It's Monday 8/31! What Are You Reading?

August 31 - yay! I am ready for fall and very sick of the heat and humidity and non-stop storms we've had here this summer. The temperatures finally dropped out of the 90's this weekend. Sunday was cool enough (70's) that we could open up our windows and turn off the air-conditioning for the first time in months - ahhh! I even wore jeans this weekend. More storms coming this week, and we will be back to 90's and humid for a few days, but I am ready for that cooler, drier fall weather.

Busy, busy here still. Our youngest son moved out into his own apartment two weeks ago! That means our grocery bills have dropped significantly - ha ha. My husband and I have been helping him shop for a couch (graduation gift), stock up on kitchen essentials, and set things up.

I am still having more than my usual number of sick days, due to chronic illness, so that gets in the way of productivity! I did manage to appear on a video podcast recorded this weekend. It was for physical therapists who work with patients with my illness, and I was one of the patients speaking. It was fun and went well--nice to meet "in person" (on Zoom) people I have only interacted with online--though it was quite tiring.

The 2020 Big Book Summer Challenge ends one week from today! It has been one of the highlights of this summer for me and I know for others as well. The challenge had record participation this year, and everyone seemed to enjoy the experience.

If you participated, visit the challenge page at the link to leave any links to Big Book reviews or challenge wrap-ups (neither is required) and/or visit the Goodreads group to let us know what Big Books you have finished.

I am hoping to finish my last Big Book this week (it's been a hefty one!), and I finished my last Big Book audio last night. Although ... I do have a YA novel on audio that is exactly 400 pages in print. I wonder if I could fit in one more ... ?

Here's what we've all been reading this past week:

I am still reading my latest and last Big Book Summer Challenge book, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, a Big Book and a classic that I have been wanting to read for ages. I love Dickens, read several of his books in school, and so many people have told me that this one is their favorite. I was immediately pulled into the story and am loving the title character, who--like many of Dickens' characters--is a good person who suffered some horrible mistreatment as a child. David's father died before he was born, but he had a warm, loving relationship with his mother and with the kind maid/nurse who helped care for them both. The trouble begins when his mother remarries (nice to see an evil stepfather, for a change). The novel follows David through the twists and turns of his life--and there are lots of twists! It really is a VERY big book; I'm still enjoying the story but getting sick of holding such a heavy book up when I read. Dickens' writing is so clever and witty that the novel, like his others, is highly entertaining. And now I just heard there is a new movie adaptation just released!

I just finished listening to a Big Book on audio, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. I think probably everyone has heard about this one! The story is about a woman, Lydia, and her son who live in Acapulco. She runs a bookstore and has a happy life, until her husband publishes a tell-all article about the city's biggest drug cartel leader. After the cartel guns down their entire family, Lydia and her son are forced to flee for the United States, with their lives in grave danger. The novel follows them on their harrowing journey. This novel, released in January 2020, caused some controversy, since the author is not Mexican (though she does have a Puerto Rican grandmother), writing a novel about Mexican immigrants. I have no problem with Cummins writing this novel. Yes, absolutely, the publishing industry needs to be more inclusive and work to bring in more writers of color to tell their own stories, but in the meantime, this is an important story to tell, and Cummins writes it well and spent years doing research to get the details right. The book has certainly attracted many accolades and much attention (controversy aside). It is a fast-paced, suspenseful, and riveting novel that is also moving and powerful.

My husband, Ken, finished another Father's Day gift and another Big Book, The Never Game by Jeffrey Deaver, the first book in a new series. We are both huge fans of Deaver and his Lincoln Rhyme series (if you haven't yet seen the TV show based on that series, check it out--it's excellent). This novel is a departure for Deaver, the start of a new series about Colter Shaw, an expert tracker who travels around the country, hiring himself out to find missing persons and to help the police. When a young woman goes missing in Silicon Valley, her father hires Colter to find her. Deaver writes outstanding thrillers, so I'm sure this one is good, too! Ken enjoyed it very much and said he likes the main character even better than Lincoln Rhyme and wants to read more of the series. That pretty much says it all.

