ŷ������

Posting ahead - please start using on Friday, October 4, 2019

October is here!! What have you been reading and what is next?

After a leisurely summer, it's time to crack down on my "required" reading. Between the Gillers and bingo, I have plenty to keep me busy!

I'm reading The Building Of Jalna for the bingo square "read a book written in a decade that you would have liked to live." It's a bit frivolous, but enjoyable all the same.

In audiobooks, I finished Hideaway, the latest from Nicole Lundrigan, and now I'm taking much delight in listening to Lampedusa. Love the writing, love the story, and love the narration too.

This week, I read Sharon Butala's new collection of short stories about old age, mostly set in Sask, AB and BC: Season of Fury and Wonder. I also finished and loved Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.

I wasn't able to attend the Climate Strike last week so I read Greta Thunberg's brief collection of speeches No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference. Impressive young woman!

Last night, I started The River Midnight by Montreal author Lillian Nattel. Great prose and dialog so far.

On audio, I'm really enjoying Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects.

Happy Friday!

I feel frustrated with my reading life this week. I got bogged down in Fleishman Is in Trouble and put it down to start The Immortalists for my IRL book club next week.

Fleishman has received a lot of attention and is longlisted for the National Book Award, but I'm finding it a slog. It is full of completely frustrating characters and it is long and tedious. It also has a really odd narrative device that makes no sense to me. A lot of people I know have enjoyed this book but it is really not for me. I'm finally nearing the end (I have been trying to blast through the rest of it in short spurts) and can't wait to be done with it so I can move on to Giller reading.

The Immortalists is a good read, although a little sadder than I'd expected. I think it will be a good book for discussion.

I have also been enjoying Anne of the Island on audiobook. I can't remember where I left off with this series as a youngster, but I'd like to get through all of it now that I'm enjoying it so much as an "oldster." :-)

Happy Friday!!
This week I finished reading The Great Believers for my in-person book club.
@Lisa, I gave it a 3.5 stars. It was too long in my opinion and I also like other reviewers didn't really get the significance of the art project. I was super angry reading about the recklessness of some of these men and their mothers left to look after them when they fell ill!
I have now given this book to my co-worker and she is LOVING it!
Currently reading The Bookshop on the Corner as a palette cleanser and listening to Lampedusa as it is the only one without a waitlist in the audiobook :)

The wind is howling here today...so better stay inside and read lol. Any excuse I can find. I finished Dual Citizens, it was a bit underwhelming. I am listening to One Native Life and savoring these short stories. I am also determined to finish my re-read of The Handmaid's Tale this weekend so I can move on to my pile of the rest of the Gillers list. Happy Friday everyone.

the River Midnight is one of my all-time favorite books. Her
following book was not very good.

I finished my first audio book in over a year yesterday. It
was Ruth Rendell's Make Death Love Me It was exceptional,
she's is my favorite writer.

How are you enjoying Lampedusa @May?

Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods�� wrote: "How are you enjoying Lampedusa @May?"

I am enjoying it, about 1/2 way through, you?

Happy Friday!

@May - I think maybe because I was listening at 1.25 speed maybe I enjoyed The Great Believers more than some. LOL!

This week I finished Shadow Warrior by Christine Feehan. Nice quick, light, guilty pleasure book.

I also finished The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. It is a beautiful coming of age story. The book is written in verse. I highly recommend the audio version. The author is the narrator and does an amazing job. I do not recommend listening to the last section while you are driving into work. I had to explain why I looked like I had just balled my eyes out. LOL!

On to Lampedusa now.

@Allison Hikes the Bookwoods did you fine Lampedusa audio on Audible? I couldn’t find it. I’d love to listen to that one.

✿✿✿M���� wrote: "Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods�� wrote: "How are you enjoying Lampedusa @May?"

I am enjoying it, about 1/2 way through, you?"

I'm about 2/3 of the way through and I'm really liking it too.

Sarah wrote: "@Allison Hikes the Bookwoods did you fine Lampedusa audio on Audible? I couldn’t find it. I’d love to listen to that one."

@Sarah, I got my audiobook through Overdrive from my local library.

Yes @Sarah, Audible.ca

Hmm. Not sure why it won’t come up for me!?

Sarah wrote: "Hmm. Not sure why it won’t come up for me!?"



Try this link!

Forgot to mention that I'll be in Toronto next week. What are some awesome bookstores I should check out? We are going to Niagara Falls for a few days too, so I'll definitely be making a stop at Book Outlet!

@allison thanks. Lampedusa would not come up on the Audible app but did on the website. Hmm, a little glitch. Thanks.

@allison, enjoy your stop off in Toronto! a few bookstore ideas:

- if you are looking at children's books, Mabel's Fables is glorious.

- For detective fiction, The Sleuth of Baker Street is a little out of the way but great fun.

- one of my favourite general independent stores, Ben McNally Books is, very sadly, closing, but I think it may still be open when you are here?

- other lovely independent general bookstores include Type Books (the one across from Trinity Bellwood Park is pretty central) and Queen Books in Leslieville. Another Story on Roncesvalles is also good and has a social justice bent.

Also: hi everyone! I've been reading updates from all of you from time to time, even if not contributing for the past while :-)

Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods�� wrote: "Forgot to mention that I'll be in Toronto next week. What are some awesome bookstores I should check out? We are going to Niagara Falls for a few days too, so I'll definitely be making a stop at Bo..."

Enjoy your trip!! Book City has a few locations in Toronto.

Thanks @Emmkay and @May!

Oh man...Friday always passes by and I realize i have missed checking in with you guys once again. Better late than never, I will check in on Saturday this time. Since my last post, I finished The Bookish Life of Nina Hill, which was absolutely delightful. Then I read Rilla of Ingleside for Bingo. It is always a delight to read a bit of LM Montgomery. Next up was The Sea Road for a challenge I am doing for another group. I don't usually read books about Vikings, but this one was pretty good, and not at all a bodice ripper or a sword and shield novel. Then came The Innocents, which I really loved. I'm actually rarely a fan of the Giller contenders, so this one took me by surprise. Now I am re-reading One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd for my IRL book club. I wasn't really a fan the first time I read it, but I have to refresh my memory for the discussion.

This is the time of year to work on finishing up challenges. I have a couple yet to read for Bingo, five for Cross Canada, and one for a challenge with another group. And I am enjoying planning my 2020 Bingo...I am such a book nerd :)

I am putting in an effort to finish up my bingo for 2019 so for that I am reading King Leary for a book cover that reminds me of Canada, and Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography for a book related to Canadian art or music. (I must admit I am learning a lot about this amazing woman)
After that I will read Mrs. Mike and then The Testaments and I will be finished my Bingo.

Edited to add, I just realized that The Testements is not on the Giller short list, so I either will have to add another book before I am done, Probably Michael Crummey's as I have loved everything I have read by him in the past.

Hi all! I am reading Through Black Spruce for bingo. The story line has kept me interested but about half way through really pulled me in. I’m just loving it! Ill be starting Lampedusa on audio for bingo as well, the Giller shortlist square. That’s it for now.

Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods�� wrote: "In audiobooks, I finished Hideaway, the latest from Nicole Lundrigan,..."

Allison, did you like it? I absolutely LOVE Nicole Lundrigan but when I tried this one on audiobook the narrator's voice grated on my nerves too much so I gave it up. I am waiting for an ebook copy from the library to read it on my own.

Yes @Louise, I thought it was pretty good. One of the narrators did have an irritating voice, but I got used to it after a while.

The Making of The October Crisis.