I’m feeling much better so far this week, though the cough is still with me. Progress is progress, though! My kid is in summer camp this week, so I’ve had a bit of time feeling lonely, but also getting more done. I’m trying to get a lot of stuff done around the house and in the garden, and while I’m doing so I’m listening to books! I’m also participating in Libro.fm’s audiobook challenge, so I’m trying to listen to as many hours as I can from July 16-26. Because of the fortuitous timing, I’ve been listening to audiobooks all day, every day, all week while my kid has been at camp. I read lots! So better reading week all around.
Just Shelved
I am not sure how to discuss All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. Mostly because there is so much trauma and pain in this book, but all undercut by ferocious love. So saying I enjoyed it feels wrong, because it’s, you know, full of horrible things. But I guess that kind of is how I feel – I’m glad I read it, and it was very well done. A Vicious Circle was a complex, at times unpalatable exploration of journalism and class in late-20th-Century Britain. Beautifully written even if the content was not. Amanda Craig has yet to disappoint. The Lonely Hearts Book Club was a lovely cosy novel that will appeal to booklovers who are into found family and intergenerational friendships. Reminded me a little of The Reading List. Chronic is an account of what it is to be a woman with a difficult-to-diagnose gynecological condition. It’s a call to anyone who hasn’t realized how broken the medical system is, and how steeped it still is in sexist ideas. Bomb Shelter has already started to fade a little, but it was an account of a mother’s experiences with children who have medical conditions and the emotional landscape she must navigate. Oh, and there are turtles. I really enjoyed I’ll Show Myself Out. it’s an unflinching account of the pitfalls of modern motherhood and the constant emotional minefields of being a mother. Is This Anything? is basically just Seinfeld doing bits for a book. Entertaining, fast-paced and low demand. Wrong Place Wrong Time was a lovely surprise. I knew it had hype, but didn’t know much about it. I was completely in it from start to finish. Great pace, good (if sometimes predictable) twists and a lot of intrigue. The Lost Bookshop is an interesting story of three people and how their lives intertwine and overlap – but it’s also a story of magic with a bookshop that only some people can find and some characters who are not what they seem. Splinters is another book that is mostly about motherhood, but also about heartache, divorce, family trauma, addiction and self-conscious self-exploration. I wanted to love it, and some parts were really interesting, but I don’t think Jamison is the writer for me. Instructions for a Heatwave was a great book to read at the height of summer, and Maggie O’Farrell’s writing brought this family to life and had me fully immersed from start to finish.
Currently Reading
Still going with the first two, nothing new to report. I enjoyed Instructions for a Heatwave‘s writing so much that I scoured my audiobooks to see if I had anything else by Maggie O’Farrell. I Am, I Am, I Am was one I already owned and had been planning to read, so I decided to give it another go. I tried it in print and didn’t stick with it. It’s a memoir, so a bit of a departure from the two O’Farrell novels I’ve read, but I’m hoping the writing will be just as excellent.
Up Next
I have no idea what I’ll be reading next – I’m planning to stick with books on my Libro.fm TBR, so these are ones that I think have a good chance of being read this week. But who knows, I have a lot of options!
That was my week! I think I pretty much squeezed the last few months of reading in to this one week – I guess that fits as I’m either all in or not playing. What about you guys? Did you read any good books this week? Have you read any of these? Any of my Up Next picks that you’d recommend or advise me to skip?
A weekly post that encourages bloggers to share what they have read in the past week, what they’re currently reading and books they’ve recently added to their TBRs. Originally started by Sheila at Book Journey, it is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. I also link up with The Sunday Salon post each week hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz (and sometimes include some of her content prompts).
I still need to read Lessons In Chemistry. My husband bought me a copy for Christmas and I still haven’t made time for it.
Yeah, I’ve tried twice and it didn’t manage to pull me in either time. I’ve heard others have also had trouble with it, so I’m not sure if I’ll ever make it through! But I want to try again before giving up.