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I don’t keep track of the amount of time I read in a week, but I have a pretty good feel for it. Without a doubt last week was my LOWEST reading week this year. I had something going on EVERY single evening last week. It was a mix of work and fun with friends, but either way there was little time for books. In the week I saw two very different movies. The first, Prospect, was the opening night movie for the Tacoma Film Festival. Matt Acosta, my good friend Nancy’s son, was in charge of production design on this cool sort of sci-fi/western themed mashup. It’s a locally filmed and produced movie, that has been picked up by Regal for limited release starting on November 2nd. On Saturday night I saw A Star is Born and mostly liked it. Lady Gaga was fantastic! My calendar isn’t nearly as full this week, so hopefully I’ll find some serious time for books.
Last Week’s Read
Yup! Bitter Orange, Claire Fuller’s third book, was the only one I finished last week. Given just one word to describe it, I’d have to go with WEIRD. Parts I really liked; others I didn’t, and if you stop by on Thursday, I hope to have a full review up.
Currently Reading
Though I’ve only had short piecemeal goes at A Cloud in the Shape of a Girl by Jean Thomson, what I have read I really like. I’m planning on getting some serious reading time in today, and am very much looking forward to it. Last Monday, I shared that I was listening to Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison, but I had to stop. Even though I was enjoying the story, I realized at about the 3 hour mark that there was NO WAY I could listen to the narrator for another 12 hours! It wasn’t her reading or voice as much as just listening to the twangy, “western speak” that the story was written in. I think it would have bothered me much less in print. I spent most of the week listening to the third season of Serial, and though I’m enjoying it, I still craved a BOOK to listen to. I’m only about an hour in on The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain, but it seems like the lighter sort of fiction that I tend to enjoy on audio. Plus, I’ve seen several great reviews!
Likely to Read Next
Depending on my mood, I think I’ll next read either The Library Book by Susan Orlean or A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler. The Library Book, an investigative look at the 1986 fire that destroyed hundreds of thousand books at the Los Angeles Public Library, would be an early kick off to my Nonfiction November reading. If I’m more in the mood for a little historical fiction, I’ll go with A Well-Behaved Woman, Fowler’s take on Alva Vanderbilt and Gilded-Age New York.
I hope you have a great week in books!
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I’m almost done with A Well-Behaved Woman…I like it, but lukewarm like. Zelda was much better.
Rats! I loved Zelda and was hoping for the same.
I loved The Dream Daughter, and I pre-ordered A Well-Behaved Woman.
I don’t listen to audiobooks; I think they would take too long, since I can read faster than listen. LOL. And being subject to the voice of a narrator who may or may not be pleasant…well, no thanks.
I am curious about what “western speak” sounds like.
Enjoy your week, and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
Audiobooks do take longer, but are great for times when it’s hard to read like driving or on a walk. They’ve really upped my yearly reading count.
Western Speak (twangy) – yes ‘um, ain’t, holler, cain’t, don’t got….etc!
Nice assortment of books. Some weeks are like that – so busy that reading has to be set aside. I’m curious about A Star Is Born. The ads are all over my TV. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
If you saw the Streisand version of A Star is Born, this one is fun to see for contrast. Lady Gaga was great.
I caught your “mostly” liked it for A Star is Born and now I’m curious about what kept you from loving it:) I really hope you enjoy The Dream Daughter!
I like A Star is Born, but thought it was a little slow. It also seemed a lot darker than the Streisand version. Liking The Dream Daughter!
I have The Dream Daughter reserved at the local library and I look forward to reading it. I could listen to it on audio because I do like that format but it just depends what is available. A Star is Born sounds good – I’ve seen some of the hype surrounding it.
I’m liking the audiobook, but think it would be a great read, too.
Bitter Orange is on my wishlist. My weekly update
The Library Book is the only of these that is on my radar. But look forward, as always, to your reviews. Since I wasn’t a fan of Fuller’s Swimming Lessons, I’m pretty sure I’ll let that one pass me by.
I agree with another Laurel-Rain, I can’t get into audio books either. If my eyesight ever gives out, that’ll be another story.
I never used to enjoy audiobooks either, but now i can hardly stand to be without them. I mainly listen when I drive or if I go on a long walk. If I’m home and have time to read, I always go to print. For me, with a great narrator, the right audio can be spectacular.
Have a great week, Madeline.
I saw a review last week for The Dream Daughter and now I need to read it. I’ll look out for your review of Bitter Orange; I like Swimming Lessons, so I’m interested in this one, too.
Check back on Thursday when my Bitter Orange review will be up.
I too enjoyed the musical performances of the latest A Star Is Born but the script seemed sort of weak in places & dated. I think I still might pick up the Fuller book and liking the looks of The Library Book too. thanks
I’d love to hear your thoughts on Bitter Orange. It’s always nice to get another perspective.