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What Are You Reading?

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It’s so bleak out there today – rainy and very, very windy – that I felt the need to look at some pretty pottery; said pottery being some of my Roseville. (It truly is crazy windy out there as I write this!) I like taking occasional pictures of the Roseville or McCoy or any of the pottery I collect because I see it with fresh eyes and am reminded of what I loved about it to begin with. Like anything, it’s easy to ‘not see it’ because it becomes part of the daily landscape.

Well, both Don and I woke up at 4 am this morning. I heard him get up and assumed it was later than it was and then I couldn’t turn my brain off – I had an unsettling conversation with someone yesterday and it was on my mind. So I gave up and got up. I’m sure we’ll both crash this afternoon, but I do have errands to run today so I’ll get to those as soon as possible.

I finished Hi Five  by Joe Ide this morning. Terrific read! Now I have to return it to the library and figure out what I want to read next. I have Thirst  by Jo Nesbo here (also from the library) and I have three stacks of books that I’ve purchased ready and waiting to be read. Since I’m sleep deprived and a bit off, I’m finding it a bit hard to make a choice.

I couldn’t get to your comments yesterday and as I’m so tired today, I probably won’t. Thanks for understanding. I will answer today’s comments.

Which brings me to our favorite question – what are you  reading? Please share! I love hearing your answers and I always find new titles to write down and eventually read.

Happy Thursday.

 

Comments

  1. I love looking at your beautiful Roseville pottery…something about it reminds me of spring!
    Right now I’m reading The Night Circus. It looks like a great read.

  2. Hi Claudia. Very coldddd and lots of snow here in Michigan but lovely sun today. I just finished “News of the World” by Paulette Jiles about a retired Civil War Captain who accepts the position of returning a 10 year old girl to her nearest relatives, after having been rescued from Kiowa Indians after they murdered the rest of her family. She lived with them for four years and inherited that lifestyle. It’s a 400 mile journey. Wonderful! Plus the librarian informed me that it is a movie in the making starring Tom Hanks, due next December! I will so be looking forward to that one! Anything written about that era in time is my preference. Take care and keep warm!

      • Penny, that was one of my favorite books last year. I loved it! Last Fall I heard about the movie and I can’t wait to see it. Tom Hanks will be PERFECT!!!

  3. Seems we’re on the same wavelength with the lousy sleep (I had several very strange dreams last night) and lousy weather, too. It has been cold, gray and windy here the past several days. I just don’t feel like moving today but I have so much to do, so I know I can’t be lazy much longer.

    I’m in the middle of reading “The Snow Child” and a couple of vegetarian cookbooks I found at the library (“Straight up Food” and “Simple Green”). Next up will be non-fiction ~ Brene Brown’s, “Braving the Wilderness”.

    • Hang in there, Melanie. I ran all my errands but I was sagging by the time I got home. Even though it’s too early, I can’t wait until I go to bed!

    • Melanie,
      Are you one who often reads cookbooks I am and find they’re great for falling asleep because they’re calming and there’s no sense of urgency to keep reading.

      I just bought (after checking it out at the library) The Complete Leafy Greens Cookbook, by Lisa Sampson. Really good, comprehensive, and vegetarian!

  4. The Fallof Light by Niall Williams. So far it’s excellent.
    Sleep is evasive here too even my husband is having a problem and he is a champion sleeper. Maybe the time change will help or make it worse!

  5. Good morning! Windy here in eastern NC too. I am reading Willow Roses new book “All The Good Girls”. I love all of her books.

  8. Just started The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis. I bought this because I read that it has an optimistic view and some concrete tasks we can do. And I just got Fake Love Letters, Forged Telegrams, and Prison Escape Maps: Designing Graphic Props for Filmmaking. And I’m re-reading Jane Eyre since you mentioned it. And my husband got a cookbook on making broths. And Susan Branch’s Summer book because it feels like summer here in Southern California already. And now everyone is recommending more good books and my pile is going to get bigger! We have a book problem at our house, but there could be worse things :)

    • We have one as well. There are now stacks of already read books and to be read books throughout the den. Sigh. Thanks, Linda!

  9. I recently finished The The Thousand Doors of January, that I believe someone on here recommended–thank you. I enjoyed it.

