This post may include Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Phew! One big holiday down and now one to go. I hope yours was wonderful even if a little out of the ordinary. Around here it was a quiet Thanksgiving, but Christmas will be more lively spent with two little ones who are already excited about Santa. Like many of you I’m in the midst of Christmas shopping, something I was already doing primarily online, but this year it’s the only way to go. With a little more downtime than usual, I’ve managed to get quite a bit of reading in these last couple of weeks AND I’ve beeb busy working on a BUNCH of fun end-of-year posts. Come back tomorrow for the first of many I’ll be sharing in December.
Hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Last 2 Weeks’ Reads
The first three books here I’ve already reviewed in last week’s November 2020 Book Reviews, so I’m not going to say much about any of them. Pop on over if you want to know more.
- I listened to Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell and for me it was just okay. It just didn’t pack the punch I was expecting from reviews I had seen.
- On the other hand, Sea Wife by Amity Gaige was a delicious breath of fresh air exactly when I needed a book I could sink into.
- One to Watch by debut author Kate Stayman-London came highly recommended and completely met all expectations. And, it was fun being behind-the-scenes on a reality TV show.
- I really thought We Keep the Dead Close by Becky Cooper would finally be a nonfiction book that would resonate with me this year. I found it compelling in many parts, but slow and repetitive in others. Had it been 100 pages shorter, I think I’d have enjoyed it much more. (mini-review…sometime!)
Currently Reading
- I started listening to the first half of former President Obama’s memoir, A Promised Land, only days after it was released on the 17th and I STILL have 19 hours lift in it! At 29+ total hours, I suspect I’ll be listening to this one for a couple more weeks, but that’s okay. I love listening to Obama speak and find the whole thing both comforting and nostalgic.
- I could resist no longer, so turned to What Could be Saved by Liese O’Halloran Schwarz as my first 2021 book. I’m just over halfway through this story of two sisters whose 8-year old brother vanished in Thailand in 1972. Nearly 50 years later, he is found, with the story alternating between the two times moving toward solving the mystery of what happened to him.
Likely to Read Next
- I still have library holds on several 2020 books, but if none of those come in this week, I’ll turn to my next 2021 book, a debut, At the Edge of the Haight by Katherine Seligman. This story of a homeless girl is part coming-of-age story, part murder mystery, plus set in San Francisco, one of my very favorite cities. What more could I want?
The Obamas are some of the few people I could listen to for that long!
I’m enjoying it, but he can be a little long-winded. I think in the end, I’m going to prefer Becoming.
What Could Be Saved sounds so very good. Look forward to your thoughts!
I’m almost done and have really liked it!
I definitely want to get my hands on A Promised Land…and now I am eyeing At the Edge of the Haight.
Enjoy your week, and here are my WEEKLY UPDATES
The Edge is one that I haven’t seen around much, so it will be interesting to hear what others think.
I have A Promised Land but haven’t started listening to it yet. The length is a little daunting. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
It is really long. I may take a break soon and listen to something else, and then go back to it.
I had similar thoughts about We Keep the Dead Close.
Glad to hear I’m not alone!
At the Edge of the Haight sounds so good! I’m also listening to Obama’s book, and unlike most others, I’m savoring it and listening to it at 1x speed.
I’m listening at 1.1x speed and couldn’t go any faster without losing some of the essence of who he is. It’s definitely a book to savor.
I read Hamnet and loved it. I think, for me, that I do better with a paper book when it comes to great writing and audiobooks are more enjoyable for story/character. Maggie O’Farrell writes a beautiful sentence which I pay less attention to when I am listening. Although I bet the narrator would be fun for that tale of old England.
I’ve liked all the other Maggie O’Farrell books I’ve read. It may have been the audio, but I usually do very well with audiobooks. For me there just wasn’t much to it. That’s the beauty of books….different books work for different people.
Oh great report! Yes Sea Wife was wonderful. And now I’m listening to Migrations on audio and liking that one too. (Another boat excursion!). Amazing you are trying the Obama book on audio – wow. Hope you have a wonderful December.