It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? 02-15-21 #IMWAYR

Currently Reading

The title of Don’t Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life by Anne Bogel made me smile wondering how long the author and editors thought about the lengthy subtitle before deciding on it. But it does serve to sum up the book!

I saw Don’t Overthink It on a New Year’s Resolution post on Lisa’s Notes – 5 Books I Recommend – January 2021, and made a note of it. I often like to pick up a self-help book around New Year’s, and this one sounded good to me, as I tend to be a worrywart and often procrastinate on making decisions.

I haven’t picked up A Year of Writing Dangerously by Barbara Abercrombie in a while, but will try to finish my library e-book copy this week. I enjoy it, but it maybe does its job too well, so that when I’m reading it, I feel I should be writing instead!

I’m reading my NetGalley ARC of The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett because I didn’t read it before it came out in June and I didn’t expect the library holds list to be as long as it turned out to be. This complex story about estranged twin sisters leading such different lives also makes me want to read Passing by Nella Larsen – a classic originally published in 1929, with similar themes of racial identity and belonging.

I liked The Mothers by Brit Bennett, but I think The Vanishing Half is better.

I’m planning to start reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab this week. I bought my own copy, but it came with a ripped book jacket so I exchanged it. I’m hoping to add this one to my list of Top Ten Time-Travel Books Involving Love.

Recently Read

The Water Keeper by Charles Martin was described as cinematic by one of the book club members, and that seemed apt. It is an action-packed thriller with no graphic sex or violence, so the main character comes off as something like a squeaky-clean James Bond. The book has Christian themes and a tragic love story. Set in Florida, much of the story takes place on boats.

While The Water Keeper won’t win any literary awards, several of us in the book club were surprised that it turned out to be a pageturner.

Recently Listened To

Deep Into the Dark is the new book by P.J. Tracy, author of the Monkeewrench series. Sadly, P.J. Tracy, formerly a mother-daughter team is now just daughter Traci Lambrecht writing on her own.

Deep Into the Dark introduces new detective characters in the LAPD, so it looks like it could be the start of a new series. I hope it doesn’t mean the end of the Monkeewrench books!

Mysteries in audiobook format put authors at a disadvantage; it seems much harder to slip clues by an audiobook listener, who can’t skim over sentences the author has tried to make seem unimportant the way a reader might. Although I figured out part of the mystery in Deep Into the Dark, I didn’t figure out all of it. Even so, the mystery and the characters weren’t up to Monkeewrench caliber and I didn’t like Deep Into the Dark as much as I wanted to. Here’s hoping the author just needs to hit her stride with these new characters!

Currently Listening To

The Cold Millions by Jess Walter expired on me before I could finish listening, but I’ve got it back now, and I’ll be listening to the last part of it this week. Great audio!

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!