Monday, May 02, 2016

It's Monday 5/2! What Are You Reading?

How on earth did it get to be May already?? And why is it still cool and wet and dark out? Last week went by in a blur - my high school son was home sick all week, which is very rare. He had a high fever and killer sore throat, with severely swollen tonsils, but tests for both strep and mono came back negative. These kinds of mystery symptoms are very worrying, given his and our medical histories here (he is recovered from the same immune disorder that my older son and I have). By Friday, he felt better and his fever was gone, though his throat is still not back to normal. But he was well enough to go to his Senior Prom with his girlfriend on Friday night, so that's what's important!

So, my week was spent rushing to doctor's appointments, the drugstore, the lab, and taking care of him. Not a lot of reading time and virtually no writing time because the TV was on all week! He watched all 9 seasons of The Office (for about the third time) - his comfort TV. I have to admit that I got sucked into it, too!

So, here's what we read last week:
  • I finished Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz for an online book group and really enjoyed it.  This is an odd but very entertaining book - a tense thriller that is filled with humor and irony, where the bad guys are clowns (yup, killer clowns - no joke). Very clever, funny, and suspenseful.
  • Now, I am reading The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez for another book group. This one has been waiting patiently on my shelf for a full year, since I met the author last year at Booktopia VT. It's an amazing story about immigrants in modern America, but I especially love that the author is from the same town we live in, and the novel is set right here in Delaware (a rarity for our small state!). I'm enjoying not only the story & characters but also all the local references.
  • On audio, I am listening to Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart, a middle-grade historical novel set in 1890 Washington state. It's about a young boy who's an orphan and then loses his horse to an unscrupulous horse trader. Since the horse is all he has left of his family, he sets out on a journey to get her back, accompanied by a young orphaned Chinese boy. It's been good so far.
  • My husband, Ken, is still reading The Crossing by Michael Connelly, a cross-over novel starring both of his famous characters, Harry Bosch and The Lincoln Lawyer (if you are a Bosch fan, check out my review of the Bosch TV show).
  • Jamie, 21, is still re-reading the first two books in the A Pattern of Shadow and Light trilogy by Melissa McPhail: Cephrael's Hand and The Dagger of Adendigaeth, in preparation for reading book 3. 
 Not much writing time last week, but I am trying to catch up on reviews:
 TV Tuesday: Orphan Black - Best Show Ever!!

Fiction Review: The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce, companion novel to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Teen/YA Review: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys, a stunning, powerful novel about a little-known historical event at the end of WWII - highly recommended!

Saturday Snapshot: Spring in Full Bloom!

What are you and your family reading this week?    

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.


My son & his girlfriend (in red) & friends, ready for prom!
 

12 comments:

  1. I loved The Book of Unknown Americans. So wonderfully quiet! Great prom picture. I miss that stuff. Here's my link:
    http://doesanyonecarewhatiwrite.blogspot.com/2016/05/its-monday-may-2nd-what-are-you-reading.html

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  2. I have read so many fantastic reviews of Salt to the Sea, I do enjoy historical fiction, so I'm excited to give that one a go.

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  3. I'm glad your son felt better enough to enjoy his prom. We went through that last year with my daughter when she developed ulcers from medicine she was taking. Those autoimmune disorders (and meds that further suppress the immune system) make for some scary moments.
    One of my former students gave me a Dean Koontz book to read. It scared me half to death and I haven't been brave enough to try another one.

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  4. Great you son made his prom, and hope you get more of a rest from the medics this week. Ha smiling at his watching The Office right through, they say comedy heals.

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  5. Salt To The Sea is terrific. I just finished the earlier Gemeinhart book, & want to read Some Kind of Courage soon. I'm glad your son recuperated enough for the prom. And best wishes for better health to come, too. One year my son, long ago, had chicken pox right before one of his proms. It was memorable!

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  6. I agree with you about Salt to the Sea. I just put our copy on display and book talked it. I already have a reserve list for it.

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  7. Hope your son is feeling better, and I loved the prom picture!
    I loved Gemeinhart's first book, so I look forward to his newest.

    Happy reading this week! :)

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  8. Believe it or not, I have never read anything by Dean Koontz. Perhaps that will have to go on my next must read list!

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  9. What a nice picture! They all match. It must have been a fun evening. I'm glad he's feeling better. I hope he fully recovers soon.

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  10. Nice photo...prom already?

    I am sure they had a nice time.

    Salt to The Sea has me interested.

    I hope you are having a good week.

    Elizabeth
    Silver's Reviews
    My It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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  11. Orphan Black is also one of our favourite TV series. Great prom photo as well. I used to be a huge Dean Koontz fan when I was in the university, glad to hear that he has new books that I will need to catch up on reading.

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  12. Such cute prom photos (especially those on Facebook). I am listening to the fourth book in the Raven Cycle series (The Raven King) right now. It will be sad to leave these book characters when the series is finished with this book.

    Happy Week

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