It's Monday 3/26! What Are You Reading?

I missed What Are You Reading Monday last week because my husband and I took a short (but wonderful!) trip to Annapolis (see my photos here), so I have two weeks' of reading to catch up on here. It's been a hectic two weeks, with two more snowstorms (enough already!), our trip, lots of family stuff, getting the kids off to spring break, and a busy weekend.

Here's what we've been reading during that time:

• I finished reading Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, a Christmas gift from my husband (I suggested it to my book group). Since I just read my first-ever Atwood novel last year (The Handmaid's Tale), I was glad for the chance to read more, and this novel was entirely different. It's a historical novel, based on a real-life woman in the mid-1800's in Ontario who was sentenced to life in prison for murder. The question of whether she is guilty or innocent is central to the story. We had an excellent discussion about the novel - and couldn't agree on Grace's guilt or innocence!
• Next, I read The Optimistic Decade by Heather Abel, a debut novel due for release on May 1. I am reviewing it for Shelf Awareness and also interviewed the author last week (also for SA). The novel was engrossing and unique, and the author had some great background stories to tell about it. It's set in the 80's and early 90's in western Colorado at a Utopian summer camp, and it explores how different members of an activist family try to make a difference in the world, as well as the land use conflicts in the west. I really enjoyed it - I will share both my interview and review when they are published in May. This is also one of the selected books for Booktopia, an annual book event in May in VT that my mom and I enjoy attending, so I am looking forward to meeting the author in person there.
• Now, I am reading another book for a Shelf Awareness review and author interview and for Booktopia: My Ex-Life by Stephen McCauley. It's about a gay man who moves in with his ex-wife in order to help her get her life together and help her daughter apply to colleges. It's wonderful so far - insightful but also laugh-out-loud funny. Apparently, McCauley is a popular author of many novels, though this is the first one I've read, so I'm looking forward to interviewing him tomorrow.
• I also squeezed in a middle-grade graphic novel, Graveyard Shakes by Laura Terry, which is a fun story that mashes together the real-life challenges of two sisters starting at a new boarding school with the otherworldly events at the cemetery next door. I enjoyed it.
• I finished listening to The Freakling, book 1 of the Psi Chronicles by Lana Krumwiede, a middle-grade/teen/YA fantasy dystopian novel that I downloaded free from SYNC last summer. The novel is about a society where most people have telekinesis powers and those who don't are sent to a colony, where they have to do horrible things like feed themselves with forks, tie their shoelaces, and pick things up to move them! It's an intriguing concept, and I enjoyed it, even though this sort of fantasy story isn't always my favorite.
• Now, I am listening to Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy, a YA novel I have wanted to read since its release about a year ago. It was worth waiting for! I am loving this story of a teen girl in coastal Mississippi who is something of an outsider in her town and school. She's over 6 feet tall, is openly gay, and lives in a trailer. It's wonderful so far - endearing, compelling, and real-feeling - and I love Ramona.
• My husband, Ken, finished NightSun by Dan Vining, a novel I recently reviewed for Shelf Awareness. It's a detective story set in 2025 that combines mystery, suspense, and dystopia.
• Now, Ken is reading The Late Show by Michael Connelly, one of the books I gave him for Christmas. It's the start of a new series by Connelly (author of the Harry Bosch series) featuring a young female detective named Renee Ballard. He says it's great so far.
• Our son, Jamie, 23, was reading book 6 in the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Lord of Chaos. He loves this epic fantasy series. He has probably finished it by now, and I'm sure he took some books on spring break with him, but I have no idea which ones. He has stacks and stacks of new books after spending about $150 in Christmas gift cards entirely on books! Yup, he's our son.

Blog posts from the past two weeks:

Movie Monday: The Big Sick - warm, funny, original romcom

Fiction Review: The Fold by Peter Clines - a time-twisting, suspenseful sci fi story

Fiction Review: A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline - a novel that tells the backstory behind one of Andrew Wyeth's most famous paintings

Graphic Novel Review: The Dam Keeper by Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi - a fairy tale-like story based on an Oscar-nominated animated short film.

Summary of Books Read in February - a great reading month with lots of variety

Saturday Snapshot: Annapolis - highlights from our recent trip - beautiful town!

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.  

A glimpse of the harbor in Annapolis