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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: Wrapping up the readathon and other great reads

The Sunday 
Salon.com

Hello, y'all! How is this beautiful Sunday treating you? At least, I hope it's as beautiful there as it is here. We've been seeing some good weather here lately. A few really warm days (90s gah), and then a few days with a lot of rain (whoopie). Today is sunny again, which is just as well, because our lawn is in need of mowing.

This past week, I tried really hard to actively be a readathoner. But until Thursday, it was just like any other work day - tiring, and spent in front of the TV. Both The Originials and The Vampire Diaries had their season finales this week, and TVD seriously killed me with what they did. It was a beautiful episode - after weeks of boring predictable ones, it was nice to be reminded of what I always liked about this show - the edge of the seat feeling. But I can't say I liked how they ended, and immediately after the show, this is what I tweeted, because it left me all broken inside.




Anyways, about that readathon - the Bout of Books - I barely read anything between Monday and Thursday, then read (and finished) We Need New Names (set in Zimbabwe) by NoViolet Bulawayo on Friday and Saturday. This book is seriously amazing. The writing in the first half took some serious getting used to, but in a good way, much like how you would feel when talking with someone from a country whose accent you have never heard before. While reading this book, I started writing a blog post on the importance of having more vernacular writing in books, so I'll be posting that sometime soon.




I have also been listening to The Joy Luck Club in the car, and I'm beginning to think that this is not a book to listen to - it is probably best read on paper. Unfortunately I'm halfway through already, and I can't see myself trying to get hold of the book and reading from scratch. That probably means, I'm not going to love this book as much as many of you do.




Last week, I had read a few chapters of Delusions of Gender, and so far it is intriguing. It's not a book to read at a stretch though, so I'll be reading a little of it each day for a couple of weeks, I guess. Today, I'm hoping to start with The People of Forever are not Afraid (set in Israel) by Shani Boianjiu, the title of which has me very intrigued. 

The husband will be traveling to Dallas again this week for another training, but luckily this time, he'll be back on Thursday (last time, he was off for a whole week and I was bored as hell at home). We will be traveling this weekend to New York to pick up our parents from the airport so it's going to be busy then. But for now, I'm just planning to curl up with some books and read.

How is your Sunday going?

Comments

bermudaonion(Kathy) said…
I read The Joy Luck Club years ago and loved it. Of course, I did read it in print and that could well be the difference.
Rachel Reads said…
We Need New Names is on my TBR list. Glad to hear you liked it. I read The Joy Luck Club in print, and I liked it. I can't say I was blown away, but it was a good read.
Sounds like you have some fun trips in the horizon.
Joy Weese Moll said…
Sounds like a good Sunday of reading. You are getting all over the world in your reading!
Priscilla said…
I have had The People of Forever Are not Afraid on my wish list forever, so I will look forward to your review.
Ti Reed said…
I read the JLC and then listened to it and I found both to be good but that was ages ago. I think my tastes have changed since then. I remember the audio being a little dramatic at the time.
Jenny @ Reading the End said…
I'm waaaaayyy behind on Vampire Diaries -- I don't know if I've seen ANY of this season so far. I'm going to have to wait for it to show up on Netflix I guess. :/
Kim Ukura said…
On days that I come home from work really exhausted, I have a hard time picking up a book -- especially books that are challenging. I hope you found some good time to read yesterday!
Vasilly said…
I want to read everything you've read and have in your stack! I read Joy Luck Club in print and would recommend it that way. I can't wait to read your upcoming post.
Athira / Aths said…
Yeah, it is becoming more obvious to me that I should have just read it. The book is interesting but I cannot keep the characters straight!
Athira / Aths said…
We do! Looking forward to them!
Athira / Aths said…
It has been fun so far!
Athira / Aths said…
I did not make much progress with it, but the few pages I read were intriguing!
Athira / Aths said…
If I knew something about the story, I would probably be able to enjoy the audio more. Listening to the audio for the first time is leaving me a little lost - the characters are getting mixed up in my head.
Athira / Aths said…
The beginning of the current season is just meh. The ending is wow. But I am so glad that they are (hopefully) done with this season's storyline. It was epic boring!
Athira / Aths said…
I agree. I just prefer to watch something on TV or even some good chick flick!
Athira / Aths said…
I need to finish up that post today. Hopefully, I'll put it up tomorrow or on the day after.
Athira / Aths said…
The Joy Luck Club is a good read for me too, but I am not getting connected with any of the characters. There are too many of them and I cannot keep them straight.
topazshell5 said…
That is a book I hope to read soon, We Need New Names. I've heard good things about it. Haven't read The Joy Luck Club. I have seen the movie. It's very good.
Athira / Aths said…
I may try watching the Joy Luck Club movie. I didn't enjoy the book much, but I can see that the stories are really good - so the movie may work better for me.