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Infinite Country by Patricia Engel | Thoughts

   Published : 2021   ||    Format : print   ||    Location : Colombia ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆   What was it about the country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy? The previous month, on its own soil, an American man went to his job at a plant and gunned down fourteen coworkers, and last spring alone there were four different school shootings. A nation at war with itself, yet people still spoke of it as some kind of paradise.. Thoughts : Infinite Country follows two characters - young Talia, who at the beginning of this book, escapes a girl’s reform school in North Colombia so that she can make her previously booked flight to the US. Before she can do that, she needs to travel many miles to reach her father and get her ticket to the rest of her family. As we follow Talia’s treacherous journey south, we learn about how she ended up in the reform school in the first place and why half her family resides in the US. Infinite Country tells the story of her family through the other protagonist, El

The Sunday Salon (Month in Review - July 2010) -- August 1, 2010


The Sunday 
Salon.com

Yikes, it's August! My last few days at campus are knocking at the door, and I so don't want to budge from my seat. One of my friends has already left, another two will leave during the end of this week, and I'll be moving my boxes all over again two weeks from now. So I'll warn you readers in advance that I may get all whiny on you during the next two weeks. I am ready to move on, and yet not so ready. Does that make sense?

I had a pretty easy week after the tumultuous days leading to it. I didn't get much reading done though - most of the days were spent moving and then catching up with friends. I figured reading can wait. Besides, after taking lengthy breaks from reading and blogging, and now that I am staying at a different place, I'm trying to settle the status quo around me. I also have my thesis defense scheduled this week, so wish me luck!

Rather than putting up a separate post to chronicle my reading last month, here's the stats all in one.


I should add maybe 20 copies of the cover page of my thesis here as well, considering how much technical reading and re-reading I did last month. Instead, here are the six much-needed tension releases I received.


Click on the images to check out my reviews (for those I reviewed, that is)

All six were fantastic reads. I love months such as these when the books I read all click for me. Denial, Full Moon at Noontide, The Color Purple and Animal Farm were five star reads. The first two were intense tear-jerkers, The Color Purple was a very moving and poignant book, while Animal Farm was simply hilarious!

Still Missing was a thrilling shocking suspenseful book, which was for the most part gripping, but I wasn't too happy with the ending - shocked yes, but just didn't ring right. A House at the Edge of Tears was another moving book, but I couldn't entirely connect with it.

Yay for challenges I am acing at
  1. 100+ Reading Challenge: 58/100
  2. Support your Local Library Challenge: 33/50
  3. Flashback Reading Challenge: 4/9
  4. Women Unbound Challenge: 5/5 (Completed)
  5. A to Z Challenge: 36/52
  6. POC Challenge: 10/10 (Completed)
And then there are these challenges
  1. Awesome Author Challenge: 3/10
  2. 451 Challenge: 1/7
  3. Original TBR Challenge: 4/12
  4. Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge: 3/10
  5. Summer Reading Challenge: 1/6
  6. Orange Prize Project: 0

July Stats
Number of books: 6
Number of pages read: 1295
Number of Audio Books: 1
Hours listened to (completed audio books only): 3 hours, 11 minutes

Zero Re-reads | 6 New-to-me authors | 1 Male authors | 5 Female authors

Comments

Good luck with your thesis defense! I'm sure you'll do very well.

It looks like you had a great reading month, also! I'm glad you liked Animal Farm. I read that one last year and thought it was really strange, but really good.
I agree. All are fantastic books. And good luck with your move!

TSS: What Books I Read in July
Awesome month, especially considering all the school work you were doing! Packing up and moving on is filled with so much mixed emotion.

Animal Farm...I showed my students part of a really funny/dated 1950s cartoon movie of it when we studied the Russian Revolution
bermudaonion said…
I know exactly how you feel because my son felt the same way when he left the 'Burg! Embarking on a new period of your life is exciting and terrifying at the same time. Good luck with your defense - I'm sure you'll be fantastic!
Marce said…
I had to smile when you said you should put your thesis up :-)

Denial sounds good, what a great review. I can't wait to read Still Missing.
Good luck with your thesis defense! Could you share what topic it is on? :) Just curious and I am always interested in other's thesis topic (not that I'm working on one, but I just like hearing about the diff topics :)
Carina said…
I'm also failing miserably at the Gilmore Girls Challenge! I'm really looking forward to reading Denial, though - you and a few other bloggers have definitely made me interested. Good luck with your thesis defense!
Good luck with your thesis defense! I'm sure you'll be great!