Monday, January 04, 2021

It's Monday 1/4! What Are You Reading?


 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

 

We had a relaxing week off between Christmas and New Year's, though--as usual--I didn't manage to get done even a fraction of what I'd planned! I do that every year. Our older son went back to NY on Tuesday, and we enjoyed his company and are missing him. My husband and I had a quiet week and our usual quiet New Year's Eve celebration. We watched two movies, Palm Springs (fun) and The Peanut Butter Falcon (excellent!), ate some delicious take-out food, and watched the ball drop at midnight. I made it! New Year's Day was dark, gloomy, and wet here (lot of that lately), but we were able to take a nice walk together on Saturday and then visit my father-in-law (first time the weather allowed an outdoor visit in weeks, and it lifted his spirits).

I made a decision about my blog this weekend. As you'll see, I just posted my November summary last week, as everyone else was posting their year-end summaries. I am so sick of being so far behind all the time (and my poor health last year didn't help), and the thought of starting the new year so far behind was depressing. By the time I catch up on all my December reviews, it'll be the end of January before I am "starting the new year" on my blog! So, I decided I will write a single post this week with short, 1-paragraph reviews of the books I read in December, and then I can move forward with wrapping up 2020 and starting 2021 on time. I feel like I'm short-changing my December books, but I will be very happy to catch up and start the new year with everyone else. So, look for that review post this week, along with my year-end wrap-ups.

As always, we are all enjoying our books. Here's what we've been reading this past week:

I finished The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, which I received as a Christmas gift. I love any novel that plays with time--time shifting, time travel, alternate timelines--and my family loaded me up on those for Christmas. In this novel, a 35-year-old woman named Nora decides her life is a wreck, she's useless to everyone, and she wants to die. But instead, she finds herself in a strange kind of library with infinite books and shelves, managed by her favorite school librarian. Here, the librarian explains, Nora can select a book and see what her life would have been like if she had made different choices. Since Nora has plenty of regrets, she begins requesting books and living different lives, based on the choices she has always wished she'd made differently or wondered about, trying out lives as a rock star, glaciologist, pub owner, mother, and more. This is what I like about novels that play with time, this endlessly thought-provoking stream of "what if's." In fact, my book inspired a conversation with my husband about regrets and other paths (don't worry--we're both happy with our choices!). I enjoyed this intriguing novel.

I finished that one just past midnight on New Year's Eve, so I got to choose my First Book of the Year next! I chose The River by Peter Heller, a Booktopia author I like (I enjoyed Celine) and a book that my husband and many friends had enjoyed. It's the story of two young men, college students and best friends, who have taken time off to paddle the lakes and rivers of Canada on a float trip leading to Hudson Bay. They are in a remote and isolated area, paddling and camping, and have rarely seen any other people on their trip. One day, after hiking to the top of a hill, they see a huge forest fire in the distance and soon they can smell the smoke and char in the air as it advances. They need to make the rest of their trip as fast as possible in order to outrun the fire, but they soon encounter other obstacles. In the fog one night, they hear a man and woman arguing on shore, and the next day, they encounter the man, alone. What happened to his wife? This is a gripping, super-suspenseful novel with the young men battling both natural and man-made horrors as they race against time.

On audio, I finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, a new release I have been dying to read/listen to! I've read one other book by the author, City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab, a middle-grade novel that I loved. Plus this new adult novel is being compared to The Time Traveler's Wife and Life After Life, two of my all-time favorite books! In 1714, a young woman about to be forced into marriage makes a deal with a dark spirit to live forever in a life where no one ever controls her. The catch is that no one ever remembers her, either; she is immediately forgotten by anyone she meets, from her own parents to shopkeepers to men she falls in love with. The action jumps back and forth between her early years after the dark deal, and the present day in 2014, where she has lived for over 300 years but can never leave an impression on the world or even a single person, until she meets one person who remembers her. It was engrossing and excellent, and I really enjoyed it--a great way to end the year!

My husband, Ken, just finished reading High Country by Nevada Barr, a favorite author of ours. Barr writes a series of thrillers that take place in National Parks and feature park ranger Anna Pigeon. We both enjoy thrillers and love National Parks, so these novels are doubly enjoyable for us. This one takes place in Yosemite National Park, where my husband has visited multiple times (and me, once). Anna is called in as an undercover agent pretending to be a kitchen worker at the famed Ahwahnee Hotel after several young park employees disappear. Her investigation leads to some sinister goings-on, and Anna ends up on her own, backpacking up a snowy trail to the high country in search of answers. Sounds like a good one! He enjoyed it.

Now, Ken has started one of his many bookish Christmas gifts, Body Broker by Daniel M. Ford, book one in the Jack Dixon series.When I called my local indie bookstore to order books for my family for Christmas, the bookseller who answered the phone happened to be the one who runs their Mystery Lovers' Book Club. She and I always enjoy trading book recommendations, and I had a typically fun conversation with her. She told me the book club had just read this one and based on what my husband likes, she thought he'd enjoy it. This is the great thing about indie bookstores! In this series, Jack Dixon is a high school dropout, ex-cop, and ex-cook who lives in a houseboat and works as a PI. In this first book, he investigates the disappearance of a teen from a local elite boarding school. Sounds like a good set-up!

