It's Monday 3/6! What Are You Reading?

Hosted by The Book Date

Life

Last week was family week, with quality time spent with both of our sons. As I explained in last Monday's post, our older son was home visiting from NY. It was a short visit, mostly for doctors' appointments, but we got to enjoy two dinners with him (one including all four of us), a Star Trek Strange New Worlds (he watches the newer Star Trek series with my husband and I), and I had plenty of time with him in the car to catch up. Last night, our younger son and his girlfriend were here for dinner. He lives with us part-time, but his long-time girlfriend's been away at school and is home for spring break, so it was really nice to enjoy some time together. And I saw online that Saturday was National Sons' Day! I am very fortunate to have two such wonderful young men as my sons.

Sylvan Lake, Black Hills SD, 2005

My birthday, July 2019

My stamina is still quite limited (I have a doctor's appointment this week to hopefully adjust my meds again), but I did manage some short walks last week, taking advantage of some lovely, sunny days. Yesterday, I took a break from tax preparation, and my husband and I enjoyed a new-to-us hike along a local creek where we discovered a hidden pond.

 

Blue sky and clouds reflected in the water

Good to be outdoors on a lovely day!

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On the Blog

 Fiction Review: Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris - historical fiction set in 1964, with family drama and suspense woven in

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On Video

New book-related videos posted last week:

Booktube by the Numbers - quick shout-outs to 10 other Booktubers I enjoy - great for discovering new channels!

My March Reading Plans - including two reading challenges, a podcast read-along, and preparation for Booktopia 

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What We're Reading

 

I finished reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, a classic I've been wanting to read for ages that was perfect for Black History Month. It's about a woman named Janie who comes back into town after a year and a half away, and then tells her best friend her story--not only of the past 18 months but of her entire life. It was written in 1937 and the dialogue is all written in the Black dialect of Florida at that time, so it can take little longer to read than standard text. But that dialect and language adds so much to the story! The creative metaphors and similes used by the characters are often hilarious, in spite of the drama of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this engrossing novel. I talk about it more in my February Reading Wrap-up video, which will go up on my YouTube channel tomorrow.

 

 

 

My first book for March was a classic published in 1917, Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley. This was the first quarter read-along for the Book Cougars podcast (highly recommended). This year's theme for their read-alongs is Books About Books, and this was a wonderful start! It's about 39-year-old Helen McGill who has spent her life caring for her brother, a famous author, at their farmhouse. One day, a man comes along in what is basically a 1917 bookmobile, a wagon outfitted with shelves of books on both sides, and a cozy little living space inside. He was going to offer to sell the whole thing to her brother, but since he's not home, Helen decides to buy it with her savings and go off on her own adventure for a change! It's a wonderful little novel about the love (and benefits) of books, travel, and nature. Road trips, nature, and books? I want a Parnassus of my own!

 

On audio, I finished listening to The Upper World by Femi Fadugba, a YA science fiction novel. It's about parallel universes and time travel, some of my favorite kinds of plots, and it was described as "perfect for fans of Neal Schusterman." I'm in! Esso, a teen Black boy in a poor section of London, gets in an accident and is suddenly pushed into another world, "the upper world." Fifteen years later, teen girl Rhia has a new Physics tutor named Dr. Esso. Lots of secrets revealed and twisty plot points ensue. It was excellent and gripping, though its south London street slang dialect was sometimes a bit tricky on audio (but added to the story). 

 

 

 Now, I am listening to Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, as my first book for Middle-Grade March. Twelve-year-old Katrina (her latest name) is in the witness protection program with her parents, hiding from a dangerous drug cartel. She had a terrible accident three years ago, just before they went into the program, so she doesn't remember anything of their earlier "before" life. Their latest move is to an RV park in rural Georgia, a big change from the big cities they usually move to, to get lost in crowds. Here, Katrina might be able to have a little more freedom and even make a friend, like the boy living in the trailer next door. I am loving this very twisty audio book so far, filled with deep secrets, lies, and thriller action.

My husband, Ken, just started one of his Christmas gift books, Upgrade by Blake Crouch. We are both big fans of Crouch. I enjoyed Recursion, and Dark Matter is one of my favorite books. The TV series Wayward Pines and Good Behavior were based on his books. After Ken's finished with Upgrade, I definitely plan to read it also!

Our son, 28, finished reading Plague of Shadows by Michael Wiseheart, book 2 in the Aldoran Chronicles series. Now, he's moved onto book one, Banished, of different series by Wiseheart, Street Rats of Aramoor, that he realized is the prequel to Aldoran Chronicles. He likes this writer!

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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