Now, Ken has started a historical thriller from my Dad's book collection that we inherited, Hornet Flight by Ken Follett. We both love Follett's novels, and this is one of his many spy war thrillers. It's set in 1941 during WWII and focuses on an eighteen-year-old young man who discovers a secret that could change the war for England. He needs to tell someone, but his only way to get to England from an isolated island is with an old Hornet Moth biplane, rusting in a barn. It sounds like an intriguing and unique premise, and knowing how Follett writes thrillers, I'm sure it is action-packed, twisty, and suspenseful. This is actually another Big Book, though my husband doesn't expect to finish it in a week. Follett is known for his page-turners, so we'll see!

Our son, 26, is still enjoying a birthday gift from his girlfriend (she knows him well!), Red Country by Joe Abercrombie, one of his favorite fantasy authors. He loved reading The First Law trilogy by this author, and this book is one of three sort-of stand-alone novels that are set in the same world but focused on different characters. This one is about Shy South, a woman who's been wronged and sets out to get her family back. Even though it's fantasy, this book has an Old West feel to it (though with swords, not guns--an important distinction for my fantasy-loving son), including wide plains, a frontier town, and a gold rush. He's thoroughly enjoying it so far.



I only managed one other blog post last week:

Movie Monday: The Rainmaker - adapted from a John Grisham novel, directed by Frances Ford Coppola, and with an all-star cast, this legal drama was very entertaining.

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?  

Movie Monday: The Rainmaker

As usual, I was searching for a free movie to watch on Saturday evening (while waiting for my husband to bring home our favorite burgers & fries take-out from a local restaurant). On a list of "best thrillers on Amazon Prime," I found The Rainmaker, a 1997 movie, adapted from a John Grisham novel. Featuring an all-star cast, it is more of a legal drama than a thriller. I don't know how we missed it when it first came out, since we are both Grisham fans, but we thoroughly enjoyed it this weekend on the small screen.

As with most Grisham stories, this one is set in the South, this time in Memphis. Matt Damon stars as Rudy Baylor, a brand-new lawyer just out of law school. In need of some income, he takes a job with Bruiser Stone, played by Mickey Rourke, a successful but crooked lawyer. Bruiser encourages Rudy to find his own clients (that's the only way he'll earn a living) and bring in his own business, but honest, humble Rudy balks at being an "ambulance chaser." He already has two cases, though: a will for an elderly woman (who agrees he can rent a room from her) and an insurance case concerning a young man dying of cancer whose parents' health insurance has refused to pay for his treatments. In hanging out at the hospital, per Bruiser's instructions, Rudy also meets Kelly, played by Claire Danes, who has been put in the hospital by her abusive husband, bringing back Rudy's memories of his alcoholic father who beat both his mother and him. Deck, played by Danny DeVito, is a smart and experienced lawyer-wanna-be who hasn't yet passed the bar exam and also works for Bruiser. When Bruiser's office is raided by the Feds, Rudy and Deck decide to hang their own shingle. Rudy's insurance case, which he feels strongly about to get justice for the family, turns out to be a much bigger case than expected, as the insurance company is a huge conglomerate that sends out a team of expensive-suited lawyers who expect to stomp on newbie Rudy and his poor clients. Tensions build as the case finally goes to court, and both sides try to convince the jury of their position. It's a classic David-and-Goliath story.

We both enjoyed this courtroom drama very much. It's a multi-faceted story, with Rudy juggling the multiple cases, Rudy and Deck trying to start their partnership, and the big trial. The cast is outstanding, and we were constantly and pleasantly surprised by the young actors who have gone on to achieve greatness (as well as the older ones we recognized from long careers). Rudy is the kind of character who is great fun to root for: the kind, honest underdog up against corporate greed. Combining excellent source material with that talented cast and direction from Francis Ford Coppola, it's classic Grisham and also classic movie magic.

The Rainmaker is currently available on Amazon Prime or on DVD.

