Thursday, May 26, 2011

The Reading Life

The last few months have been laced with craziness for me, so I have subsequently found my reading comfort in smaller, quicker books.  A couple of months back I put the classics on the sidelines, and since then have read more regular old Adult Fiction than I have in a very long time.  A lot of that is changing now, however, as work is becoming less stressful and school is nearing completion.  Books that would have seemed refreshing last month are tiring this month.  I think I've actually read too many books this month.  Shocker.  

So I've decided it is a good time to slow down on the speedy books and allow myself some slower reads--something I like to transition into for the summer months anyhow.  Summer break gives me the mental space to be able to put more thought into what I'm reading, as well as spend a bit more time with it.  Here are the books that have been floating around my house lately:

Currently Reading:
Gilead: A Novel
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
Pulitzer Prize winner that I've been meaning to read for quite a while.  I'm about halfway through, and it is much quieter than I expected.  Still, it continues to pull me in.

Recently Finished:
The Weird Sisters
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown
Didn't enjoy it as much as I was hoping to.  I just couldn't seem to bring myself to care about the characters.  I think I may be biased against books set in the present day.  :(
That Night
That Night by Alice McDermott
An alternate book club selection--some beautiful language/thoughts, but the plot felt somewhat incomplete.

Next Up:
Revolutionary Road
Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
At least this is what my mood is aiming for at the moment...looks good, doesn't it?
The Stolen Village, Baltimore and the Barbary Pirates
...and maybe this one too--I'm about ready for another NonFiction book, and this one is about Ireland. I can read it and dream of going back. :)

3 comments:

  1. I've been seeing Richard Yates everywhere this month. Makes me want to read his books, especially Revolutionary Road, because I loved the movie.

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  2. I loved Gilead (and the companion novel, Home) ... all-time favorite books and yes, very quiet in style.

    I also thought Revolutionary Road was very good.

    Enjoy!

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  3. Aths, I haven't seen the movie but have high hopes for the book--bloggers seem to love it. ...I wanted to see the film but my husband said it looked too scary. Which, in a way, I could understand. So now I get to read the book without specific expectations. :)

    Thanks, Laura! I somehow managed to finished Gilead already (loooong wait @ the optometrist) so I get to move on sooner than expected. I didn't realize Gilead had a companion novel. I'll have to look into it.

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