I can’t believe it’s mid-April already. I know I say this every year, but this year really is going uncomfortably fast. That said I’ve weirdly been staying on task with my reading goals and lists. I always spend so much time in December coming up with goals, lists of books I’ll read each month, and signing up for challenges. I last until about halfway through January until I forget all about it. This year I’ve appreciated the time my past self has put into finding these books for me and have been sticking to my schedule. Will it last? Who knows.
Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese - This was such a beautiful book. It was a chunkster - 23 hours on audio - but there’s not a second of it I would cut out. In Ethiopia Marion and Shiva Stone are the twins of a mother who died in childbirth and a father who ran away. They are adopted by hospital staff and come of age surrounded by medicine.
The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell - Eventually I’m going to need to read this one again because I got to the end and it totally wasn’t about what I thought it was. But that was the beauty of it. I’m still not even sure what happened. Rose Baker’s job as a typist at the city precinct takes a turn when the mysterious and beautiful Odalie comes on board.
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier - March must have been my month for unresolved endings because this was another book that left me with more questions than answers at the end. Philip’s uncle has died in Rome shortly after marrying the mysterious Cousin Rachel. Was it just bad luck, or something more…
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters - This one had so many of the themes I loved: motherhood, found families, and the role of women. It deserves the hype.
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty - My reading friend at work has been telling me to read this fantasy trilogy for years, and I’m so glad I finally did. I can’t wait to read the rest.
A Woman In The Polar Night by Christiane Ritter - The fascinating account of a woman who spent a year in the Arctic just before WWII. I really enjoy this type of memoir.
This post is linked to Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit.
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It’s easy to walk and walk when you have interesting things to look at! We took a very weird, isolated, socially distant road trip last week. It was different and fun!
We saw:
We listened to:
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Mabry Mill
March was a great reading month. We had a few days that were perfect for reading outside, plenty of audiogardening, and a short road trip that supported my reading habits. I noticed I was quick to bail on books that didn’t grab me right away. I have mixed feelings about bailing on books, but overall I do think it allows me to read more books that I like.
Total Read: 17 books read - 6 audio and 11 print. As I mentioned I bailed on five others.
TBR: Started at 849 and ended at 852. Could I have really added 26 books to my TBR? I guess so. I really need a month off to read.
Challenges: Reading Asia -1 (Nepal), Food and Lit - 1 (Ethiopia), Bookspin Bingo - 5 Bingos!, Reading Canada - 1, Chunkster Challenge - 52% done with Les Miserables
April should mean warmer weather for gardening and reading outside, but it also means spring sports for the kids so we’ll see. I have some good books planned for the month, so that should keep me motivated!
Spring is really here now. I love how this time of year every time you go out the landscape has changed drastically. Flowers that weren’t out of the ground the day before are suddenly half a foot tall and in full bloom. Glorious.
Here’s what I’ve been looking at while walking:
And here’s what I’ve been listening to:
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I haven’t done one of these in a while. I was still walking, but everything always looked the same. Finally though it’s spring and things are starting to bloom. Yay!
Here’s what I’ve been looking at on my audio walks:
And here’s what I’ve been listening to:
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Happy March. I went back to my post from last year to see if I had any profound just before quarantine thoughts to share, but it turns out I was just complaining about how many library books I had out at once. Guess what? After a year of so much change and strife I still have too many library books out. Some things will always remain constant.
I put off reading Pachinko by Min Jin Lee forever, and I can’t figure out why. I absolutely loved this chunky story about a Korean family in Japan. It was everything I want in a book: sweeping, multi-generational, wistful, and touching.
On The Come Up by Angie Thomas - Angie Thomas is so good. I really don’t think she would even be capable of writing a bad book.
Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout - More tales about Olive Kitteridge in Maine. Strout treats getting older with dignity, and I appreciate that.
A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson - This thriller was fast paced from the beginning, and then 3/4 of the way through something totally bonkers happens. I really loved it.
