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Last week was an exciting one for my family, as we welcomed William James to the world at 11:45 Wednesday night. He’s just darling and joins his 22-month old sister, Charlotte, to make a perfect little family. Thousands of babies are born every day, and yet, it still feels like a miracle. Every. Single. Time. Somehow I managed to get a lot of cuddle time and finish two books this week. One was audio and with the hospital an hour away William’s birth helped me out!
Last Week’s Reads
I don’t want to give too much away, but I loved Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng’s sophomore novel. In fact, I liked it better than her much praised first, Everything I Never Told You. This one had a little lighter quality making it a breath of fresh air in my world of books. I listened to Little Fires on audio and the narrator, Jennifer Lim, was wonderful. I plan a mini-review later this week, but we’ll see what time allows! The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott proved to be an atmospheric historical fiction about a group of nuns and their influence/help in the lives of a widow and her child. This is the third book I’ve finished in September that had to do with the Catholic Church, and it might have been one too many.
Currently Reading
I almost delayed starting Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach because frankly, I’m burnt out on historical fiction. Of the last seven books I’ve read, five have been historical fiction. I like the genre, but not THAT much! Anyway, it’s Jennifer Egan, so I decided to go for it. At only about 15% in, I’m really liking the story of Anna, a plucky young woman working at a shipyard during WWII. With the promise of much more, and even a “noir thriller” style, I’m glad to have picked up Manhattan Beach.
Likely to Read Next
Next up, there will be NO historical fiction! Instead, I plan on reading Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak. Please, give me a nice contemporary debut about a dysfunctional family quarantined together for a week over Christmas. Now that sounds like fun! On the nonfiction front, I hope to get to Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence very soon, too. The subtitle says it all for this one: “A Librarian’s Love Letters and Break-Up Notes to the Books in her Life.” Sounds like fun, right? Haven’t we all wanted to break-up with some books?
I hope you have a great week in books!
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This is the second place I’ve seen Dear Fahrenheit 451 this morning! And it sounds interesting…will wait to hear your thoughts.
And I have Manhattan Beach up next too, glad it started well for you. And I also have Seven Days of Us…I’m behind in my ARC reading..I blame it all on Twelve Mile Straight.
I feel like everything I’ve been reading (except Little Fires) has been going really slowly. Manhattan Beach hasn’t taken off yet the way I’d expected, but only at about 27%.
I keep alternating my ARC reading with my own TBR so I’ll be behind on my fall reads but I hope to get to Manhattan Beach soon. I’m currently reading The Last Ballad which is set quite a bit in the past but I’m loving Wiley Cash’s writing so far. Have a great reading week!
I’ve really enjoyed Wiley Cash in the past, so let me know how it is. I may want to give it a try.
Congratulations on William’s birth!
Seven Days of Us is one I’m looking forward to. Hope you enjoy it!
I’m finally reading again and excited about every single book you’ve mentioned. Welcome to the world, William… congratulations to the whole family!
Thanks, JoAnn. Looking forward to hearing what you’ve been reading.
Congratulations! All of your books are new to me. I hope you enjoy them. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Maybe I’ll get to Ninth Hour this week. I really want to read that one.
I loved Little Fires also. I look forward to seeing your review. I’ve got Ninth Hour coming up too, just not quite sure when I will get to it. Congratulations on the new addition to the family!
Thanks, Bill. I thought I’d get to the Little Fires review this week, but probably won’t actually make it until next week, but will have Ninth Hour up on Thursday. Have a great week.
Congrats on the new little one!
I want to read Little Fires Everywhere, but I haven’t read her first book yet so I’m debating which book I should read first…
I actually liked Little Fires better than Everything I never told you. They’re very different. Little Fires is a little lighter and has more humor.
Dear Faherenheit 451 is on my wishlist. Come see what I’m reading
“This is the third book I’ve finished in September that had to do with the Catholic Church, and it might have been one too many” LOL So I wanted to read The 9th hour but I’m not sure I want a churchy book… Is it preachy?
I want to read Little Fires Everywhere. I saw Seven Days of Us on someone else’s list and thought it sound like a fun read. I hope you enjoy it. I understand reading too much in one genre. I was on a big cozy mystery kick this summer, but I think I might have overdoses as the last two haven’t been as fun.Girl Who Reads