It's Monday 8/24! What Are You Reading?

I'm sure my regular readers are getting sick of hearing this, but ... I apologize for not getting around to visit many blogs last week and for being way behind in visiting and sharing Big Book Summer review posts!

Yes, we finally got power and cell service back, and my laptop is repaired, but a new crisis popped up last week having to do with our health insurance. I spent every moment of last week working on that, as my e-mails, notifications, etc. continued to pile up. I have 700 unread e-mails going back to August 7! (Apologies also if you have been trying to contact me.) The crisis is taken care of (now we wait to hear back), so this week, finally, I am hoping life will return to some semblance of normal. I'm working on those e-mails and hope to catch up on all my overdue blog posts, visits, and Big Book Summer visits and shares.

Speaking of Big Book Summer, we have just two weeks left to finish those chunksters for the challenge! It officially ends on September 7, two weeks from today. It's been a rough summer here for us, so our Big Books were really the highlight!

Here's what we've all been reading this past week:

I am still reading my latest (possibly my last - it's a biggie) Big Book Summer Challenge book, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, a Big Book and a classic that I have been wanting to read for ages. I love Dickens, read several of his books in school, and so many people have told me that this one is their favorite. I was immediately pulled into the story and am loving the title character, who--like many of Dickens' characters--is a good person who suffered some horrible mistreatment as a child. David's father died before he was born, but he had a warm, loving relationship with his mother and with the maid/nurse who helped care for them both. The trouble begins when his mother remarries (nice to see an evil stepfather, for a change). The novel follows David through the twists and turns of his life--and there are lots of twists! I am really enjoying it so far, but it really is a VERY big book; I only just passed the halfway point this week.

I am also listening to a Big Book on audio, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. I think probably everyone has heard about this one! This novel, released in January 2020, caused some controversy, since the author is a white woman, writing a novel about Mexican immigrants. The story is about a woman, Lydia, and her son who live in Acapulco. She runs a bookstore and has a happy life, until her husband publishes a tell-all article about the city's biggest drug cartel leader. After the cartel guns down their family, Lydia and her son are forced to flee for the United States, with their lives in grave danger. The novel follows them on their harrowing journey. I have no problem with Cummins writing this novel: it's an important story to tell, and, from what I have listened to so far, she writes it well. The book has certainly attracted many accolades and much attention (controversy aside). So far, it's a riveting and suspenseful story.

My husband, Ken, is reading another Father's Day gift and another Big Book, The Never Game by Jeffrey Deaver, the first book in a new series. We are both huge fans of Deaver and his Lincoln Rhyme series (if you haven't yet seen the TV show based on that series, check it out--it's excellent). This novel is a departure for Deaver, the start of a new series about Colter Shaw, an expert tracker who travels around the country, hiring himself out to find missing persons and to help the police. When a young woman goes missing in Silicon Valley, her father hires Colter to find her. Deaver writes outstanding thrillers, so I'm sure this one is good, too! He's enjoying it so far.

Our son, 26, is reading a birthday gift from his girlfriend (she knows him well!), Red Country by Joe Abercrombie, one of his favorite fantasy authors. He loved reading The First Law trilogy by this author, and this book is one of three sort-of stand-alone novels that are set in the same world but focused on different characters. This one is about Shy South, a woman who's been wronged and sets out to get her family back. Even though it's fantasy, this book has an Old West feel to it (though with swords, not guns--an important distinction for my fantasy-loving son), including wide plains, a frontier town, and a gold rush. He's thoroughly enjoying it so far.

I only had time for one blog post again last week:

Fiction Review: Normal People by Sally Rooney - moving, thoughtful story about the relationship between two flawed young people

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? 

Fiction Review: Normal People

I was thrilled when my husband picked out Normal People by Sally Rooney for me for Mother's Day this year. I've been hearing great things about this multi-award-winning novel since its release in 2018 and couldn't wait to read it. It was a perfect "palate-cleanser" this month, in between the chunksters I've been reading for Big Book Summer. I enjoyed this funny, moving, thoughtful story about a complex, challenging relationship between two imperfect young people.

