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If your summer reading has been anything like mine, you’ve been on a great roll! Sure, I’ve had a few books that I haven’t been crazy about, but for the most part the books I’ve read have been great and last week was no exception. Fingers crossed the trend will continue. Right now I’m in Montana again, visiting my two grandkids and their parents. On Tuesday I’ll be flying home and bringing my 6-year old granddaughter, Olivia, with me. We’re both very excited to get to have a good chunk of one-on-one time together. I’ve put together a whole list of fun things to do with her, so this week reading will be moving to the back burner.
Since it’s the end of the month and I have a lot going on, I’ll only be doing one other post this week, but it’s a BIG one. Come back Wednesday for Clearing the Shelves June & July 2019 where I’ll be sharing 5 books I missed doing reviews of the last couple months. It’s a big variety with 3 nonfiction and 2 fiction, plus 2 audiobooks and 3 I read, and the best news is that almost all were books I really liked!
Last Week’s Reads
- I’m eager to talk to others who’ve read Laura Lippman’s new book, Lady in the Lake, because she did a little something with it that has me a bit baffled. Still, this is another book I enjoyed. It will be part of Wednesday’s mini-reviews.
- Another terrific debut, I just loved The Dearly Beloved by Cara Wall. The story followed the lives of two men and their wives who end up co-pastoring a NYC church starting in the 60’s. You’d think it would be full of religion, but really it was more about the relationships and each character’s individual versions of faith. I got teary in both the prologue and the epilogue. Review coming in August, but put you name on your library hold list now.
Currently Reading
- I’m still listening to A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson and I’m still enjoying it. My week was busy, so I didn’t get in a lot of listening time, but I only have a couple hours left, so should finish it soon. Edvardsson divided this book into three parts, each narrated by a different member of a family where the 18-year old daughter has been jailed for murder. The three different perspectives (with three different narrators) really work well together.
- Many years ago I read a couple books by T. Greenwood that I really liked including Two Rivers, but last year I DNF’d Rust & Stardust, so I was a little nervous about Keeping Lucy. Happily, I’m enjoying this story about a mother in the late 60’s/early 70’s who has a daughter with Down’s Syndrome and, unlike her husband, does not want her daughter institutionalized. I’m about halfway through and the book is working well enough for me to be happy with it.
Likely to Read Next
- I’ve been eager to get my hands on Marilou is Everywhere by debut author Sarah Elaine Smith, but never got approved for an ARC. (I feel like I’ve been black balled by Riverhead!) Anyway, I think I’m going to make it my next audiobook. This coming-of-age story about a poor teenage girl who slides into the life of a missing neighbor should be right up my alley.
- Spending the week with my granddaughter, I probably won’t get much reading in, but when I can it will need to be something on the lighter side. Thus, I’ll be making Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center my next read. I loved How to Walk Away (my review) and have been looking forward to this one.
I hope you have a great week in books!
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Dearly Beloved is on my TBR, glad you enjoyed it so much! Marilou Is Everywhere seems intriguing and I love the cover.
I’m now about a third of the way into listening to Marilou and really like it. Very different!
So glad to hear you loved The Dearly Beloved! I am frantically trying to catch up on my July reading list, but that one is coming up soon and I wasn’t sure if it would be for me. I’m looking forward to it more now since our tastes usually overlap 🙂
Have a great time with your granddaughter!
I think you’ll really like Dearly Beloved, Allison. It’s just the sort of book we both often go for.
Lots of good stuff in here! Will be interested to hear your thoughts on Fire. I was in the minority for sure.
Blah….too chick lit! I should have listened to it.
I hope you and your granddaughter have a great time together. Looks like you have some nice books here too. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
I can’t believe I never got to Marilou Is Everwhere yet because I was really looking forward to it. I should spend one entire month just reading the back list. Maybe December.
December is always good for backlist, but Marilou only came out last week, so you still have time.
This season sure has been a wonderful one in terms of books published and I think I’ve loved just about every newly published book I’ve read recently too. I have started Things You Save in a Fire. I do hope you have a wonderful time with your grand daughter, such a special to be treasured time.
I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts on Things You Save in a Fire. I didn’t like it nearly as much as How to Walk Away.
Enjoy your time with Olivia. She sounds precious! I still want to get to Lady in the Lake, though it sounds like the 2nd half changed in style, right? ugh.
She is precious and quite precocious. We had so much fun together. I delivered her home yesterday, and now I’m exhausted!
Keeping Lucy looks interesting. My weekly update
Enjoy the time with your granddaughter!
Things You Save In a Fire is on my wishlist, I might add Marylou is Everywhere too.
Wishing you a great reading week
Thanks, Shellyrae. I didn’t have a lot of reading time last week, but had loads of fun with my granddaughter. I hope your reading is going well, too.