Monday, August 06, 2018

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!

22 comments:

  1. I am excited about Afterworlds. When you mentioned it in our challenge group, I immediately added it to my TBR list... such a clever concept for a book! But I just discovered it's available through a local lending library, so YAY! I hope to get my hands on it in September. Thanks for sharing your reading world, Sue!

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    1. I really loved it, Shaye! Hope you do, too.

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  2. I liked the one book by Mary Doria Russell book I read, Dreamers of the Day. My mom really liked her book The Sparrow.

    I was pretty bad at downloading the SNYC books this year so I didn't get Plus One. Drats!

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    1. Oh, Anne, I am SO far behind in listening to my SYNC downloads...Plus One is from 2017 (and I just recently listened to one from 2016, too!). See if you have it in your files.

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  3. Hey Sue! So to see if I understand in Westerfeld's Afterworlds, he writes a book about a girl who writes a book? Is it a little hard to understand/follow? I am definitely adding this to my TBR pile after reading your review.

    Check out what I am reading this Monday at Oh Hey! Books.

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    1. Not at all hard to follow! Yes, it's a book within a book, but it is well-organized with alternating chapters that make it clear which story you are in. And there are links between the writing a book story and the actual novel being written. Very cool.

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  4. I'm ready for fall too! Sounds like everyone is having a good reading week.

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    1. Glad I'm not the only one :) Enjoy your books this week! And thanks for the help this weekend!

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  5. The Sparrow sounds really interesting. It would seem the mountains are the place to camp with the heat of your summer, surely will be cooler. Will visit the award profile and hopefully I can endorse it.

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    1. I'm really enjoying The Sparrow - it was a slowish start but engrossing now. Sci fi sort of plot but very character-driven.

      I hope it will be cooler up there, too!

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  6. I love that your whole family reads! Have a great reading week! I hope you can stop by:

    http://collettaskitchensink.blogspot.com/2018/08/what-im-reading-8618.html

    Colletta

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    1. Well, most of us - our younger son claims to hate reading! But the rest of us enjoy our books.

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  7. The heat this summer has just been out of this world, with no end in sight! Definitely the perfect weather to stay inside and read in an air-conditioned place. :-)

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    1. Yes, I agree, Jane! Though I am missing being able to spend time outdoors - hoping it is cool and comfortable where we are next week!

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  8. I am intrigued by Westerfield's Afterworlds, have enjoyed his books before. And The Sparrow sounds intriguing, too. Thanks, Sue. My son loves thrillers, so will pass your husband's titles on to him.

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    1. Oh, good - hope your son likes them! My husband reads a lot of thrillers...and I will be loading up on them in the fall for an annual RIP reading challenge that focuses on dark & creepy stuff :)

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  9. I'm reading book 4 in the Gone series by Michael Grant (YA series) but I'm getting kind of worn out with things a bit and not sure I'll continue this series. Kind of unfortunate!

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    1. I haven't read the Michael Grant seris, but I really enjoyed a different Gone YA (in the Wake trilogy) by Lisa McMann. Sometimes you just have enough of a series before you get to the end. I don't tend to read a lot of series books, though it's always fun to get wrapped up in one!

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  10. I hate being hot, but I’m not ready for summer to end. I haven’t accomplished anything yet. I have a bunch of giant books sitting on my shelf. I keep putting them off. Enjoy your upcoming reads!

    Aj @ Read All The Things!

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    1. AJ - sounds like you need to join the Big Book Summer Challenge next year! Or you can still join now if you want - there's still a month to go! It's a great way to tackle those giant books you keep putting off :)

      Sue
      2018 Big Book Summer Challenge

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  11. I just finished Stephen King's The Outsider (super good) and am just starting Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone.

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    1. Another Big Book! You're on a roll, Helen :) I really liked The Great Alone on audio - hope you enjoy it. And on your recommendation, I added The Outsider to my husband's birthday list!

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