Without You There Is No Us by Suki Kim - The memoir of a reporter who went undercover to teach in North Korea. I was extremely nervous for her the whole time.
Dolly Parton, Songteller by Dolly Parton - I listened to the audiobook for this one, and loved hearing Dolly talk about what was going on when she wrote her songs.
The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone - Books about women doing awesome things during WWII that men get the credit for are becoming more and more common, but that doesn’t mean we should stop reading them. This book about code breaking was fascinaing.
This post is linked to Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit.
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Stock photo that is way more pretty than the endless frozen rain/sleet/mush that fell in February here
Read: 19 books (8 audiobooks, 11 print)
Challenges:
Reading Asia: 3 books
Reading Europe: 0 books
Food and Lit: February was Vietnam. I read 1 novel and 2 cookbooks. I cooked three dishes. More on that later.
Bookspin BINGO: 19 read, 1 bail, 2 BINGOs
Chunkster Challenge 2021: 40% through Les Miserables (We’re kind of slowing down through this section, but still plugging along)
Beginning TBR: 839
Ending TBR: 849
Great reading month! Thank you weather.
It’s Friday! I know it’s been a while since I have posted. Life took over. I’m hoping things are getting a little back to normal?
This month’s #FoodAndLit challenge from Litsy focuses on Vietnam. YUM. I got a few cookbooks out of the library, and we all have really been enjoying my efforts. This is my first dinner- hoisin chicken and sweet potatoes. I’m hoping to make pho from scratch this weekend if I can find the ingredients.
This past weekend was a two readathon weekend- my favorite kind!
I opened my Valentine’s swap box on Sunday. The candy is all gone, but the books will keep me company for a while!
I needed something to listen to while I was painting my son’s room over the long weekend. I have a ton of books already downloaded, but comfort reading won!
Have a great weekend! Happy reading!
Linked to The Sunday Post at the Caffeinated Reviewer and It’s Monday What Are You Reading
My motivation to walk continues- helped on by a yearly physical and a walking competition at work.
This week I listened to:
And I saw:
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It’s winter and we actually have winter weather. This has been great for my reading, although my mindlessness of 2020 still creeps in from time to time. There are a few book on my January list that I had no memory of until I looked them up. Granted January was a really bad month for my family, and a stressful time to live just outside DC, but I was really hoping to leave that kind of thing in 2020.
Oh well, there were quite a few excellent books that I do remember, so I’ll just focus on those.
I had two five star reads in January- one that I read on a whim and one much anticipated audiobook.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - The story of Olive, a cranky old lady living in Maine. Her story isn’t so much of a story as a series of vignettes in which she touches other people’s lives in various ways. In reading reviews this seems to be one of those books that people either love or hate, and I loved, loved, loved this book.
Gone Crazy In Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia - When I found out I would be driving from Cleveland to DC with my kiddos I knew I had to have this audiobook to get me through. We all love this series about three sisters just trying to grow up. This is the third and final (for now?) book in the series, and I think it was the best. You can tell kids what it was like for African Americans in the 60’s but these books show in a way that is humorous and engaging for them, and powerful and sobering for adults. I can’t recommend these books enough no matter what your age.
These were all library holds that I had to binge read in the few days before they were due back. That rarely works out for me, but I’m happy to say it did in January.
The Cold Millions by Jess Walter - I had to get over the fact that this was different from Beautiful Ruins, but once I did I enjoyed this book. I loved how Spokane, Washington almost became another character, and it’s now on my post COVID travel list. I’m a great lover of epilogues and this had an amazing one.
The House In The Cerulean Sea - The most heartwarming book featuring the anti-Christ I’ve ever read. This book deserves all of the hype it has gotten.
The Awakened Kingdom by NK Jemisin - I wasn’t sure I’d understand this Novella since it’s a sequel to a trilogy I haven’t read yet. But it was what the library had when I was looking for a book by Jemisin so I took it. Turns out I really loved the young godling Shill, and all of her mischief. This was a fun way to spend an afternoon.
