Oh. Wow. Just…wow. I am on a hot streak to start off 2024. I’m just loving the books I’ve read/am reading so far. I know it won’t be long until I come across a book I like—or am disappointed with—but for now, I’m relishing the streak. Let’s dive in, so you can get a peak at what I’m talking about.
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?
Seems easy enough, right? Let’s take a peek at this week’s answers:
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading the utterly charming Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman, and have just started listening to America Fantastica by Tim O’Brien, read by Oliver Wyman on audiobook. It looks promising, but that’s about all I’ve got to say for now.
What did you recently finish reading?
I just finished the stunning ARC for Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup and Miles Morales Suspended by Jason Reynolds, Narrated by: Guy Lockard and Nile Bullock on audio, which I posted about yesterday.
What do you think you’ll read next?
My next book should be the ARC for The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown and my next audiobook should be the next step in my InCryptid run-through, Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire, read by Emily Bauer.
How’s the beginning of ’24 treating you?
Allyson Johnsons
In “War and Peace” the battle of Borodino is about to start, and Tolstoy does a fine job of explaining how Napoleon’s vaunted strategic ability had nothing to do with the way the battle was fought, as his orders were either incomplete or impossible to execute.
In “Brave Companions”, David McCullough’s essay on early flyers (Charles and Anne Lindbergh, Beryl Markham, Antoine de St.-Exupery) made me want to search out all their writings. Also learned about Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Remington, the building of the Panama Steam Railway (which preceded the canal) and the Brooklyn Bridge – plenty of variety!
Still working, story by story, on “Fortune Smiles” by Adam Johnson. An amazing story from the point of view of the former warden of the Stasi prison in East Berlin is the most recent highlight (precedes the current “Zone of Interest” which shows the family life of the commandant of Auchwitz – haven’t seen this yet).
Oh, and I’m up to page 77 of “Oscar and Lucinda” – I expect these two sad Australian children (both in single-parent homes, not coping well) will meet eventually. “War and Peace” is more fun.
Finished reading “Princess Academy”, a Newberry Honor Book which combines elements of “Cinderella”, “The Hunger Games” and “Avatar” in a narrative style reminiscent of the brothers Grimm. If I were 12 I might have liked it better.
Next I will probably read “The Ransom of Mercy Carter” a fictionalized account of the Deerfield Raid in Massachusetts in 1704 wherein a number of white settlers were kidnapped by Indians and marched to Canada. One of my ancestors was among the kidnapped, so I’m interested in Caroline Cooney’s take on it.
And I’ll probably look for St. Exupery’s “Night Flight” or Anne Morrow Lindbergh’s “North to the Orient”, thanks to McCullough.
HCNewton
Busier than usual! (although a Newberry book probably didn’t take that much time)
allyson johnson
I’m reallyltrying to finish some of the books I have in progress – that’s why I look busy. But I keep finding more I want to start (scored a cc of Verghese’s “The Covenant of Water” at the library but feel guilty as there is no way I can read it in three weeks without dropping everything else…)
HCNewton
I hear that.