Marianne and Connell both attend the same high school (secondary school) in a small town in Ireland, but that's where their similarities end. Marianne is a wealthy loner, with no friends at school and an acerbic attitude that ensures she won't have any. She's developed this hard, prickly shell in response to an abusive home life and family. Connell comes from a small home on the other side of town but is very popular at school and has a warm, loving relationship with his single mother. He's a soccer star on the school team, well-liked by both boys and girls, with an agreeable--if rather quiet and shy--attitude. Marianne and Connell's lives intersect, though, outside of school since Connell's mother works as a maid for Marianne's family. From their interactions in Marianne's home, when Connell comes to pick up his mother after work, the two teens begin to get to know each other in a way they can't at school: Marianne feels she can let her guard down with kind Connell, and he isn't embarrassed to talk to her about his love of books. They start a clandestine relationship, spending every day after school together, often in bed, though they keep all of this a secret at school. Of course, that agreement is not a very healthy way to start a relationship, especially for Marianne, and things eventually begin to go wrong. Later, the two erstwhile teen lovers meet again in college in Dublin, where their roles are quite different than in high school. They continue an on-again-off-again relationship over the course of years, repeatedly breaking up, seeing other people, and somehow eventually finding each other again.

I became completely immersed in Marianne and Connell's story, feeling like I knew each of them, rooting for them to work things out, and yelling at the book when either of them did something stupid. Rooney has created very intimate, engaging portraits of these two complicated young people. As the novel moves forward, the reader learns more about what is behind the self-destructive behavior of each of them. It is interesting to see them each mature and grow and deal with their challenges. Fair warning: there is both emotional and physical abuse in this novel, and suicide is also encountered. However, these dark themes are countered with a sense of humor, and the focus overall is on healing and learning to love yourself enough to allow yourself to be happy. I loved getting to know Marianne and Connell and going along on their journey with them. Since finishing this insightful novel more than two weeks ago, I still find myself thinking about the characters and their story, which is, to me, the mark of an outstanding novel.

273 pages, Hogarth

NOTE: There is a TV adaptation of this novel on Hulu, which I started watching after finishing the book. I'm enjoying it so far, seeing Marianne and Connell come to life on the screen. Clearly, I wasn't ready to say goodbye to them yet! Review of the TV show to come soon.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible. The sample is about Marianne and Connell interacting in Marianne's home, from the first pages of the novel. It sounds excellent on audio!

You can purchase Normal People from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

Or you can order Normal People from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide

It's Monday 8/17! What Are You Reading?

Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. If you read about our past two weeks in a novel, you'd say, "Well, it's a good story with lots of twists, but it's not believable"! ha ha

As I reported in last week's Monday post (thanks to a generator powering our server), our power had been out for six of the past seven days, and our cell service was spotty, thanks to two big storms. Our power did finally come back on Tuesday around noon, but when I woke up Tuesday, my laptop wouldn't start up. I could hear it running, but the screen was black. Crazily, my husband's laptop also would not work and also seems to have a screen/display problem! I ran my laptop--which is only 18 months old--over to Apple (ahh - air-conditioning!), and they sent it out for a week to repair it. I just got it back last night. So, we finally had electricity again, but both laptops were out of commission! I did what I could last week with my 12-year-old MacBook (which, by the way, has never needed a single repair!), but its system and software are so old that it can barely run a browser anymore. It was like being back in the days of dial-up, only with modern websites that wouldn't run on it!

So, I am back in business today, though I have two weeks' worth of e-mails, notifications, and other catching up to do. Apologies again for delays in my visiting your blogs, responding to messages/comments, and visiting Big Book Summer reviews--I will catch up!

In other good news, with nothing working, our cell service poor, and the on/off button not working on my old-school cell phone, I finally gave in and got an iPhone last week, my first-ever smart phone. Yes, I have joined the modern world! I couldn't do much to set it up, since all my stuff (contacts, bookmarks, passwords, etc.) was on my laptop, but I will do that this week, too. My family and friends are VERY excited, especially my mom who can now send me bitmojis, GIFs, and all the emojis she wants!

