My Reading Frenzy

What I've Read - What I am Reading - March 22, 2021

I read quite a few short books this week, but also finished one I have been reading for two weeks and another it took over a week to listen to. More and more I appreciate the intensity offered by middled grade books that cater to an audience that wants a good story in a small package. I think it may be more difficult to write children's books that cannot draw out descriptions and plot lines without losing their audience.

 

Read:

• A Court of Silver Flames (purchased hardback) by Sarah Maas - I finished this one at the end of the week. I am glad to have read it, but I probably don't need to read any more Maas books. I thought I wouldn't read anything else by here after opting not to read The Assassin's Blade or others in the Throne of Glass series, but I liked the A Court of Thorns and Roses series better and am happy to have seen what I think is the end of the story. As much as this installment was one of my favorites, I will not continue even if Maas does. 
• Sunny (elibrary book) by Jason Reynolds - This was definitely my favorite of the four novels, both because of the dairy format, but also because I could see myself in Sunny's introspective nature.
• Lu by Jason Reynolds - I really liked Lucas's story because his family dynamic was different from the others. 
• The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane (purchased) by Julia Nobel - boarding school in England, American girl sent by a too busy parent, missing other parent, secret society - Check, check, check. I enjoyed the heck out of this book.
• Yes, Chef (library eaudiobook) by Marcus Samuelsson - I don't know if it is a phase or a new life-long attraction, but I want to listen to chef memoir after chef memoir with no breaks. Though I am on a "not by choice" break because of what came in next from my library holds. But I'll be back to my food memoirs soon. I wasn't loving this one at first, but as Samuelsson progressed in his career I found the story more interesting. His early days in Ethiopia combined with being raised and first cooking with his Swedish grandmother set him up for a unique cooking profile. I'd like to eat at Red Rooster, his NYC restaurant.

 

Reading:

• The Secret of White Stone Gate (purchased) by Julia Nobel - I wanted to read this second installment right after finishing the first, so I purchased it to be ready. It has many of the positives of the first book, but has not drawn me in as much. I feel like the characters are going around again in the same mystery without making much progress toward a resolution, especially considering there will not be a third installment.

 

 

Listening:

• Truth & Beauty: A Friendship (eaudio library book) by Ann Patchett - I discovered this book while listening to Patchett's book of essays This is the Story of a Happy Marriage. This one is the story of Patchett's friendship with poet Lucy Grealy.

 

 

Up Next:

Some familiar titles here, with a new one at the top.

• You Should See Me in a Crown (elibrary book) by Leah Johnson - This one is open on my Kindle to start after I finish The Secret of White Stone Gate. It came in from my library holds a few days ago so I need to get reading before it is due back.
• The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden - I am eager to read this second installment.
• Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir - I read and loved Gideon the Ninth and feel ready for the 2nd book.
• Commonwealth by Ann Patchett - I am making my way through all of Patchett's backlist after being bowled over by The Dutch House. I had previously read Bel Canto at the recommendation of a number of readers, for some reason had not read anything else until recently.
• Four Hundred Souls (purchased hardback) edited by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blair - I think this collection of essays exploring 400 years of the history of African America will be a good companion to read alongside Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Kendi.

 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

 

 

**A note on the picture. I always use an image from the Prints and Photographs collections of the Library of Congress. I like these because they are interesting, and freely available because they are in the public domain. I mainly choose images of people reading. If you click the image in any of my posts you will be able to see the Library's bibliographic record which includes whatever they know about the image including its creator. There are also usually links to other similar items or to the collection the image is a part of.***

What I've Read - What I am Reading - March 1, 2021

Last week I added a new list "Up Next," which includes the titles at the top of my TBR list. You will find, which I already knew about myself" that I may or may not really choose my next reads from those I mentioned. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read:

• Ghost (library ebook) by Jason Reynolds - It is not a surprise that I loved Castle's story. I just started the second book in the series, Patina, which I am glad to say picks up right where Ghost left off, but this time from Patty's perspective. Really an innovative way to tell four different stories (the next two books are Sunny and Lu.)
• Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton -  Even since getting hooked on Top Chef, I have been seeking memoirs by chefs. I have listened to Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, David Chang's Eat a Peach, Padma Lakshmi's Love, Loss, and What We Ate (She's not a chef, but a judge on Top Chef), two books by Ruth Reichel Save me the Plums and Garlic and Sapphires (She's a home cook and a food writer/restaurant reviewer), and now am listening to Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi.
• Amari and the Night Brothers (purchased hardback) by B.B. Alston - This book was fantastic. The magical world Alston has created was a delight to visit. I have to believe there is another book on the way.
• One to Watch (library book) by Kate Stayman-London - This romance was promoted as a body-positive story, which is one of the reasons I chose it. It also has a multi-faceted and well-written main character in plus-size fashion blogger Bea Schumacher. I found the messaging a bit heavy handed at times, but overall I enjoyed Bea's journey.

 

Reading:

• Patina (elibrary book) by Jason Reynolds - Before I even finished Ghost, I put this one on hold at the library and it came through just at the perfect moment to start after finishing One to Watch while I was waiting the required 10 minutes after my 2nd COVID shot! (Thank you SCIENCE!)

 

Listening:

• Notes from a Young Black Chef (eaudiobook purchased from Audible) by Kwame Onwuachi - I am just at the beginning, but so far Onwuachi's early life led him almost inevitably to becoming a chef. 

 

Up Next:

Four of these have been carried over from last week - I ended up reading one from this list this week and then reading a one library book that is due back soon and starting another.

• The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden - I am eager to read this second installment.
• Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir - I read and loved Gideon the Ninth and feel ready for the 2nd book.
• Commonwealth by Ann Patchett - I am making my way through all of Patchett's backlist after being bowled over by The Dutch House. I had previously read Bel Canto at the recommendation of a number of readers, for some reason had not read anything else until recently.
• Four Hundred Souls (purchased hardback) edited by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blair - I think this collection of essays exploring 400 years of the history of African America will be a good companion to read alongside Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Kendi.
• A Court of Silver Flames (purchased hardback) by Sarah Maas - I have stuck with Maas's series over the years and people I trust say this one is not to be missed. They also said this was not a book they thought would be appropriate for high school students. I will be interested to see if I agree. I have found that people who do not interact much with teens are more conservative in their outlook than I am.

