It's Monday 7/27! What Are You Reading?

Whew, another week flew by! Still super-busy here, with family stuff, working on my Amazon Ads course, a bunch of medical appointments (ugh - now that things have reopened, I have a flood of postponed appts!), and the usual crises. I apologize for shirking my blog visiting responsibilities--I;m missing many of your wonderful posts! I am just about finished with my coursework and hoping life slows down this week, so I can get back to making the rounds the way I like to.

I was still pretty exhausted and stressed most of the week, but I managed to enjoy a birthday celebration with my husband and two sons Thursday evening! It had been a rough day, but we had a lovely evening together. We actually went OUT for dinner (our first time since early March), and enjoyed delicious food on the outdoor patio of a wonderful microbrewery. Then, we came back to the house for fabulous cake from a local bakery, and they spoiled me with a pile of presents. It was very nice to take a little time out for fun, for a change.

My family and I out for my birthday dinner.

Of course, some books were included among my gifts, as always! I can't wait to read all of these, and David Copperfield is going to be next up for my Big Book Summer Challenge reading. There's still time for you to join the challenge, too!

Birthday Gifts!

Meanwhile, here's what we've all been reading this past week:

I am still reading my latest Big Book, one I've been wanting to read for a while: Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. I love time travel plots, and this book is part of her Oxford Time Travel series, which also includes To Say Nothing of the Dog, which I enjoyed very much. This time, in the near future, a young female student, Kivrin, has traveled back in time all the way to the 1300's, in England's Middle Ages. It's the first time they've sent anyone back that far, and there are all sorts of concerns since so little was recorded about that era. Hours after Kivrin leaves, though, a contemporary emergency occurs when one of the techs working on the project comes down with a devastating virus, and says that something went wrong just before he passes out. This shouldn't happen, given the high-tech medical precautions used in this future (no one even gets colds), so there is a scramble to figure out what the virus is and where it came from. Meanwhile, the team at Oxford doesn't realize it, but the reader knows that Kivrin arrived in the Middle Ages with the same debilitating symptoms. This book is so amazingly good--I am loving it! What a premise--a contemporary woman horribly sick in the Middle Ages and all alone. The action goes back and forth between the present-day and the past, and the suspense has been incredibly compelling. The mystery in the present and the happenings in the past continue to evolve and intertwine. I am loving every minute!

On audio, I have been listening to The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. The audiobook is read by Tom Hanks, and it is incredibly soothing and entertaining to have Hanks reading a story to me in my earbuds in his familiar voice. It's about a boy, Danny, and his sister, Maeve, growing up in a big house originally built by Dutch immigrants and known in town as the Dutch House. Their mother leaves when they are young, so it is just the children and their somewhat distant father, plus the two women who care for the house. But when their dad remarries a woman who clearly does not like them (and the feeling is mutual), their lives change in unexpected ways. The story is told by Danny as an adult, so parts of it are told in the past, as he experienced things as a boy, and parts as he and Maeve look back on their childhood and the house that meant so much to them. I'm enjoying it so far, and it is extra-special read by Hanks.

My husband, Ken, is still reading one of his new Father's Day gifts from me, The Dry by Jane Harper. I've been meaning to get him started on this super-popular new thriller author for a while now. This was her debut novel. As with all of Harper's books, it is set in Australia. A Federal Agent named Aaron visits his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his childhood best friend, Luke. Years ago, Aaron was accused of murder, and Luke provided his alibi. Now, there are questions about Luke's death, so Aaron teams up with local law enforcement to investigate. The more they find out, the more small town secrets they dig up. So many of my friends have loved this novel, and now Ken is, too! He is normally quite reticent about his reading ("how was it?" "good"), but he was raving over how great this novel is last night. Score!

Our son, 25, is trying out a new-to-him fantasy series, The Mageborn, starting with book 1, The Blacksmith's Son. Here's the description from Amazon: "Mordecai’s simple life as the son of a blacksmith is transformed by the discovery of his magical birthright. As he journeys to understand the power within him he is drawn into a dangerous plot to destroy the Duke of Lancaster and undermine the Kingdom of Lothion. Love and treachery combine to embroil him in events he was never prepared to face. What he uncovers will change his understanding of the past, and alter the future of those around him." Sounds like another good one for him! He's enjoying it so far. He's away this week with his girlfriend, but I am guessing he's been moving along in this series.


This week's blog posts:

TV Tuesday: Atypical - Loving this show about a young man with autism and his family!


Fiction Review: Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King - really enjoyed this first book in a mystery/thriller trilogy

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?