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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

Month in Review - September 2010


Wow! We're near the end of 2010, and I still remember celebrating the X'mas of 2009! Before I know it, I will be sitting in the front yard of some antique house, with white hair and a wrinkled face. *shudder* I wish time slowed down!

September has been the most diverse potpourri for me in all senses. It was my first month back at work, my first time ever in my own apartment, got my first car and my new dashing Droid X! Lots of new things, and that pretty much dried up my monetary resources. While I'm still enjoying my new life, I'm also trying to come to terms with my reduced reading time. And that's funny, because grad school is supposed to be busier. I was terribly worried about this, but for the last few days, I've been reading like crazy! I've realized that I just had to give myself time to adjust - after all, I literally moved a mountain over the past month. So, all I read this month was four books, of which one was a WOW read!


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

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd was my favorite read of the month. If you guys still haven't read it, you should! I enjoyed the movie as well. Finny by Justin Kramon was a delightful book with some wonderful quirky characters. However, Stealing Lumby by Gail Fraser was slightly disappointing. It was still enjoyable, but not so much as the first book in the series.

In September, I also started the Game-On! Diet as if I didn't have enough on my plate already. Although I struggled during the first week, I managed to kick back in the second week and it has been going well ever since. I will post a review of the book and the game some time next week.

Other reviews posted this month
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

The inside happenings over here
It was BBAW week during the third week of September, and my blog made it to the longlist! (Thanks guys!) I declared September as the month of shelf cleaning, and while I did read three of the books off my shelf, I can't boast of 75% success, considering I read only 4 overall. Banned Books Week also fell in the last week of September (it's still not over), and while I don't normal read books for the "occasion", I do rant till I'm hoarse, as I did when there was talk of Speak being banned, and then I wondered about the violent responses to certain books.

As for challenges, at this point, I'm at risk of failing every single one. I thought I'll make it to 100 books this year, but it seems like a distant possibility for now. The only challenge that I completed, and yeah, I'm proud to have completed it, is Women Unbound challenge (Click on the link to see the books I read for this challenge).

Never been happier to greet a new month!

September Stats
Number of books: 4
Number of pages read: 1215
Number of Audio Books: 0
Hours listened to (completed audio books only): 0 hours

Zero Re-reads | 4 New-to-me authors | 2 Male authors | 3 Female authors


Comments

Congrats on reading some great books in Sept. Hope October is good for you.
bermudaonion said…
I'm sure you'll get back in your groove soon! I was gone over the weekend and I'm still discombobulated from that and a move and a new job is much more disruptive.
You say you only read 5 books, but they were such good ones. And, you had so much else going on. I think as book bloggers it is too easy to berate ourselves when we don't read a huge long list. I wish we were more able to just enjoy what we've read as we read it. There is always a next week or month to read more (thank goodness!). Enjoy your upcoming weekend!
Tales of Whimsy said…
You and me both (about greeting October) :)
Athira said…
Diane, thanks! I'm glad that the books I read this month were good!

Kathy, it took me a while to realize that I just needed time, and here I was, berating myself all the time.

Helen, you said it just right, I think I am unconsciously putting pressure on myself, and I need to stop that.

Juju, yay!
You lucky Droid owner you! I keep thinking of making the leap, but then I hear whispers that the iPhone might be available for Verizon next year and I cave.

I loved The Secret Life of Bees. In part because it was a great book and also because I read it as part of an online book club. It was my first experience in any sort of book club and it was so interesting to hear what people from different walks of life picked up that I didn't. The book came alive in a way that books just never had before.

Cheers to October!
justpeachy36 said…
I'm glad you had a great month of reading. The Secret Life of Bee's a good one... I liked it a lot. BBAW was a blast. I really enjoyed it...

Have a great October...
Athira said…
Gwen, I love the Droid more than the iPhone. ;-) It's great that you read The Secret Life of Bees as your first book club read! That experience won't be forgotten!

Debbie, a great October to you too!
Ash said…
This year I learned that long term challenges are not for me. I like short challenges that only go for a few months or you just have to read a single book for a book club or something. Much more manageable and far less stressful.
Athira said…
Ash, I've come to so many late realizations too. Bummer that it took me so long. At least I'll be more judicious about joining challenges now, I know that I rebel against challenge books.