It's Monday 6/30! What Are You Reading?

Running a little behind today. Things are in an upheaval around here lately, and it's only going to get worse. My dad was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma, so we went to visit him this weekend (in my hometown, Rochester, NY). Hopefully, his surgery will be scheduled this week, but we are heading out to Oklahoma to visit my father-in-law, whom we are in the process of moving out here to Delaware. And my oldest son's chronic illnesses are badly flared up. So, yeah, going through some rough times here, but hanging in there and staying optimistic.

Thank goodness for our books that provide some comfort and escape. Here's what we've been reading this week:

• I finished Tomorrow There Will Be Apricots by Jessica Soffer for a book discussion hosted by my local bookstore, where a local chef prepared foods related to the book while we discussed it. The novel was excellent - about the interaction between a teen girl who's feeling lost and unloved and an older woman who just lost her husband. Much of the book focuses on delicious-sounding Iraqi foods (both the girls' mother and the older woman are chefs), and the lunch was wonderful!
• Now I am reading Endangered by Eliot Schrefer, a YA novel. It's about a teen named Sophie who is visiting her mom in the Congo, where she runs a sanctuary for bonobos, a type of ape. Sophie gets stuck there during a violent coup and must find a way to save both herself and the bonobos. It is great so far - suspenseful and compelling.
• My husband, Ken, finished The Martian by Andy Weir, which I gave him for Father's Day. He really enjoyed it - it's like MacGyver meets Gravity.
• Ken is now reading a modern classic, The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton.
• Jamie, 19, is finished reading the Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson on his Kindle, finishing book 2, The Well of Ascension, and then reading book 3, The Hero of Ages. He is fortunate enough to be able to read in the car without getting sick, so he had 14 hours of reading time this weekend!
• Next, Jamie read The Prince of Ravens, Book 1 of The Exile Trilogy by Hal Emerson.
• Now, Jamie is reading Ink Mage by Victor Gischler, another free fantasy novel on the Kindle.

Just one post last week:



Review of  The First Phone Call from Heaven by Mitch Albom

What are you and your family reading this week?    

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey, with a kid/teen version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

There is still plenty of time to sign up for my Big Book Summer Challenge! You only need to read one book, 400 pages or more, this summer to participate, so join the fun!