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Hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Oh my! How is it already the middle of July? I loved summer, but wish it could slow down a little. I spent a fun four days with my mom and sister last week, came home for two days and then headed off to a week in Bozeman, Montana. There I get to spend time with some of my favorite people in the world, my son Jordan and his wonderful family. Since he and his wife have an extra busy work week, I’ll be watching Olivia (5) and Lincoln (2). I might leave exhausted, but will be filled with joy. Reading will likely take a back burner, but all these plane flights help!
Last Week’s Reads
I started out last week reading Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras, but it just wasn’t holding my interest so I quit at about 30%. From there, I wanted a book that would be high interest and more fun. That’s exactly what I got in The Banker’s Wife by Cristina Alger. I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on this thriller soon. Anne Tyler has long been a favorite author of mine, but her latest, Clock Dance, disappointed me. I found it impossible to relate to or respect the central character, Willa. Clock Dance will be part of a mini-review edition in a couple of weeks.
Currently Reading
I’m almost halfway through with the audiobook of The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager. Though finding listening time has been a challenge, I’m definitely enjoying this mystery. I tried to listen on the plane ride home last week, but a woman with a big booming voice sitting three rows back would not stop talking! The man next to her appeared to be too polite to do anything but nod. He needs a lesson in faking sleep, my go to plane strategy. Even with earbuds in she was a distraction. I hope to find some time to get more listening in soon. I’ve been feeling like I need a break from fiction, so picked up From the Corner of the Oval by Beck Dorey-Stein. I’ve read about 25% and am thoroughly enjoying Dorey-Stein’s memoir of her years working in the oval office during the Obama administration. It’s a wonderful change of pace.
Likely to Read Next
July seems to be a great month for nonfiction releases and No One Tells You This by Glynnis MacNicol is another that I want to read. Her memoir of being single and childless by choice while approaching 40 and the flack she gets for it has gotten a lot of buzz and I’m intrigued. On the fiction front, I may kick off my August reading with The Third Hotel by Laura van den Berg. Set in Havana, The Third Hotel tells the story of a widow who believes she sees her dead husband there. Now that would be unsettling!
I hope you have a great week in books!
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Great post! I’m looking forward to The Banker’s Wife, The Last Time I Lied, and From the Corner of the Oval.
i finished From the Corner yesterday and loved it!
Have fun with the grandkids! I liked The Last Time and I Lied and The Banker’s Wife. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Have a lovely week, Kathy.
I’m sorry you were disappointed by Clock Dance…but your issues with the MC probably won’t bother me, as I’m used to Tyler’s “meek” characters…and those who are rather quirky.
I like the sound of From the Corner of the Oval.
Enjoy your week, and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES
I’ll look forward to hearing your thoughts on Clock Dance. I’ve loved some of Tyler’s other books like A spool of Blue Thread.
Have a great time with your grandkids! You’ll definitely be busy with two that age 🙂
Looking forward to your thoughts on The Last Time I Lied. The summer camp setting the premise is intriguing, but I’ve heard mixed reviews about how it ends.
I feel like my listening to The Last Time I Lied has been so hit and miss that I’m not really giving the book a very fair chance. I guess time will tell!
Oh God…airplane talkers are the worst. I got noise cancelling headphones for Xmas this year for that and people who yap on their phones at pedicure places (when I love to sit quietly and read).
I’ve given up on pedicures being quiet!
The Third Hotel sounds good. I’m finally home from an eight day trip. My weekly updates
I hope you have a great week and have tons of fun with your family. Sorry that Clock Dance was disappointing. That book is on my TBR list. I’ll be looking forward to your review.
Hopefully, Clock Dance will work better for you than it did for me, Aj. Hope you’re having a great week.
These people on planes… have they no sense?? People three rows away should not know what you’re saying without headphones; much less with them! (In my quiet voice) Not that I’ve ever experienced that. 🙃
It’s amazing that people don’t realize that they’re so loud. Annoying!
Oh, no… so sorry to hear about Clock Dance. I recently finished A Spool of Blue Thread and was looking forward to more Tyler. Will look for your mini-review.
I loved A Spool, but Tyler’s lates just didn’t work for me. You should try it. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
I too am sorry you didn’t enjoy Clock Dance. Just finished and I enjoyed it. Typical Tyler with quiet characters who “do” more than “say,” while presenting timeless themes of family and how to navigate those often fraught waters. I’ve read everything she’s written since The Accidental Tourist. Some are better than others, but she can be depended upon to show us human lives. I thought Willa was a wonderful character — but definitely a Tyler creation: innocent, unsure, a bit dowdy, loving yet shy.
One thing I enjoy about all her books is she doesn’t try to keep up with modern gadgets. With the exception of a (very) few references to cell phones, Clock Dance could have been 1950, 1980, 2000 or today. Her focus is always on people, families, communities. And in bypassing modern technology, she tells stories that will last forever.
Tyler is a treasure and there are very few authors writing today who can match her.
Now I should get to work on the 10 or so she wrote BEFORE The Accidental Tourist.
I’ve loved many Anne Tyler books and and really do think she’s a treasure. Clock Dance just wasn’t for me.
I hope you enjoy your time in Bozeman. My brother lives there and when I visit it’s always a wonderful town. Too bad about Clock Dance being a disappointment — argh! I’m geared up to read From the Corner of the Oval. Looks fun & a good read.
I absolutely loved From the Corner of the Oval, but it did make me a little blue for better days.