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

 

**A note on the picture. I always use an image from the Prints and Photographs collections of the Library of Congress. I like these because they are interesting, and freely available because they are in the public domain. I mainly choose images of people reading. If you click the image in any of my posts you will be able to see the Library's bibliographic record which includes whatever they know about the image including its creator. There are also usually links to other similar items or to the collection the image is a part of.***

What I've Read - What I am Reading - February 22, 2021

I have been remiss in posting anything here at all, but I am back with an overview of what I have been reading during these long, cold weeks. In addition to what I have read, am reading, and am listening to, I have added an "Up Next" section to preview what I have at the top of my TBR pile.

 

Read:

• The Best of Me (audiobook purchased from Audible) by David Sedaris I am thoroughly enjoying this one. I listened for hours the other day while working on a jigsaw puzzle while the snow fell.

 

• A Rogue of One's Own (egalley) by Evie Dunmore - Yep, romance is my go-to when I need a comfort read. The assurance that it will all work out in the end gets me through the frustrations every time. If only real life were so predictable.

 

• Riviera Gold by Laurie R. King - This is the most recent Mary Russell mystery to have been published. It takes place mainly in Monte Carlo and brings us back to Mrs. Hudson's story. I like these mysteries when I take a break from Elizabeth George and Louise Penny. The more recent novels have not lived up to the fascination I found in the earlier books, but I will keep reading unless they take another downturn. (Next book in the series is due out in June.)

 

• Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love by Jonathan Van Ness - (library eaudiobook) I have loved watching the revival of Queer Eye over the past five seasons. Jonathan is a force of nature with his positivity and vision for each of their heroes. His book was personal in tone, as if we were sitting together having a chat. 

 

• The Bear and the Nightingale (purchased paperback at a DC independent bookstore) by Katherine Arden - This was recommended to me by a bookseller when I asked for something to follow the Daevabad trilogy. I loved its fairy tale and folklore roots as well as the magical and fierce Vasya. I am looking forward to the continuation of her story in The Girl in the Tower. 

 

• Dangerous Alliance (library ebook) by Jennieke Cohen - Eh, I finished it. The ending was satisfying, but predictable. The rest was also predictable and just ok. 

 

• Deception on His Mind (library ebook) by Elizabeth George - I am moving through these quickly because I can't get enough of definitive mystery solving. But I can take a break now and read one Louise Penny before the next Lynley mystery. This will be seamless, in part, because I have the next George installment in print having found it in a neighborhood Little Free Library and am not therefore beholden to when my library hold comes in.

 

• Fashionopolis (audiobook purchased from Audible) by Dana Thomas - This is not my first read about the dangerous waste associated with fast fashion, but this is the first to give equal time to designers and companies who are trying to shift the industry to sustainable practices. This is an important read for anyone interested in the the environmental impact of clothing production. 

 

• The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win (audiobook purchased from Audible) by Maria Konnikova - I am not sure when I last gave a book 5 stars in Goodreads, but this story earned every star. Wow! I found the mix of poker history, strategies, and play with Konnikova's personal progression to winner to be fascinating. She spends time with poker masters, game theorists, and psychologists as she learns about the world of poker, not only for the book, but also for herself. Some of the most interesting revelations are how what she learns about being successfully at the poker table spills into other areas of her life in positive ways. 

 

• All's Faire in Middle School (purchased paperback) by Victoria Jamieson - While this story does not quite live up to Roller Girl, Jamieson captures the challenges Imogene faces in attending middle school after previously being home schooled, while also exploring the respite the Renaissance Faire provides. This was a fun read.

 

• It Had to Be You (egalley) by Georgia Clark - This was a lovely romance. It could have dived right into some romance tropes, but Clark was able to write the love stories of a new widow, recently out queer woman, and music partners in a way that felt fresh even while the outcomes were expectedly happy.

 

 

Reading:

• Ghost (library ebook) by Jason Reynolds - I realized after watching an online chat between Reynold and Dr. Ibrahim X. Kendi that I have missed a few of Reynolds works, so I am jumping into the Track series with Ghost. I have two others on hold at the library. 

 

 

Listening:

• Blood, Bones, and Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton - I am only about 14 minutes into this listen, but settled in easily as Hamilton explores some of the ways food was important to her family as she grew up in New Hope, PA a town I have loved since high school visits during the annual geology trip. 

 

 

Up Next:

• The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden - see "Read" for my thoughts about the first book in the trilogy. 
• Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir - I read and loved Gideon the Ninth and feel ready for the 2nd book.
• Commonwealth by Ann Patchett - I am making my way through all of Patchett's backlist after being bowled over by The Dutch House. I had previously read Bel Canto at the recommendation of a number of readers, for some reason had not read anything else until recently.
• Four Hundred Souls (purchased hardback) edited by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blair - I think this collection of essays exploring 400 years of the history of African America will be a good companion to read alongside Stamped: Racism, Anti-Racism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Dr. Kendi.
• Amari and the Night Brothers (purchased hardback) by B.B. Alston - I admit it, sometimes I buy books for their covers. While the cover is spectacular, as soon as I read that Amari would be dealing with a ticking briefcase from the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, I was in for the premise too. 

 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

 

**A note on the picture. I always use an image from the Prints and Photographs collections of the Library of Congress. I like these because they are interesting, and freely available because they are in the public domain. I mainly choose images of people reading. If you click the image in any of my posts you will be able to see the Library's bibliographic record which includes whatever they know about the image including its creator. There are also usually links to other similar items or to the collection the image is a part of.***

What I've Read - What I am Reading - February 1, 2021

Not currently possible with the fences up, but maybe someday.

I am not sure if January was long or short. It feels fast for it to be February already, but on the other hand, looking back, the holidays feel long ago. In other news, I have secured a part time job as a bookseller. Long ago I worked at the B. Dalton in the Ocean County Mall one summer and then over the holidays. Bookselling has a lot in common with being a librarian, so I am looking forward to the opportunity to engage people in chat about books. 

