Month: May 2021

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? 5/17/2021

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly link up hosted by Kathryn at Book Date . Then, Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers decided to give it a focus on kid’s literature. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their weeks of reading great books and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

Books I Finished:

The Wife Upstairs was a fun read. I liked the way the author played with the Jane Eyre story and gave a modern twist to it. There were actually a few twists at the end that really surprised me. It was pretty great for this murder mystery fan who was also an English major.

The Family Upstairs was interesting. I went into it thinking it would be more of a thriller. It was not so much a thriller as a complicated look at a very unique set of people and a tragic story that happened as a result of their circumstances. I am not sure I liked the ending of this book, but it was an imaginative story and I enjoyed reading it.

I am continuing with reading through the list of Newbery Award titles from the last several years. I absolutely LOVED this one. I can see why it won the Newbery medal. The magic of the tiger stories was such a critical element in this book. The story of the family relationships and their different ways of coping with illness was heartbreaking but so real. I couldn’t help but draw some parallels in my mind to another favorite book, A Monster Calls. This book is now in my all-time favorite list also. So powerful. I highly recommend it.

I got this title in my Book of the Month subscription box. It is a fun cozy mystery that also explores the Filipino-American roots of the author. It was a fun and quick read.

Books I’m Reading:

I’ve heard great things about this book. I am excited to dive into it more. I just barely started it last night before bed.

In between books, I sometimes find that I need a little reading material for right before bed, but don’t always want to start a new book at that time. This has been a good book for those moments. It is actually quite an interesting story.

I am also plugging away at Les Miserables a few chapters at a time. It will take me a while, but I think I will get through it. I am enjoying the book so far.

What’s Next:

I will probably continue with the next Charlotte Holmes book and with the two other Newbery books I have waiting for me on my Kindle. I also will probably try to pick up another of the books from my Book of the Month pile.

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!

It’s the Little Things

Do you have rituals or small things that you do that always brighten your mood? What about things that bring out a memory every time? For me, it’s opening the sunroof in my car.

Maybe it is partly to do with living in a place in which I actually know what it feels like when your nose hairs freeze. It feels like I do not get outside during daylight for at least three months every winter. So, when temperatures start to rise and the sun is shining, it lifts everyone’s mood. And it is the perfect time to get the sunroof open.

Getting in the car on a sunny day, rolling down the windows, and cranking open that sunroof is not just about the weather. For me, it is a visceral memory. Every single time I do this, I think about my dad.

My father dreamed for years of owning a Mercedes Benz. The song by Janis Joplin still rings in my head. “Oh, lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz…” It was an anthem in our house.

Then, one day about six months before he died, my father got his Mercedes. He loved the sunroof on his new car. Some of my strongest memories of my dad are in the car with the windows down and the sunroof open and music blaring on the speakers.

Now, thirty years later, both cars that my husband and I own have sunroofs. I could tell you that was a coincidence, but that would be a lie. Having a sunroof in my car gives me a powerful feeling of being loved and watched over.

So today, when I got in my car and opened that sunroof, I sat for a moment and remembered.

Bring on the sunny days so I can open up that sunroof and let the rays of sunshine and love fill me up.

It’s Monday! What are you Reading? 5/3/2021

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly link up hosted by Kathryn at Book Date . Then, Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kellee at Unleashing Readers decided to give it a focus on kid’s literature. This is a chance for bloggers to recap their weeks of reading and share their plans for the next reading adventures they will take. Visit the host blogs for a list of great blogs participating and a whole bunch of titles to add to your to-read lists.

These are books from the last few weeks, since I didn’t get around to posting for a couple weeks. Going back into the school building for work really changed up my schedule and has been a tough adjustment. I am starting to figure out my routines again now though.

Books I Finished:

The Last of August was an enjoyable read. I quite like the characters in this Charlotte Holmes series. I am not sure I liked the ending of this book though. It will be interesting to see how the story flows from there in the next book.

The Glass Hotel was an intriguing book. The author really created a fascinating look at the characters and the ways they were connected. It was interesting to think about what it might feel like to be a victim of a Ponzi scheme, but this novel was much more than that. Perhaps this one would not really appeal to everyone, but I appreciated the lyrical language and the complicated characters.

This book is one from my #Mustreadin2021 list. My sister started an online book club and we are reading through a list of short, quick reads. I don’t think I would’ve ever picked this book up on my own, but I am glad I did. I was very intrigued by the glimpse of Korean culture that is shared here. It really piqued my curiosity, I am especially curious if the women really do such extreme plastic surgery as the characters in this book do. I enjoyed reading this book and was disappointed when it ended.

I decided to go back and look at Newbery award titles from the last several years in order to have a place to start when it comes to middle grade books. Paperboy was phenomenal. I had a very hard time putting this one down. I highly recommend it.

Books I’m Reading:

I am a sucker for a good Gothic novel. This modern day Jane Eyre tale has me on the edge of my seat.

In between books, I sometimes find that I need a little reading material for right before bed, but don’t always want to start a new book at that time. This has been a good book for those moments. It is actually quite an interesting story.

I am also plugging away at Les Miserables a few chapters at a time. It will take me a while, but I think I will get through it. I am enjoying the book so far.

What’s Next:

There are so many possibilities for what might come next. I had one of those days happen where all your holds come in at once in the library, so I have quite the stack. There are also some Book of the Month books piling up. I will have to see where the mood takes me this week.

What are you reading this week? I would love to hear from you in the comments!