It is the 160th day of 2021, also known as June 9. That gives us all a mere 205 days to wrap up things up for the year. Time’s flying. (and based on what I haven’t accomplished this week, I’m going to need every one of those days to write up the books I’ve read up to today)
Also, it’s time for WWW Wednesday!
This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words—and shown to me by Aurore-Anne-Chehoke at Diary-of-a-black-city-girl.
The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
Easy enough, right?
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading The Penny Black by Rob Parker and have just started listening to The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe, narrated by Emily Janice Card and Stefan Rudnicki on audiobook–I’ve read this three times, and can’t wait to revisit it.
What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished the second in the revitalized Hollows series, Kim Harrison’s Million Dollar Demon and the comedy/horrorCreature Feature by Steven Paul Leiva, narrated by Seamus Dever and Juliana Dever on audio.
What do you think you’ll read next?
My next book should be the 3rd Stonebridge Mystery, Meat is Murder by Chris McDonald. My next audiobook should be Ink & Sigil by Kevin Heane, Luke Daniels (Narrator) to prime the mental pump for the sequel here in a couple of weeks.
Are you reading anything good?
allyson Johnson
I just finished reading the fourth book in Dorothy Dunnett’s “Lymond Chronicles”, called “Pawn in Frankincense.” I had given up on this for a long time, had to go back and refresh my memory about some of the characters introduced in this episode, got bogged down with Dunnett’s voluptuously detailed descriptions of 16th century costume. She makes Georgette Heyer’s descriptions of Regency flounces and tucks look like text messages. But just as I am about to give up on all this bejeweled brodery and brocade, she jumps back to the plot, and the last 150 pages are amazing.
I also began and finished “A Children’s Bible” by Lydia Millet. I began thinking it was the most absolutely repellent book I had ever begun, but gradually adjusted to the semi-allegorical, semi-mystic-realism approach, and by the end I was willing to admit that it was compelling and thought-provoking. It’s about climate change – but that’s like saying that “the Iliad” is a war novel. It’s a very quick read.
Next I will probably settle down with a re-read of Trollope’s “Phineas Finn.” Or maybe I’ll find an ebook of Dunnett’s fifth novel in the Lymond series. Or maybe just reread the good parts of “The Outlander”. Or a Georgette Heyer. Or I might try “The Aeneid”, since I very much enjoyed both “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” and I seem to be on a historical fiction kick.
I’m still reading “Pachinko”, by Min Jin Lee.
allyson Johnson
I just finished reading “Pawn in Frankincense”, the fourth in Dorothy Dunnett’s “Chronicles of Lymond”. I almost gave up on this several times. Dunnett’s voluptuous descriptions of 16th century costume and decorative arts make Georgette Heyers’ descriptions of Regency costume look like text messages. But then Dunnett gets back to the twiss and turns of plot, and on we go, swept away. The last 150 pages are amazing.
I also just finished Lydia Millet’s “A Children’s Bible.” For the first 50 pages I thought this was the most repugnant book I had ever attempted to read (and that’s saying a lot considering I DFR’s Kurt Vonnegut’s “Breakfast of Champions” only a few weeks ago.) But then the novel takes an apolalyptic turn, and there is a dose of magic realism, and the whole thing is revealed as a kind of allegory on climate change. It’s a short fast read – grit your teeth through the frst 50 pages and then see what you think.
I’m currently reading “Pachinko” by Min Jin Lee.
Next I will probably reread Anthony Trollope’s”Phineas Finn”. Or I might browse through the good parts of “The Outlander.” Or maybe a Georgette Heyer. Or I might look for a good translation of “The Aeneid” since I enjoyed “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey” recently and seem to be on a historical novel kick.