 

 

 

Read:

• Gideon the Ninth (purchased book) by Tamsyn Muir - I finished. What a book! Now that I have finished, I would definately put it in horror in my own library, mainly so that students would know there are some graphic segments, but for me, it was manageable and I do not usually read horror at all. I was drawn in by the relationships, particularly between Harrow and Gideon. I am looking forward to jumping into the second book. (And trying to be calm about when the 3rd might be available.)
• In the Presence of the Enemy (elibrary book) by Elizabeth George - I flashed through this one, neglecting Gideon in order to find out whodunit. A really satisfying read. I am not sure I can adequately verbalize how important mysteries have been to my mental health during these COVID months. I will be a lifelong George fan because of the way her work has carried me through. 

 

Reading:

• Angel Mage (library ebook) by Garth Nix - I may give it another go, but I think this one may be destined for the DNF list. I just haven't found it engaging enough to go back to. 
• A Rogue of One's Own (egalley) by Evie Dunmore - Yep, romance is my go-to when I need a comfort read. The assurance that it will all work out in the end gets me through the frustrations every time. If only real life were so predictable.

 

Listening:

• The Best of Me (audiobook purchased from Audible) by David Sedaris I am thoroughly enjoying this one. I listened for hours the other day while working on a jigsaw puzzle while the snow fell.

 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

 

 

**A note on the picture. I always use an image from the Prints and Photographs collections of the Library of Congress. I like these because they are interesting, and freely available because they are in the public domain. I mainly choose images of people reading. If you click the image in any of my posts you will be able to see the Library's bibliographic record which includes whatever they know about the image including its creator. There are also usually links to other similar items or to the collection the image is a part of.***

What I've Read - What I am Reading - January 18, 2021

Hanging poems on a cherry tree

The weather this week wavered from gloriously warm and sunny to less warm, but still sunny to cloudy and chilly. Each day that it was sunny, whatever the temperature, I went for a 5K walk. I'd like to work up to a mostly 5K run to prep for the race I might be able to participate in in April, in Richmond, VA. This means lots of audiobook time. 

I am looking forward to Wednesday's Inauguration, which I will watch with a celebratory glass of something bubbly. Probably the lemon-cucumber sparkling water I have been saving for a special occasion. While I am thrilled about the change in leadership, I am also looking forward to the return of the Inaugural poem. Amanda Gorman, former National Youth Poet Laureate, will perform a poem at the ceremony. And rumor is that it will be an original poem, composed for the occasion. 

 

 

Read:

• 500 Miles From You (elibrary book) by Jenny Colgan  - This is Colgan's most recent book, and the 3rd in the Scottish Bookshop series. While much of it is set in Kirrinfeif, Scotland each of the main characters also spends time in London. Their differing points of view about London life are especially interesting to me after having spent a few days there in 2019. This story is heavier than some of Colgan's work, but I think she found a good balance between the realistic and romantic elements of the book.
• Year of the Monkey (audiobook purchase from Audible) by Patti Smith. I saw her live when this book was released. I have listened to her read both Just Kids and M Train finding that I love her laid back style. This one is a short 4.5 hour listen in Smith's unmistakable, poetic voice.
• Brave, Not Perfect (library eaudiobook) by Reshma Saujani - While I appreciated the author's observations about how striving for perfection sometimes holds women back from taking brave steps in both the personal and professional realm, there wasn't much here that was new for me. I felt the segments about how this affects young girls and teens was more informative. I would have like more of this and how parents and educators can counteract the negativity. 
• On Account of the Gum (purchased book) by Adam Rex  - This was a sweet picture book, with delightful illustrations depicting the story of a wayward piece of gum and the family's attempt to remove it. 

 

 

Reading:

• Gideon the Ninth (purchased book) by Tamsyn Muir - While talking about how much I was enjoying this read, I did lament that if we were to purchase it for our library we would have a tough time deciding where to shelve it. It has fantasy elements since half the characters are necromancers, but since they were brought to Canaan House via spaceship and the story is set in a futuristic galactic empire it also leans to science fiction, BUT the animated skeletons and deaths certainly fit into horror. As I was typing this, I convinced myself it would go in horror, but then I talked myself out of it. Maybe it will be easier to decide once I have finished. I am looking forward to how the story turns out for Gideon and eager to move to the 2nd book with its focus on Harrow. 
• Angel Mage (library ebook) by Garth Nix - This is the second of Nix's stand alone novels I am reading after loving The Left-Handed Booksellers of London. The first was Newt's Emerald. I did not really know what this book would be about, but so far there are characters who use icons to call on the powers of a variety of angel to do their bidding. Not everyone uses this ability for good. That's about all I have so far. 
• Just Last Night (egalley) by Mhairi McFarlane - I have read all of McFarlane's work. I will continue to do so. I cried a bit during this one already, but I don't think overall it will be a sad book. Disappointingly though, since this is not even out until May, I will have to wait for another book. I am open to suggestions for similar authors and titles.

 

 

Listening:

• Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan - After years of checking this book out to AP Psychology students I thought it was time to find out more. I've listened to just over an hour and the Susannah does not seem to have yet reached the apex of her illness, but she is devolving quickly into someone suffering from extreme paranoia, auditory hallucinations, and a mix of defiant and ego-centric behaviors. I am fascinated to keep listening to find out more.

 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

**A note on the picture. I always use an image from the Prints and Photographs collections of the Library of Congress. I like these because they are interesting, and freely available because they are in the public domain. I mainly choose images of people reading. If you click the image in any of my posts you will be able to see the Library's bibliographic record which includes whatever they know about the image including its creator. There are also usually links to other similar items or to the collection the image is a part of.***Wht

2020 Reading Reflections and Favorites

Wanting to write a post about everything I read in 2020 made me grateful for my diligence in logging everything I read on Goodreads. I was able to pull up my 2020 challenge and look at all the books I read this year, including dates and a look at the cover. I have always told my students the phrase "Don't judge a book by its cover" applies in many situations as a metaphor, but not when talking about books. Artists, marketers, and salespeople count on book covers being engaging in order to sell them to us. I am highly visual, and almost never buy a book simply for its cover, but the cover does imprint in my brain and help me remember reading it and at least a bit about it, making a walk down book-memory lane much easier. 

