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I’m going to start off today by wishing my sister and amazing friend, Lori (AKA Recipe Girl), a very Happy Birthday! So, the week is starting out on a high note, but we’ll see where it goes from there???
I hope all is right in your world and that you’ve been lucky enough to be reading some wonderful books. My own reading was s little slow last week, as my workload was high between catching up from being gone for 8 days and holding 25 virtual conferences. I really liked doing the conferences virtually, and definitely feel like that’s something we can keep from this time of online learning. So, with that I only managed to finish one book, and get well into another. The book I’m reading right now is my final ARC for 2020 and then I plan on going back and picking up books I missed along the way. Freestyle reading!
Hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Last Week’s Read
- I really enjoyed White Ivy by debut author Susie Yang. The publisher bills this as a coming-of-age story, but I see it as more of a millennial story. Ivy is a young Chinese woman who has never quite known what she wants, just that it’s more than she has. Ivy stumbles into a relationship with a boy she grew up having a crush on and once inside, she does not want to let go. This story took a few turns that left me pleasantly surprised. (Full review tomorrow.)
Currently Reading
- And now for that final ARC of 2020, Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan. I’m almost finished with this story of a woman who had a long standing affair with a man who was once her client. After he suddenly dies, she finds herself the executor of his will and in increasingly close contact with his wife. The writing style is VERY different, I’m not quite sure what I think of the story, but it’s been a really fast read.
- I saw that Susan from The Cue Card really liked Steph Cha’s Your House Will Pay, so I thought I’d give it a try. Since I’d been on the hunt for an audiobook, that’s the route I decided to go. At well over halfway through I’m with Susan in really liking this story of two L.A. families, one Black and one Korean whose lives are entwined by a shooting only weeks after the Rodney King police beating video were made public. The story alternated between each family and between 1991 and 2019. I’m eager to get back to listening!
Likely to Read Next
- I decided not to participate in Nonfiction November this year for two reasons: time and the fact that our whole life is constant nonfiction news right now! Instead, I’m going to spend the next month or so reading books I’ve missed and/or are curious about. Ironically, I’m going to start with a nonfiction in Natasha Trethewey’s memoir of her mother’s murder, Memorial Drive. I’ve heard nothing but good about this one!
- Now a retelling of Hamlet definitely does not sound like my thing, but that’s what I said about The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and I ended up loving that book (my review). I also have thoroughly enjoyed other books by Maggie O’Farrell and people I trust have highly recommended Hamnet, so why not? I’m going to give it a try!
I just read and reviewed White Ivy. I did enjoy it a lot. I hope this debut author continues to write.
I agree. I want to see more from Susie Yang.
Hey thanks for the shoutout and glad you are liking Your House Will Pay! Being once SoCal girls, we got to keep up with the good ones from there. It seems Cha is a sharp young writer & the audio has enough to it – to keep one interested. I put White Ivy on my Nov. TBR picks. Sounds a bit different. It’s not creepy, right?
No, White Ivy isn’t creepy. It’s sad in many ways, but for me that had more to do with the generation and that sort of Millennial mindset. I’m not sure the author saw it as a Millennial story, but I sure did.
Pick up the audiobook of The Cold Millions — it’s absolutely fabulous (or I thought so). I’ve had Your House Will Pay on my list for a while; maybe I’ll give the audio a try. Hamnet is also on my list. So funny and so true about nonfiction November and my thoughts exactly: I need escape not reality right now.
I guess that’s one I need to go back to. Glad to hear you liked it so much.
I like you plan for free range reading. I still have quite a few 2020 ARCs on my stack mostly because I’ve been reading free range already. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Hamnet caught my eye, too! And I’m happy to see your positive review of White Ivy. It’s on its way to me via BOTM. Hope you have a great week…. all things considered 🙂
As it turned out, it was a great week! I know you’re as happy as I am.
Hamnet doesn’t really sound like my kind of book either, but I’m second guessing that based on reviews. Have added The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue for the same reason. Hope to get some reading mojo back this week. Have a good one!
I so loved Addie. I honestly can’t get over it. It was my Daisy Jones and the Six for 2020.