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Hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
This past week was unusually smooth for me. Kids at school were reasonably calm for spring time, getting their work done, and a class that has really struggled aced a big test. They were proud and so was I! Those kind of victories are why I teach. Last night I saw an excellent movie, A United Kingdom. In it, “Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana causes an international stir when he marries a white woman from London in the late 1940s.” David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike played the couple beautifully. I highly recommend it! (View trailer.) On the reading front, it was a really, really good week. Maybe the best of the year, so far.
Last Week’s Reads:
Within two days, I finished two of the best books I’ve read all year! I listened to the audio version of Exit West by Mohsin Hamid and loved both the story and his narration. This is a book I’d been a little leery about reading because it has an element of magical realism in it, which generally isn’t one of my favorite literary devices. But, I loved the way Hamid used it in Exit West. The story itself was amazing and so relevant to the world we live in. Next, I had the pleasure of finishing The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti. Her book truly surpassed every one of my expectations and left me with a bit of a book hangover. I would not be surprised if both these books end up on my “Best of 2017” list. They were that good! I’m reviewing each this week.
Currently Reading:
I seem to have become a bit hooked on listening to books while commuting to work. After finishing Exit West, the rest of the week and the radio were just plain dull. I wanted a story! So, this weekend I did a little looking around at audios and settled on The Book of Polly by Kathy Hepinstall as my next car companion. This mother-daughter story promises to be both hilarious and heartfelt. It’s a little longer than some of the more recent books I’ve listened to, but the reviews were so good I had to give it a try. I’ve barely started and already I’m glad I picked The Book of Polly. A debut novel, Marlena by Julie Buntin is a coming-of-age story set in small-town Michigan. There, two girls become friends, one experienced and wild, the other a little naive, but ripe for change. The year they spend together will leave one dead and the other haunted. I’m loving Buntin’s writing and the style in which her story is unfolding.
Likely to Read Next:
I really liked The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, but had to think long and hard about whether I wanted to read her new book, The Shadow Land. Why? It’s long, just short of 500 pages. In the last year or so, I’ve shied away from really long books, but finally decided to give this one a try. Set in Bulgaria, the publisher’s blurb promises “…a mesmerizing novel that spans the past and the present—and unearths the troubled history of a gorgeous but haunted country.”
Have a Great Week of Reading!
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Interesting that the magical realism in Exit West didn’t bother you…that’s exactly why I shied away from it. Also I’m just not feeling the heavy, important books at the moment.
You’ve got me moving Book of Polly way up my list. I’m looking for some good books for my Summer Reading Guide and I love a bawdy, Southern lady!
Also I’m getting farther into Samuel Hawley…approaching 50%. Glad to hear such good reports from both you and Tara.
Exit West really isn’t that heavy. There’s a backdrop of some social commentary, but it’s really a relationship story. I know you don’t usually listen to fiction, but I think you should give Exit West on audio a try!
I really wish I’d remembered to download Exit West to my phone before I left for work this morning – GAH! That’s my listening plan for this week! 🙂 I’ll start tomorrow; I’m really looking forward to it, after your comments. I really, really loved the Samuel Hawley novel; definitely was concerned about moving on but, Marlena seems to be doing the trick right now. I have been highlighting passages like crazy! I hope you have a great start to the week!
I think you’ll really enjoy listening to Exit West, Tara. I just finished Marlena and thought it was great, too. We seem to be on a very similar reading path right now!
I recently read a YA that had elements of magical realism and I’m still wondering how much was real a week after I finished it. Our kids are just entering testing season at school and were really wild this morning. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
The magic in Exit West is very obvious and plays a big part in the movement of the story, but little time in the book. (If that makes sense!)
I hadn’t heard of any of these, but they sound interesting. I tend to shy away from really long books, too. I’m such a slow reader, so I find long books daunting!
Happy reading! 🙂
~Marie @ Ramblings of a Daydreamer
Here’s my Monday post
Oh boy. Your post reminds me that I still need to finish The Historian. It’s Monday, What Are You Reading
I have a copy of The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley in my reading pile. It will probably be what I read after The Women in the Castle. Girl Who Reads
Oh! I’m anxious to hear about The Women in the Castle.
I’m glad to hear you loved A United Kingdom. I’m hoping to watch it soon!
Have a great week and I hope you find a lot of great books to continue your fantastic reading streak!
Curious about Marlena, especially because of the coming of age aspect 😀
I’m 25% into The Shadow Land and am still not quite sure where it’s going, but she’s keeping me interested- if that makes sense!
I liked Hamid’s first book- even with the 2nd person narration, which was tough, so think I need to try this one. I generally love magical realism so it sounds perfect for me!