This has been a busy week because I was taking a class each evening and fitting in everything else during the day. I started a couple of books, only kept going with one or two, but mostly spent my spare time this week watering the garden, doing housework, or hanging out with my family. Next week is looking pretty busy as well, so we’ll see if I have more time for reading in there somewhere!
Just Shelved
I finished my old print copy of Nothing to Declare earlier this week – it’s odd because I remember loving this book, but I didn’t remember anything about it. It’s a lot darker and more fraught with emotional angst than I had remembered, but still an excellent memoir of a woman traveling alone, and all the risks, freedoms and adventures that come with it. I enjoyed it, but I don’t think it had quite the same impact as the first time around. Maybe because there are more women’s memoirs of traveling alone now, and just more travel memoirs in general. But at the time, this was the first or second of its kind I had read and it opened up a new type of dream for me. A Piglet Called Truffle is the first book in a kid’s series, and we have been reading it with our kid. Kid’s books are almost always a little less engaging for adult readers, but by those standards this is a good series. And it’s got some good information about how to care for animals, how to interact with them and the responsibility involved. We’re big into animals and nature, so it’s a good series for us.
Currently Reading
We’re reading A Sheepdog Called Sky with my kid, and it’s enjoyable enough so far. I adored Lucy Mangan’s Bookworm, so went in search of some of her other writing. This was the only one I could find and it took forever to get here, but I’m finally getting into it and enjoying it so far. Still planning to get back to Better Living Through Birding I think, though I’ve not been missing reading it that much this week, which generally isn’t a great sign of me getting around to finishing a book!
Up Next
Still looking forward to these, so depending how this week goes, I might get to one of them! Or something else… who knows, really.
That’s it for me this week! What about you guys? Have you read any of these? Are any on your TBR?
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).
Nice looking assortment of books. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Thanks!
I remember Nothing to Declare being a really excellent read—I’m sorry it was a little bit of a disappointment as a reread.
I probably won’t read Better Living through Birding. I think I wanted to hear more about the birding that will be in that book.
Locally Laid is something I should have brought with me while I am chicken-sitting. I had no idea that chickens were this much work!
Hmmm… I’m not sure if it was so much a disappointment as just different than what I remember. I find it interesting that what we are left with from a book can differ so much depending on the point in our lives we read it. When I was younger what stuck with me was her adventurous spirit, her willingness to put herself in danger to experience new and interesting places and her freedom (thanks to a grant) to wander at will. As someone who has now faced harder things in life and is at a later stage, the darkness of the places she visits and the situations of others she encounters hit harder. Her sense of uncertainty and the struggles she has finding what she needs in a relationship were also bigger themes for me this time around. So I’m glad I re-read it, and I would still recommend it! I think I’m giving up on Better Living Through Birding, mostly because I had it from the library and others are waiting, so I have returned it. I might try it again later. I enjoyed Locally Laid, but it definitely left me fairly certain that chicken farming would not be for me! It sounds difficult, but I think if you are on a farm that is well organized and has the right infrastructure it would likely be much more enjoyable! I wish you luck!
You have a bunch of very interesting books. Hope you enjoy them all.
Harvee https://bookdilettante.blogspot.com
Thank you!