The one thing we could do without power, cell service, or computers was ... read! Here's what we've all been reading this past week:

I am still reading my latest Big Book Summer Challenge book, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, a Big Book and a classic that I have been wanting to read for ages. I love Dickens, read several of his books in school, and so many people have told me that this one is their favorite. I was immediately pulled into the story and am loving the title character, who--like many of Dickens' characters--is a good person who suffered some horrible mistreatment as a child. David's father died before he was born, but he has a warm, loving relationship with his mother and with the maid/nurse who helps care for them both. The trouble begins when his mother remarries (nice to see an evil stepfather, for a change). The novel follows David through the twists and turns of his life; I am currently at the part where he has finished school and is trying to decide what to do with his life. I am really enjoying the novel so far.

I am also listening to a Big Book on audio, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. I think probably everyone has heard about this one! This novel, released in January 2020, caused some controversy, since the author is a white woman, writing a novel about Mexican immigrants. The story is about a woman, Lydia, and her son who live in Acapulco. She runs a bookstore and has a happy life, until her husband publishes a tell-all article about the city's biggest drug cartel leader. After the cartel guns down their family, Lydia and her son are forced to flee for the United States, with their lives in grave danger. The novel follows them on their harrowing journey. I have no problem with Cummins writing this novel: it's an important story to tell, and, from what I have listened to so far, she writes it well. The book has certainly attracted many accolades and much attention (controversy aside). So far, it's a riveting and suspenseful story.

My husband, Ken, finished reading a Father's Day gift from me, The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling), book two in her Cormoran Strike mystery series. We both enjoyed the first book, The Cuckoo's Calling, so I was excited to give him the next one ... and when he opened it, he did not remember the series at all!! Once he got into the book, though, he enjoyed it very much. This one involves a missing writer who just finished a novel with "poisoned pen" barely-disguised descriptions of just about everyone he knows, which means there are plenty of suspects! This sounds like a great set-up for a mystery, so I will probably read this one this fall, too ... and it was another Big Book for my husband.

Now, my husband has moved onto another Father's Day gift and another Big Book! He started The Never Game by Jeffrey Deaver, the first book in a new series. We are both huge fans of Deaver and his Lincoln Rhyme series (if you haven't yet seen the TV show based on that series, check it out--it's excellent). This novel is a departure for Deaver, the start of a new series about Colter Shaw, an expert tracker who travels around the country, hiring himself out to find missing persons and to help the police. When a young woman goes missing in Silicon Valley, her father hires Colter to find her. Deaver writes outstanding thrillers, so I'm sure this one will be good, too!

The last I heard, our son, 26 as of yesterday, was reading book four, The God-Stone War, of the series The Mageborn by Michael G. Manning. Here's the description of the first book 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." Our son loves this series, and during the power outage, he quickly read through books two and three, The Line of Illeniel and The Archmage Unbound. I have a nice stack of new books to give him for his birthday!


I only managed one other blog post last week, with that old, slow laptop:

My Summary of Books Read in July - a Big Book Summer 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? 

Books Read in July

A cool spot on a hot summer day at our local nature center.

It was mostly a Big Book Summer month for me! Here's what I finished reading in July:

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins - YA fiction on audio

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (OH) - adult fiction

Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (UK) - adult fiction

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata (Japan) - adult fiction

Doomsday Book by Connie Willis (UK) - adult fiction

It was an all-fiction month in July and almost all adult fiction, except for one YA novel on audio. That fiction covered a wide variety of types and genres, including science fiction, mystery/thriller, romance, general fiction, and a time travel historical thriller! That made it a very fun reading month. I enjoyed all of these novels very much. My favorite is an easy pick, though, because I was completely knocked out by Doomsday Book--could not stop reading, yet never wanted it to end! Two weeks later, I still can't stop thinking about it. That's some good summer reading.

