It’s Monday again already????
I’ve been reading a lot of books at once this month. I’m 3/4 of the way through with my First Book of the Year and think I’ll go straight onto the fourth book in the quartet without waiting another year to pick it up, as I’ve unintentionally done with each of the other three books in the Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante.
This month I finished a few books I started a while ago. One is a memoir written by a writers’ group friend, Marcia Orcutt, about her long and eventually successful battle with post-partum depression. I had to set it aside for a while because I needed to read cheerier things over the fall and holidays and her story made me sad in many places. I wanted to finish it, though, because I knew what an emotional journey it was for Marcia both to live through the experience and also to write this book. Plus, I knew it had a happy and hopeful ending.
Marcia Orcutt’s personal story is a harrowing one, but inspirational. She doesn’t hold back. From Darkness to Dawn might be especially helpful to anyone struggling with depression or who knows someone who is. As it’s also a good example of a brave woman’s memoir, it might be especially valuable to someone trying to get a piece of his/her own life down in writing, too.
You can find out more about the book and about Marcia on her Web site and on Facebook. Congratulations, Marcia, on publishing your book!
I’m currently listening to Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones, narrated by Rosalyn Coleman and Heather Simms. Love it, although it seems to be another pretty sad story so far.
For cheerier listening, I recently finished the third book in the Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovitch. Love this example of the mystery and urban fantasy genre blend. Not sure if it’s the English accents, but they seem much cleverer than the Jim Butcher Dresden Files books!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (#IMWAYR) is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date. It’s a place to meet up and share what you have been, are, and about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment, and er… add to that ever-growing TBR pile! This meme started with J Kaye’s Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at Book Date.
Sometimes reading a few books at the same time works out well. The memoir you read sounds like while tough was worthwhile reading.
I only read the first of Ferrante’s books, I’m not sure why I didn’t keep on with the second in the series. I think maybe it was the size — it’s intimidating. Good luck as you jump into the final book!
I struggle to read books simultaneously unless they are very different in subject/ genre.
Me, too! Otherwise, I start to get the characters confused.
Thanks! It was a little intimidating to get all four of them at once as a gift. I just finished Book #3 this morning!
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