 

 

 

 

Here they are - My 2020 favorite reads:

In roughly in the order I read them.

• Happier at Home (eaudiobook from the library) by Gretchen Rubin - I have found valuable takeaways in all of Rubin's books, but this one hit exactly where I needed it to, when I needed it to. It was particularly prescient because I was isolated at home starting in March, not too long after finishing this listen. I was able to incorporate some of her ideas that in turn helped make staying at home less fraught with anxiety.
• Almost American Girl (purchased book) by Robin Ha - While I read this one as soon as it arrived in our library in February, it was not until August that I had the opportunity to watch an online discussion between Ha and Malaka Gharib, author of the graphic memoir I Was Their American Dream hosted by One More Page Books, an independent bookstore in Arlington, VA.
• City of Girls (egalley) by Elizabeth Gilbert - This is a work of historical fiction that takes place in 1940s New York City in the glamourous-ish theatre world. It reminded me very much of Herman Wouk's Marjorie Morningstar with a young hero who longs to be New York theatre star. This year I also read Gilbert's Big Magic (non-fiction) about living a creative life. It just barely missed being on this list, though here it is I suppose. Ha!
• New Kid and Class Act (purchased books then gifted to my niece) by Jerry Craft - New Kid was the 2020 Newbery winner, the first for a graphic novel. Class Act is an equally thought provoking companion.
• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone (purchased audiobook from Audible) by Lori Gottlieb - Gottlieb chronicles her therapy journey after a sudden break up, while also sharing details of therapy patients she is seeing. And interesting look at therapy from both perspectives.
• The House in the Cerulean Sea (purchased book) by TJ Klune. This might be my favorite read of the year. It is one of the books I specifically sought at the beginning pandemic related isolation. The story of Linus Baker and the magical children he is seeking to help was a perfect mix of humor, heartbreak, and fantasy. I want to read it again to savor all the delights of the family they all become.  
• Buzz Saw: The Improbable Story of How the Washington Nationals Won the World Series (purchased book) by Jesse Dougherty - One of my most missed 2020 activities was baseball. We are and have been Washington Nationals fans, which made 2019 the culmination of 14 years of hopes with our first World Series win. It was tremendously disappointing to be deprived of all the celebrations that should have come at the beginning of the 2020 season. Dougherty's book came to me just when teams were cancelling spring training and the season was put on hold indefinitely. I derived great comfort from reliving the triumphant season through this book. I also had the opportunity to hear Dougherty discuss writing the book in  a live Twitter talk.
• Kingdom of the Blind (purchased book) by Louise Penny - Penny's mysteries get better and more sophisticated with every book. This one was particularly satisfying because it finished out a significant story arc. There are two books after this one, which I have not read. I try to stay a bit behind her publications so I do not run out. I have one with me in FL to read soon.
• A Banquet of Consequences (elibrary book) by Elizabeth George - I have found mysteries a great comfort during the pandemic, perhaps for the way they end with the solving of the crime. I read 8 Lynley mysteries this year, but this was my favorite.
• The Goldfinch (eaudiobook from the library) by Donna Tartt - I loved Tartt's The Secret History, I was less enamored of The Little Friend. The Goldfinch was wonderful. I listened to it because I balked at sitting with such a long book. In retrospect I would have torn through it, probably faster than I was able to listen. I had to pause twice because the audiobook was due back at the library before I could finish. In the end, I was on edge for most of it after the initial disaster, always waiting for the other shoe to drop. It did, in spectacular fashion. I loved it.
• Magic Lessons (egalley) by Alice Hoffman - I saw the movie Practical Magic when it came out in 1998, having no idea it was based on a book, which I just read in 2019. I followed in 2020 with the others in the family of books, but this was my favorite, with its overtones of The Scarlet Letter.
• Untamed (eaudiobook from the library) by Glennon Doyle - This was my favorite non-fiction read/listen of the year. Doyle is amazing. She shares her own story in all her books, but somehow is also able to tap into the ways we all feel weak and not enough in our own situations, but then she offers badass wisdom to build us up. I like this one so much I also purchased this book to re-read and re-visit.
• Daevabad Trilogy (purchased books) by SA Chakraborty - Like I sometimes do, I rejected these books because they were too popular, everyone was reading them, I was going to be different. I am a fool because I LOVED them all. The benefit however of my stubborness is having been able to read all three books in a row without waiting. 
• The Year of Living Danishly (eaudiobook from the library) by Helen Russell - Having never lived outside the United States, I appreciated Russell's thorough exploration of her temporary (or so she thought) country. The book is organized by months, beginning when she arrives in January. She explores, in depth, 12 different facets of life in Denmark from work to motherhood to eating to winter to traditions. This detailed look at moving and living in another country was intriguing.
• The Left-Handed Booksellers of London (purchased book) by Garth Nix - I have raved about this one more than once. It was definitely ending up on this list.
• Return of the Thief (purchased book) by Megan Whalen Turner - While I really liked how Turner wrapped up this six book series, reading it was an important reminder that sometimes it is a good idea to re-read earlier books.
• The Witches are Coming (eaudiobook from the library) by Lindy West - I recently listened to Shit, Actually, West's most recent publication, but this one is so far my favorite of hers. I need regular feminist commentary in my life so I do not get complacent. 
• A Promised Land (purchased audiobook from Audible) by Barack Obama - I was so eager for this one, I pre-ordered the audiobook. I spent much of the book lamenting the loss of dignity and integrity in the White House. (I am looking forward to their return next week.) But I also learned about aspects of law making and running for office I had not known. 

 

What were your 2020 favorite reads?

 

Some 2020 Reading Reflections (based on all my reading, not just my favorites)

1. I need more diversity in authors, particularly in non-fiction. I don't feel I need to diversify in genre as I read:

• fantasy
• science fiction
• literary fiction
• historical fiction
• romance
• mystery
• non-fiction 

In all of the above I read adult as well as YA and some middle grade (mostly realistic). There were also MANY graphic novels and comics in my reading year. These tended to be memoirs, realistic, and fantasy. I will admit I avoid horror, thrillers, crime. They just take the intensity of a mystery up a notch too far for me. 

