Monday, June 22, 2015

It's Monday 6/22! What Are You Reading?


Busy, busy week and then a nice, quiet weekend spent recovering! Both of our sons went to Firefly (a giant outdoor concert here in Delaware with 90,000 people) this weekend, so I am enjoying a little bit of quiet solitude before they both come home in a couple of hours....probably both completely exhausted!

We enjoyed some good books last week:
  • I finished The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce for my neighborhood book group. I enjoyed this unique story about a retired British man who leaves his house on the southern coast one morning to mail a letter to an old friend dying of cancer and instead keeps walking. He decides on the spur of the moment - with no preparation - to just walk all the way to his friend, in the northern-most town of England. The novel starts out light and funny but digs deeper as Harold walks and gradually allows himself to remember some of the traumas he's experienced. It was excellent.
  • With two book group reads behind me, I am now reading my second Big Book of the Summer, Revolution by Deborah Wiles, a middle-grade novel set in Mississippi during the summer of 1964, the Freedom Summer. I knew nothing about the events in Mississippi that summer, so the historical backdrop has been fascinating, alongside a compelling fictional story of both white and black kids in one town. I'm enjoying it very much so far.
  • I finished listening to Nest by Esther Ehrlich, another middle-grade novel. It was excellent, about an 11-year old girl in 1972, coping with her mother's sudden illness as well as more ordinary adolescent problems. It is both heart-breaking and heart-warming and paints a vivid picture of growing up at that time (I've been living in the past this week!).
  • To continue this week's retro middle-grade theme, I am also reading the graphic novel The Baby-Sitters Club: Kristy's Great Idea by Raina Telgemeier, based on the popular series by Ann M. Martin from the late 80's. I was too old when the original novels came out, but I am enjoying this graphic novel adaptation.
  • After finishing A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin, my husband, Ken, chose a teen/YA novel that my son and I both enjoyed, Sharp North by Patrick Cave (in fact, it was one of my Big Book Summer reads in 2012). He's enjoying it so far.
  • Jamie, 20, is reading a review book we received last year: The Grace of Kings by Ken Lui, book one in The Dandelion Dynasty, an epic fantasy novel (his favorite kind!) and also a Big Book. He says it is very good so far, though he didn't have much reading time last week with Firefly!
 Blog posts last week:
Review of A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson, my first Big Book of the summer.

Review of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, a teen/YA audio book

Saturday Snapshot, with photos of raindrops on our local greenery

Great Books About Fathers, a Top Ten list reprinted from my monthly book column in Vital! magazine

A Tribute to My Dad, for Father's Day

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
 
   

Yesterday was officially the first day of summer, so you still have plenty of time to join the Big Book Summer Challenge and join the fun! You only need to read 1 book (though you can read more if you want) longer than 400 pages to participate. And this year, for the first time, there'll be a Big Book Giveaway at the end of the summer for participants!



15 comments:

  1. I thought Revolution was wonderful. I LOVE Deborah Wiles! I'm looking forward to reading Nest. Sounds like you have great reading plans this summer!

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  2. Anonymous4:16 PM

    It's only 383 pages, but I finished "The Last Dickens" by Matthew Pearl and got my comments up: https://wrotetrips.wordpress.com/2015/06/22/dickens-faux-bookcase-and-the-last-dickens/

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  3. I've heard such good things about Harold Fry - I really must get to it one day.

    Happy Reading

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    1. It's an interesting book, Brona - starts out light, but there is a good bit of depth to it.

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  4. YAY Baby-sitter's Club!!! They were my favorite. I read 100s of them when I was younger! I even reread them a handful of years ago :) And the graphic novels really are well done as well.

    Enjoy Revolution--it is a special book! Deborah Wiles actually showed up in our Twitter chat tonight. She is an amazing author! When you finish, you should check out the archive of the chat.

    Happy reading this week! :)

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    1. So sorry I missed the Twitter chat, though I have been trading Tweets with Deborah Wiles on my own - will have to look at the chat.

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  5. The Harold Fry titles sounds like an interesting adult read. Isn't Revolution fabulous? There was a #revolutionchat on twitter this evening and Deborah Wiles joined in. It made the evening perfect.

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    1. Sorry I missed it! I have been chatting with Deborah Wiles on Twitter, though.

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  6. I really want to read Revolution! I hear such great things! I just finished a book that was about 370 pages. It didn't make the cut! Kellee and I are working on our big book post for next week. :)

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    1. Great! Glad you are going to join the fun!

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  7. How cool that you are rereading something from the Babysitter's Club. I loved that as a kid, but like you, was a little too young to be allowed to enjoy it.

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  8. How many book groups do you have in all? Every week, you seem to be reading a new adult novel for your book group! Amazing. Harold Fry sounds like an interesting read indeed.

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    1. ha ha - too many, Myra!! I belong to two regular, local groups - one in my neighborhood and one at the local Unitarian church with two good friends. Then, 2 years ago, I started an online family book group with my aunts & cousins. AND...I sometimes go to my library's monthly book discussion, too!

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