Progress in 2020 Reading Challenges:
You can see all of the reading challenges I am participating in and full lists of the books read for each at the challenges link. I have some fun ones going this year! Here's how July stacked up:

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2020 - I read 2 books from my own shelves last month.

2020 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge - July was Around the World, and I read Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata, set in Japan and written by a Japanese author.

Back to the Classics 2020 - No classics last month (but I am working on one now!)

PopSugar Reading Challenge - this is a unique one! It's getting challenging now that many categories are filled, but I fit 2 of my books into nee PopSugar categories: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata is set in Japan and Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert is written by an author in her 20's (can you believe she's just 23 years old?)

2020 Nonfiction Reader's Challenge - No nonfiction in July.

2020 Diversity Reading Challenge - Three of my books included diverse characters, though none fit the July theme of LGBTQ+.

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge - I added Japan to my worldwide reading tour last month.

2020 Literary Escapes Challenge - I added one new state: Ohio.

2020 Big Book Summer Challenge - I added three more Big Books in July, for a total of seven so far.

And finally, Bookish Bingo hosted by Chapter Break - not really a challenge per se, but a fun game that I play each month! Stop by to print out this month's Bingo card and play along. In July, I filled 21 spaces on my bingo card, which is great for only five books:

Spaces Filled:

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - cake/pie/dessert, animal, multi-word title, audiobook, free book
Mr. Mercedes - in a series, read a physical book, shelf love
Get a Life, Chloe Brown - birthday, diversity, made you laugh, read an ebook
Convenience Store Woman - set in a foreign country, library book, not in a series, book club read
Doomsday Book - made you cry, feast, red/white/blue on the cover, gift
Free Space

What was your favorite book read in July?  
 

It's Monday 8/10! What Are You Reading?

I'm very late with my post today and I didn't get around to visit many blogs last week, but I have a good excuse ... our power has been out for 6 of the last 7 days! It is STILL out, and I can only write this post now because my husband finally found a small generator (they have been sold out in all area stores since last Tuesday). It's not big enough to run our refrigerators/freezers, but at this point, most of the food is a lost cause anyway. So, we are using it to run fans (what marvelous inventions!), and we just restarted the internet router. 

All this excitement began last Tuesday, when Tropical Storm Isaias came right through our tiny state. We rarely get a direct hit like that and two tornadoes set down in Delaware, including one with a record-setting 22-mile long path. There was lots of damage, and we lost power, along with 115,000 other local households. Luckily, it wasn't very hot out, and our power was restored about 25 hours later on Wednesday. Since that storm, though, our cell service has also been spotty, so I can't make calls from our house, though I can sometimes get a text through.

Thursday was fine, giving me enough time to restock at the grocery store (and refill the fridge/freezers), and then an unexpected second storm hit on Friday that was surprisingly powerful, with gusts up to 95 mph and lots of flooding. So, we lost power again on Friday. This time, the temperature and humidity has been rising each day since then, so it has been not only inconvenient but very uncomfortable. The power company sent an automated message Sunday at 5 pm, saying, "Your power has been restored!" Only it wasn't. So, here we are, Monday at 5 pm, still waiting. Only now we have fans and internet!

So, that was my week! Off-line and old-school. I've had time to read, though; in fact, I even read the Sunday paper on Sunday--it usually takes me all week to finish it.

Here's what we have all been reading this past week:

I finished my non-Big-Book-palate-cleanser, Normal People by Sally Rooney. This was a gift from my husband, and I've been hearing all the rave reviews of both the book and the new Hulu TV show, so I was excited to read it. It's about a man, Connell, and a woman, Marianne, in Ireland. They grow up in the same small town and go to school together and begin a long, complicated on-and-off relationship during their last year of high school/secondary school and on into college. It's clear that they care about each other, and they have a uniquely close relationship, even when one or both of them is seeing someone else, but they both have issues that keep getting in the way of a strong, healthy romantic relationship together. It was very good, well-written and it felt like I knew the characters by the end. I'm looking forward to watching the TV show (someday, when we have power again).

