We had a good week here - busy but fun, too. We met up with our sons and their Grandad this weekend for dinner in a restaurant in their college town (they are close to home), so it was great to have all five of us together for a change. Afterward, my husband and I and our older son all went to see Ready Player One - the three of us all devoured (and loved) the book, so we've been excited for the movie to come out, and it met our expectations! I will try to post a movie review later today.
My husband is on a business trip this week, so I am planning to get a lot of stuff done, both writing and around the house. Of course, I always plan on that when I am alone and somehow the time just flies by, and I don't get half of what I wanted done. I think that's a problem with my expectations, not my productivity!
Here's what we've all been reading this week:
- I finished another novel in preparation for Booktopia in May: The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. It starts with four young siblings in 1969 who visit a fortune teller who tells them each the date they will die. The rest of the novel is in four sections, each following one of the siblings. It's a bit dark, since you know each section will end with a character dying! But it's also engrossing and well-written, and I enjoyed it.
- Now, I am reading a novel for my neighborhood book group this week - I better hurry if I want to finish it by Wednesday. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate is a new release that must be pretty popular because when I tried to reserve it through our state library system, I was #360 on the wait list! Luckily, one of my neighbors had already finished her copy, so I am about a third of the way through now. I just discovered that its premise is based in real life - an illegal adoption ring in Tennessee in the 1930's and 40's that stole poor children from their families and arranged expensive adoptions. How have I never heard of this before? The novel, which tells the story from several perspectives (including the children involved), moving back and forth through time, is captivating so far.
- On audio, I finished She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper in record time! I started it Monday and was finished by Thursday. It's a 2017 release about an 11-year old girl named Polly who must go on the run with her scary ex-convict father because a gang from prison is intent on killing them both. It was SO GOOD! Dark, yes, but also warm and funny. I gobbled it up and fell in love with Polly and her teddy bear, who is a full-fledged character in the book.
- I just started a new audiobook today, Refugee by Alan Gratz, which follows the lives of 3 refugee children from different times in history: a Jew escaping Germany in the 1930's, a Cuban seeking refuge from poverty in the 1990's, and a Syrian caught in the midst of war in 2015. I have loved the other Gratz novels I've read - Code of Honor and Projekt 1065 - so I am looking forward to this one.
- My husband, Ken, finished his sci fi classic series re-read, Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov, which was the second book published in the Foundation series in 1952. He enjoyed Foundation and is looking forward to re-reading the rest of the books in the series. I'm not sure what he is reading next, but I know he had several books on his Kindle for traveling.
- Our son, Jamie, 23, is still reading the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. He is on book 7, A Crown of Swords. He loves this epic fantasy series.
TV Tuesday: The Resident - a new medical drama starring Matt Czuchry
Fiction Review: Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood - historical fiction based on a true story
Middle-Grade Review: Graveyard Shakes by Laura Terry - spooky graphic novel
Teen/YA Review: Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy - LOVED it!!
Saturday Snapshot: A Late Spring - still cold but finally a few blooms!
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.
The Immortalists sounds very interesting. I wonder how it compares to They Both Die at the End. I remember hoping that the title was a trick because you hate just waiting for the inevitable. I've seen Before We Were Yours pop up in a couple #imwayr posts and so I'm going to finally add that to my TBR list right now. Thanks for the suggestion! I have Refugee checked out from our library, so just need to carve out the time to finish it. Have a great reading week, Sue!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shaye! Yes, Before We Were Yours is so, so, so good! I'm totally engrossed in it now. Same with Refugee on audio, though I think I need to take it in slower doses - pretty dark stuff.
DeleteI liked the Immortalists too. I've been meaning to read Before We Were Yours -- one of these days...
ReplyDeleteIt's SO good! Just getting better and better. Horrifying and hard to believe it's based on real events.
DeleteOh. All of your books sound so good. I think I will add The Immortalist to my reading list, though I shouldn't. The list is so long. How many people are in your neighborhood book group? I'm in two clubs...one is large with over 19 people but everyone doesn't come every month, thankfully. The other is small with eight members but the attendance is terrible. When I hosted a few months ago only three of us attended. Now we are going through the uncomfortable stages of expanding to disbanding.
ReplyDeleteha ha - I just cleaned up my TBR list last week (an Excel spreadsheet), and it still has over 800 titles on it!!. lol
DeleteWe have about 15 members in that group and usually have 10-12 at each meeting - sometimes more, sometimes less. It's a good size for discussions. It's been going forever - we meet every 6 weeks and are currently on our 106th book!! I haven't been in it all that time, but my neighborhood has a lot of empty-nesters who have been here since their kids were young and the neighborhood was new, about 30 years ago!
Hope you can work things out with yours!
I've seen Before We Were Yours around and think I have it in a wish list at Audible. So many things happen that we do not hear of until so much later. And I think things like what happened to those children happened in many places around the world.
ReplyDeleteIt's a really stunning story. At first, I thought it was to horrible to be believable for fiction...then I found out it was based on a true story! It's just getting more and more engrossing - recommended!
DeleteI’m glad you had fun with the family and liked Ready Player One. I’ve read that book, but I haven’t seen the movie yet. I have Refugee on my TBR list. I hope we both like it. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I am totally engrossed in Refugee now - it's hard to put down!
DeleteDarn it, I hope this isn't a repeat comment.... Refugee is on my TBR list since I liked his other books that I've read. I just started AJ Finn's The Woman in the Window and so far it's good!
ReplyDeleteNo, no repeats! Refugee is totally engrossing so far - I listened to it a LOT today! I have Woman in the Window on audio - saving it for a road trip with my husband!
DeleteYesssssssss! I listened to the Refugee audio and LOVED IT. I can't wait to hear what you think.
ReplyDeleteha ha - I knew you would be excited to hear I am finally listening to it! I am totally engrossed - grabbed my iPod every spare second today :)
DeleteRefugee is an amazing read - one of my best middle grade reads from last year. I am supposed to be receiving a review copy of The Immortalists from my friendly book distributor, hope it gets here soonest.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am totally engrossed in Refugee now!! Hope you enjoy Immortalists - it's a unique premise.
DeleteOh boy, I am the same way. "My daughter will be at pre-K for three hours. Clearly I can clean my entire house, finish an editing job, and write three book reviews."
ReplyDeleteI liked The Immortalists too, but I wonder what a middle road would have looked like. The Immortalists was really dark and there's a really saccharine way to tell the story, where everyone realized the beauty of life and its moments. I would be interested to read something in the middle, I think!
ha ha - yes! Glad you understand.
DeleteThat's a really interesting thought about The Immortalists - I found it really dark. I completely agree with a more middle road approach!
Refugee was a fabulous audiobook. I couldn't stop listening!
ReplyDeleteyes! I am hooked.
Delete