Category: Quick Lit

quick lit – next page, please {july 2018}

6 Comments

Books and Books

*Per usual, I am linking up wiht Modern Mrs. Darcy’s (MMD) Quick Lit. If you are here because you clicked over, all I can say is thank you.  And let me know about it in the comments below.

My reading life this month has taken a back seat to other things that are going on in my world.  You will have to read my next What I’m Into Post to see what that’s all about it.  While I have made no progress in my (MMD) Reading Challenge 2018, I am working on completing the Millennium Series and have just read another favof the summer.  So, despite the low read count (only three?), it was a good reading month.

Read

  • The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Millennium #3) by Stieg Larsson. Per last Quick Lit post, I finished reading this one and moved on.
  • The Girl in the Spider’s Web: A Lisbeth Salander Novel by David Lagercrantz. This is the fourth book in the Millennium series and it was not written by Stieg Larsson. He tragically passed away. I think that David Lagercrantz did a decent job with carrying on the story – I definitely enjoyed finding out more about Lisbeth. I have always loved continuing stories.  When I was little and we finished watching a movie, I would lay awake at night and create a continuing story. I might be one of the few people that absolutely LOVES movie sequels although if the box office is any indication, what I just said was a lie.
  • Circe by Madeline Miller. Finally got this one off the Hold list at my local library. I have been excited about it since reading her debut Song of Achilles a couple of months ago. Her take on Circe’s character and personality was very eye-opening; for example, why was she turning the men into pigs? You will have to read it to find out.

Currently Reading

  • The Girl Who Takes and Eye for and Eye by David Lagercrantz. For some reason, this one isn’t quite a page turner. But I am only on page 139. Plus, I had to read Circe before it had to go back to the library.
  • Journal of a Solitude by May Sarton. “That is what is strange – the friends, even passionate love, are not my real life unless there is a time alone in which to explore and to discover what is happening or has happened.” This pretty much sums up my life right now.
  • The Odyssey by Homer. Translated by Emily Wilson. I loved The Illiad since my first World Literature class and after reading Circe, I did some research on Madeline Miller. I came across an interview that was done by Emily Wilson and Madeline at the New York Public Library and Madeline mentioned that she was very happy to read Emily’s translation of The Odyssey, the first translation done by a woman. I read a couple of articles about it and knew I had to read it. SIDEBAR: Isn’t it about time that we stop staying “the first woman” for things? Frankly, I am sick of it.

Abandoned Reading – Temporarily

  • When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön. Since I’m reading Journal of a Solitude I have put this one aside until I finish.

Last month, I stated that I only have three categories left in the 2018 MMD Reading Challenge: (1) a classic you’ve been meaning to read – I’m thinking A Tree Grows in Brooklyn or To Kill a Mockingbird; (2) a banned book – I want to reread a college fav, Their Eyes Were Watching God; and (3) book nominated for an award. I need some help with selecting this third one.  Any suggestions?

Pic is a bookself in the indie bookstore, Books & Books in Coral Gables, Florida. Look closely and you’ll see one of my reads this month.

What have you been reading this month?

enjoy life…

quick lit – next page, please {june 2018}

8 Comments

My list is smaller this month but that’s because I got a hold of the Millenium Series and each of these books is close to or over 600 pages. I definitely lost a lot of sleep behind Lisbath Salander.

Read

  • The Convenient Store Woman by Sayaki Murata. Very short easy to read tale. I enjoyed being exposed to a different culture that I am not familiar with but if it hadn’t been so short, I probably would not have finished it. (Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Pick #7) MMD Category: a book in translation
  • Heart Talk: Poetic Wisdom for a Better Life by Cleo Wade. MMD Category: A book recommended by a librarian or indie bookseller. Since I was looking to fulfill this category I asked for a recommendation at Parnassus Books in Nashville. Grace, who is no longer there recommended this one.  I will be picking this one up again and again.  It would make an awesome grad’s gift.
  • Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done by Laura Vanderkam. I love everything Vanderkam does and this one was no exception. Picked up a lot of great ideas for feeling less busy while getting more done.:) No MMD Category; just the sheer joy of reading.
  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by Stieg Larsson. This one was recommended by my friend, Joy (who has written a guest post for this blog) a long time ago. I started it, read 30 pages and abandoned it as not for me.  I should have read 60 pages because after that I couldn’t put it down.  So very good. MMD Category: A book over 500 pages long.  This one clocked in close to 600.
  • The Girl Who Played with Fire (Millennium, #2) by Stieg Larsson. Once I got started on this series, I couldn’t stop. My MMD Summer picks has officially taken a back seat to this series until I can finish it. No MMD Category; just the sheer joy of reading. And it was sheer joy.
  • I’m still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown. I struggle to express my feelings on this one. Not sure I’m ready to be that vulnerable in this space.  Bottom line? I’m glad I read it.
  • The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. I read this one for my Rocket City Mom Virtual Book Club (full review here). It was a great guilty pleasure pick.  Couldn’t put it down literally.  I read it in one sitting. And even more amazing considering that Liv Constantine is actually the pen name of two sisters who wrote the book together.  No MMD Category.

