Over two months since my last post! (I still remembered my login and password, though, so not as bad as my 2017 hiatus.) My faithful mother might be my only reader left! (Thanks, Mom!)
I’m enjoying a Monday holiday for Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples Day. Unfortunately, a nor’easter blew in to ruin the holiday weekend and probably knock all the fall foliage off the trees.
Getting ready for No Kings protest day coming up on Saturday, and if you’re in the U.S., I hope you are, too! I’ll actually be going to a local protest, south of Boston, but I got a kick out of the slogan for the Boston “No Kings” protest day on Saturday, so am sharing that one instead.
I missed Banned Books Week, October 5-11, but a friend sent me a cartoon about three dogs wanting to ban all books at the library about cats and squirrels. The librarian says no, and adds, “But, to be fair, it was no dumber than all the other book ban requests we get.”. In my web search for the cartoon just now, I found out it’s not just a joke!
Read more: It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? #RIPXX 10-13-25This August article explains that some schools in Tennessee have actually had to pull books about cats and dogs from the shelves to comply with a recent book ban. I swear, the news can barely be distinguished from satire these days.
Currently Reading
Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham
“Engaging and energetically written literary horror!” – Kirkus
I found Winterset Hollow in a roundabout way, because I stumbled upon Jonathan Edward Durham’s posts on Facebook and thought how clever and quirky they were. I’ve been trying to support in a small financial way the content providers that have been keeping up the good fight on social media platforms, so when I saw that Jonathan Edward Durham had written a book, I bought a copy without really knowing anything about it. I was expecting a Watership Down-style fantasy when I started reading, but it turns out it’s a dark fantasy, making it appropriate reading for this year’s R.I.P. (Readers Imbibe Peril) Challenge.
The Reading Nook blog has an author interview from the book tour when Winterset Hollow was released a few years ago:
Negroland: A Memoir by Margo Jefferson
NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • An extraordinary look at privilege, discrimination, and the fallacy of post-racial America by the renowned Pulitzer Prize–winning cultural critic
Only just started Negroland: A Memoir by Margo Jefferson, but I’m finding it fascinating. I had picked the book out somewhat at random while browsing through Libby (library download catalog); the description intrigued me, and I like memoirs.
I was surprised when I went to add it to my LibraryThing, I found it was already in my To Be Read collection because I added it back in 2016 after seeing it on The 3 R’s Blog. Does anyone else remember Florinda from the old book blogging days?
Recently Read
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • A PARADE BEST BOOK OF ALL TIME • ONE OF THE ATLANTIC’S 15 BOOKS YOU WON’T REGRET RE-READING
I read The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood partly in print and partly on audiobook. I chose it because I saw it mentioned in BookPage as a “book within a book” book (if that makes sense) and I was in the mood for one of those. Also, because I had purchased The Handmaid’s Tale to reread after many years, and I was hoping for something less timely and depressing by the same author.
I was to be disappointed in that hope, but, still. The Blind Assassin is a classic for a reason. It was also an excellent audiobook, narrated by Margot Dionne.
Currently Listening To
The Heron’s Cry by Ann Cleeves
“Jack Holden demonstrates his full talents in this mystery, bringing the extensive cast of characters in this small and close-knit community in Devon to life with his strong narration.” – Audiofile
Recently Listened To
The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
From the #1 bestselling author in Japan comes a celebration of books, cats, and the people who love them, infused with the heartwarming spirit of The Guest Cat and The Travelling Cat Chronicles.
This story is a bit strange, but for another fantasy with talking animals, it isn’t nearly as dark as Winterset Hollow! It’s translated from Japanese.
This post is linked up to It’s Monday, What Are You Reading, hosted by The Book Date. “It’s Monday! What Are You Reading” is a place to meet up and share what you have been and are currently reading each week. Visit today’s link-up for more books to add to your groaning TBR pile.
