It's Monday 9/11! What Are You Reading?

It's a tough day here in the U.S. - the 16th anniversary of 9/11 and a devastating hurricane making it's way up Florida and the other southeastern states. I hope that all my reading & blogging friends down there are safe and dry. We have lots of real-life friends and family there, but so far, it sounds as if everyone is OK, either evacuated to safe places or sheltered in place. It's sad to see the destruction in the Keys - we so enjoyed our vacation there last November.

Closer to home, things are good but still super hectic. Our sons are into their 3rd week at college now and settled in (though the younger one comes home to scavenge our cupboards & freezer occasionally!) My time is still far too busy, thanks in part to physical therapy, which is going slow (I tend to take a long time to heal because of my other health problems), so my writing time is still limited...trying to catch up, though!

Hope everyone enjoyed a nice weekend. Here's what we've been reading here:

• I finished my last Big Book for Summer: Overpowered by Mark H. Kruger, a teen/YA sci fi novel about a little town in Colorado with some very weird stuff going on. It was a very quick and captivating read. I don't always read past book 1 with series, but I definitely want to read the sequel to this one! I'll write my review this week, so I can sum up my Big Book Summer Challenge.
• After that, I quickly shifted gears into my Sept/Oct spooky, suspenseful, creepy reading! I love participating in the R.I.P. Challenge each fall, and will post my sign-up this week. I needed a short, quick read to fill in a few days while I waited for a library hold to come in, so I read Hear the Wolves by Victoria Scott, a middle-grade outdoor adventure with plenty of suspense! It's about a young girl in Alaska left on her own when a major blizzard hits, and how she and some other ragtag loners pull together to try to get one of their group to medical care. It's a bit gruesome (due to the wolves in the title), but it's a tense and well-written adventure story.
• Now, I am quickly reading my neighborhood book group's selection for this week, Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson. I am really enjoying this warm, funny novel about a unique little boy and the young woman put in charge of him.
• On audio, I am STILL listening to Carve the Mark, the latest YA novel by Veronica Roth. She is the author of the Divergent series, so I am trying to see this one through, though it's not really my cup of tea - a full-blown fantasy set in a different universe. I prefer fantasy or sci fi set in our real world, with some fantasy or sci fi elements. However, it grew on me, and I am enjoying it more now that I've gotten to know the characters, though it is feeling a bit over-long at this point.
• My husband, Ken, finished reading The Magician King by Lev Grossman, book 2 in the Magicians Trilogy. He and our son both like this series, and he enjoyed book 2, though also felt it ran a bit long.
• Ken is going along with the spooky R.I.P. Challenge and now reading The Son by Jo Nesbo, a stand-alone novel not featuring his well-known Harry Hole character.
• Jamie, 23, is reading an epic fantasy: Swords and Scoundrels by Julia Knight, book 1 of The Duelists trilogy. I could tell by the title, this one is right up his alley! He went on a brief sci fi kick this summer, but now he is clearly back to his fantasy roots. I don't know if he's finished yet or not, but he got a $50 Amazon gift card for his birthday that he can't wait to use!

 Last week's blog posts:

TV Tuesday: The Last Tycoon - based on a Gatsby novel set in 1930's Hollywood

Fiction Review: Jane Eyre - I enjoyed re-reading this classic with a favorite literary heroine

Fiction Review: Dust - Book 3 in Hugh Howey's Silo trilogy - fantastic!

Saturday Snapshot: Possum Hill in Delaware - nice hike on a beautiful day

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.

What are you and your family reading this week?  

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.

Remember if you are participating in my Big Book Summer Challenge to leave links to your reviews on the challenge page (the second links list is for reviews, updates, and wrap-ups) to share them. I know many of you enjoyed your Big Books this summer! The Challenge finished last Monday, though you can continue to link up your reviews and/or wrap-up posts through the end of September. That reminds me - I need to put my last ones up, too!