Currently Reading

  • The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest (Millennium #3) by Stieg Larsson. By the time this posts, I will have probably finished this one and moved on to Millennium #4.
  • When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön. Yep, still reading this one. MMD Category: A book by an author of a different race, ethnicity, or religion than your own but The Widows of Malabar Hill did that.

Abandoned Reading – Temporarily

  • Art of the Memoir by Mary Karr. As I said last month, not quite ready for this one. I own it so I will pick it up in due course.

I only have three categories left in the 2018 Modern Mrs. Darcy’s (MMD) Reading Challenge: (1) a classic you’ve been meaning to read, (2) a book nominated for an award, and (3) A banned book.  I need some help with selecting three good ones.  Any suggestions?

What have you been reading this month?

enjoy life…

quick lit – next page, please {june 2018}

5 Comments

I have increased my reading exponentially this month.  I read seven books from the beginning of the year to last month and this month I have read ten! How’d I do it, you ask? Well, I intentionally made time to read this month.  On the practicality side of things, I stopped watching Netflix and Xfinity On Demand and read instead.

Read

  • The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Loved this but I wasn’t surprised. As an English major I read Homer’s Illiad, and have been fascinated with the Greeks and the Trojans since. Madeline kept me engaged with this page-turner and I loss a significant amount of sleep that I can’t put on the Buddy Man. Madeline has written another based on The Odyssey entitled Unfortunately, I’m #11 in line for three copies at my local library. Ugh! Gives me something to look forward to. No Modern Mrs. Darcy Category; just the sheer joy of reading.
  • The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena. Read this for our Rocket City Mom Virtual Book Club. I have a full-review on that site. It boils down to this: quick but disappointing read.
  • Sunburn by Laura Lippman. This was the first book from my 16 of the 26 selections from the MMD Summer Reading Guide (MMDSummer#1). I enjoyed it.
  • The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey. This is the first of a series. It was very interesting to read about Indian culture and history. This is also the first in Massey’s series about Preveen Mistry. I will read the next one when it comes out. MMDSummer#2 and MMD Category: A book by an author of a different race, ethnicity, or religion than your own
  • I’ll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos. Lovely read. MMDSummer#3
  • The Ensemble by Aja Gabel. This is a debut novel that is still sitting in my bones. It’s about a classical string quartet over a few decades of time. This book reignited my love for classical music. The novel being a debut for Gabel means that there is no back list for this author.  I guess I’m waiting… MMDSummer#4
  • The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory. Quick and enjoyable read – The quintessential beach read. It’s a shame I wasn’t on the beach when I read it. MMDSummer#5
  • The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin. If you like ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, you will probably enjoy reading this book. The medical terminology, which I am not familiar with and unlike Grey’s you cannot physically see, may have gotten in the way of my really enjoying this one.  MMDSummer#6
  • We’re Going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union. Laugh out loud funny but raw and authentic at the same time, this is a collection of stories about Gabrielle Union’s life as an actress and activist. I absolutely LOVED this one. I read it in one evening.  My only regret is that I didn’t read this sooner.
  • The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. Interesting premise; how would you live your life if you knew the exact day that you were going to die. I loved this one. Right now it is in the top three books I have read this summer.  It will be interesting to see who, if any can bump it down for me.

Currently Reading

  • When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön. Continuing this one still; this is one to read slowly, contemplating each chapter before moving on. It was going to fulfill the MMD Category: A book by an author of a different race, ethnicity, or religion than your own but The Widows of Malabar Hill did that.
  • Art of the Memoir by Mary Karr. Still taking this one very very slowly. I don’t think I am ready for this.

Doing these Quick Lit posts are so fun!  I love reading but sometimes go about it in a more haphazard fashion.  These posts, along with the Modern Mrs. Darcy’s (MMD) Reading Challenge, help keep me focused in my reading life.  I have missed not doing them. And today, I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy to tell you what we have all been reading lately. Check it out!

enjoy life…