It's Monday 9/7! What Are You Reading?

Book By Book

Happy Labor Day to my U.S. readers! Hope you are enjoying your long weekend.

It was another rough week health-wise due to my chronic illness; I only had a couple of good days and spent much of the week on the couch. It was frustrating, especially when I did the right thing and rested on Friday but still felt awful on Saturday. BUT, I have now felt OK for two days in a row (!), so I am hopeful I am past the worst of this latest downturn. I’m trying to keep my meds stable and be very careful not to overexert. It’s a rollercoaster sometimes!

I did manage a visit to see my 95-year-old father-in-law yesterday, which I know cheered him up! And today, my husband and I finally took a little time off for ourselves and ate breakfast out (safely, of course) and enjoyed a short (and flat!) walk in a local park. Our son who recently moved out is coming for dinner tonight, so that will be nice, too, to have all four of us together.

Tomorrow is the official end of the 2020 #BigBookSummer Challenge! I have been busy finishing up my last Big Books, in print and on audio. I am a bit behind on my reviews (and visiting your reviews!) because of not feeling well lately, but no worries–the links list for reviews and challenge wrap-ups (not required) will remain open for new entries through the end of September on the challenge page.

Here’s what we’ve all been reading this past week:

Yesterday, I finished my last Big Book Summer Challenge print book, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens! I have been wanting to read it for ages since I love Dickens, read several of his books in school, and so many people have told me that this one is their favorite. I was immediately pulled into the story and loved the title character, who–like many of Dickens’ characters–is a good person who suffered some horrible mistreatment as a child. David’s father died before he was born, but he had a warm, loving relationship with his mother and with the kind maid/nurse who helped care for them both. The trouble begins when his mother remarries (nice to see an evil stepfather, for a change). The novel follows David through the twists and turns of his life–and there are lots of twists! It really is a VERY big book, but I enjoyed it all the way through. Dickens’ writing is so clever and witty that the novel, like his others, is highly entertaining and very funny. And now I just heard there is a new movie adaptation just released–can’t wait to see it!

And last night, I officially made the switch from Big Book Summer to the annual fall R.I.P. (Readers Imbibing Peril) Challenge, which is focused on genres like mystery, thriller, supernatural, and other darker themes. My first book for R.I.P. is a nonfiction true-crime book, The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson. It is the first book chosen for my book group’s new reboot via Zoom (we meet online later this week). I’ve just started it, but it’s already a stunning story. Back in the 1800′s, a bunch of naturalists (think Darwin and his contemporaries) collected rare, colorful birds (ironically, these guys killed and skinned these extremely rare birds!), leading to an almost priceless collection in the British Museum of Natural History. In 2009, along came Edwin Rist, a flutist who took an evening train to the museum, climbed a short wall, broke a window, and stuffed his suitcase with hundreds of these extremely rare birds … and got away! The book is already fascinating.

I decided to squeeze in one more Big Book on audio! Can I do it? Not sure, but I’m trying! I chose a YA novel of just 400 pages, A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena. It’s set in Saudi Arabia, and the two main characters die in a car crash in the prologue, then the rest of the novel looks back at their lives and how they ended up there. Zarin, an Indian immigrant and an orphan who lives with her aunt and uncle, has never felt like she belongs–not with her cruel aunt, not among the girls she goes to school with, and not in this place. The one person she truly connects with is Porus, another Indian immigrant in the same town, a boy she develops a close friendship with and the only one who knows her secret. The novel digs into issues of race, class, and religion, from an entirely different perspective than American teens are used to, but also into things like belonging, social media, and other topics all teens can relate to. The audio is excellent, with multiple narrators piecing together Zarin and Porus’ stories. Going to try to finish by tonight!

My husband, Ken, is reading a historical thriller from my Dad’s book collection that we inherited, Hornet Flight by Ken Follett. We both love Follett’s novels, and this is one of his many spy war thrillers. It’s set in 1941 during WWII and focuses on an eighteen-year-old young man who discovers a secret that could change the war for England. He needs to tell someone, but his only way to get to England from an isolated island is with an old Hornet Moth biplane, rusting in a barn. It sounds like an intriguing and unique premise, and knowing how Follett writes thrillers, I’m sure it is action-packed, twisty, and suspenseful. This is actually another Big Book, though my husband didn’t expect to finish it in time. Follett is known for his page-turners, though, and he’s only got 30 pages to go!

Our son, 26, finished a birthday gift from his girlfriend (she knows him well!), Red Country by Joe Abercrombie, one of his favorite fantasy authors. He loved reading The First Law trilogy by this author, and this book is one of three sort-of stand-alone novels that are set in the same world but focused on different characters. This one is about Shy South, a woman who’s been wronged and sets out to get her family back. Even though it’s fantasy, this book has an Old West feel to it (though with swords, not guns–an important distinction for my fantasy-loving son), including wide plains, a frontier town, and a gold rush. He thoroughly enjoyed this new glimpse into a familiar world from a different perspective.

Now, our son has turned to a birthday gift we gave him (are you seeing a pattern here?), Spellslinger by Sebastien de Castell, which is the first book in the Spellslinger series. A fellow book blogger, Beth Fish Reads, recommended this one to me for my son because she knows he loves the same kinds of fantasy novels she does, so thank you! Kellen lives in a magical world and must prove his skills as a spellcaster in his first duel. The problem is that his magic is fading. He must risk everything–and use only his wits–to try to get his magic back. A mysterious traveler may be Kellen’s only hope. Our son is loving the novel so far; he just started it this week and will probably finish it today! He definitely wants to read the rest of the series.

Blog posts last week:

TV Tuesday: Sex Education – a warm, hilarious show we loved

Fiction Review: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett – the lives of a brother and sister, connected by tragedy, with an outstanding audio read by Tom Hanks!

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

What are you and your family reading this week?