Now, I have returned to my Big Book Summer Challenge and am reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, a Big Book and a classic that I have been wanting to read for ages. I love Dickens, read several of his books in school, and so many people have told me that this one is their favorite. I was immediately pulled into the story and am loving the title character, who--like many of Dickens' characters--is a good person who is suffering through horrible mistreatment as a child. David's father died before he was born, but he has a warm, loving relationship with his mother and with the maid/nurse who helps care for them both. The trouble begins when his mother remarries (nice to see an evil stepfather, for a change). I am really enjoying the novel so far, though it is a BIG Book physically, so large that I'm having trouble reading it in bed, where I usually do all my reading (well, on a futon in our basement, where it is cooler, for the moment).

On audio, I finished The Dutch House by Ann Patchett and enjoyed it very much. The audiobook is read by Tom Hanks, and it is incredibly soothing and entertaining to have Hanks read 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 (yes, an evil stepmother!). 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 young man, and parts as he and Maeve look back on their childhood and the house that meant so much to them. It was wonderful from start to finish, with some unexpected twists, and was extra-special read by Hanks. 

I haven't started it yet, but this morning, I moved a new audiobook onto my iPod (again, it's good to be old school), American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. I think probably everyone has heard about this one! This novel, released in January 2020, caused some controversy, since the author is a white woman, writing a novel about Mexican immigrants. The story is about a woman, Lydia, and her son who live in Acapulco. She runs a bookstore and has a happy life, until her husband publishes a tell-all article about the city's biggest drug cartel leader. Lydia and her son are forced to flee for the United States, with their lives in grave danger. The novel follows them on their harrowing journey. I have no problem with Cummins writing this novel: it's an important story to tell, and, from what I have heard, she writes it well. The book has certainly attracted many accolades and much attention (controversy aside). I've been looking forward to it and can't wait to start listening.

My husband, Ken, is still reading a Father's Day gift from me, The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling), book two in her Cormoran Strike mystery series. We both enjoyed the first book, The Cuckoo's Calling, so I was excited to give him the next one ... and when he opened it, he did not remember the series at all!! Now that he's into the book, though, he's enjoying it. He commented to me that he really likes the main character, Strike, and that I would also. I reminded him that I already read the first book and remembered it, and I did like the character. This one involves a missing writer who just finished a novel with "poisoned pen" barely-disguised descriptions of just about everyone he knows, which means there are plenty of suspects! This sounds like a great set-up for a mystery, so I will probably read this one this fall, too.

Our son, 25, is such an avid reader that he has taken full advantage of the power outages! He is loving the series The Mageborn by Michael G. Manning. He started with book 1, The Blacksmith's Son, when he was on vacation last week. 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." Our son loves this series, and this week, he's quickly read through books two and three, The Line of Illeniel and The Archmage Unbound, and is now reading book four, The God-Stone War.

Blog posts from last week:

Movie Monday: Transsiberian - a suspenseful thriller set on a train through snowy Siberia

Fiction Review: Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert - a fun, funny romance featuring a character with a chronic illness

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?  

 

Fiction Review: Get a Life, Chloe Brown

I don't normally read much romance, but I kept hearing rave reviews of Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert. So when I saw it discounted on Book Bub, I took a chance and downloaded it to my Kindle. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this unique romance novel features a main character who has a chronic illness, a rarity in fiction! I enjoyed reading about the brave and bold but damaged Chloe.

In the Prologue, Chloe Brown has a life-changing moment when a car narrowly misses her while she's walking along city streets. She is unhurt, but the incident shakes her up and makes her rethink her careful, cautious life. A highly organized, list-loving woman, Chloe makes a Get a Life list to ensure that her obituary won't be so boring. Her first item is to move out of her family home, where she lives with her two sisters, Dani and Eve, her parents, and her spirited grandmother, Gigi. Her family is very supportive of her and her chronic illness, fibromyalgia, but Chloe decides it's time to get out on her own. She moves into an apartment and settles into a happy though solitary life, working from home as a web designer and IT specialist. She soon clashes with her building super, though. He's a big, red-haired, motorcycle-riding guy named Red, and they dislike each other from the start. Little by little, though, as Chloe works through her list, they get to know each other better and realize they are both wildly attracted to the other. Each has been hurt by a bad relationship in the past, so they are both cautious about falling in love again, though Red is determined to help her with her list.

