Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's topic is destination titles, and the places can be real or fiction. Let's see how many I can find just from my shelves!
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Monday, November 11, 2024
Nonfiction November 2024: Book Pairings
It's week 3 of Nonfiction November and this week's topic, hosted by Liz at Adventures in reading, running and working from home, is book pairings, matching up a nonfiction title with a fiction one. I have always loved this topic and it actually inspires my reading during the year. Here are my book pairings from this year:
Friday, November 8, 2024
Horror Novella Quick Reviews
Haunt Sweet Home by Sarah Pinsker (2024)Mara is just drifting along in life when she lands a job on the night shift of her cousin's reality show, which combines ghost hunting with home renovations. While the gags she sets up may not be real, something weird is going on while on the set of their latest show. Mara must confront her own beliefs while also questioning her journey in life. I think a lot of people will relate to Mara - she's not a kid anymore, but she doesn't quite have it all figured out. She has no real career path and moves from one idea to the next. She joins the crew of a reality show, where she meets Jo and the two grow somewhat close, although their relationship struck me as a bit strange. I wouldn't say this book is scary - it was pretty obvious to me from the start what was going on, and I think that did make for some unsettling moments. But this novella is mostly about Mara and her trying to find herself. 4 stars
The Night Guest by Hildur Knútsdóttir (originally published 2021, translated 2024)
Iðunn's constant fatigue is unsettling, especially since no doctor can pinpoint a reason for it. One night, she falls asleep with her step counter on, and in the morning she is shocked to find out she supposedly walked several miles during the night - without having any knowledge of it. Then, she starts waking up injured - what is going on? Other than reading the blurb, I went into this novella totally blind, and that's definitely the way to go. I was so engrossed in Iðunn's story - she is desperate for answers, and her restlessness really comes through. As she comes up with new ways to stop her night walks and try to figure out where she goes and why, the reader is pulled into her plight, which feels creepier and more eerie as it goes along. The writing is crisp and snappy, with a dry humor throughout. This could definitely be read in one sitting, as the story moves quickly and some chapters are only one sentence long. The book faltered for me a bit in the end - I get that the author doesn't need to totally spell everything out for the reader, but it was a little too nebulous for me. 4 stars
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Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Can't-Wait Wednesday: Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!
Sophie Cousens
Expected publication date: November 19, 2024
A hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.
Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.
From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love? - from Goodreads
Monday, November 4, 2024
Nonfiction November 2024: Choosing Nonfiction
It's week two of Nonfiction November! This week is hosted by Frances at Volatile Rune and is all about how we choose our nonfiction reading - "What are you looking for when you pick up a nonfiction book? Do you have a particular topic you’re attracted to? Do you have a particular writing style that works best? When you look at a nonfiction book, does the title or cover influence you?"
When I think about different genres or areas of nonfiction, I can kind of pinpoint things that don't super interest me - business, self-help (to a degree), religion, health/wellness. So on the surface, I think most of my nonfiction reading veers towards history. I was a history major in college (and worked as a historian for many years), so it's always been a subject that interested me. I love learning about people, events and even buildings/structures, both big and small. But history is such a vast subject - are there areas I'm more drawn to? I took a look through my last few years of nonfiction reading to see if there were any patterns that stood out.
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Other subjects I enjoy are space and politics (which is really surprising, since I am not a political person at all!). Although, my political reading tends to lean more on the personal side. Kate Andersen Brower is a particular favorite author of mine in this area.
I don't follow many nonfiction authors, but Erik Larson has become an auto-buy favorite after reading my first book of his many years ago. His narrative nonfiction style has brought so many areas of history to life for me.
What kinds of nonfiction are you drawn to?
Friday, November 1, 2024
Month in Review: October 2024
October was a busy month for us! We went to Family Day at Tom's work - it was so crowded, but we all had a fun time. Tom and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary (and 21 years together!). We spent a Saturday with some of my family, going to a brewery (and yes, all the kids came, too - they have a great outdoor area!) and then back to one of my brother's houses for pizza and s'mores. Henry continued with his music classes - it's so fun to hear him sing the songs he's learning when we're at home! My stepmom hosted her annual Halloween party for the grandkids - she packs so much fun into one afternoon! Lots of crafts, snacks, and costumes! For Halloween this year, Henry is being Spiderman, but the Miles Morales/Spin version from Spidey & His Amazing Friends, one of his favorite shows.
The Books
The Posts and Reviews
How are you doing?
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