It's been a bit since I've had a good, old-fashioned library update. Here's what's going on in my world.
Physical Books Checked Out
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls - Our next book club pick. I also put a hold on the audiobook, but I'm not sure I'll get the audiobook in time.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo (translated by Jamie Chang)
My Brilliant Friend: The Graphic Novel by Chiari Lagani, illustrated by Mara Cerri, translated by Ann Goldstein, with Elena Ferrante as the original author - I want to read this, but I'm running out of renewals. We'll see if I get to it.
Drunk on All Your Strange New Words by Eddie Robson - Recommendation from Jenny.
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn - I really wanted to read this when I first borrowed it, but I keep putting it aside for other books.
Cat Brushing: And Other Stories by Jane Campbell - The author was 80 when this was published. I'm interested.
When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls - Our next book club pick. I also put a hold on the audiobook, but I'm not sure I'll get the audiobook in time.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo (translated by Jamie Chang)
My Brilliant Friend: The Graphic Novel by Chiari Lagani, illustrated by Mara Cerri, translated by Ann Goldstein, with Elena Ferrante as the original author - I want to read this, but I'm running out of renewals. We'll see if I get to it.
Drunk on All Your Strange New Words by Eddie Robson - Recommendation from Jenny.
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn - I really wanted to read this when I first borrowed it, but I keep putting it aside for other books.
Cat Brushing: And Other Stories by Jane Campbell - The author was 80 when this was published. I'm interested.
When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal
The Dishwasher by Stéphane Larue, translated by Pablo Strauss
Little White King by Marguerite Steen
Paladin's Grace (The World of the White Rat: The Saint of Steel #1) by T. Kingfisher - Currently reading.
Picture books checked out
Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
Los muñecos de papel by Julia Donaldson
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
Los muñecos de papel by Julia Donaldson
Audiobooks checked out
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - Currently listening to this. Tom Hanks is the narrator and I'm finding it exceedingly distracting.
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
Physical books on hold
Funny Story by Emily Henry - The synopsis makes it sound like a hat plays a part in the meet cute.
The Work of Art: How Something Comes from NothingThe Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing by Adam Moss
Ebooks on hold
Northern Spy by Flynn Berry
Iris Kelly Doesn't Date (Bright Falls #3) by Ashley Herring Blake
The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill (The Bookish Life of Nina Hill #1) by Abbi Waxman
The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
Northern Spy by Flynn Berry
Iris Kelly Doesn't Date (Bright Falls #3) by Ashley Herring Blake
The Seven Sisters (The Seven Sisters #1) by Lucinda Riley
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill (The Bookish Life of Nina Hill #1) by Abbi Waxman
The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn
The Change by Kirsten Miller
Audiobooks on hold
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
Vengeful (Villains #2) by V.E. Schwab
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
Vengeful (Villains #2) by V.E. Schwab
Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
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What book are you going to read next?
I read all the Herriot books in the series a hundred years ago when I was a teenager. I loved them. They made me want to be a veterinarian, and I actually chose that as my major in college.
ReplyDeleteHave you watched any of the PBS series based upon those books? It's pretty good.
Nance, Me too! Gerald Durrell's _My Family and Other Animals_ was also a fave.
DeleteI have very vague memories of my mom watching the PBS show, but I can't really say I've watched it. So far it's done the exact opposite of making me think a veterinary career would be good for me!
DeleteI'm reading Happiness Falls right now - I just started! I actually DNFed a book, which is unusual for me but I'm trying to do it more. I mean, I have SO MANY library books piled up right now, I just don't have the inclination to read something that's not grabbing me.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the DNF club! That's where the cool people hang out because there's only so much time to read books, so why read ones you don't love?!
DeleteI just finished _Skippy Dies_ and started _If I was Your Girl_ around 2 am... I may have to reread a bit to remember what I read. lol
ReplyDeleteOh, I hate it when I have to go back and figure out where I stopped paying attention to my book at night. LOL.
DeleteI read All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot a long time ago, then watched the original PBS series about it. I've not seen the new one, though. I'm into Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club Mysteries right now, slowly meandering through them in order.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize All Creatures Great and Small would have such a following on my blog. Obviously I must follow through and listen to the whole thing so I can be part of the cool club.
DeleteGulp! I hope you like the book. I seem to have a history of recommending books that people end up not liking. I have a pile of books waiting for me- first up is the new Anthony Horowitz mysetery, because it's a library book. Then, the first book of the Ender "Shadow" series. I have so many books I want to read, I wish I could just read them all at once.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many books I want to read. I frequently console myself with the fact that I will never be able to read all the books in the world, but I can read when I can. Maybe that's not actually consoling to anyone else?
DeleteI have good memories of All Creatures Great and Small - hey, now that I think about it, that would be a great audio book for a road trip!
ReplyDeleteI've had The Women by Kristen Hannah on hold FOREVER and it just came in this morning! I'm very excited. Now mind you, I swore off her books after The Four Winds but the hype on this one is so strong and enough people that I trust have endorsed this that I feel pretty confident that it's going to be a hit.
Yes! I was listening to The Dutch House and All Creatures Great and Small on my recent road trip.
DeleteMy husband had a very strong feel against that Kristen Hannah book, so I'm curious how you'll end up feeling about it.
I was really excited about Killers of a Certain Age but found it disappointing. I HATED My Year of Rest and Relaxation - will be interested to know what you think, it seems to be a polarizing book. I very much liked The Bookish Life of Nina Hill even though it's not my usual genre. I have quite a few of these on hold as well. I'm reading a really long book right now and it's taking me forever to get through - trying not to get twitchy about how 'behind' in reading I feel.