The author balances a careful line here, both sharing intimate details of Chloe's daily challenges with chronic pain and fatigue while also making her relatable, someone you either see yourself in or want to be friends with. Her work to improve her life and her compulsive list-making are fun characteristics. As someone living with chronic illness myself, I found the details of her life honest and real, in a way that felt surprising to encounter in a novel. At the same time, the story is a lot of fun, filled with snappy dialogue, romance, and mild suspense as to whether Chloe and Red will end up together. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments, as when Chloe gets stuck in a tree or Red catches her bundled up in a lemur onesie. The sex scenes are fairly graphic, which doesn't bother me but be forewarned, but I did find myself getting a bit bored by the "will they or won't they," "he loves me, he loves me not" stuff that is pretty standard in romance novels; this might be why I don't read more of them. Overall, though, I enjoyed this unique novel with likable characters, a sense of fun, and plenty of humor and enjoyed getting to know the unstoppable Chloe Brown.

384 pages, Avon

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

You can purchase Get a Life, Chloe Brown from an independent bookstore, either locally or online, here:

 

You can also buy through indie bookstores using Bookshop.

Or you can order Get a Life, Chloe Brown from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Movie Monday: Transsiberian

As usual these days, we were scouring Amazon and Netflix Saturday evening, looking for a movie to watch. My husband most enjoys thrillers (and I like them, too), and we lucked out last month with I See You, which was excellent and super-twisty. This week, he found a 2008 movie on Amazon Prime:  Transsiberian, about an action-packed train ride through Siberia, and we enjoyed the suspenseful story very much.

As the movie opens, Roy (played by Woody Harrelson), and his wife, Jessie (played by Emily Mortimer), have just finished up some volunteer work with their church in China and are boarding the Transsiberian Railroad for a trip to Russia, where they will tour Moscow before returning home to the U.S. Roy is a pure-bred, white-bread, All-American Midwesterner who loves trains, has childlike enthusiasm, and makes friends with everyone he meets. Jessie is quieter and has a more complicated past but loves Roy and enjoyed the volunteer work, her first time doing anything like that. They are paired up in their tiny train cabin with another couple. Carlos, played by Eduardo Ximenez, and Abby, played by Kate Mara, are clearly very different from Roy and Jessie, with Carlos' sly looks and teasing them about their clean passports and Abby's heavy make-up and quiet confidence. The two couples bond while traveling, but after Roy gets separated from the group, things begin to fall apart. Back on the train after a stop in a tiny Russian village, Roy and Jessie meet Detective Grinko, played by Ben Kingsley, who explains that he and his team are looking for dug smugglers, and the railroad is a common smuggling run. Things go a little off the rails at the point, if you'll pardon the pun, and the suspense builds, as the action and surprises ramp up.

The setting, including both the train itself and the vast, snowy Russian countryside, is a big part of this thriller and adds to its ominous tension. The cast are all excellent in their roles, driving us to IMDB, as usual, to see where we knew the two women from, and Harrelson is the perfect innocent Midwesterner. True to its thriller framework, the story is filled with unexpected twists and turns, and the tension builds as the quiet train ride turns deadly. We both enjoyed this movie very much.

Transsiberian is currently available on Amazon (included in Prime).

Here's the trailer; however, be forewarned that it contains some mild spoilers. This is the official trailer, so maybe they thought you'd figure these things out the first time you saw the characters. I did see the trailer first and still enjoyed the movie and had plenty of surprises in store.

If you prefer to go into a movie cold, skip the trailer and just know it's a suspenseful thriller, and give it a try!