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January 20, 2020

My Week in Books 1/20/20 | More

This post may include Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Well the big snow predictions here turned out to be almost nothing. We had enough of a dusting on Tuesday morning to have a 2-hour late start, but that was it for the week. So far, my summer is still in tact. I know much of the rest of the country is buried in wild winter weather and feel for you. Hang in there! Whether in snow or sunshine I hope you’re able to enjoy a long weekend as we remember Martin Luther King today. I also hope this extra day gives you a little time to do more of what matters most to you, including reading.

Hosted by Kathryn at Book Date

Last Week’s Read

Dead to her by Sarah Pinborough

  • I’d never read Sarah Pinborough prior to picking up Dead to Her, and to be honest I don’t think I’ll have any desire to ever read her again. I thought this book was awful, a train wreck. I only kept going because I was in such disbelief that it was a book written in 2020 by a woman. Every single character in the book (especially the women) was a caricature of some outdated “type.” I’m not sure what I’m going to do with this one. I might just make it a mini-review, or I might open up a discussion post when more people have read it. What do you think I should do?

Book I Could NOT Finish

  • So many people love Jenny Offill, so even though I didn’t care for Dept. of Speculation I decided to give her another try with her new book, Weather. I gave it a good shot reading 40%, but just couldn’t do anymore. She’s one of those writers who writes in short vignettes that jump around all over the place and are only loosely connected. It requires a lot of work for the reader and just isn’t for me.

Currently Reading

When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald and The Cactus League by Emily Nemens

  • I’m currently listening to When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald and really enjoying it. For the first couple of hours I wasn’t quite sure, but the further I get into this book the more I like it. I have about four hours left and am looking forward to seeing how this story of a young woman with fetal alcohol syndrome winds up.
  • The Cactus League by debut author Emily Nemens is really working for me and I’m a little surprised about that. It’s really more of a series of connected short stories all related in some way to people in the large world of preseason baseball in and around Scottsdale. I don’t usually like connected short stories, but I’m in the third of nine (like baseball innings) and have really liked all so far. Each has been a great mini-character study.

Likely to Read Next

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

  • Like many others, I didn’t get an advanced copy of the much talked about novel releasing on Tuesday, American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins. Back in November and December the conversation around it was nothing but wonderful, leading me to do something I rarely do – order a print copy. Since then there has been some controversy surfacing around the book which has made me glad I’ve not read it sooner. I’m still very excited to read this one, but will also go into it with a more discerning eye. Should be interesting!

I hope you have a great week in books!

Filed Under: More Tagged With: Book Recommendations, It's Monday! What Are You Reading?, My Week in Books, Weekly Update




Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katie says

    January 20, 2020 at 5:17 am

    I love short stories that are interconnected so Cactus League sounds really good to me.

    Reply
    • Susie says

      January 20, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      I only have one story left and so far, all but 2 I’ve really liked.

      Reply
  2. Linda S. says

    January 20, 2020 at 5:46 am

    Fingers crossed for “American Dirt”, as I have preordered it too!

    Reply
    • Susie says

      January 20, 2020 at 5:18 pm

      We’ll need to talk!

      Reply
  3. Angela says

    January 20, 2020 at 5:56 am

    I don’t know what this says about me, but I actually kind of like reading negative reviews?? So if you did even a mini-review for Dead to Her, I’d be interested!

    Reply
    • Susie says

      January 20, 2020 at 5:19 pm

      Well if I do a review it will have to be negative and even if I do a discussion, I’ll be coming down on the negative side. It’s a little touchy since it was an ARC.

      Reply
  4. Kathy Martin says

    January 20, 2020 at 9:00 am

    Cactus League sounds good to me because of my love for baseball. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

    Reply
    • Susie says

      January 20, 2020 at 5:20 pm

      If you like baseball, you’ll enjoy The Cactus League.

      Reply
  5. Kristilyn (Dreaming of Hygge) says

    January 20, 2020 at 1:57 pm

    I’ve seen American Dirt in so many places that I really want to read it now! I think my Costco will be getting it so I’m excited to try it out. Have a great reading week!

    Reply
  6. Susie says

    January 20, 2020 at 5:21 pm

    All the controversy around American Dirt will definitely make it an even more interesting read.

    Reply
  7. Melinda says

    January 20, 2020 at 6:45 pm

    I’m glad to hear Cactus League is working for you as I have it on my TBR! I also plan to read American Dirt at some point in the future.

    Reply
  8. Shelleyrae @ Book’d Out says

    January 20, 2020 at 11:48 pm

    I just requested Weather because I’ve seen such good reviews, it makes me nervous that you could finish it.

    Wishing you a great reading week

    Reply
    • Susie says

      January 23, 2020 at 5:31 am

      You will probably enjoy it. Jenny Offill’s style just isn’t for me, but I know of plenty who really like it.

      Reply
  9. susan says

    January 22, 2020 at 3:13 pm

    I guess I’ll have to check out what the controversy is with American Dirt …. and then I’ll get to the book! Is it just b/c she’s not Mexican? I’m curious to hear about When We Were Vikings. I like that title.

    Reply
    • Susie says

      January 23, 2020 at 5:34 am

      I just finished When We Were Vikings yesterday and liked it a lot. It has a bit of a YA feel to it because of the main character’s disability, but I got used to it and was rooting for Zelda throughout.

      I’ve decided NOT to read American Dirt and plan to do a post next week explaining why. Stay tuned!

      Reply
      • susan says

        January 26, 2020 at 7:55 am

        Wow I can understand about your decision about American Dirt …. I just wrote a bit about the controversy on my site — and have gotten some interesting reactions.

        Reply

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Welcome to Novel Visits! I’m Susie and reading is my passion. Join me for new novel reviews, musing on all things books, and much more.

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