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It’s been a while since you’ve seen a Monday post from me, so let me explain. My life is pretty hectic right now with both work and home. I’m in phase 1 of a 2 or 3 part remodel/redecorating project at my house. Just doing things like picking paint colors and looking at furniture online are eating up huge chunks of my time. Then at work, we’re preparing to move into a hybrid model sometime in the next month or so. I will still be teaching online, for the kids who opt for that. It still means change though, as some of my students will stay the same, but I’ll also get many new ones. Top that off with our schedule is changing and it’s all a bit stressful.
But, the main reason I’m not posting as much here is because my heart just isn’t fully in it right now. I’m posting regularly on Instagram @novelvisits and really consider that my main platform for now. I’ll still check in now and then with posts like this. I’ll do a set of mini-reviews of all I’ve read at the end of each month, and I’ll do the posts I love like book previews, reading guides, best of lists, etc. I hope you’ll bare with me as I figure things out!
Hosted by Kathryn at Book Date
Recent Reads
- The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson (2/2/21) – This story of a woman trying to find the son she gave up for adoption as a teen was just okay for me. I thought it should have been shorter and without quite so much drama.
- How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones (2/2/21) – I listened to and loved this story of a young mother in Barbados trying to find a way out of a brutal marriage.
- The Push by Ashley Audrain (1/5/21) – I was late to the party on this one, but then wow! This was a edge of your seat drama about a mother who could never quite trust her daughter. (my review)
- The Bad Muslim Discount by Syaed M. Masood (2/2/21)- This was one of those books I went into with no expectations and then was blown away by. The author’s irreverent humor around the plight of two Muslim families who immigrate to the U.S. was just one of the things I loved about this book.
- Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle (9/16) – Since listening to Untamed last year, I’ve been wondering how I’d like Doyle’s earlier book, and I was not disappointed. Though part of this book is about her marriage that ultimately failed, the bigger themes and life lessons are on par with Untamed and I again loved her narration.
Reading Now
- We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida (2/9/21) – This coming-of-age story features a 14-year old girl at odds with her former best friend. So far, I’m enjoying it very much and the pages are flying by.
Looking Forward to Reading
- Infinite Country by Patricia Engel (3/2/21) – “Rich with Bogotá urban life, steeped in Andean myth, and tense with the daily reality of the undocumented in America, Infinite Country is the story of two countries and one mixed-status family—for whom every triumph is stitched with regret, and every dream pursued bears the weight of a dream deferred.”
- The Smash-Up by Ali Benjamin (2/23/21) – “Inspired by a classic Edith Wharton novella about a strained marriage in a small town, The Smash-Upis at once an intimate, moving portrait of a family in distress, a vivid examination of our roiling national rancor, and a powerful exploration of how the things we fail to notice can shatter a family, a community, and a nation.”
I too am happiest these days with periodic roundups of what I read with brief thoughts. And a few Weekend Cooking posts. My love of daily blogging has gone away.
No need to apologise – we all understand that motivation can drop at times. In the midst of this global health crisis, the last thing we need is to feel guilty if we don’t blog or write reviews etc
Phew! So glad to hear that you loved BAD MUSLIM DISCOUNT! I ordered that as an add-on to my BotM box this month!
I get about your heart not being in book blogging right now. I’ve been there. In fact, I had to take a break from it and now I wouldn’t even say I’m a book blogger (like you, most of my bookish stuff is on Instagram), but a personal blogger who recaps my reading once a week.
Given al, that’s going on for you, stepping back from the blog a bit is a sensible decision though I do hope you’ll continue to keep us updated through this type of post.
Wishing you a great reading week
Sounds like you are very busy and feel like doing your blog less these days. I can understand … though I hope you’ll hang on to it — for whenever you retire. I enjoy your reviews. I know I need to follow more on Instagram though it sort of slips thru the cracks. Will you be retiring in the near future? I’m with my folks now in SoCal and we are going to be moving them into a senior care village — my dad knows but we haven’t told my mom yet as she’ll likely flip out about it. Early March perhaps. Quite stressful times now … but we are getting things lined up. I’m glad for your report on these books. I will get to some of them!