It's Monday 12/23! What Are You Reading?

Happy Eve Before Christmas Eve! And Happy First Day of Hanukkah!

As is probably true for most people, this past week was a crazy flurry of activity, even more so for me after being without my laptop for a week. But we're counting down now... I'm finished with shopping, my year-end photo DVD, and holiday decorating. I even made my last run to the grocery store today for a few items (what a madhouse!). I have a few more cards to finish tonight and mail tomorrow (I will have to write Happy New Year in those), then some wrapping and cooking tomorrow, and then the fun begins! I love that week between Christmas and New Year's, when everything is finished and we can just relax and enjoy our family and some much-needed quiet time.

In December, my reading focuses on finishing last year's gifts before Christmas when I'll get a new batch! Here's what we've all been reading this past week:

I finished reading The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, a debut novel that my husband gave me for Christmas last year (or was it the year before?). The Nest is the story of a dysfunctional family, with four adult siblings. Their whole lives, they have waited to inherit the nest egg, affectionately known by them as "The Nest," that their father left for them years ago, with instructions for it to be dispersed when the youngest sibling, Melody, turns 40. With careful investment, The Nest has grown to a considerable amount as Melody's milestone birthday approaches, and they each have plans for that money. Then, oldest brother, Leo, does something really irresponsible and stupid, and their mother decides to use the money to make Leo's problem go away. I wasn't sure how I felt about this novel at first because I'm not usually a fan of stories of wealthy, upper-class families, but as I read, I realized that they really weren't wealthy (even though some of them lived that way outwardly), and each of the siblings really needed that expected income boost--for college tuition, mortgages, and other expenses that I could certainly relate to! Each of their lives and their relationships with each other are interesting, and I enjoyed seeing how things turned out for this messed-up but ultimately likable family.

I also squeezed in another graphic novel, Stargazing by Jen Wang. This one is aimed at middle-grade readers and is all about friendship, set in a Chinese-American community. Christine has been brought up very traditionally, and her parents are fairly strict (though loving) with her. When Moon moves in next door, Christine is immediately entranced by this girl who seems so different than her. Moon introduces her to nail polish and dancing, and she is impulsive and artistic. The girls become friends, amid the typical middle-school cliques, and bond in spite of their differences. Then, something completely unexpected happens that turns Christine's world (and Moon's) upside down. I enjoyed this unique story and especially the unexpected twist that sets it apart from similar books. This engaging graphic novel sends you on a rollercoaster of emotions, with an emphasis on joy and hope.

Next, I started another gift (this one from my birthday), Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, a novel I have been wanting to read after hearing rave reviews, its appearance on every Best of 2018 list, and winning the National Book Award for Fiction. So far, it's holding up to the hype. It's about a poor family in Mississippi. A black woman named Leonie, who's addicted to drugs, has two children with her white boyfriend, who's in prison, so her parents are bringing up the two mixed-race children, Jo Jo and Kayla. Chapters alternate between Jo Jo's perspective and Leonie's (with a few others interspersed), as thirteen-year-old Jo Jo tries desperately to take care of toddler Kayla. Mam and Pop, as they call their grandparents, are kind and loving but older and struggling with health problems. There is also an element of the supernatural, as several family members have unusual abilities, including seeing dead people. I'm not always a fan of that kind of mysticism woven into a novel, but this story and its characters are completely engrossing.

On audio, I have been listening to another novel I've been looking forward to (and another highly acclaimed Best of 2018 book), Census by Jesse Bell. I just realized both novels I am reading feature black birds on their covers, but the similarities don't stop there. This one also includes some sort of mystical elements and symbolism. In this novel, a surgeon father who lost his wife finds out that he's dying and has about a year left. He decides to spend that time traveling all over with his adult son, who has Down syndrome, taking part in the census. This is a world similar to but different from ours, where the towns are named with letters, from A to Z, in concentric circles, and the census taker marks each citizen on the ribs with a kind of tattoo, after talking with them. The narrative is rambling and random-feeling, as the man and his son travel from town to town, and he muses about the present, the past, and all sorts of random things, like cormorants (the bird on the cover). So, it's a very unusual book--in fact downright weird at times--but I am sticking with it.

My husband, Ken, finished reading a birthday gift I gave him, The Witch Elm by Tana French. We are both huge fans of this Irish mystery/thriller author. Ken has read almost all of her Dublin Murder Squad series, and I recently read (and loved - review at the link) The Likeness (book 2) this fall. This is an unusual one for her, as it's a stand-alone suspense novel that was on lots of Best of 2018 lists. It's about a man, Toby, who is beaten and left for dead by some thieves one night. While recovering, he moves to his family's ancestral home to care for an aging uncle. Inside a tree in the yard, a human skull is discovered, and the police are called, as Toby realizes his past may not be exactly what he always thought it was. Ken enjoyed it very much, sometimes laughing out loud! He says it's different than her series but just as good.

Now, Ken has moved onto another birthday gift, Recursion by Blake Crouch. This is one of those gift books I gave him in part because I want to read it myself! I'm happy he's picked it up because it means I can read it next. We both enjoyed Crouch's last novel, Dark Matter, and the TV shows he wrote and/or were based on his novels, including Wayward Pines and Good Behavior. In fact, Dark Matter was one of my favorite books read last year. So far, Ken says that this one is reminding him of that one and has the same kind of twisty, convoluted plot. I can't wait to read it next!

Our son, 25, hasn't been feeling well, so he's taking advantage of the extra downtime and has been reading a LOT of his favorite genre, fantasy. He finished The Mercenary Code by Emmet Moss, book 1 in The Shattering of Kingdoms series and enjoyed it. Next, he read The Owl and the Dragon by Randy Nargi, book 1 in The Bander Adventures series. He explained to me that this book is a kind of mystery/thriller but set in a fantasy world, and he enjoyed its originality and fast-paced suspense.

Next, he read Chains of Blood by ML Spencer, book 1 of The Chaos Cycle, another fantasy series, and he enjoyed this one, too. And now, he is reading Web of Eyes by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle, book 1 in the Buried Goddess Saga series. According to its blurb, a rotten thief and a stubborn knight must work together to save a broken kingdom. He's enjoying it.

Blog posts last week (trying to catch up on reviews!):

Movie Monday: Knives Out - a humorous whodunit for the whole family - fun!

Nonfiction Review: Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy by Anne Lamott - an inspirational memoir

Summary of Books Read in November - an all-nonfiction month for me!

Memoir Review: Becoming by Michelle Obama - warm, open, funny, engrossing life story of a remarkable woman

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?

 

Lovely winter sunset - now the days get longer!