ReplyDeleteI think you mentioned your disappointment with Killers of a Certain Age before and maybe that's why I keep passing it up. I'm trying to find a readalike for An Elderly Woman is Up to No Good and I can't really find it.
DeleteThe Bookish Life of Nina Hill keeps going in and out of circulation in our library's ebook collection, so I'm not sure if I'll ever really get to read it. We'll see!
I loved All Creatures Great and Small in my youth - I think I read it yearly for a decade or so - along with Graham Swift's Waterland (I guess it was something about animals?)... I just started Starling House by Alix E. Harrow last night - I'm only a few chapters in, but it's good so far.
ReplyDeleteI think we all had an animal phase when we were young and thought we could all be veterinarians!
DeleteI am interested in what you think of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill - I expected to love it way more than I actually did, so it was a disappointed.
ReplyDeleteI finished my audiobook yesterday and my physical book this morning, so I haven't started anything new yet. I have Zorrie by Laird Hunt queued up on audio (it's 4.5 hours long, which means I can sneak it in before my vacation) and I'm going to start another Agatha Christie mystery in print. I forget the name of it, but it's a Miss Marple mystery for a change of pace!
There's something sort of special about the time in between books, isn't there? So much potential for greatness in what you read next!
DeleteI love talking books! I did enjoy The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, unlike Stephany, but I wasn't expecting that much, so maybe that was key?
ReplyDeleteI'm still mostly reading fantasy/sci fi lately. Just came across a new series, Meddle & Mend, which is an interesting mix of regency-ish romance with magic. The first one is Letters to Half Moon Street, and it was free so I gave it a try and quite liked it. I'd never heard of the author, Sarah Wallace, but ran across mention of it on Bluesky.
I snagged Letters to Half Moon Street for my Kindle because it was free. Woot! I almost sort of hope I don't like it because it looks like I'll have to pay for the next one. I'm happy to pay for a talented indie writer, though.
DeleteI've read Killers of a Certain Age. I liked it, though it isn't as cheeky as An Elderly Woman.
ReplyDeleteI thought Tom Hanks had an interesting approach to Dutch House - i felt as if I was listening to him read a book rather than embody it - I didn't feel as if he gave each character a distinct voice the way some audiobook narrators do.
I've also read Northern Spy (gripping, and the chapters are short, so it went by quickly), and the Change (I thought was a lot of fun, if a little unhinged.) And I loved Farmhouse. The Husband took the kids to an art exhibit on children's books and there was the artwork from Farmhouse there and they liked it so much we bought the book.
Right now I'm reading The Adventures of Amina el-Sirafi, which I'm very much enjoying.
Yeah, I know that the Tom Hanks performance was really liked by people, so I'm clearly in the minority on that one. I just wanted him to be less...Tom Hanksy?
DeleteI think I have Northern Spy on my list because you recommended it to me! I'm excited to get it.
My friend read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie in Spanish to Taco at the library a few weeks ago. She's bilingual so when he picked that book out, I handed it right to her because my pronunciation would be an abomination. I LOVED Farmhouse and the Beaty series is SO GOOD. Like Ada Twist Scientist and such - check that one out next if you haven't already!
ReplyDeleteI am kind of taking a break from thrillers right now but have heard that Listen for the Lie is very good so am planning to read that when it becomes available. Let me know what you think of Funny Story! I did not love her book from last year. Who would break off an engagement and not tell their friends? But I come into that with my enneagram 1 energy. I know Stephany felt very different about it as an enneagram 9.
Right now I am reading "The 7 Year Slip" which is a very fast read so far. Next I will read "The Perfectionists Guide to Losing Control" and then "Congratulations the Best is Over" by R. Eric Thomas.
I feel like I need more picture book recommendations in my life. Give me all your recs!!
DeleteYeah, I haven't loved any of Emily Henry's books (you're totally right that no one would hide a big breakup from close friends), but there's so much promise that I keep reading them because I want to love them!
Off the top of my mind:
Delete- Anything by Mac Barnett but especially Extra Yarn
- Anything by Chris Van Dusen but especially Circus Ship
- Gato Guapo (I think you may have already read this)
- Anything by Mo Willems but especially "There is a Bird On Your Head" (makes me think of the hairstyle young boys are rocking these days as I think it looks like they could have a birds nest in their hair).
- Anything by Ryan T. Higgins but especially Mother Bruce and The Bruce Swap.
- Oh No Gotta Go (you might have read this as well? About a kid that needs to use the bathroom - has english and spanish)
- A Mouthful of Minnows
- See the Dog - there are several books in this series and they are all great. He also has a See the Cat series.
- John's Turn
I could go on and on and on!! Picture books are such a delight!!
I hope you get a chance to at least peruse My Brilliant Friend, the graphic novel! I'd love to know if it's a good format for that story and hear your take on it.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm probably going to have to return it. *sigh* But I will take it out again soon!
DeleteBooks I would never borrow (sorry):
ReplyDeleteMy Brilliant Friend, in any format. I am astonished at how polarizing it was - and how solidly I was on the side of "no, thank you!"
I think I figured out one reason I liked the Dutch House so much! I know the neighborhood where the house was located. I can picture it so clearly in my mind (a critical aspect of reading for me). So, for me, it felt deeply personal. Also, I know you are averse to listening at more than 1x for audiobooks, but Tom Hanks at 2x speed doesn't sound QUITE so Tom Hanksy. Just sayin'. ;)