2. I want to try to tackle more of my TBR this year rather than jumping immediately to new publications. I make no promises about this one. If I decide however that I am most satisfied when I read newer releases, I need to cull my physical shelves of older books I may never get to. They should find a home with someone else.

 

What reflections do you have on your 2020 reading life? What are you looking forward to in 2021?

 

What I've Read - What I am Reading - November 16, 2020

This was a light reading week. I traveled to visit M. in rural MA for a few days. We generally isolated ourselves because while there are small towns in the Berkshires, the weather was dreary and rainy and it was nice to stay warm with wine and take-out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read:

Over the course of the week I finished both the books I had been reading in the last update.

• The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix - As I anticipated, this book should be the beginning of a series, but no announcement to that effect has yet been made. The title is a misnomer because there are both left-handed and right-handed booksellers in London, as well as other magical entities. In a phrase the whole book was "right up my alley." I went ahead and put two of his other stand alone books on hold: Angel Mage and Newt's Emerald.
  • The good news: Nix has an extensive backlist of books to keep me busy until the second (Who do I talk to to make sure this happens?) in the Booksellers series comes out. 
  • The bad news: This means I am adding another author whose works I want to read in their entirety to my TBR list, which knowing how I can put pressure on myself to read, means some stress. 
• Don't You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane - This means I have read all of McFarlane's available work, including a short story, After Hello, which I also read this week. 

Reading:

• On my Kindle, I started Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (elibrary book -  I am only on page 6, but the world building has begun with a police officer gathering eye-witness information from a ghost about a recent murder. I'll keep reading for sure. Some of the atmosphere and jaunty tone remind me of the Jackaby series by William Ritter. 
• Island of the Mad by Laurie R. King (Library book) - This is the 11^th book (published in 2018) in the Mary Russell series. When I wrote my post about mystery series I have loved, I realized I hadn't read one of these in a while. This is the first of only two I have not read. Since these are both mysteries and historical fiction, I look forward to the jump back in time, and that the mystery is not always a murder. The current story takes place in the early and mid 1920s. While Mary and husband and sleuthing partner Sherlock Holmes have not yet left England, the blurb and helpful map tell me at least some of the story will take place in Venice, Italy. 

 

Listening:

Since The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson (audio elibrary book) is 17 hours and 49 minutes long, I anticipate a few more weeks of updates before I finish. BUT, I did pre-order A Promised Land by President Barack Obama, which will be released tomorrow. I will be torn even though the logical thing to do is finish the Larson first because it is a library book for which I waited quite long time and I will own the Obama book through Audible. 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

 

**A note on the picture. I always use an image from the Prints and Photographs collections of the Library of Congress. I like these because they are interesting, and freely available because they are in the public domain. I mainly choose images of people reading. If you click the image in any of my posts you will be able to see the Library's bibliographic record which includes whatever they know about the image including its creator. There are also usually links to other similar items or to the collection the image is a part of.***

What I've Read - What I am Reading - November 2, 2020

It has been two weeks since posting one of these updates, and I would never have guessed I had read so much. This is why I use Goodreads to keep track of my reading. 

 

Read:

I finished The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The main character is given the opportunity to explore the books that tell her life story had she made different decisions at various points. It was interesting to think about my own decisions and how life might be different had I chosen differently. I also appreciated the perspective that it is not just the "big" choices that may lead to an alternative outcome, but all the day to day variances that can have a ripple effect.

The next few titles are those I listened to over the two weeks. I did more driving than I have in recent months, but also tackled home projects both here and at M's house that offered opportunities to listen.

•  Meaty by Samantha Irby - I am not sorry to have traveled to Irby's earlier work since I discovered just as much insight as in her more recent work. Hilarious and worth every minute of my time.
• Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle - I debated with myself about listening to this one since I had already listened to the next book, Untamed and therefore know "what happened." But there was so much insight into how she made the decisions she explored in Untamed that I am glad I listened. She also revisits her childhood, teen years, and pre-wedding 20s in ways that also connect to her most recent stories.
• Break Shot by James Taylor - This was an Audible special production that was just an hour and a half of Taylor revisiting his own childhood years up to age 21 interspersed with singing pieces of songs written during that time. I really wanted this to be a full length book.

 

I also read a bunch of graphic novels:

• You Brought Me the Ocean by Alex Sánchez
• If I Go Missing by Brianna Jonnie  - I did not know what this one was all about when I ordered it and then brought it home after it arrived in our library, but I think it is an important story. It is a mix of fiction and non-fiction based on a letter written to the Winnipeg Chief of Police by fourteen-year-old Jonnie as a protest against the way the disappearance of indigenous people is handled.
• We'll Soon Be Home Again by Jessica Bab Bonde, illustrated by Peter Bergting and Kathryn Renta, and translated by Sunshine Barbito - The book is a series of six first person accounts from Holocaust survivors. With the passage of time and the loss of survivors to old age, it is even more important to continue to publish stories about the Holocaust and other genocide so we never forget the dangers of fascism and complacency.
• The Midwinter Witch by Molly Knox Ostertag - I think I may need to read fewer middle grade graphic novels. I read both this and All Together Now by Hope Larson. I will continue to bring these graphic works into my library and send them to my niece as gifts, but I think I am going to rely on reviews and recommendations rather than reading. I am so far removed from the worries and ordeals of this age group that I find myself growing irritated. These are stories that are important for my students and readers because they do speak to their experiences, so I do not want my judgement about the quality of the book to be clouded.
• Dancing at the Pity Party by Tyler Feder - This memoir is Feder's love note to her mother who died from cancer when Feder was only 19. The emotions surrounding her mother's illness and death are tied up with Feder's loving memories in a way that show that her story is so much more than "my mom died when I was young." 

 

I love picture books, but usually read them in bulk each time we receive a shipment at the library, but this was a personal purchase that will be a gift to a dear friend the next time we have a distanced front porch hangout. Julia's House Moves On by Ben Hatke is lovely and a nice continuation of Julia's House of Lost Creatures and Nobody Likes a Goblin. 

