It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? 2-20-23

Did more cuddling of our very first grandchild than reading over the weekend!

Currently Reading

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell

Dysfunctional Irish family in England…somewhat depressing, but wickedly funny at the same time.

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

“Three cheers for Curtis Sittenfeld and her astute, sharp and ebullient anthropological interest in the human condition.”—The New York Times Book Review

I received an advance copy of Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld and decided to read it in honor of Valentine’s Day. As well as to try and keep up better with the books on my NetGalley shelf!) The setting is a live TV comedy show like Saturday Night Live, with Sally, a writer with the show, – whose whole life is the show, really – surprised by her reaction to the handsome, unexpectedly funny pop star singer, Noah, who is that week’s guest host and musical performer. I love it!

Recently Read

The Talking Drum by Lisa Braxton

“The Talking Drum, set in the early 1970’s, deftly weaves the stories of three young, struggling couples living near Petite Africa, a community of African and West Indian immigrants. Issues of gentrification, race, gender politics, and class inform this propulsive story, but at its heart, this is a novel about who you love and who becomes your home. A moving and skillful debut.” – Stephanie Powell Watts, author of No One Is Coming To Save Us

This is a sad, but unfortunately realistic, story told from the perspectives of various Black characters, about urban redevelopment in a fictional Massachusetts small city forcing low-income and middle-income people of color — immigrants who have built lives and livelihoods there –out of their homes, neighborhoods, and businesses.

Protests and legal appeals are organized, but the odds are stacked against them. Investigation of suspicious fires leads many to wonder who among the politically powerful or protected can even be trusted.

A good debut novel by a local author!

Currently Listening To

The Love Songs of W.E.B. De Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AN OPRAH BOOK CLUB SELECTION A New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year A Time Must-Read Book of the Year A Washington Post 10 Best Books of the Year An Oprah Daily Top 20 Books of the Year A BookPage Best Fiction Book of the Year A Booklist 10 Best First Novels of the Year A Kirkus 100 Best Novels of the Year A Parade Pick A Chicago Public Library Top 10 Best Books of the Year

Recently Listened To

A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

“Robert Bathurst performs this 18th Inspector Gamache mystery with the assurance of one who knows the village of Three Pines and its (mostly) gentle residents well….” – AudioFile Magazine (Earphones Award Winner)

With eighteen Inspector Gamache books, every single one can’t be a favorite. A World of Curiosities has many of the trademark elements that fans of the series love — including the setting of the Village of Three Pines, and talk of books, art, and poetry — but the characters of Three Pines were only given bit parts in the story, and there wasn’t as much interaction among characters as usual.

This may have been intentional on the author’s part, as Chief Inspector Armand Gamache seemed to be working alone for most of the story — isolating himself to protect others? –and endangering himself. For me, this put too much emphasis on the murder investigation, making it into more of a police procedural than usual, but with huge gaps and oversights that wouldn’t normally have escaped Gamache’s attention.

Again, this could all be intentional, as the story is dark, suspenseful, and deeply psychological. For true mystery fans, this might be the kind of Inspector Gamache book they’ve been hoping for: a case with roots in the past and deeply personal.

Please let me know what you’re reading and/or listening to in the comments! In trying to fix the commenting issue, I messed up something else, and now no emails are being sent to blog subscribers. Sigh.

This post is linked to “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?” hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date. Check out the link-up party there for more book lists!