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Hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Today almost feels like a holiday with all the hoopla surrounding the solar eclipse. Here in the Puget Sound area we’ll be treated to a near total eclipse at around 10:20 this morning, and I’m ready! While visiting family last week in Montana, I picked up a couple of pairs of viewing glasses. It’s a very good thing I did because there are none left to be found around here. My best friend, Meg (who I met on the first day of my freshman year of high school), is visiting and we’re all set for the viewing. Might even need to add a mimosa or two to the event. Oh, and I read a little last week, too!
Last Week’s Reads
I didn’t have a lot of time to read last week, but thanks to a couple of plane rides I managed to finish two books. The first was Quicksand by Malin Perrson Giolito, a courtroom drama and much more about a teen on trial for her part in a mass school shooting. This Swedish Crime Novel was everything that Sarah@sarahsbookshelves promised it would be. I definitely will review Quicksand soon. Next, I turned to a September release with Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. This book leads off my Fall Preview 2017, which will post tomorrow. I’m happy to report that it was a great choice. This raw story follows three generations of a struggling Mississippi family as they fight ghosts of the past while trying to find their places in the present. Ward’s writing was beautiful and I thought the book was too. My review will be up in early September.
Currently Reading
I’m listening to Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie and at about 20% am really enjoying the story and the narration by Tania Rodrigues. I’m about to start the third chapter where the perspective is going to change and I’m anxious to see where that takes this highly lauded story of a British Pakistani family. A Loving, Faithful Animal is Australian author Josephine Rowe’s debut novel about “one family searching for what may yet be redeemable from the ruins of war.” Rowe’s prose and unusual style are haunting. A Loving, Faithful Animal is also a September release.
Likely to Read Next
My next books will put me firmly into fall reading! I missed Hannah Kent’s much talked about debut, Burial Rights, so am anxious to try her sophomore effort, The Good People. Her book tells the story of three women trying to save a rumored changeling child in 1825 Ireland. A psychological thriller, Best Day Ever by Kaira Rouda, follows a “perfect marriage” couple struggling to trust each other. Promising deception, betrayal and a shocking conclusion, Best Day Ever has some high expectations to live up to!
I hope you have a great week in books!
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Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Home Fire, I just picked that up at the library on Sat. Have a great week Susie!
Unfortunately, I’ve been getting almost no reading done the last several days, so who knows when I’ll get to finish Home Fire.
Glad you loved Quicksand after all! And I have Home Fire on hold at the library and am thinking I should try the Ward once things settle down with my move. Don’t it’s the right book for me at the moment, though.
Enjoy the eclipse…we’re getting a 75% or so one today too!
Sing, Unburied, Sing is pretty serious and takes some attention, but really, such a beautiful story. (Though I should warn you, there are spirits!)
Nice post. I too am in the Northwest — in Vancouver but I dont have the special solar glasses so I’m out of luck at 10:20 a.m. Home Fire looks good / I read her last book A God in Every Stone which had its moments but was a bit slow, so I hope this one is better.
Too bad you aren’t closer. We had extra glasses around my house. It was a fun experience. I’ll let you know how Home Fire goes. Have a great week.
I’m glad to hear that Sing, Unburied, Sing is just as good as her first novel. I’m hoping to read it soon!
I’m really looking forward to hearing what others think of SUS, so let me know after you read it.
Sob, I keep forgetting about Quicksand. Hope I read it before I have to return it to the library!
Quicksand read fast for a longish book.
I’m surprised that my library had so many copies of Quicksand available. I ordered it and it’ll be at my branch tomorrow. (In a city that’s only 49 square miles there are 28 library buildings! We must be a literary bunch LOL.)
I know autumn is big for new releases but I have so many in the pipeline! And life begins to rev up again next week. ACK!
Currently reading Andrew Sean Greer’s “Less” which is meeting my priorities this week: 1) short 2) entertaining!
Wow! That’s a lot of libraries. Where are you from? Less definitely sounds like lots of fun. Perfect for the end of summer.
I bet it was a party atmosphere today where you live. It felt like a party at my school, with all the eclipse doings going on.
Thanks for their review of Sing, Unburied, Sing. It is a book I have been curious about since I heard about it at BookExpo.
I’ll do a full review of Sing, Unburied, Sing closer to the release date, but just know it was wonderfully written.
I was never able to find glasses so was swimming in a blissfully empty pool while the eclipse occurred!
I’ve never read any Jesmyn Ward so am thrilled to see you loved this. Looking forward to your review? And I’m on pins and needles about the Hannah Kent because Burial Rites was a favorite. I have not had good luck with the sophomore efforts of authors I like.
Too bad we don’t live a little closer because I had a couple of extra pairs of glasses. It was fun to watch, but the pool sounds great, too.
I almost didn’t request The Good People, and hope doing so ends up being a good call. I’m going to start it today.
I’m so excited to read “Home Fire” — I keep checking to see if my library has it available to request yet! (And I adore that cover too.) I loved Hannah Kent’s “Burial Rites” — you should definitely make time for it! If “The Good People” is anything like her first book, be prepared for a grim but beautiful story!
Thanks, for the heads up on Kent’s writing, Lindsay. Sing, Unburied, Sing was also a grim but beautiful book, so maybe that’s how much of September will go for me.
Hi Susie,
I am so glad you enjoyed Sing, Unburied, Sing. I have it in a pile here to read for the publication early September.
I also look forward to hearing what you think about “The Good People”. I really enjoyed Burial Rites and am hoping that this new novel is just as good! Happy Reading! xx
I hope you enjoyed the solar eclipse! It looks like you have a great bunch of books lined up next; happy reading!
Ahhh, yay for eclipse day!! I hope you had so much fun, Susie! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed Sing, Unburied, Sing; just an incredible story, right? I thought it was so powerful. I’ve been waiting on Quicksand from the library but, since I’m at a loss for what to read next, I may have to buy my own copy – GAH! 😉 Hope your week is going well!