newspaper columnists, forbidden relationships, a couple of murders, coverups and, of course, everyone manipulating everyone. 

Fairly light and exactly what I needed.

So now what?

I need to eat breakfast then exercise because my class reunion is this weekend. I also need to finish The Most Fun We Every Had by Claire Lombardo, which I set aside to read my book club selection. Halfway through and liking!

Looking for an audiobook recommendation to fill some time? Got any?

As always, I have a stack of books next to me. They give me comfort. I touch them a lot.

What are you reading these days? Anyone?

Hosted by The Book Date

It's Monday, January 30th (Can You Believe It?)! What Are You Reading?

Hosted by The Book Date

Sometimes life gets in the way and severely impacts your discretionary reading time like this past weekend. You, too? No, it’s fine and all good. Important to choose people over books, yes?

What did I finish?

Not a heck of a lot!

Not sure why it took me so long to read its 132 pages. It’s really a one sitting book. Mothering Sunday is the day servants are “allowed” off to visit their families. In this book, Jane, who is a servant for a neighboring estate, has a long-term affair with Paul, the upper-class dude next door who is getting married in two week’s time to a lady in his socio-economic circle and moving to London. It’s about love, lust, loss, class structure, finding oneself, moving on and letting go. I liked it very much and would definitely like to read more from Swift.

What am I currently reading?

This deserves a post of its own, but I have successfully convinced both of my book clubs to read the same book, or one to read a book I’ve already read, four out of the last five times. They usually meet within a week or two of each other. If I had to read separate books, one for each, it would leave me with precious little time to devour something of my very own choosing. Don’t tell them.

I’ve had a copy of this book for months. Both clubs were looking for an “it” pick (a new release everyone is reading, talking about and loving) that contains humor and some crazy. I thought this one would serve multiple (read selfish) purposes.

Within the last year, I’ve been trying to discover a few books from small press publishers. I can’t even remember where or how I came across this book. It’s pretty insane. It is extremely raw, not for the easily offended or faint of heart. The language and subject matter are pretty rough. It’s about addiction and relationships. I am liking it the more time I devote. I’m about halfway and finding myself mentally planning when I can squeeze in a few pages into a busy day. That’s a good sign. I should finish today or tomorrow, so I’ll give my complete assessment next week!

Kan is also the author of The Vegetarian. I chose to take on Human Acts first and I am listening to the audio version. I am about one third of the way through and on the second of what I assume will be many more narrators. It is already so, so dark. It’s going to break my heart, I just know it. Is cruelty part of being human? I think this book with drive us to ask this and many other things.

What am I going to read next?

On February 14th, I am going to be first in line somewhere to buy: 

the long awaited work of fiction by George Saunders!!! You see, I have a date with him on March 2nd, and I would like to discuss it from an intelligent and intimate perspective.

I can’t wait to find out what his favorite word is! (I ask every author if they would include it with their signature. Haven’t yet met one who wouldn’t.)

What are you all reading???

It's Monday, January 23rd! What Are You Reading?

Hosted by The Book Date

It was a great week in my reading life helped by the fact that I was on vacation.

What have I recently finished?

Man, I just love her and made quick work of this collection. Read almost the entire thing on a four hour flight. It is that good. This book is some sassy, sexy, troubling stuff. Exactly what I love! Described by Goodreads as “(a) collection of stories of rare force and beauty, of hardscrabble lives, passionate loves, and quirky and vexed human connection.” A-mazing!!!

This book club pick that proved worthy of lively and meaningful discussion even though I only gave it 3-stars. Waters writes beautifully, but this 570 page novel could easily have been 370, in my humble opinion. She writes same gender sensuality extremely well. I wish she might have dove into one character’s thoughts about her first experience in any kind of depth. Maybe she did not for a reason.

If you can get past the base premise of a Lolita-esque love affair, this book was very satisfying, well written and narrated (audiobook)). I give it two thumbs up. Try it!

What am I currently reading?

This is my next book club pick which was so convenient because I already had it on my shelf just begging to be read.

This book is best sipped story-by-story and is somewhat thought provoking so far.

What will I read next:

As usual, who knows?

What do you have going on these days?