Last week was busy with sports (my kids’ swim championships, a tennis tournament for me, and watching the FINA Swimming World Championships on TV) rather than reading, but the book I did read was excellent! I’m reading ahead and I haven’t heard what anyone else I follow thinks of it yet, so I’ll be interested to see the reactions roll in as we get closer to publication date.
Podcast
There will NOT be a new podcast this week!
Episode 26, featuring Beck Dorey-Stein (author of the memoir From the Corner of the Oval) will air on Wednesday, August 7!
New on the Blog
- My Best Book Recommendation Sources Q2 2019…my list has changed a lot since Q1!
- 2019 Rock Your Reading Tracker – I used my “Rock Your Reading Tracker” this year to track all my reading stats in real time and figure out who my best recommendation sources are…and, my reading QUALITY improved 42% from last year! The new and improved 2019 tracker is now available for $14.99…get more details here!
Hosted by The Book Date.
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I finished reading…
The Other’s Gold by Elizabeth Ames (August 27, 2019)
The premise of this debut novel was squarely up my alley (character-driven campus novel following four female friends), so I was really excited about it, but the intangibles have to be great for a book like this to work. And…they were! 5 stars…and perfect if you loved The Interestings (my review), The Ensemble, and Beyond the Point. Mini review coming.
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Delancey by Molly Wizenberg (May 1, 2014) – AUDIOBOOK
I liked this memoir of a husband and wife opening a pizza restaurant in Seattle…it’s about their marriage and the opening of the restaurant. And, it definitely illuminated how incredibly stressful it is to open a restaurant. It didn’t blow me away, but it was a solid listen.
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I’m currently reading…
Going Dutch by James Gregor (August 20, 2019)
This novel was pitched to me as The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P. for the NYC gay dating scene…and it’s been blurbed by Adelle Waldman. I literally just picked it up, so I don’t have any thoughts yet.
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I tried, but wasn’t feeling…
Dominicana
DNF at 21%
I really wanted to like this one, but I needed to feel closer to the characters and it kept not happening. I also didn’t love the writing style, which felt a bit abrupt.
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Upcoming reading plans…
Unless a library hold comes in…
The Secrets We Kept by Lara Prescott (September 17, 2019)
This is one of the Fall novels I’m most excited about! The Cold War, spies, classic literature. It’s getting some hype and I hope it lives up to it!
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How was your reading week?
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The Interestings is one of my favorites, but I have not read The Ensemble or Beyond the Point. Two more titles to put on my list! Last week’s podcast was extremely enjoyable! I’m behind in listening to your podcasts, but I plan to catch up. (I read an article that said in today’s world, it is okay to end a sentence with a preposition, not that anyone is grading my grammar.) I am just starting to read The Gifted School. Have you read it?
Interesting reviews. The premise of Delacy is soooooo good. I may give it a try anyway.
Not yet, but it’s on my endless list!
I’ve requested The Other’s Gold, and if I don’t get a review copy, I’ll definitely read it when it comes out. Looking forward to your thoughts on The Secrets We Kept. I have that one coming up in September, too!
I’ve heard mixed reviews about Delancey, but I love almost every book set in the restaurant scene so I’m hoping to pick it up at some point.
Interesting looking bunch of books. All are new to me. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
I really liked Delancy — but had a massive craving for pizza after. LOL
As a small business (not a restaurant, thankfully), I think I’d really like Delancey.
Going Dutch looks interesting.
I’ve added The Other’s Gold to my wishlist.
Wishing you a great reading week
I loved Delancey, but an even better book is Wizenberg’s first, A Homemade Life. It’s sad that her marriage broke up after these books came out, but I think we’re going to get a really interesting take on queer family-making from her next memoir, whenever that comes out. (Her new partner is a non-binary person.)
I’m going to look out for the Ames, and I’m excited about the Prescott, too — I’m going to be part of the UK blog tour for that one.
I heard about her new memoir…that’s what kind of gave me the push to listen to this one! I definitely want to listen to that one too.
Do you listen to Molly’s podcast, Spilled Milk? It was recommended by a bunch of different people but I couldn’t get into it for some reason. Maybe I will give it another try!
I didn’t know she had a podcast!
I just finished Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah. It was a pleasant surprise. I couldn’t get into it initially but I’m glad I persevered. I really liked the characters – they had unique personalities and the story line broached various subjects from depression and BRCA related cancers to child abuse/endangerment. There is a mystery here but there is some gentle humor and heartfelt emotions.
From the library I just picked up After the End by Clare Mackintosh on your recommendation
The Secrets We Kept sounds promising.
Donna @ Girl Who Reads
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