    I’m reading Country Chronicle by Gladys Taber, and am almost finished with a wonderful little book titled Building a Better World in Your Back Yard Instead of Being Angry at Bad Guys, The latter is very empowering and it was gratifying to see that we’re already doing most of what’s recommended.

  10. I’ve only read three books so far this year and discarded at least six others. I don’t know if I have less patience but so many seem to start well and then get either silly or boring.
    One I can highly recommend is probably already known to your American readers. Published over twenty years ago, it’s The Colour of Water by James McBride. This is the true story of an African-American guy growing up in the sixties and his mother who was a Jewish woman born in Poland. Widowed twice, desperately poor, she put twelve children through college and faced prejudices from both sides. It’s also visit funny in parts, I loved it.

    Happy Thursday

    • Yes, I’m familiar with the The Color of Water, Dee Dee. I’m glad you’re enjoying it.

      Thank you!

  11. Hello ,

    I am reading, “A Sister In My House” by Linda Olsson.
    There is still four feet of snow outside by door and another 4 to 8 inches coming this weekend but I can feel winter slipping away.
    Take Care,
    Kaye
    Park City, UT

  12. Just started The Glittering Hour…seems ok . Am having trouble finding something I love! Have read about 4 books in the last 6 months that I have loved…others..meh. They get returned to the library. I usually take out about 4 at a time & try each one.
    As for sleep…oh goodness.. if I get 4 hrs. at a time, that’s a good night!
    Supposed to be VERY warm here in OB today (in the 80’s). Not much is right in the world right now:( I’m thinking we’re almost at rock bottom & things can only get better soon!!

    • I couldn’t exist on 4 hours, Priscilla. I would be useless. I have to have at least 6, preferably 7, hours of sleep a night.

      I hope you’re right about things getting better soon. We currently have idiots handling the coronavirus crisis. Thank you!

  13. You have a beautiful collection of Roseville. I don’t have any, but I admire yours greatly.

    I’m on my second Michael Connelly—The Black Ice. Thanks for the recommendation.

  14. I am reading The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman. She is a new author to me. I’m enjoying it so far.

    I finished reading Walk Me Home by Catherine Ryan Hyde and did not like it at all. The way the characters thought and spoke were so odd. I wanted to like it because my brother had given it to me for my birthday.

    • It’s hard when you don’t like a book and feel you should! But it’s okay to not like a book. Thank you, Carol.

      • Carol, I really enjoyed The Wartime Sisters. I have recommended it to many. Glad you are enjoying it!!

  15. Love the Roseville, Claudia. It’s beautiful!

    I’m reading Michael Feinstein’s book on the Gershwins. Or rather, back to it. It’s rather scholarly and lots of meat within and it’s not something you can race through but it’s very good and well done. I might have to pick a second book to read along with (which is why I’m so slow with it in the first place!) I’m narrowed down to Ruth Reichl’s memoir sequel (I forget the title; something about apples) or the newest Crombie. I’ve been putting it off because I need to re-read the last Crombie in the series to catch me up on “when last we left the Kincaid family…” — it’s been well over a year. I’m sure it will come back fairly fast. Maybe that’s what I should do while I’m in the Gershwin. My Crombie is smaller and can come with me to the doc, the bathroom, bed… Gershwin is a tad heavy!

  16. Finished Dear Edward by Ann Napolatono last weekend. I really liked it. Last night (at 2:45 AM) I finished The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman. Soooo good!! I am starting Charming Billy by Alice McDermott this aft. I think that might be a tough read…..

    Hope you have a good night of sleep ahead. We have sun today!!!! And temps going up every day for the next several days. In fact they said the first 2 wks of March should be “warm”. So, wonder what the last 2 wks will be like!! Can’t believe we change our clocks in less than 2 weeks! That change is always a harder one on us as well as on the dogs & cat. But it does mean that days of longer light are ahead. Hope you have a peaceful afternoon.

    • This wind today is driving me mad! It’s relentless. It nearly blew me across a parking lot earlier today when I was running errands. I’ve heard very good things about Dear Edward. Thank you, Chris!

  17. It’s a cold cloudy day here in south central Kansas, a good day to stay in and read. I’m only on my 4th book so far this year and this one is 788 pages but very riveting. I am reading “Natchez Burning” by Greg Iles.