 

This fortnight's COVID reading days are rounded out with my two favorites for escaping the reality of this pandemic and election year as well as bolstering my mental health - murder mystery and fantasy: 

For the Sake of Elena is the 5th book in Elizabeth George's Inspector Thomas Lynley series. I was ready for another of her books and found it exciting as usual. I probably need to slow down so I do not run out, but as you will see below, I haven't. 

Over two nights last week, I finished The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty. This has been a long time coming, but not because I did not want to read. I devoured the first two of the series in a few days and moved just as quickly through the first 2/3 of the third, but then I took a break. In part because I was saturated in the story and needed to step back and in part because my brain had wandered to home improvement projects, work, and other distractions that I wanted to get past before savoring the end of the story. I was right to have waited. Chakraborty did not disappoint in bringing Nahri, Ali, Dara, Jamshid, Muntadhir, and Zaynab back together in Daevabad to work toward healing the city and the relationships between their peoples and the other tribes of djinn. Now that I have finished I feel confident in recommending the trilogy to all types of fantasy readers. Based on a bookseller recommendation (Yes, I do ask when I visit bookstores.) my next fantasy read is likely to be The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden. 

 

 

Reading:

Missing Joseph by Elizabeth George - Even though I just finished the 5th book, when this one popped up from the library I downloaded it and started reading. I really do not know what it is that I find comforting about reading murder mysteries - maybe it is that the ones I read have a solution. They always find out "whodunit" and there is a satisfaction in that even if justice is not necessarily served or there are more victims before they figure it out. If there is more to my attraction, I don't know what it is. Any ideas?

Drawing the Vote by Tommy Jenkins illustrated by Kati Lacker - I was wary about reading a book about elections just before one of the most stressful elections I have experienced, but this book is well done because it is broken down into chapters that are both chronological and topical. He takes one topic related to voting, such as women's suffrage and explores its full history before moving to another point of view. I especially appreciated his look at the electoral college. I probably will not finish this before tomorrow night when the returns start coming in, but I will finish. This is a great addition to our collection.

 

 

Listening:

I am currently listening to Shit, Actually by Lindy West, which is hilarious. This book is a bit of a departure for West because it is not overtly political like both Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman (which was made into a Netflix series that I binged over the summer) and The Witches are Coming. Instead, in these essays, West revisits movies she liked from the 90s and early 2000s. Her rating system is based on what she considers the most perfect movie: The Fugitive. She rates a wide variety of films from action to comedy to angsty teen flicks. And it is hilarious! You won't be able to think of these movies in the same way ever again. (And don't worry, the essays are not totally devoid of political commentary.)

Today, The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson came through from the public library. I have been waiting for this one since I put it on hold in March. Many of my favorite books of historical fiction and time travel take place in this time period so I appreciate a non-fiction perspective as well. 

I have listened to everything I have read by Larson. His books are brimming with splendidly researched information (makes my librarian heart go pitty pat) that I don't think I would have the patience to read myself. I listened to a sample before putting it on hold and think I am going to like being read to by John Lee. The hold came up at a perfect time because I went to the gym today for the first time since March and like the added motivation of a good book to get me there 3-5 times a week. 

 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

What I've Read - What I am Reading - October 19, 2020

This was not a great week for reading as we spent a ton of time at the house painting, fixing, scrubbing, sweeping, trashing, and recycling to get it ready to sell.  

 

Read:

I read Megan Whalen Turner's 6th book in The Thief series, Return of the Thief, a book, among others, which I have been looking forward to seeing published. While this was certainly worth the wait, 3 years is too long for me to go between series books. My only dissatisfaction with this final in the series is that there were too many details it would have been helpful to have remembered from the previous book. My own fault of course. I could have reread or tried to find a detailed summary filled with spoilers, but I didn't, so I went into this one without enough recollection and therefore felt a little lost at times. I'd like to reread all six books sometime because I loved them all individually and think the continuity would make them even more powerful.

I also read Serpentine by Philip Pullman, which I thought was a novella. It was a short story in a lovely little illustrated book. I read it twice. The author's note at the end indicated that the ideas just kept pushing at him so he went ahead and wrote it. The story is about Lyra and Pan after The Subtle Knife during which (spoiler ahead) they separate without dying, though it is painful. This new characteristic of their relationship will change the way they experience the world. 

I also finished listening to The Year of Living Danishly by Helen Russell. I did quite a bit of listening while I was painting.

 

Reading:

I found myself with a few down moments over the past week, with only my Kindle on hand so I started The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I sought this book on NetGalley after having read How to Stop Time. I would have discussed this one in my post on time-travel books if it had not been focused on two of my favorite authors of the sub-genre rather than all the time-travel works I have read.

Tonight I will leap back in to The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty to finish this week.

 

Listening:

I started Meaty by Samantha Irby. This is one of her earlier titles, but she says in a forward that the essays have been re-edited and polished up for this re-release. So far it is just as hilarious as I had expected. M. asked a few times why my painting was so funny. I think he might like her work.

I am not sure what is up next after this listen. Any suggestions?

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

What I've Read - What I am Reading - September 28, 2020

This week has been less about reading and more about minimizing and organizing in the new place, but I have managed to get in evening reading time just about every day.  

 

Read:

On Wednesday I went out to the Fairfax Public Library where I have a card because I work in Virginia. I picked up two more volumes of Giant Days: Volumes 12 and 13 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, Max Sarin, Whitney Cogar, and Jim Campbell. This series is fun. The university students are now on the edge of graduation and wondering what will be next for them and how their friendships will fare when they go their separate ways. Every character is delightfully quirky and endearing. Volume 14 is coming in October and includes graduation plus a post-grad adventure. 

I finished, A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George and placed the next one, For the Sake of Elena, on hold at the library. It should be a few weeks before it is available. While I like George's Lynley mysteries, I found this one less satisfying that the others because of one plot hole. Hole might not be quite the right word. There was an element of the mystery that occurred to me long before it did to them, which in itself isn't a problem, but was totally unrealistic given the obvious nature of the clue they should have looked at more closely sooner than they did. 

