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Hello there! I hope you’ve had a great week in books and in life. This last week was just your basic average week for me, nothing special going on, just very busy at work as the quarter ended on Friday. Students get the day off today so we can finish up grades and get ready for the new semester. This marks the halfway point in my work year, but the second half always feels much faster than the first. On the reading front I’ve continued to have ups and downs, nothing close to a slump, but enough to be frustrating!
Hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Last Week’s Reads
- Both of these books are the good news in my reading week. The Cactus League by Emily Nemens took me completely by surprise. I didn’t know it was connected short stories and would have passed had I known, but I ended up loving almost all of them. The author did a great job highlighting the lives of various people loosely connected to a baseball team during the weeks of Spring Training. I’ll be doing a full review next week.
- When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald also took my by surprise. Listening to the first couple of hours I was interested enough to keep going, but sort of on the fence about it. Shortly after that, I found myself looking for excuses to listen and realized I was truly enjoying the story of Zelda and her quest to be legendary. A full audiobook review will be up this Thursday.
Book I Could NOT Finish
- I tried but just wasn’t feeling The Lucky One by Lori Rader Day. Even after 25% I still wasn’t sure what the story was about and just didn’t care!
Currently Reading
- I made the tough decision NOT to read American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins for a variety of reasons. It’s true I’d looked forward to it very much, and may change my mind at some point, but for now felt like I needed to trust the many Mexican and Latinx voices speaking out about problems in the story. I returned my unopened copy to Amazon. There’s been a lot of vitriol around this book on both sides, and I really don’t want to enter into that fray right now even though I have A LOT of thoughts on it.
- I really wanted to read a book that would grab me and not let go, so I picked up March release My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell. At 27%, I like the story, but it hasn’t quit done the job I’d hoped it would. I’m hopeful that will change very soon.
Likely to Read Next
- My February ARC’s have not been overwhelmingly great and I’m a little unsure of my last one, Saint X by Alexis Schaitkin. I’m trying to keep an open mind, but have read a few so-so early reviews. I’ll try it next and decided for myself.
- Since finishing When We Were Vikings I’ve been a little at a loss for what to listen to next, so have been catching up on podcasts instead. I’d really like to listen to Samantha Power’s memoir, The Education of an Idealist. My hesitation has been around its 21 hour length. Still, I plan to start it soon, but may break it up into chunks, interspersed with other books.
So, I heard something depressing on the Book Riot podcast recently….that they’d heard publishers were either front-loading their releases this year or pushing stuff to 2021 because they don’t want to release their best stuff near the election. Which means the supposed best books we’re going to get this year are all coming out now?! Doesn’t bode well since I haven’t been super thrilled with 2020 books so far (other than a couple Jan releases). Maybe also tough since 2019 was such an amazing year…a lot to live up to!
That is incredibly depressing. Can you imagine a fall with NO good books. I’ll need the escape then more than ever. February books have been really tough. I have a lot of ARC’s in March and April, so I’m hoping to find some treasures there.
There is so much chatter about American Dirt! It’s not on my list right now either.
I am so glad to hear the you liked When We Were Vikings! I have been thinking about reading it but wasn’t sure about it. I am moving it up my list. 🙂
Have a great week!
Thanks for stopping by, Erin. I’ll share more about Vikings on Thursday.
The controversy surrounding American Dirt is getting a lot of attention! I’m so far down the library hold list that I won’t have to make a decision about whether to read it or not for quite some time…
Hard to believe the school year is half over!!
It got kind of ugly on Instagram last week over American Dirt. Even if I decide to read it at some point, I’m not sure I’d review it.
I get it about American Dirt. You know I got an early copy and I read and loved it- but reading the Latinx reviews was a big reminder that there’s still work to do. Because I am white, my privilege let me miss the problematic pieces and get immersed in the story. I’m embarrassed that I missed it in the first place. But I’m always growing- that’s part of what I love about the community, the fact that there are so many different people to learn from and connect with via reading.
Looking forward to My Dark Vanessa- that one is coming up for me soon, too!
You remember how desperate I was to get my hands on a copy of American Dirt back in December. (The marketing worked wonders.) I guess now I’m glad I didn’t. I think at some point I’ll want to read it and see if I can recognize the problems the Latinx community has shared. The conversation can be hard, but as you said we grow and connect from it.
I still have a couple of February ARCs before I get to my March stack. I hadn’t intended to read American Dirt even before all the hoopla. It’s not the sort of book I choose since its not a mystery, or urban fantasy, or science fiction. Come see me week here. Happy reading!
It is advertised as a thriller, though.
I know I’ve told you this on FB already but The Cactus League is SO GOOD!
So far, you’re the only other person I know who’s read The Cactus League. I look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on it, too. For me it was a very pleasant surprise. (i’m not even a baseball person!)
Baseball eh? I’m curious about Cactus League. The Samantha Power book gets a bit long in the 2nd half but I was enticed by the first half … which went along pretty quickly. Still I’m glad I read the whole epic. 21 hours though I had no idea.
You’re the one who got me interested in the Samantha Power book to start. We’ll see if I can do all 21 hours without a break for something else, but I am looking forward to it.
The Cactus League has the best cover ever. I love linked story collections, so I’ll have to look that one up. Have a great week!
You’ll definitely like The Cactus League then. It’s so well done.
Our school year is just beginning, my children go back tomorrow to start in grades 9,10 and 12.
I have The Lucky One coming up on my schedule, I hope I like it better than you did.
Wishing you a great reading week
Wow! Three kids almost in a row. You must have really had your hands full when they were little and I’m sure during these teen years, too. Let me know what you think of The Lucky One.
I’m not quite sure what I think about the controversy around American Dirt. It’s a shame that you have had to send it back, unread, when it sounded so promising. I haven’t decided if I should read it or not.
I’m glad you ended up enjoying Cactus League though you weren’t expecting connected stories.
Have a lovely week!
Well, sending one book back isn’t a huge deal. There are plenty of other books!
American Dirt wasn’t on my radar until the controversy came out.
Even some of my friends who almost never read books heard about all the controversy around American Dirt. It’s definitely been out there.