It's Monday 1/25! What Are You Reading?

I had a busy week (when are things not busy?), with an out-of-state medical appointment for me with my son's Lyme specialist that required a lot of preparation (19 years' worth of records, lab reports, etc.). The good news is that the appointment went really well, she knew of the new research on treatments I wanted to try, and they took quarts of blood for dozens and dozens of tests, to look for other infectious agents behind the scenes. All in all, it was a great meeting, and after 11 months of a bad relapse of my chronic illnesses, I am feeling hopeful again! In fact, I already started some things she recommended, and my stamina seems better already. Earlier last week, I had a terrible flare-up just from a trip to the grocery store, but on Saturday I worked hard (for me) helping my husband with the cleaning (I do the dusting; he does the rest), with no payback the next day - major progress! So, I am starting this week feeling good and positive.

 

I also finally finished all my 2020 blogging wrap-ups, so you can see my Best Books of 2020 now!

Meanwhile, we are all enjoying our books. Here's what we've been reading:

I finished a nonfiction self-help book, Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. I heard about this book (a 2018 release) from my friend, Chris Wolak, on one of my favorite book podcasts, Book Cougars, that she hosts with Emily Fine. I felt like I needed some new inspiration this year, as last year a lot of important things just didn't get done in my life. These two former Google employees share what they've learned about focusing on priorities to get the most important things done, which is just what I needed right now! I am already using one of their tips: to set a focus or Highlight for each day. You may do lots of things in a day, but this concept means setting a priority for one thing that will be your primary focus for that day. They also reminded me of some things I meant to do--like staying off social media in the morning and jumping right into my priority work--that fell by the wayside last year. The book is written in a fun, casual style (and illustrated with cartoons), and I enjoyed it ... and was inspired! My new year is off to a good start. Thanks, Chris!

I am still reading my next book group selection, Beartown by Fredrik Backman. I'm more than halfway through it, but book group meets on Zoom Wednesday! In a remote small town in Sweden, surrounded by forest, youth hockey is at the heart of the town. In fact, the town is failing economically, and most people see hockey as their way back to a thriving community. Decades ago, Peter Andersson led the town's junior hockey team to the national championship and then headed off to Canada to play in the NHL. Now, Peter is back and in charge of the hockey program in Beartown, and a new young star named Kevin seems to have the same kind of talent that Peter did back in the day--maybe even more. The junior team is headed for the national semi-finals, and they have a shot at winning. But the whole town is counting on them, and that means a lot of pressure on this group of teen boys and the adults who coach them. The novel opens with a brief and mysterious passage about a teenager shooting someone else, so there is quite a bit of tension in knowing that violent act is coming. That's not the only foreshadowing, and this novel has another violent act at its center. I enjoyed Backman's A Man Called Ove, and Beartown is excellent so far but much, much darker.

On audio, I finished a middle-grade novel I have been wanting to read, A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor. I loved her novel Waiting for Normal so much that I almost drove off the road laughing and sobbing and reaching for the box of Kleenex while listening to it! In this novel, thirteen-year-old Lydia has just lost her mother to a heart condition. She moves to Connecticut to live with her mother's sister, her Aunt Brat, and her wife, Eileen. The two women also have a dog and soon add another. There is a lot for Lydia to adjust to: a new home in a new, rural town in a new state, new school, new friends, and of course, the loss of her mother with whom she was very close. As always, Connor writes beautifully about loss and love and ordinary life with warmth and humor. I enjoyed it very much.

Now, I am listening to another audio by another favorite author, this one a YA novel called Furious Thing by Jenny Downham. I loved her earlier novel, Unbecoming, so much that I chose it as my Best Teen/YA Book read in 2016. Lexi is 15 and is constantly told that she misbehaves and has a bad temper. She is filled with anger that often comes out at the worst times. If only she could change herself so that her stepfather would like her, her mother would love her like she used to, and maybe she'd even have friends. The only person she can talk to is her stepbrother, but now he's off at school. Lexi works hard to transform herself, pushing her anger down deep. Yeah, you know how well that's going to work! It's very good so far and engrossing.

My husband, Ken, is still reading one of his Christmas gifts and his most-anticipated one: The Sentinel by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Lee's brother). This is Ken's favorite author and all-time favorite series, and each year, he looks forward to reading the next book (which conveniently is always released before Christmas). This book is #25 in the Jack Reacher series. It takes place in Tennessee, where Reacher encounters a nerdy IT guy being beat up and intervenes. He discovers the man has been accused of a cyber attack on the town, but he says he is innocent. Reacher decides to find out what really happened. Ken says he is noticing a slight difference with the addition of the co-author, though he is still enjoying this complex, twisty novel. 

Our son, 26, took his dad's advice and is enjoying a book he lent to him when he was home recently: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin, a prequel to the A Game of Thrones series. This one book compiles the first three prequel novellas that Martin wrote, which take place a century before the events in A Song of Ice and Fire, the first book in A Game of Thrones series. It's about a young, inexperienced knight named Ser Duncan (Dunk, for short), and his small squire, a boy named Egg. The two of them love The Game of Thrones (books and TV series!), and he is enjoying the book like his dad did.

 

Blog posts from last week:

Movie Monday: The Peanut Butter Falcon - we loved this warm, funny story full of heart!

TV Tuesday: Home Before Dark - an excellent murder mystery with a 9-year old detective

Best Books Read in 2020 - my annual wrap-up, with stats, favorites in each category and Top 10 lists

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?