W…W…W…Wednesday: Books read, reading and to read

Posted in Reading, W... W... W... Wednesdays by

Hooray, it’s Wednesday — my favorite day of the blogging week.

Thanks to Miz B at Should Be Reading for inspiring so many of us to get involved in WWW Wednesdays. It’s always a great way to connect.

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I’d love to know what everyone is reading.  To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…(or post a link to your blog.)

• What are you currently reading? • What did you recently finish reading? • What do you think you’ll read next?

 

A Curious ManWhat are you currently reading? Just about half-way through A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!” Ripley. So far it’s a fascinating read and a surprise in that it’s the first thorough biography of Ripley ever written. I’m always fascinated by oddities so this is non-fiction right up my alley.  On audio, I’m still loving the content and writing in The Rise & Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman, but still not a fan of the narration. It’s all good until she starts “embodying” the characters’ voices. Then I want to run out of my car. I think I’ll have to order the print.

 

Fourth of July CreekWhat did you recently finish reading? Posted a rave review of Brain on Fire earlier this week. I also finished Fourth of July Creek, which I haven’t yet reviewed because I haven’t wanted to return to it’s deep darkness. That’s not to say it isn’t excellent — it is. Brutal, honest, ugly. This is a terrifying look at a part of the US I know nothing about — separatists, conspiracy zealots, farmers, drifters. Dark as it was, I couldn’t put it down. Hard to believe it’s a debut novel. Great writing.

 

Still Life with BreadcrumbsWhat do you think you’ll read next?  Still need to start 1984, which my 13 year-old has almost finished, but definitely didn’t love. I also want to read Virginia Woolf this month, although I haven’t settled on which book. Plus, I need to finally choose my Dusting Off the Bookshelf August choice. On audio, I ordered Still Life With Breadcrumbs by Anna Quindlen which I hope will be an improvement over the Rachman narrator.

Happy reading everyone!

 

*All book covers are images saved from Goodreads

How about you?

What are your W…W…W… titles? Please feel free to share a link to your own W…W…W…Wednesday posts or share your reading plans in the comments.

 

17 thoughts on “W…W…W…Wednesday: Books read, reading and to read”

  1. Hi, Alena! Happy Wednesday! Well, I just recently finished reading “The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender,” a lovely work of magical realism, and I did manage to write a post on it for my blog. Now, I’m reading “Embassytown,” a very original sci-fi by China Mieville, the author of “The City and the City,” and both books are worth a read. When I read “The City and the City,” a modern-day fantasy dystopia, I did a post on it as well. Next, I’m going to be trying to listen to (i.e., “read” as an audiobook) Wally Lamb’s “We Are Water,” which I haven’t a clue about, but I have already read and posted on his book “I Know This Much Is True,” which is a complex, tense, and fully fleshed-out book about a pair of twins, one of whom has schizophrenia. I did a post on it, although I don’t feel I did a really good job on it. On the audiobook, he himself reads, along with other actors, so I look forward to hearing it. I’m trying to read books that have some variety to them, so that I can be as economical as possible in my reading habits, trying to do a post on each book I read that isn’t an outright disappointment. So far, I’ve been lucky–the only book I wasn’t satisfactorily able to do a post on that I read was Edwidge Danticat’s “Claire of the Sea Light,” and that was more because I couldn’t think of anything to say about it than because it was bad, although it was a strangely disparate book. But someone else read it and posted on it, so I was able to take part in the discussion, and that was good, too. See you (if I’m lucky) next Wednesday, and maybe I’ll have more to say about Wally Lamb then.

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    • Thanks for the thoughtful response. I’m a fan of Wally Lamb’s books primarily because they pull me into the drama so completely. It’s always an investment of time, but I haven’t been disappointed.
      Claire of the Sea Light is one of those books that did not make an emotional connection for me. In fact, less than a year after reading it, I can’t remember a single thing about the book.
      Best of luck with your plans for the week and your quest to continue posting reviews.

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  4. I just finished Fourth of July Creek too! I wrote up a short blurb about it on my blog. The writing was incredible, but I agree, its incredibly dark and disturbing. A great read though.

    xoxo

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    • Thank you so much and, yes, definitely more brutal than the non-fiction Brain on Fire. The best word might be desolate. The writing is incredibly good but man it’s emotionally draining.

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  6. That is really too bad that the Rachman narration isn’t doing it for you! I have never listened to an audiobook and I really can’t think that I would enjoy it. I haven’t enjoyed being read to since I was able to read for myself. And voices for an adult book? Yikes.

    I just finished Ian Rankin’s Saints of the Shadow Bible which was great – a real return to the Rankin I know and love. Strong finish.Because I literally just finished it I’m in that weird limbo state of not having a book on the go. But in my bag for the ride home (and hopefully a peaceful lunch hour) is a biography of Queen Anne.

    I’ve never read (or wanted to read) 1984 – I sympathize with your 13-year-old. I suspect it is something he might enjoy when he’s in college though.

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    • I don’t think I’ve read Rankin. (Can that be true?) What would you recommend?

      Sometimes it’s nice not to know what’s next, makes it seem more enjoyable somehow. I’m hoping today’s trip to the library might be inspirational.

      And, I’ve never desired to read 1984 either, but I feel like it will be a show of solidarity with my son. We’ll see.

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  7. I have not been the best selector of books lately, I’m really in need of one that will jump out and grab me. Next, I’m reading a book I’ve been asked to review for my blog… but after that I’m thinking of picking up one of those Amish romance novels for a comedic read. A girl I work with reads them in the breakroom. I’m wondering how steamy a romance set in an Amish community could be… “Joseph looked at Rebeccah from his buggy.. He loved the way she churned her butter”

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I'd love to hear what you think.