 

Reading:

I am continuing to read The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty. There are so many political and strategic twists I can only read this when I am wide awake. 

I have The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver who wrote One Day in December (Yes, another London romance with December in the title, which I thought was cleverly done) and If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane from the library to start reading after I post this. 

 

Listening:

I have 45 more minutes left in Eat a Peach by chef David Chang. I have appreciated the detail he provides into how he made decisions about opening and closing restaurants, making changes based on reviews, and the role his mental health issues played in his interactions and decisions. If you enjoy his shows Ugly Delicious and Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner then you will certainly want to read this since it has a similar mix of food, personal stories, and social commentary. 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

What I've Read - What I am Reading - September 21, 2020

This week was more busy than I was expecting, but I had some satisfying reading time anyway.

 

Read:

Late in the week I finished The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai. It was a relatively quick read, but one I almost did not finish. Had it been more difficult to read or longer I might have abandoned it, but I persevered and ended up finding it to be just ho hum. The main character is a children's librarian in Hannibal, MO. She is the weak link in the story. She just wasn't interesting to me. This is why I don't like to do traditional reviews. A character who was difficult for me might not be an issue for another reader. The other main character was Ian who I liked quite a bit. Finding out how the story ended for him is why I stuck with it. 

On Wednesday I picked up a bag of books from school from the carts of new arrivals. I jumped in right away to the graphic novels and read Giant Days: Volumes 10 and 11 by John Allison, Lissa Treiman, Max Sarin, Whitney Cogar, and Jim Campbell. Also in my bag was The Phantom Twin by Lisa Brown. It is the story of Isabel and Jane, conjoined twins in the 1920s whose parents sell them to a "freak" show where they perform as the Extraordinary Peabody Sisters until a doctor, looking for fame tries to separate them and only one survives. The details about the traveling side show life were well researched and the art was simple but effective for the story being told.          

When I signed into my DC public library account early in the week, I discovered a book that was about to be due that I had not even cracked yet. Eep!  So I read We Met in December by Rosie Curtis over the past two days. It was a fairly standard London romance. My favorite parts were when the two main characters Jess and Alex would amble around London seeing sites and visiting nooks and coffee shops. It was nice to revisit places I have been with them and note down new places for another visit. 

 

Reading:

I am continuing to read The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty because I want to savor this last book in the trilogy. 

I also started A Suitable Vengeance by Elizabeth George, the next in the Inspector Lynley series. I don't usually read the same author's mysteries so close together, but this one came up from the library more quickly than I was expecting and is due back in about a week. 

 

Listening:

I finished Dreams from My Father, written and read by Barack Obama. I voted for and supported Obama as president but this book revealed many things about his early life that I had not known. His early commitment to racial equality is impressive. I also learned a lot about his family, which is diverse and spread around the world. 

My next listen is Eat a Peach by chef David Chang. So far it is an interesting hop and skip through his early life. Since he is from northern Virginia he references many places and characteristics of the area that are spot on about local food, schools, and towns. He has just started describing how and why he started his first restaurant. I have no interest in going into the restaurant business, but I am fascinated by its inner workings from having watched every season of Top Chef and listened previously to Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. 

 

What have you read? What are you reading and listening to?

Listening to a book IS reading! - Some recent favorites.

When I drive, go to the gym, or do work around the apartment, I listen to a book. Only two of those three things is happening consistently now since I am not commuting to work or going to the gym.

I have an ipod to use with the bluetooth in my car and with a small speaker (this is not an affiliate link, Bose has no idea I exist, but I really like the versatility of this speaker and the quality of sound is very nice) at home, and a tiny old ipod for the gym. I will be happy to have these options when I start my serious packing to move at the end of August. 

Most of my audiobooks are non-fiction. Sometimes I buy, but more often check out from the library. I know it is good for my brain to experience books through audio, which is why I choose this as my entertainment for the car and gym instead of music. In the house I split evenly between books and music.

I rarely listen to fiction, with two exceptions. I have listened to the entire Harry Potter series a number of times. I choose one of the books whenever there is a lull in check outs from the library or when I need a comfort listen. I find Jim Dale, who reads the American version of the books, to be a soothing reader. I also choose audio if the book and ebook have a long wait at the library, but the audio is available sooner. This means though that if it is a series, I will want to listen to all the books to be consistent. An example of this is The Diviners series by Libba Bray. I am 4th on the list for the audiobook of the 4th in the series, The King of Crows. 

I started writing this post upon finishing Untamed by Glennon Doyle. Before listening, I knew little about Doyle, but kept seeing other bloggers I follow talking about the book, so I went ahead and checked it out when it was available from the library. Doyle reads the audiobook which is something I value in all audiobooks, but especially in memoirs. I discovered that Doyle first established herself with a Christian parenting blog. This explains why I did not know much about her as I am neither of those things. This book is her 3rd, and it was partly about parenting and faith, but more about love and identity. I think I want to either purchase the book or check it out of the library to take some notes. She had some wise things to say that I would like to revisit. 

Some of the chapters revolve around an answer that Doyle has written to someone who has emailed her for advice. One, featured in the chapter "Islands," was from the mother of a teen who just told her family she is gay. The mother is wondering how to handle her own parents who will be visiting for the holidays and will subject their own granddaughter to intolerance and attempts at "conversion." Doyle's concept of the island says that in a family you build a moat around your island and only put down the drawbridge for those who will be bringing in love; no fear, no judgement allowed. Doyle used her own mother's feelings about her relationship with her wife as a personal connection. 

The chapter was a powerful reminder that those who can't or won't cross the moat with love should be prevented from doing so. This is not the only time in the book that the right decision for Doyle and her family is sometimes the most difficult choice of many options. I found the stories to be realistic and straightforward which I prefer to slogans and cheerleading. 

The book I listened to just before this one was Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, which I bought in book form before deciding to listen to it instead. I am glad I did though because I have also referenced it again after listening and know a few people I will lend it to. Gilbert, who is best known for her memoir Eat, Pray, Love (which I did not like) explores her beliefs about living a creative life. I was drawn to the book because this is something I am working toward for myself. She also reads the audio version.