These were both books from last year’s Project Re-Read that I didn’t get to. Why? They’re so good.
The Farm by Tom Rob Smith by Tom Rob Smith - Two Londoners can’t afford to retire, so they sell their business and move to a farm in Sweden. Things don’t go so well. This book is creepy and atmospheric- give it a go on your next snow day.
The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi - Two women separated by 100 years in Afghanistan. This book will punch you in the gut. It’s long, but I could have kept reading for another 200 pages.
Linked to: Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit
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All of the snow this week has re-awoken my walking routine. It’s so pretty and I love it. Winter In Paradise popped up on my holds list, and the timing is making me smile.
This week I listened to:
And I saw:
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Finally gave in and set up a home office, and the cats wasted no time in taking it over.
Read: 18 books (11 audiobooks, 7 print)
Challenges:
Reading Asia: 1 Book
Reading Europe: 1 book
Food and Lit: January was Brazil. I bailed on the one book I tried, ate Brazi bites, and listened to some Brazilian music which I enjoyed.
Bookspin BINGO: 15 read, 2 bails, 2 BINGOs
Chunkster Challenge 2021: 30% through Les Miserables (Really love this book)
Beginning TBR: 843
Ending TBR: 839
Overall a prolific month, but I still feel distracted. I was hoping to leave that in 2020, but the year is young.
Show Us Your Books is next Tuesday, so I’ll share favorites then!
A lot of my walking has been in my basement this week, and all of my walking buddies have abandoned me until Spring! I did make it out a few times though.
This week I listened to:
And I saw:
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January has passed in the blink of an eye, so it’s time to plan for February. Here’s my TBR. See anything you like?
Goofball cats
December feels like a million years ago, but here are my favorite books from the month of December 2020.
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle — I loved this book. I stayed up half the night and read it just to see what happened. I thought it would be a fluffy December romance, but it turned out to be about friendship and the cost of perfection.
Christmas Days by Jeanette Winterson -- I absolutely loved this book of short stories, recipes, and essays. It’s really hard to explain, but it’s worth reading.
How The Light Gets In by Louise Penny -- My favorite book from my favorite series. It takes place around Christmas time, which adds to my annual December re-read.
Two Old Women by Velma Wallis -- I read about this thanks to the Show Us Your Books link up! This is the Alaskan legend of how two elder women survived after they were abandoned by their people. Old ladies for the win- you should read this one!
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo -- I feel like I’m the last person on Earth to have read this, but I’ll add to the chorus that it was really good.
Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan -- A wonderful memoir about motherhood and life in the 90’s. I read this before, but it’s totally different now that my kids are a little older.
Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon -- Based on the true story of Nancy Wake aka WWII‘s Socialite Spy. I really enjoyed this book, and was inspired by Nancy. I‘ll have to add more by Ariel Lawhon to my TBR.
Linked to: Show Us Your Books and Quick Lit
Links to amazon.com are affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
Welcome 2021! Here’s to more walking and reading!
This week I listened to:
And I saw:
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I’m looking forward to starting the Food and Lit challenge from Litsy this month. Basically we read books and eat food from a different country each month. This is a challenge that isn’t really much of a challenge for me!
This month we’re traveling to Brazil. I plan on reading My German Brother by Chico Buarque and I plan on cooking Feijoada and drinking Brazilian Lemonade. YUM.
If you’re on Litsy and would like to join please do. This is a fun group and a fun “challenge”.
So, I don’t really care about my stats this year. I read 208 books, but for some of them I was so distracted and checking Twitter every 1.5 seconds. It’s a high number, but it doesn’t mean much. Still it is interesting to me to see what my reading year looked like so that next year I can compare.
