May and June were probably my slowest reading months this year, which I expected them to be. There were a lot of things to take care of these past few months plus a book wasn't always the respite I was looking forward to at the end of the day. Luckily, I enjoyed all the books I did read these past two months, which doesn't happen often.
My favorite read was Lean In, which had never been on my radar until I picked it up impulsively and decided to give it a try. A Visit from the Goon Squad comes a close second - another book I may not have read this year if not for a readalong.
Even though my reading was somewhat patchy, I did blog quite a bit. All the reading I did during the first half of the year built up a huge review backlog that I wanted to take care of. I still have three reviews pending, so the hope is to write them this week and schedule them.
Blog highlights from March and April
- Two readalongs in May
- On early morning reading in bed
- On true equality and perceived equality
- Interviewed by Delia at Postcards from Asia
- Expecting Better by Emily Oster (review)
- The House at the End of Hope Street by Menna van Praag (review)
- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (review, halfway thoughts)
- Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes (review)
- From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess by Meg Cabot (review)
- Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill (review)
- The Magicians by Lev Grossman (review)
- Anatomy of a Disappearance by Hisham Matar and Family by J. California Cooper (reviews)
- The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows (review)
- Sunbolt by Intisar Khanani (review)
Plans for July and August
One commitment I know I am going to have for sure the next couple of months is baby care. So, reading is probably (definitely?) going to take a hit. Besides, lately, I have been less inclined to read and have been knitting most of the time, so I'm taking advantage of the break. Still, I do have some books on my nightstand that I plan to read when I'm looking for a read. They are mostly books I believe will be quick reads or easy listens. Whether I will actually get to them remains to be seen.
- Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn: This one has a pretty good beginning, so I feel reasonably hopeful that it is way better than Dark Places, which was just meh.
- A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan: A review book. This isn't my usual kind of book but it sounds super appealing now.
- Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie: I have been looking forward to reading this one ever since I first heard about it months ago.
- Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: Probably not a light read so I won't be reading it when I'm looking for only a couple of minutes of reading time, but I love Mandel's writing and want to read this one as soon as possible.
- And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: I have read only two Agatha Christie books to date, so this is me wanting to change that... if this one works in my favor.
- The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage by Sydney Padua: Ooh, some geeky love to read about!! Plus, it's a graphic book!
- Armada by Ernest Cline: Yay for a new book by the Ready Player One author.
- Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella: I've always loved Kinsella's books in the past but lately, her trite formulaic novels about a silly girl who gets rescued or rescues herself in the end has been wearing me thin, so I'm not very sure this one will work out.
And then for audiobooks,
- Missoula by Jon Krakauer: Love Krakauer's books - must-listens for any day.
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins: I'm not decided yet whether I want to listen to or read this book but it's on the list.
- Dead Wake by Erik Larson: This is yet another author that I always have success with.
Comments
Missoula and Dead Wake are both on my audio wish list
Lean In isn't a book on my radar, but I know it's out there. We'll see if that changes after I read your review.