Life is a little weird right now, but one thing remains the same: our love of reading. Here’s what some of us are currently reading. How about you? Are you finding comfort in books?
Cathy
I’m currently reading A Prison in the Sun by Isobel Blackthorn. The novel is set in Fuertaventura, in the Canary Islands, and follows the story of a writer who finds a mysterious rucksack of cash in some caves near a beach. So, far I like this book because the main character’s response to finding a big bag of money is exactly how I think I’d deal with it – lots of panicking about what to do and who to trust. It’s sort of refreshing to be able to relate to a character so much, even though I don’t think I’ll ever be in that situation.
Jessica
My “Currently Reading” on Goodreads can bear witness to the fact that I can be kind of a hot mess of a reader! I currently have 5 books I am reading – but 2 are really hitting home with me right now. I am happy to report that I am currently listening/reading/working my way through the unabridged edition of Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. I must say, it is long, but I am actually really enjoying it so far. It is not as hard of a book to read as it looks.
I am also re-listening to Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I think this is a 3rd re-read for me and it has been a 5-star rating from me every time, it’s fantastic!! A perfect read aloud if you have grade school age kids.
Joli
I’m having a pretty great reading month. My goal is 2 books per month, and I’m already on my third as of the 19th! However, after reading a bunch of 5-star books in the beginning of the year, I struggled a bit with my last two reads.
I read Vox for my book club in March and really didn’t like it much at all. I only gave it 2 stars! The world she imagined was so extreme. I think if she had toned it down a little bit, it would have been much more believable/imaginable. I also found what I thought were a few inconsistencies in the book and didn’t love the way it was written, especially with the first person narration bits where it seems like the narrator is talking to the reader. It just pulled me out of the story and seemed unnecessary.
I also finished About Grace by Anthony Doerr. I thought I might love it because of how much I loved All the Light We Cannot See, but it was just…too much. I love his writing in ATLWCS, but in About Grace, there’s SO much “extra” descriptive stuff. Sure, it’s beautiful writing, but it was too much. Also the content just got so heavy, I almost couldn’t finish it – it was pretty depressing! 3 stars.
Now I’m reading Dear Edward. I’m only about 90 pages in, but so far it’s wonderful.
Katie
It’s unfortunately been a slower reading month for me, as I’m still working my way through Upstream, though I really enjoy the essays I’ve read so far! Other than that I’ve been doing some middle grade fiction reading for work, most of which I featured in my recent lightening reviews post.
This month I’m hoping to tackle some non-fiction and would love to hear about any new releases folks have enjoyed reading!
Liz
I originally didn’t have much of a TBR this month, but since we’ve gone on lockdown here in LA that’s going to have to change!
Right now I’m re-reading Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki and listening to Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. I’m not enjoying Lawson’s book as much as I thought I would – her comedic style was funny at first, but listening to her imaginative ramblings gets old after a while. I wish there was a better balance of humor and sincerity!
Rachel
The Bromance Book Club – I started this fun read earlier this week after receiving some help from the bookstagram community in deciding what to read next! It’s a unique take on the contemporary romance genre where the main couple is already married. So far, reading about this group of guys and their romance reading book club is hilarious! It’s the perfect escape for right now!