 

Blog posts from last week:

Movie Monday: Happiest Season - Fun, warm, funny rom-com with an all-star cast

Memoir Review: H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald - thoughtful memoir about grief and hawks

Books Read in November - a good reading month for me and #NonfictionNovember

First Book of 2021 - Check out my first book of the new year and others' choices for first book

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?

26 comments:

  1. I'm glad you had an enjoyable New Year's celebration. I was listening to an audiobook and was up until well past midnight but didn't have the TV on to see all the celebrations. Body Broker sounds like a story I'd enjoy. I'll have to add it to my list. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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    1. Happy New Year, Kathy! Glad you had an enjoyable New Year's Eve reading/listening!

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  2. Sometimes those executive decisions on reader's blogs are necessary, even if frustrating. I've been thinking about making a challenge to myself to read at least half of the books I've already purchased in recent years before seeking any more. I've purchased some books that look wonderful and I really need to get started on them!

    I've been on the wait list for The Midnight Library and I just looked to see how far I've moved up. I'm now #8 in line for 3 copies. So if any of those readers are quick, it's possible I'll have it by February. Thanks for sharing more about it, Sue! Happy New Year!!

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    1. I quit buying books for myself YEARS ago, always have a reading challenge to read my TBR books, and yet somehow, my TBR bookcase still has double rows on it! ha ha Good luck with reading your own books!

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  3. I recently read The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue. Very unique!

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    1. Yes, for sure - not a typical plot. Glad you liked it, too.

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  4. I think you plan to speed up your reviews is really good. Sometimes it has to be done, and anyway you are still giving attention to the books. I enjoyed The Midnight Library and while I don't like every time travel book this was in my alley. I've heard The River is really good, not sure if I can deal with it though! Take care and Happy New Year.

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    1. Thanks, Kathryn! Glad to hear you liked The Midnight Library, too.

      The River is quite tense at this point! Like a combination outdoor adventure and mystery/thriller.

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  5. I'm glad you enjoyed the holidays (and stayed up until midnight on New Year's Eve—I never do that, and I always mildly feel like I missed out)! I totally get why you are skipping to the present on your blog—it is definitely hard to cram in all of the blogging that goes with all of the reading (which was already time-consuming)! These books sound great, especially The Midnight Library! Thanks for the wonderful post, as always!

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    1. Yes, exactly! My reviews aren't keeping up with my reading, but I want to keep reading!!

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  6. I've heard such great things about THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY! I can't wait to read it, but I'm waaaaay down on the library holds list!

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    1. I've heard that from several people! Always tough to get those hot new releases :)

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  7. Your blog is a hobby, not a job. Keep it fun!

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    1. That's kind of you, but actually, my blog IS my job and not a hobby! ha ha I am a freelance writer, and writing reviews on my blog helped me to get several paid reviewing jobs over the years. Blogging (I have two blogs) is an integral part of my freelance writing business, even if this blog doesn't earn me money directly. But, it's good advice to keep it fun!

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  8. I'm so glad you had an enjoyable New Year's. I totally get you feel frustrated about being behind on your blogging. I totally understand you want to catch up quickly.

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  9. I listened to The Midnight Library, once I realized I probably wasn't getting the book for Christmas! I had mixed feelings about it at first, but it grew on me! I didn't put myself onto the Addie LaRue wait list right away for some reason, so I'm like 10,000th in line for the audiobook at the library. I may break down and try one of the paid audiobook services to get it sooner, or I might buy a print copy instead.

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    1. Same here - it grew on me :)

      ha ha yes, it's tough to get those new releases through the library! Good luck!

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  10. It's your blog, so you can run it anyway you want! There is no "being behind". I never do year end summaries or lists. I hope you get to a place where you are happy with things! I thought about reading The Midnight Library, but it seems dark. I definitely would go back in time and NOT become a Latin teacher!

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    1. Thanks for the encouragement! I do like my approach with my blog - I just couldn't keep up with it, especially this year due to health issues.

      The Midnight Library is not at all dark - it's mostly thoughtful, about realizing what's important in life and who cares about you :)

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  11. I stopped doing end of the month wrap ups when it felt like too much so now list the week's reviews in my Sunday Salon posts. It makes me feel much more sane.

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    1. I enjoy my monthly summaries, but I HAVE been looking at how you and others manage your blogs. I like your Sunday Salon updates :)

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  12. Happy New Year Sue. We had a sedate New Years Eve too. I only drank 2 glasses of prosecco. We watched Rare Exports, a dark Nordic Christmas movie that we didn't have time for during the season.
    So you already know this, but remember to take care of yourself first and foremost.

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    1. Aw, Cheriee, thanks so much for the kind words. Yes, I do know that, but I often forget, so I sincerely appreciate the reminder! Glad you had a nice quiet NYE - I hadn't heard of that movie before!

      Sue

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  13. You made me gasp out loud when I read "made some decisions about the blog" because I thought you were closing up shop! Whew. I still haven't gotten my Best Of lists up and won't be doing a December wrap up. You're not alone in being a bit behind!

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    1. ha ha aw, thanks, Melissa! No worries - I enjoy the blog and the book community too much to close shop!

      Glad to hear I'm not the last one to write up my Best Of lists!! I just watched your video about your top fiction picks and enjoyed it :) I plan to expand to YouTube this year, too.

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