It's Monday 8/6! What Are You Reading?

Whew - I am both relieved and alarmed that it is now August! It's been a chaotic and stressful summer, with unbearable heat and very little relaxation, so I am ready for September. On the other hand, we are running out of summer days very quickly! We have managed to somehow find a few days when all four of us are available, so next week, we will have a tiny pocket of vacation time - first attending the wedding of my cousin's daughter (the first one in my sons' generation to get married!) and then leaving from there for a few days of camping. Hopefully, we will be up high enough (in the Pocono Mountains of PA) that it will be comfortable there.

As always, through all the ups and downs, we are enjoying our books, especially our Big Books this summer. Here's what we've all been reading:

• I finished Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld (review at the link), a YA novel that's been on my shelf for way too long. My 3rd book for my Big Book Summer Challenge, this engrossing YA novel has two intertwined narratives that are both great. In the first, a teen girl participates in NaNoWrMo (a month-long writing challenge every November), writes a paranormal YA romance, sells it to a publisher, and moves to NYC. The other story is the actual novel she wrote, as she struggles with edits and rewrites. The two stories are told in alternating chapters, and both are absolutely compelling. 
• Next, I moved onto Big Book #4 for this summer: The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. I bought this novel at Northshire Bookstore in VT because one of the hosts, Ann, of my favorite book podcast (Books on the Nightstand - now retired but still available) said it was her favorite book. It's the story of a group of people, including some Jesuit priests, who travel to another galaxy in search of extraterrestrial life. Something horrible and tragic happens during that mission, and only one man returns (not a spoiler). The novel begins with the present (2060), after the mission, and flashes back to the first ideas of the mission, ironically in 2019 (the book was published in 1996), so I am just now (at about 150 pages in) getting to the actual mission. It is engrossing and completely unique so far, and the characters feel real.
• I am still listening - and really enjoying - Plus One by Elizabeth Fama, a YA novel (a freebie from SYNC). It's set in an alternate reality, where the reduced population after the flu pandemic of 1918 led to the remaining people being divided into Rays, who live during the day, and Smudges, who live at night. Sol is a seventeen-year old Smudge. Her brother was transferred to day-living as part of a court settlement four years ago, and is now married with a newborn baby. Since Sol and her brother are now on opposite schedules, they are not allowed to see each other (except for an occasional Unity Day). Sol's beloved grandfather who raised them both is dying, though, and Sol is determined for him to hold his new granddaughter before he dies. To accomplish that, she must break a lot of laws and take a lot of risks. A Ray doctor's apprentice named D'arcy gets pulled into helping Sol. This novel combines dystopia, action, suspense, and romance, and it's very engaging so far.
• My husband, Ken, started and finished (taking a break from the Big Books!) a thriller that was one of my potential review books, Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas. It was just released in June. I listened to and enjoyed another of Douglas' novels, Local Girl Missing, on audio. He enjoyed this one, and I plan to read it, too.
• Now, Ken is reading another thriller (his favorite kind of book!), The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz, another in the series that began with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Lagercrantz took over the series after its author, Stieg Larsson, died.
• Our son, Jamie, 23, is reading book 10, Crossroads of Twilight, of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. He has been plowing through this series, one huge book at a time. 

Blog posts last week:

Movie Monday: The Incredibles 2 - my husband and I went to a kids' movie alone...and enjoyed it!

Teen/YA Review: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld - I loved this YA novel!

My Summary of Books Read in July - a good reading month

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.

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

What are you and your family reading this week?   

P.S. I normally keep my chronic illness blog and my book blog lives separate, but I would love some support from my book-loving friends! I was nominated for a WEGO Health Patient Leader Hero award. In order to move onto the finals, I need lots of endorsements. It only takes a moment - just use this link to my award profile and click Endorse Sue Jackson. This means a lot to me because I now spend a lot of my time helping other patients, and the award would help me to reach even more. Thanks!