Hosted by The Book Date.
I hope everyone had a great holiday! I’ve been alternating between backlist books I’ve been meaning to read forever and January 2016 releases…and, it’s been working out well. All in all a pretty great holiday reading streak.
I finished reading…
After the Crash by Michel Bussi (January 5, 2016)
Damn good page turner despite one complaint. Review coming.
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Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill (January 28, 2014)
Felt more like a collection of linked quotes/thoughts than a novel, especially in the beginning. But, I really loved some of those quotes – particularly the ones relating to marriage and motherhood. Was worth the read for me, especially since it’s under 200 pages, but I wasn’t blown away.
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I’m currently reading…
The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian (January 5, 2016)
I’m 40% through and it’s off to a good start. I’m curious where the story will go and intrigued that this is such a departure from typical Bohjalian fare.
Upcoming reading plans…
I think I have one more backlist book in me before focusing on the rest of my January releases.
A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman (July 15, 2014)
I’ve heard great things about this novel starring a lovable curmudgeon (one of my literary weaknesses) and I loved the sample. Looking forward to diving into the full length version.
My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout (January 5, 2016)
Joann at Lakeside Musing loved this short novel about a mother/daughter relationship by the author of Olive Kitteridge and The Burgess Boys (which I really liked).
I’m curious about After The Crash. Will look forward to your review. Have been hearing some things about The Guest Room as well. Glad you had a nice Christmas and hope your 2016 reading is just ‘as you like it’. 🙂
A new Elizabeth Strout? Didn’t realize this. Thanks for sharing!
http://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2015/12/christmas-cookies-my-secret-santa-box.html
I wasn’t wowed by Dept. of Speculation either… just not my style, I guess. Lucy Barton was a wonderful, quick read, but a little quieter that Strout’s previous novels. A Man Called Ove is on my kindle and I’m planning to read it sometime during the TBR Dare. Happy reading 🙂
Glad to hear your on a great reading streak! Wishing you a Very Happy New Year!
Interesting assortment of books. I hope you enjoy this week’s choices. I wish I could spend more time reading from TBR mountain but new books keep distracting me. Here is what I read last week. Happy reading!
I thought some of the quotes at the beginning of Dept. of Speculation were great too but they weren’t enough to save the book for me. I loved A Man Called Ove.
I hear ya – I felt it was worth it because it was so short. But, I think I wouldn’t have felt that way if it had been any longer. Looking forward to starting Ove!
I’m kind of glad to hear that someone else wasn’t wowed by Dept of Speculation. Everyone raved about it, but I just couldn’t get on the bandwagon with that one. I am currently reading A Man Called Ove, and so far I am enjoying it (but I’m not yet blown away by it).
Well, me too…felt like I was out there for not being wowed by it. Hope Ove picks up for you!
A Man Called Ove caught my eye awhile ago, but I have yet to get around to it, so I’m excited to hear your thoughts. I had similar feelings about Dept. of Speculation. There were a few lines that were undoubtedly genius, but overall it was just fine for me… despite it rocking so many others’s worlds. That’s just how it goes sometimes, I guess!
Glad to hear I wasn’t the only one and glad to see you back around! Hope you’re feeling good!
Okay, so I ended up really enjoying The Guest Room; I’ve never read any of his other novels, so I don’t have any reference for comparison. A friend recently started Midwives; I need to check with her and see what she thinks of it. I’ve moved on to The Longest Night; I think you’re really going to like it!! Hope you had a great Christmas holiday!
My favorite of his is The Double Bind..esp if you liked The Great Gatbsy. I’ve got The Longest Night coming up so very glad to hear that!
I’m about to finish a book that has taken me about a month to read, then I’ll start The Guest Room. I hope it delivers big time. I need something like that now.
I’m enjoying it so far…interested to see how it wraps up! Hope it works for you! And – what have you been reading for a month??
Well, technically I have read only five days of the week for a month. It is a book titled The Fist of God by Frederick Forsyth. It is not that long if you think about it (574 pages), but it’s slow going, there’s too much information to absorb, and I am taking weekends off to catch up on series and movies.
I love this time of year for reading. I am doing a readathon of David Mitchell. Last week I read Ghostwritten and Number9Dream. This week I will reread Cloud Atlas and then Black Swan Green. Now I see why so many readers love this author!
I need to try out Mitchell – he’s on my list of “legendary” (my own term) authors I need to try.
Well, I read Cloud Atlas first because it got so much attention when it came out. I was not a happy reader. Now I have gone back to his first book and am coming forward in the order he wrote them. I thought Ghostwritten was very very good! So that is my recommendation because now I am rereading Cloud Atlas and I get what he is doing.
Yes I found December a good month to read quite a few backlist books. I’ve heard the same about A Man Called Ove and intend to borrow it from the library at some point.
I love backlist in December…did it last year too! Hope you get to Ove at some point!
I missed out on A Man Called Ove…ENJOY!!
I am sure the Chris B. book is very good.
Looks like you had a good week.
Have a wonderful last week of reading for 2015, and Happy New Year!!
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My It’s Monday, What Are You Reading
So many good books! These are ALL on my TBR list.
After the Crash is one I’ve had my eye on and A Man Called Ove has been on my Kindle since release. It’s on my backlist to read, too. I really liked his other book, although I’ve heard Ove is much better.
I loved Dept. of Speculation, but I value writing over plot always, so it makes sense. I’m going back and forth over picking up the new Elizabeth Strout…I was not a fan of Burgess Boys but really liked Olive Kitterage, so it’s a toss up for me.
I love some good writing as well and there were some fantastic sentences in there. I still haven’t read Olive Kitteridge, but it’s been on my TBR for years and I need to get around to it!
I *really* enjoyed After the Crash. Is it perfect? Heck, no. However, it kept me engaged to the point where I didn’t really want to put it down. I need to write my own review of that one soon.
As for The Guest Room, just hang on. It is just so good. So powerful.
I agree about After the Crash – definitely not perfect and I actually didn’t think I’d like it, but it was strangely addictive – I couldn’t stop reading! I’m about 85% through The Guest Room now and it’s definitely gone in a direction I didn’t expect, which makes me happy!
Are you finished with The Guest House? How did you like it? I read it last month and loved it. Its different than his earlier books but he writes his female characters better than any male writer that I have read. Waiting to read your review!
I’m almost done – 85% and really enjoying it. It’s gone in some directions I didn’t expect, which makes me happy!