It's Monday 12/16! What Are You Reading?
Book By Book
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Life
My chronic illness is still badly flared up, with some really severe days last week, though I’ve been a bit better yesterday and so far today. But the holidays are coming, no matter how I feel! So, I did a lot of holiday prep from my nest on the couch, shopping from my laptop while lying down and sending my husband out to do all the stuff I can’t. He always does a lot for me and for our family and home, but he’s been really great lately. On a particularly bad day last week, he not only did the grocery shopping but brought home flowers to cheer me up! We’re behind with decorating, though I did manage some little touches here and there.
I was hugely relieved that I felt a little better yesterday and could participate in and enjoy decorating our tree with our son and his girlfriend. She helped me with dinner, and we had a nice evening with them. Our ornaments are all memories, of our sons’ childhoods (and ours!), of family no longer with us, and of wonderful places we’ve traveled to together. We always enjoy unpacking all these special ornaments and putting them on the tree.
I took care of the low stuff! |
The family and the tree! |
The finished tree (I don’t love the new LED lights but they | ‘re much safer!) |
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I’ve had to record my videos from the couch lately, but I did manage a couple of fun short ones last week:
The End of the Year Book Tag – this annual one features some fun questions about my reading plans for the end of the year and the beginning of the new year.
Friday Reads 12-13-24 – my brief weekly update of what I am reading and listening to.
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I am reading a book that’s been on my shelf for much too long, The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara. Most people know this author for her best-selling novel, A Little Life, but her debut novel was The People in the Trees. My mother read it back in 2015 or so and still says it’s one of her all-time favorites. She bought me a copy … and it took me much too long to finally read it! It’s the immersive story of a doctor, Norton Perina, who goes on an expedition with an anthropologist in 1950 where they discover a “lost tribe” on a remote Pacific island. Some members of the tribe appear to be astoundingly old and physically robust, though with diminished mental faculties (that’s all revealed on page 1). His quest to discover this “fountain of youth” leads to all kinds of unintended consequences, including his conviction for sexual assault (still page 1!). Most of the book is Dr. Perina’s memoir, written from prison, and the story of the original expedition and his discoveries that followed is engrossing and fascinating. Though you know the general outline of what will happen from the start, it is still a tense and gripping read, with some extremely thought-provoking moral questions. Mom was right!
On audio, I am listening to The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich. I was so excited when my Libby request came through sooner than expected! Erdrich is one of my favorite authors, so I was excited to read this one which focuses on a small farming community in North Dakota. Crystal drives a truck for the local sugar beet farms. Her eighteen-year-old daughter, Kismet, is smart and planning to go to college, but her sometimes-hook-up, Gary, has other plans. Gary is a football star in their high school and asks Kismet to marry him. Kismet is also seeing Hugo, a brilliant guy who’s homeschooled and is also in love with her. Besides this love triangle, the novel is about the community, the farming life, and family. As always, Erdrich has created fabulous characters that leap off the page (or audio) and an engaging story about ordinary people.
My husband, Ken, is reading a book I gave him for his birthday, An Honest Man by Michael Koryta. This is his first book by best-selling author Koryta, and this one is described as a “breath-taking thriller.” Plus, Stephen King said it was the author’s best book, so I figured it was a good place to start. He’s enjoying it, though he’s still watching a lot of football!
Our son, 30, was reading book 16 (!) of the The Spellmonger series, Preceptor, by Terry Mancour over Thanksgiving. I did text with him this weekend but forgot to ask what he was reading, though I know he’s been very busy.
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Source: https://bookbybook.blogspot.com/2024/12/its-monday-1216-what-are-you-reading.html
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