Reading: I finished "Murder of Crows," the second installment in Anne Bishop's wonderful urban fantasy series. While it wasn't quite as good as the first book, I'm totally itching to dive into book three!
After that I started an advance copy of "Sputnik's Children" by Terri Favro (out April 11), which is about a comic book author, an alternate universe (that split off at the creation of the atomic bomb) and saving the world. Its quirky tone and parallel worlds theme reminds me a bit of "All Our Wrong Todays," one of my favorite reads so far this year.
I only got about a third of the way into "Sputnik" before I had to set it aside to work on the April book club selection for work, "The Weight of Feathers" by Anna-Marie McLemore. I'm soooooo tired of reading YA books for the club (good news -- we did choose four adult books to alternate in the rest of the year!) and, though I'm not very far in, this one is just not doing it for me. It has to do with feuding performing families (think Hatfields and McCoys + the circus) and I'm having a very hard time with the italicized Spanish and French words every few sentences. Très distracting!
Listing: My next 10 reads! I love lists, but I've never made a bookish list quite this specific before. I was feeling slightly overwhelmed with library books, upcoming holds, ARCs and book club books, so I decided to lay out an order in which to read them. I instantly felt better! Now to see if I can stick to the list!
Watching: "The Girl on the Train." I desperately wanted to see it in the theater, but it just didn't happen. Turns out that's ok, because it wasn't anywhere near as good as the book. The edge-of-your-seat intensity and and gasp-inducing twist just didn't come through in the film version.
Listening to: "Save Yourself" by Kaleo. (They're from Iceland, but their name is actually a Hawaiian word for "the sound.")
Making: A massive 3-D cloud out of papier-mache and polyester fiberfill for my April Showers Bring May Flowers display at work. UGHHHHHHHH! About five minutes into the project, I wondered what the hell I had been thinking. I haven't papier-mached anything since at least middle school, and guess what -- it's no fun and and super messy and insanely time-consuming, especially when the thing you're papier-macheing is like four feet long. I taped 20 balloons together. That is the size of this whopper of a thing. And since it's too messy and space-consuming to make at work, I don't even get paid for the crazy amount of time it's taking me. Next time my mom says, "Why don't you just make clouds out of butcher paper?" I am going to LISTEN to her!
Selling: Some clothes and shoes on the base online yard sale Facebook page. My second WTF was I thinking?! moment this week. I have a pair of worn-twice designer jeans and some almost brand-new leather riding boots to get rid of and I figured I would try selling them before donating them, and then I thought I might as well throw a couple other nice things from the donate pile on the listing as well. With the exception of the jeans, the boots and a pair of Converse, everything is $5 or less -- and guess what? A few bucks is not worth the massive hassle this has turned out to be!
Lessons learned this week re: above: Always listen to your mother, and just take the damn clothes to the thrift store.
Buying: Two books! I almost never buy books since I work at a library, but I've been looking forward to reading "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers this year and my library doesn't have it, nor does the public library. So I ordered it from Book Depository (bonus -- the U.K. cover is sooooo much prettier) and while I was there I got this pretty Vintage Classics copy of "Pride and Prejudice," which I am finally going to read!
Blogging: (Not much!)
Monday Musings
Turning the Page on March 2017
Looking forward to: Getting to read "Bleaker House" and "Exit West," two books I've been looking forward to for months, and which just came in for me at the library!
*I'm linking up with Kathryn of Book Date for It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
Sputnik's Children sounds very interesting! Thanks for sharing it. I haven't read a great sci fi book in a long time.
ReplyDeletehttps://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2017/04/poem-in-your-pocket-day-deweys.html
"Sputnik's Children" ended up being decent, but for really good sci-fi I'd recommend "Red Rising" by Pierce Brown, "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline, "Dark Matter" by Blake Crouch and "All Our Wrong Todays" by Elan Mastai.
DeleteI got my copy of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet from Book Depository as well. I usually donate things as well. My husband has been trying to get me to have a yard sale for years but they can be a lot of work and for me, I' rather not. Hope your book club book picks up!
ReplyDeleteHave you read "The Long Way" yet? I'm so looking forward to it!
DeleteMy mom held a yard sale almost every summer when I was growing up and I really wouldn't mind doing one (I say that now, ha!), but I never have anywhere near enough stuff to get rid of at any one time to justify it!
I've been hearing a lot about the Becky Chambers book- can't wait to hear your thoughts to help finalize my opinions!
ReplyDeleteI always make lists of what I plan to read. Right now I have my calendar filled through June. Of course, if something doesn't work for me, I reserve the right to substitute something else from my massive TBR mountain. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteThrough June, wow! I think I might make planning out my reading a regular practice -- with, of course, room to modify if I feel like it. So far I've stuck with my list, but who knows how long that'll last! I just picked up a library hold that I've been itching to get to ("The Wanderers" by Meg Howrey").
DeleteI love listing my upcoming reads. It helps me to organize my brain, make sure my library books aren't too late, and ensures that I don't read three WWII historical fictions in a row!
ReplyDeleteI've heard great things about The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet. I will be on the lookout for your thoughts!
I was surprised at how I instantly felt better after making my reading list -- and so far I've stuck to it! I might make it a regular thing.
DeleteI've done the same thing--make a book list of upcoming reads when I've felt overwhelmed! It helps!!
ReplyDeleteIt really did! I think I might make it a regular thing. I love lists in general, so I'm surprised I've never thought o do it before.
DeleteBeautiful displays of books.
ReplyDeleteLOL...I love lists too.
Have a wonderful week.
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My It's Monday, What Are You Reading
Lots of great sounding books! http://pussreboots.com/blog/2017/comments_04/what_are_you_reading_0403.html
ReplyDeleteI agree about The Girl on the Train film. And also, Moms are always right. Whenever I try to sell something on Ebay or craigslist it is a big pain, people wanting me to lower an already low price, measure items, etc.
ReplyDeleteAgreed -- and my mom probably would've told me not to bother selling stuff on the yard sale page if I'd have asked her! My main problem was people saying they were interested in something, then never getting back to me about actually coming to look at it!
DeleteI tell my kids the same thing, "always listen to your mother". I need to get to The Others series soon!
ReplyDeleteThe first book was SO good! And it's one of those gems I never would've discovered without blogging. It's out of my normal genre wheelhouse and I hate the covers, but I saw so many people recommend it that I decided to give it a try -- and it was just delightful! The second book wasn't quite as good, but I still can't wait to continue the series.
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