Monday, June 27, 2016

It's Monday 6/27! What Are You Reading?

I am basking in the peaceful silence out on our back deck. One son is in Rhode Island, my husband left for a business trip to Las Vegas at 4 am, and my older son is back at his apartment, packing to join his brother in a day or two. It's soooo quiet. And I only cooked for one this morning. And I was able to open all the windows when I got up instead of having to keep the upstairs air-conditioned while my son slept until noon. Can you tell I was desperately needing a little downtime and solitude? It's been a crazy month, starting with my son's graduation. I still have a lot of work to do today, to help my son get ready for his trip, but I am relishing this quiet moment.

As always, lots of good books being read at our house last week:
  • I finished Bera the One-Headed Troll by Eric Orchard, a middle-grade graphic novel that is due out on August 2. It was wholly unique, interesting, and had richly imagined drawings. I loved kind-hearted little Bera.
  • My next book group pick came in at the library, so I am reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, a highly acclaimed YA best-seller. Am I the last person in the world to finally read this unique novel? The author combines a completely original story with some really weird old photos with great effect. It's about a modern-day teen boy discovering the very strange place where his grandfather lived as a child. Excellent so far. 
  • I struggled to start an audiobook last week because the first two I tried - that I had downloaded from the publisher - were both missing chapters (you should have seen my confusion when the first one started with chapter 2!). I finally successfully uploaded one to my iPod and started listening to Pax by Sara Pennypacker, a middle-grade novel about the friendship between a boy and a fox that he raised from an orphaned baby kit. The two are separated and trying to find their ways back to each other. It is just as good as I had heard, with chapters alternating between the boy's and the fox's points of view - reminds me of a Kate DiCamillo novel (yes, that good).
  • My husband, Ken, finished When Darkness Falls by James Grippando, a paperback thriller that I put in his Christmas stocking. 
  • Ken has three new (big!) books from Father's Day but chose an old slim paperback from our shelves for his travel week: The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett. This was the first Follett novel I ever read (many decades ago), and I think I have read it 2 or 3 times by now. I couldn't believe my husband had never read it before. It's an excellent spy thriller that was later made into a very good movie.
  • Jamie, 21, is almost finished with the third book in A Pattern of Shadow and Light series by Melissa McPhail: Paths of Air. He says that it really picked up in the second half and he's loving it as much as the first two books.
 Last week's blog posts:
TV Tuesday: The Fosters - a warm, funny family drama

Teen/YA Review: The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos - combination mystery & family drama

Graphic Memoir Review: Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi - coming of age in (and out of) Iran

Saturday Snapshot: Camping & Hiking in Maryland

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.


Join the Big Book Summer Reading Challenge! Just click the link to read the rules - super-easy for summer! You only need to read one "big book" (400 pages or more) to participate. Join the fun & sign up today!



18 comments:

  1. I love Rigss' Peculiar children. I just finished the last book in the series this week. It's a stunning end to it. I was captivated by the story and pictures. Have you seen the movie trailers yet?

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    1. I'm almost to the end of book 1 & really enjoying it - can't wait to read more! Really want to see the movie, too.

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  2. NO,you are not the last. I haven't read any of the Miss Peregrine books. So I guess I'm officially the only person in the world who hasn't read those books. :) Glad it's good.

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    1. Hey, good to hear! I think my book group was unaware when they chose the book how hot it's been in the YA world.

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  3. I have not read Miss Peregrine, either, & I own it! Maybe someday? I loved Pax, & am reading other books that catch me. Somehow Miss P just hasn't been interesting, & now there are two more! Enjoy that alone time!

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    1. I finished Pax in just a few days' time (quick for me for an audio - so compelling. Miss Peregrine is excellent so far!

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  4. Oh dear parts of the audiobooks missing would be totally confusing. What a shame. Enjoy that peace and quiet!

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    1. Yes, very frustrating - I can't count how many times I downloaded the files & tried again.

      My son left this afternoon, so it's just me in the quiet house - loving it!

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  5. I still haven't read Miss Peregrine so you are not the last, lol. Enjoy!

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    1. Oh, good! Glad to hear it's not just me :)

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  6. You're not the last to read Miss Peregrine. I'm haven't yet, but I want to! Hope you get to enjoy some more relaxing moments this week. :)

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    1. Glad to hear it! It seems I am in good company.

      House is nice & quiet now - ahhh!

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  7. Lol, nope I have not read Miss Peregrine's yet either but I felt the same way thinking I'm the last one to read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society. Making progress, about 2/3 of the way through. Enjoy the peace and quiet. I have a dinner with a friend Thursday night, that might be as peaceful as it gets for me until kids are back in school!

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    1. Hope you are enjoying Guernsey - Jamie & I loved it! Yes, it is very different when the kids get this old - periods of utter chaos interspersed with periods of quiet :) Now, they are both on their grandparents' sailboat for the next week and a half. Husband is in Vegas for the week, so I get a few days all to myself - such a rare treat!

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  8. I loved Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I kind of wanted it to go in a different direction than it did, but I am not the writer! I still appreciated the author's craft very much and recommend the book often!

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    1. I'm enjoying it so far - it is certainly compelling! And I agree - it is totally different than I expected.

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  9. I haven't read Miss Peregrine's either. Every year I tell myself I must and then other books push their way into the pile ahead of it. Thanks for the tip about the Fresh Aire interview with the author of the Sympathizer. I will look for that. I am on vacation in Canada right now and squeezing in blogging while the hubby has golf lessons. Prioritizes. Ha!

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    1. I really enjoyed, as did a few others in my book group. Many weren't thrilled with it (lots of 5 & 6 ratings)...but they really aren't either YA readers OR fans of fantasy. I was really surprised that they chose it!

      Enjoy vacation!!

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