Monday, December 15, 2014

It's Monday 12/15! What Are You Reading?


Another dark, gray day here in Delaware - we haven't seen the sun in weeks! It's been pretty gloomy inside our house, too - both of our sons are still home from school. College son has mono, high school son has a concussion, and both are still feeling pretty crummy. And our post-Christmas vacation to the Keys is hanging by a thread. We are just taking things one day at a time right now.

As always, books are a comfort! Here's what we've been reading:
  • I am still reading Hild by Nicola Griffith, even though my neighborhood book group met last week to discuss it. It's set in seventh century Britain and includes both a map and a family tree filled with unpronounceable names at the front and uses a lot of Old English words with a brief glossary at the back...so it was slow-going at first, with a lot of flipping back and forth. But, as one of my neighbors told me, it's like a rollercoaster and the second half goes much faster. I'm glad I stuck with it through the difficult beginning because it's a great story about the childhood of a real-life woman who became a saint.
  • I finished Us by David Nicholls on audio, the story of a marriage falling apart amidst a family vacation across Europe. I LOVED this book, and it was fantastic on audio - warm and real and sad at times, but with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. One of my favorites of the year.
  • I started a new graphic novel, my first-ever for adults: Blankets by Craig Thomspon. I'd read and heard many times that it's one of the best graphic novels ever published, and I'm enjoying it so far. The beginning is about the main character's difficult childhood.
  • My husband, Ken, is still reading The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. This is one of our son's all-time favorites. Ken had trouble at first, reading it while he had the flu, because it's a complex story, but now he's enjoying it.
  • Jamie, 20, finished Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburn. His concentration has been poor due to the illness, but our avid reader can now read again, which he's happy about! 
  • He also read a new middle-grade book we received as an ARC last week, Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen. He said it was kind of light, and he didn't enjoy it as much as her earlier series...but he does realize that at 20, he is no longer the target audience for middle-grade novels!
  • Last night, he just finished Cephrael's Hand by Melissa McPhail, book 1 of the series, A Pattern of Shadow and Light. He enjoyed it very much.
  • Craig, 16, is very limited because of his concussion - no screens, video games, school, homework, computer, or anything on his phone. No reading, either, but he doesn't normally enjoy reading anyway. He's been so bored that he's been listening to audio books! Mostly, he's listened to an old family favorite, Looking for Bobowicz by Daniel Pinkwater, several times this week! I'm trying to get him to try something else, but this is his favorite...the equivalent of bookish comfort food.
I'm getting very busy with the holidays and the boys home, so just a few blog posts last week:
Review of Sisters by Raina Telgemeier, a middle-grade/teen graphic memoir

Review of  The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis, a novel

Summary of Books Read in November
This week will be even busier!


 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.   
 




9 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear of all the illness and injury in your home! I'm glad that books have been comforting, especially the audio book for Craig! You've convinced me to put Us on my list for 2015. I have been considering it but it sounds like I definitely need to read that one!

    Have a great week!

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    1. You'll love it, Julie! I especially enjoyed it on audio.

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  2. Anonymous11:54 AM

    I hope you enjoy your first graphic novel and pursue more. Can I suggest Relish by Lucy Knisley and Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh? I am also a huge fan of the Fables series by Bill Willingham. Thanks for sharing! ~Megan
    http://wp.me/pzUn5-2dL

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    1. I've read some graphic novels for middle-grade and teen/YA, but Blankets is my first for adults. Thanks so much for the suggestions! I'm adding them to my TBR list.

      Sue

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  3. I have not read any of these books, so it was great to hear about them! Thank you for sharing. Misery loves company, so I will share that it has been dark and gloomy in CT, too!

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    1. Ricki, I did see a glimpse of the sun briefly this afternoon before it disappeared behind the clouds again - it's still there...somewhere...

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  4. Hopefully the boys are feeling well enough for you to go to the Keys. You all deserve a vacation!
    Blanket is LOVED. I look forward to hearing what you think; I haven't read it yet :)

    Happy reading this week!!

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  5. Glad to hear such a rave review for Us - we have it our TBR pile for the summer hols :-)

    Hope the sun comes out soon!

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  6. Us sounds great, adding that to my Wishlist. Happy Holidays

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