We’re in a brief deep freeze here in Massachusetts after a snowstorm decimated everyone’s plans for Saturday night (and put clearing over a foot of snow on a lot of people’s Sunday morning schedules) and I am deep into Swing Time by Zadie Smith, my First Book of 2017.
Swing Time is an absorbing story of women, race, art, talent, ambition, and coming of age and I am taking my time with it.
Dancing plays a large role in the life of the book’s narrator – a bonus I didn’t expect! Since I developed a late-in-life love of ballroom and line dancing a few years ago, I love to read and talk about dancing.
To make sure I got at least some of the references, I watched the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie, Swing Time, too. (Thanks for watching it with me, Dad, even though it was your umpteenth time!)
Along with letting my blogging go when I started back to work full-time, I stopped keeping good records of what I was reading on LibraryThing, but New Year’s resolutions are currently still holding, so I’ve updated my LT with Swing Time and the other books I’m reading right now:
At Weddings and Wakes by Alice McDermott
(for book club on Wed.)
My Kitchen Year by Ruth Reichl
(for Cookbook Club this month)
IQ by Joe Ide
(to keep up with current crime fiction)
The Fireman by Joe Hill, narrated by Kate Mulgrew
(on audio)
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes
(on audio, for Joy’s New Year’s Resolution Challenge)
Here’s a picture of the beautiful ballroom in Rhode Island where we danced on New Year’s Eve and started out the new year.
What are you reading this week? Tell me! Tell me!
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (#IMWAYR) is 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! So welcome in, everyone. 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.
I’m hoping to read Swing Time soon! It’s great that you found a personal connection to the story – I love when that happens! Happy reading!
I have Swing Time coming up soon. I’m glad to hear you are enjoying it!
The Fireman was a great read and I bet listening to it is a lot easier than lugging than giant book around!
Thanks for stopping by!
It is!
You are back with a bang!
I’m curious about Swing Time as I’ve loved some but not all of Smith’s work.
Hope it thaws soon for you – I’m told the snow may be heading our way in UK on Friday. we seldom get as much as you but it causes more chaos because we are not geared up for it.
Ive heard varying reports of Swing Time – sounds like you are more in the ‘like it’ camp.
I liked On Beauty so much when it came out that I always think of her as one of my favorite authors, but then when I stop to think about it, I realize I haven’t read any of her other books until now!
It’s still cold, cold, cold, but warmer temps are coming over the next few days. Hopefully warm enough to melt away a lot of the snow!
Swing Time sounds like fun! We’ve got weirdly warm weather today, but expecting an ice storm at the weekend.
Glad to see you back and happy new year!
Interesting to read your thoughts about Swing Time. I thought the experience itself was great but I’d love to hear what you thought of the ending once finished; I wasn’t sure of it myself. You’ve reminded me I wanted to check out a couple of the referenced films, too.
Your new year’s eve sounds and looks wonderful! What a great idea.
I’m currently sort of reading Evie Wyld’s All The Birds, Singing, but have a bit of a slump going on so it’s at a rate of a dozen pages every couple of days…
I’m reading and listening to The Bone Clocks and reading Just Mercy for my nonfiction. I might start Sweet Lamb of Heaven tonight.
Love Ruth Reichl’s books.
I love the New Year’s Eve photo. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you have been having a good week.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My It’s Monday, What Are You Reading