Currently Reading
The Hummingbird by Sandro Veronesi
translated by Elena Pala
In my last “It’s Monday” post, I received some family saga suggestions in the comments (Thank you!) but before that I remembered my neglected NetGalley shelf of advanced reading copies, and found The Hummingbird by Sandro Veronesi.
I had requested the ARC after hearing about The Hummingbird on Library LoveFest, and started reading it just before the U.S. pub date of January 25, 2022. It was probably described by the HarperCollins library marketing team as perfect for fans of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan novels, which it is. I’m about halfway through, so may be going back to those other family saga suggestions soon, or else finishing the Neapolitan novels with the unread Book #4!
Dance Me to the End: Ten Months and Ten Days with ALS by Alison Acheson
Dance Me to the End is an evocative memoir about the emotional impact of witnessing a loved one suffer from a neurological, degenerative, and terminal disease. This is a detailed account of grief, shock and pain coexisting with the levity, laughter and love shared with her husband and sons in those final months of Marty’s life.
I’ve been reading Dance Me to the End by Alison Acheson slowly. It’s a powerful memoir, intensely personal while also crystallizing universal feelings of loss and grief in the chapters, each of which could stand alone as its own essay. Not a book to race through!
No Words by Meg Cabot