I like to binge read certain authors
There were 8 authors that I read three or more books from this year. In 2020 these eight authors made up 18% of my reading: Stephen King (8), LM Montgomery (7), Louise Penny (7), Jane Austen (4), Frederik Backman (3), William Kent Krueger (3), Ann M Martin (3), Colson Whitehead (3)
Audiobooks Were My 2H2020 Coping Mechanism
I went crazy with the audiobooks this year, mainly in the 2nd half of the year. When I couldn’t sit still to read I could put my ear buds in and listen while I walked or puttered. In 2020 45% of my reading was via audiobook.
I Felt Like All I Did Was Re-Read, But It Wasn’t As Much As I Thought
My re-reading this year wasn’t as high as I thought it was- only 17%. I don’t take issue with re-reading like some people do, but I am glad to see that more than 80% of the books I read helped take some of the stress off my TBR.
Non-fiction Isn’t That Hard
Again, this stat surprised me. I didn’t think I would have had the patience to read much non-fiction this year, but it was actually 22% of my reading.
2020 Challenges
No I’m not talking about the challenges of a crazy year. I’m talking about the challenges I signed up for.
I read books from 20 countries and 34 states
I read and cooked from 9 different cookbooks (dropped this one when getting groceries got hard)
I read books from 11/12 #AuthorAMonth authors from Litsy. I skipped Mary Roach. One of her books almost made me vomit on metro once. This was my favorite- it was challenging and fun at the same time.
I read books that started with every single letter of the alphabet.
2021 Goals
I set my overall goal for 200 books again, but in 2021 I want to read more chunky books, be more intentional about reading from my TBR, take part in #AuthorAMonth again, and take part in various Litsy challenges like Litsy A to Z, Food and Lit, Reading Asia, and Reading Europe.
I’m looking forward to a better year in all sorts of ways for 2021!
Usually my favorite books are those that grab my heart and twist it in a good way that keeps me up after my bedtime. This year my favorite books are different. I didn’t have a lot of heart twisting feelings this year. The whole world is a heart twist, and if I stop too long to think about it my heart will be wrung dry. Heart twisting was not what I looked for in my books for most of 2020. Instead I looked for books that explained the world to me.
My favorite was Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes. I’ve never read anything that made the Vietnam War feel so real. It wasn’t always a pleasant experience- I had to read it slowly from November 2019 to May 2020. I started it right around the same time I read The Great Alone, and I could see a straight line from the soldiers in Matterhorn to the troubled father in The Great Alone. As a child of the 80’s I felt like I better understood a lot of the men I knew growing up after reading this book.
When I read it in May I wrote:
Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes - This novel about the Bravo Company, a unit of young Marines during the Vietnam War, is unforgettable. Karl Marlantes is a veteran himself, and the details he incorporated into this book were visceral and captivating.
Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld - What if Hillary had never married Bill? This book got me through some dark days this summer.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - Two half sisters in Ghana separated by circumstances. Each chapter skips a generation until it all comes together spectacularly in the end.
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid - The part that struck me the most was how everyone was talking, but no one accurately heard what the other person was trying to say.
Devotions by Mary Oliver - I never thought I’d be a person who reads poetry, but in the last few years I’ve become one. Mary Oliver is my favorite.
The Color Purple by Alice Walker - There are some hard things in this book, but also beautiful things about found families and purple flowers.
All The Devils Are Here by Louise Penny - This was a really satisfying continuation of my favorite series.
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward - Sad, dreamy, and magical. I’m so glad I finally got around to this one.
11/22/63 by Stephen King - If you think Stephen King is all about horror and killer clowns I invite you to read this book that shows the dangers of political extremism.
A Raisin In The Sun by Lorraine Hansberry - I’ve loved this play since my Mom brought me to see it in high school. Seeing it on stage again is one of my post Covid to dos. Until then I’m glad I got to read it again this summer.
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding - This was a sacred text in my 20’s, and reading it again this year reminded me of how wonderful it is.
So, that’s 2020. I’m hoping for many things in 2021, one of which is that reading feels normal again.
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