While I love cozying up with a weighty hardback or a comfortable paperback, I have more time in my day than I can devote to sitting with a book. Instead, I am grateful for audiobooks with which I have had mainly good experiences. Rarely, I run across a reader I cannot listen to for an entire book, so I either decide to check out the book or ebook, or I just skip it. 

I had no idea before making this list how many books I have listened to and enjoyed over the past year and a half:

1. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain - This one gave me insight into the importance of introverts as a balance to the world's extroverts. Made me feel good about my own introvert characteristics. 
2. Kitchen Confidential:Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain - This was one part hilarious, one part informative, and one part sad, knowing the towering Bourdain would die by suicide in 2018. 
3. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb - Gottlieb does not read this one herself, but the reader was engaging and the stories gave me valuable insight into the world of therapy for both those who are and are not therapists.
4. The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are by Libby Copeland - Just before everything shut down in March, I was fortunate to hear Copeland speak about this work at my local bookstore. I was interested  after having read Inheritance by Dani Shapiro last fall. Both books explore the ways that at home DNA tests are changing what people can know about themselves and their families. Shapiro's story is personal while Copeland interviewed individuals and families who had been shaken by surprising test results. 
5. Just Kids and M Train by Patti Smith - These are both poetic memoirs by Smith, exploring her friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe and her own creative endeavors respectively. Smith did an author talk after the release of Year of the Monkey in September 2019. I am still on the waiting list for the audio version at the library. Patti Smith reading it will be worth the wait.
6. We are Never Meeting in Real Life and Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby  - Both of these are "tears down your face" hilarious books of essays about Irby's life and reflections on the world. They are not for those sensitive to profanity and scatological humor, but what fun! She is also a unmatchable reader of her own work. 
7. The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, AND Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter & Organize to Make More Room for Happiness AND Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life AND Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin - It is possible that I really enjoy the work of Gretchen Rubin, who reads all of these. While there is some overlap in the content of these works, I find something new and valuable in each. Rubin has been tweeting through the pandemic and isolation that she is working on a book about the senses. I'll request it at the library as soon as I can. 
8. The Body by Bill Bryson - I have listened to others by him, but none have been better than A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail, which is hilarious with interesting detail about the trail. As far as I know, Bryson reads all his own audiobooks.

My current audiobook is: 

Tough Sh-t: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good by Kevin Smith - I have only listened to the first hour of this so far. It is from 2012 which I did not realize when I borrowed it, but it is so far a fun tour through Smith's early movies, read by him. (Warning: Smith spends a lot of time singing the praises of the Weinstein brothers, including Harvey, who was an important mentor in Smith's movie making, but this was before his criminal behaviors were brought to light in 2017. I do not know if Smith knew of Weinstein's behaviors.)

My next listens:

1. Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir by Kwame Onwuachi - I have watched both seasons of Top Chef on which Onwuachi appeared. And he has been chef at two different DC restaurants Shaw Bijou and Kith and Kin, both of which he has since left.
2. Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House by Alyssa Mastromonaco with Lauren Oyler

If you have never explored audiobooks, but have time to give some a listen, these are some I have enjoyed, but I think few books are published in the mainstream press without an accompanying audiobook. 

What are your favorite audiobooks?

For Your Listening Pleasure

I am almost always listening to at least one audiobook, and usually it is two: one in the car and one on my ipod around the house and at the gym.  I try to listen to a lot of non-fiction since I sometime have a difficult time getting through non-fiction if it is not riveting on the page.  Below are some of the audobooks I am currently listening to or have recently finished. 

 

 

 

1.  Bossypants by TIna Fey  Four words...hil-ar-i-ous.  I think Tina and I could be best friends if all that fame and fortune weren't standing between us.  I especially liked the parts about Tina's life pre-fame growing up in Pennsylvania, college in VA, and post-college pre-fame days.  The book is wondefully read by Fey who adds in all sorts of asides the book does not include.  I highly recommend this one. 

 

 

 

2.  One hazard of listening to books is getting a bad reader.  This has not happened to me often, but it is a danger.  The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson is read by Tony Goldwyn.  As it turns out, this is a book I could probably have read because the whole story about the 1893 Chicago World's Fair entwined with the story of serial killer H.H. Holmes is riveting.  I learned a great deal about the phenomenon that was the White City and probably more than I wanted to know about the activities of Dr. Holmes.  But wow, what a book, so meticulously researched and writing that draws the listener in.  Because I so enjoyed this one, I decided to go ahead and listen to In the Garden of Beasts also by Erik Larson read by Stephen Hoye the same reader as The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee to which I also listened.  I am always thrown off at first by a reader I have heard before because I associate that voice with a particular story.  Luckily this guy is really good as well because I was a bit disappointed when it was not Goldwyn again.  I am only at the beginning of this one, but so far it is as interesting as the last.  

3.  Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith is another recent listen.  While Queen Elizabeth's own life has been free of scandal, her sister, and three of her children were right up to their ears in it.  I enjoyed listening to this one for details I did not know about the Queen.  A companion book I listend to a few months ago is The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown read by Rosalyn Landor.  If Elizabeth the Queen is all "Diana was a kook, the Queen is wonderful," then this one is a pretty fair look at both women.  On deck for this summer, either to read or listen is Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton, which will have a bit of a different take on the story I think. 

4.  I am currently listening to Great House by Nicole Krauss, read byAlma Curvo, George Guidall, Celeste Ciulla, and Paul Hect.  It is so unlike anything else to which I have listened/read I am not sure how to describe it.  There are four different stories being told, and at least three of them seem to revolve around one desk.  They take place in different countries and the time keeps skipping around so I am not entirely sure how it is all going to go...this of course is why it is such an interesting story.   As soon as I get caught up in one story , the narration switches and I get caught up in the next story.  This is another one I could easily have read, but I am very happy with the many readers and enjoy their characterizations.  (Reading audiobooks is something I would love to do some day.  I have done a bit of voicework (a very small bit), but I enjoy it and think I am pretty good.)  Even more than 3/4 of the way through the book I am not sure how "great house" is connected, but I suppose that is another reason the book is so fantastic.