It's Monday 1/3! What Are You Reading?

Hosted by The Book Date

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

It's 2022! Doesn't that sound like something from science fiction? We flew right past 1984 and 2001: A Space Odyssey and partied like it was 1989, and now here we are in the future! Crazy.

So after our crisis-filled Christmas (96-year-old father-in-law breaking a hip and a COVID scare the day after Christmas that cleared our house of guests in minutes), we had a relatively quiet holiday week. Our annual Cookie/Grinch party with our oldest friends had to go virtual, but we still enjoyed decorating cookies and watching the Grinch (the original, of course) "together" over Zoom. 

Our cookie creations!

Watching the Grinch together in the virtual living room

We got my father-in-law discharged from the hospital and set up in a rehab/nursing home facility that is just a mile from our house. My husband, son, and I have each been visiting him every day. He's been quite confused due to his dementia by the sudden change in surroundings and circumstances, but he was doing better, starting PT and enjoying our visits and getting his appetite back. Then, last night, we got the news that he tested positive for COVID. 

I don't know what it's like where you are, but it's been crazy in our region, with most families having a COVID scare like ours over Christmas, lines a mile long in the rain for temporary testing sites, and it being almost impossible to find at-home test kits anywhere (I ordered a bunch before the holidays, thank goodness). So, this is not a surprise but still a huge concern, for him and for us. We think it's not just him, but a good-sized breakout in the facility; they are meeting this morning to make a plan.

I spent 90 minutes with him yesterday and actually fed him his lunch, which I brought from home (now I understand why he seemed so lethargic and had no appetite). Of course, we've all been wearing masks there, but we are worried about him--and about me because recent tests showed that I didn't make many antibodies from the vaccines due to my immune disorder. We're in wait-and-see mode now, waiting to hear from the facility (we're hoping my husband can still visit because with the dementia, his dad really needs to see family to stay connected and lucid) and waiting until 3 days have passed to do our at-home tests. Not a great start to the new year, but I know many people are in similar situations.

So, let's get to the good stuff--books! I posted two short videos last week:

• A Very Bookish Christmas - hear about the books we gave and received
• Friday Reads and Happy New Year! - the books I just finished and just started

And here's what we've each been reading this past week (more about the first four in my Friday Reads video, above): 

 

I finished A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet, and wow, what a unique and engaging novel! It's about twelve kids and teens left on their own after an apocalyptic storm hits, and it's funny, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. It's hard to describe, so take a look at my review at the link!

 

I suddenly realized I have book group January 4! Luckily, I was able to borrow a library copy from a friend and am enjoying Janesville: An American Story by Amy Goldstein, a nonfiction book about a town in WI that came back to life after a devastating GM plant closure.

 

I finished my last audio of the year, Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan, a YA novel about racial prejudice, immigration, and a teen girl just trying to live like any other American teen. It was excellent, and I enjoyed it very much.

 

My first audiobook of 2021 is one I have been eagerly anticipating: The Sentence by Louise Erdrich. I love her novels, especially on audio since she reads them herself. In this one, a Native American woman named Tookie spent years in prison and is now working in a bookstore where she sees the ghost of a former customer.

 

My husband, Ken, is still reading Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson, book one of The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, a fantasy novel recommended by our son. Once again, he didn't have much reading time this week!

 

Our son, 27, is almost finished reading Spinning Silver by Naomi Novak, a follow-up to Uprooted, which he loved. He said he'll probably finish it today.

I hate starting the new year already behind, so I wrote a lot of book reviews last week to catch up! As another simplification for 2021, I decided not to post monthly summaries anymore, so there won't be one for December, but I should be able to get my 2021 Year End Summary up later this week. Here are my posts from last week:

My Summary of Books Read in November - a great reading month for Nonfiction November!

Fiction Review: All Clear by Connie Willis - outstanding! One of my best books of the year and of all-time.

Fiction Review: Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune - funny, poignant, unique novel.

Middle-Grade/Teen Review: Friends Forever by Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham - graphic memoir that finishes the trilogy - excellent!

Fiction Review: A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet - original, engrossing, funny, suspenseful, and thought-provoking. More in my Friday Reads video.

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?