    • Ah, I’ve heard of that one. That’s a long book, Claudia, so I’m happy to hear it’s riveting! Thank you.

  18. I just started “The Star Garden” by Nancy E. Turner – the third in a series of books about the Arizona territory in the early 1900’s. The first two “These is my Words” and “Sarah’s Quilt” were great so I’m hoping that this one follows with the same good characters and story line!

  19. I’m re-reading a book I first read when my mother gave it to me in middle school; A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, by Betty Smith. I run a book discussion group at the library where I work called Book 2 Art. We all read the same book and each make a piece of art inspired by the book. Then we meet to discuss both. I have read this book multiple times over my 64 years and still get something new from it each time.

  22. Hi Claudia, I’m finally getting around to reading TEXAS by Michener. The book has 1100 closely spaced pages and it’s been on the shelf staring at me for about 3 years. My husband and I love to do road trip vacations and we’ve always found Texas to be interesting and wanted to learn more about its history. A great uncle (about 11 generations back) played a part in Texas history and I was really eager to find out more. Maybe I shouldn’t have read it! Seems like he may not have been the upright character I had believed him to be! Michener does quite the job of teaching history in an interesting way with factual accounts and semi-fictional characters. Very entertaining yet quite disturbing at times. Makes me feel a bit better that our country has survived scoundrels in the past and gives me hope that we can do it again!!!

    • Michener was a wonderful writer. Enjoy, Suzanne. (Let’s hope this particular group of scoundrels are ousted in November.)

  23. Wow… what is it with the terrible sleeping patterns this week?? I got up at 4 AM yesterday and 3:10 AM today . Yikes! And I just finished re-reading HAWAII by Michener. One of my all-time favorites to re-read every couple of years.

    • Oh no! I commiserate with you, Dawn! That makes two of you who are currently reading Michener. Wonderful!

  24. no books being read here at present, but i appreciate everyone sharing titles and you, claudia, for asking the question. :)

    hope everyone gets more sleep and pretty weather soon.

    kathy in iowa

  25. I can’t contribute to ‘what am I reading’; sorry, just not fastening on to books lately although I have a huge stack to read.

    Gosh, I can relate to the sleep issues; same for my husband and me; I couldn’t settle to sleep til 5am, so I only had about six hours of very restless/interrupted sleep and of course started the day ‘way too late (hate that) but we’re off to do errands in another nearby city where it will be cooler…and we’ll go to the beach, too, as the temps were near 90 degrees at noon where I am, and I am SO done with heat and Santa Ana wind conditions; SoCalif needs rain really badly now. At least it’s clear; can see the very distant horizons in all directions.

    I hope you got a nap this afternoon. Tomorrow will be better!

    • It’s so windy here today that I nearly got knocked over while walking to my car. Insane. Didn’t get a nap because just as I was going to sleep, my cell phone rang with a spam call. It’s my own fault for not turning it off. I can’t wait for bedtime, Vicki. Thanks!

  26. One of my favorite series of books by Charles Todd. The book is “Hunting Shadows”. The main character is Ian Rutledge, a Scotland Yard Inspector. He is also a veteran of WWI and still battling the horrors of the war. I find these to be so detailed and well written. Just love them.

  27. I just finished reading The Fallen by David Baldacci, and am a few chapters into Redemption also by David Baldacci. They are both about Amos Decker…and I love this series.

    Love the blue Roseville you have. My mom had a collection of the brown…but I chose not to keep them, so she gave them to a cousin of mine. She adores them, so they went where they would be appreciated.

    Cold here today…but warming up. Yay! Enjoy your evening! ;)

  28. The wind is awful here in Queens. Warm temperatures predicted for next week. I am reading the Dublin Saga The Rebels of Ireland. It is the sequel to The princes Of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd. It is 800 Plus pages.
    Marilyn

  31. There must be something in the air as I had trouble sleeping last night, too! I guess part of it was jet lag as we only returned from FLA late Wednesday and went to choir last night. Every time I looked at the clock, I was reminded of the 3 hour time difference! Enough of that though, I am reading The Accidental President: Truman’s First Four Months in Office. It’s really interesting!
    Sleep better tonight!

    • Yes, we have two copies of that book on our shelves! It’s really wonderful. Thank you, Regula.

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