As usual, this week I dropped in on a library and grabbed a few books, some of which I won’t even read, but it’s fun to pick them up. I’ve been reading on my Nook again, too, which has been kind of fun. It had been some time since I had even picked it up, so I had forgotten how enjoyable the Nook is, in addition to reading actual, physical books. I know, it’s sacrilege to even say that, but I figure reading is reading, so does it really matter if it’s on a screen or on the page?
I finally ditched Who Asked You? because it had just too much going on, and having to relive pretty much every scene from several different perspectives was exhausting. I kept turning back to see how each person envisioned each interaction differently, and at first it was interesting, but it soon turned to tedious. Back to the library it went. My wife is reading a book by Louise Penny. It’s in a series she finds hilarious, so I think I might start that series out sometime soon to see what it’s all about. Speaking of series books, I finished the second and third books in the Jack Reacher series, and I just reserved the fourth.
As for what I am actually reading this week, here is the list…
- The Sound of Things Falling, by Juan Gabriel Vasquez. I just got started on this book club selection for June, and I just had this discussion with a friend of mine about translations and how they hardly ever come across exactly the way they were meant to. I’m intrigued by even just the first few pages of this one, but I’m thinking I might try it in the original Spanish sometime and see how it differs.
- Psychos: A White Girl Problems Book, by Babe Walker. For ages I have tried to get the first book in this series in my home library, and now that it’s finally in the system, guess what? Somebody else got to it first, but I was able to snag the second book in the series. I guess I’m reading this one backwards.
- The Haunted, by Bentley Little. The suspense is killing me, but in a good way. I know when the real massacre happens it will come entirely out of nowhere, and I have a feeling it’s right around the corner. I’m still not reading this book at night, though.
- Insurgent, by Veronica Roth. Finally, I’ve gotten to the second book in this series, but sadly I’m not as drawn in as I was by Divergent. There was something about the setup and the energy of the first book that isn’t quite as strong here. I can’t help but compare it to Catching Fire, and it is coming up lacking. I’m a third of the way through, though, and perhaps it will pick up. My fingers are crossed.
- Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan. The premise just drew me in, that and the cover. I mean, it’s a literary adventure story, and how many of those do you know? I’m using it as an in-between book, like I did with The Last Trade, so I have high expectations for it. We’ll see how it comes out.
Right now I’m using Mr. Penumbra’s as my bedtime book, and bringing Insurgent to work with me to read at lunchtime and during breaks. But I’ll probably switch the two out at some point in the coming few days so I can make room for Psychos and The Haunted in those slots (but never the latter at bedtime). I’m hoping to get the next Jack Reacher book soon, too, and I’ll have to fit that into the mix when it comes.
But for now, I’m working on my own book. Where do I possibly find the time?
Sam
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