Happy New Year! I cannot believe it's already 2020. It didn't even hit me until mid-December, but when it did, I immediately started to think about my favorite books of the past ten years. I compiled this list on New Year's Eve by scrolling through Goodreads and the blog and then posted it on New … Continue reading Favorite books of the last decade, and a little musing on the new year
Another #10booksofsummer update and other bookish things
We’re right at that part of the #10booksofthesummer challenge where I start to lose momentum. So far I’ve read seven out of the 15 books I chose to give myself a variety of options. Ha, variety. I know the books left in the stack are all probably all range from good to great, but I … Continue reading Another #10booksofsummer update and other bookish things
#10BooksofSummer Check-in
Hello All! I hope your summer is going well. I figure we’re somewhere around the mid-point of #20BooksofSummer (but am too lazy to do any actual counting), so I thought I’d check in and share how things have been going so far. I’m happy to say that I’ve read five books on the list: Oral … Continue reading #10BooksofSummer Check-in
10 Books of Summer Challenge
Well, hello there! Nothing like getting back into the swing of things like joining a challenge. I've been itching to get back to the blog, so when Cathy at 746 Books announced her annual 20 Books of Summer challenge, I decided this might be a prime opportunity. Now, I've failed to complete this challenge before, … Continue reading 10 Books of Summer Challenge
Reader’s Journal: Train Dreams
Train Dreams is one of those books that has seemed to crop up on "Best of" lists at the end of each year for the last few years. I first had the chance to read Denis Johnson in graduate school when I was assigned to read Fiskadoro for a class on the post-modern Twentieth century … Continue reading Reader’s Journal: Train Dreams
Reader’s Journal: November Road
Lou Berney’s The Long and Faraway Gone was an amazing surprise for me in 2017, so when I heard he had a new book coming out this year, I immediately made it a priority. Of course, I make lots of books a “priority”—that’s how I ended up with 266 unread books in my possession. I … Continue reading Reader’s Journal: November Road
Reader’s Journal: UNSUB
I could say that I picked up Meg Gardiner’s UNSUB on a whim, but that wouldn’t be exactly true. For one thing, I read her first book, China Lake, back in 2011. That was the first in her Evan Delaney series, and the only one I read—not because I didn’t enjoy it (I did!), but … Continue reading Reader’s Journal: UNSUB
Reader’s Journal: Why you should read Anthony Marra (if you haven’t already)
This year I’ve read both of Anthony Marra’s books, The Tsar of Love and Techno and A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Both works were on so many ‘Best of’ lists the years they were published that I was wary, but I needn’t have worried. They both live up to the hype, especially The Tsar of … Continue reading Reader’s Journal: Why you should read Anthony Marra (if you haven’t already)
The Elephant in the…Book?
Something happened I just have to talk to you about. Recently, I read a book by a favorite author. I was mesmerized and thoroughly enjoying the experience until I hit the last few pages. Why? Because it seems the author (and the editors) made a huge mistake! Sorry, this is going to be a bit … Continue reading The Elephant in the…Book?
Top Ten Books I Missed in 2017
Is it just me, or were a lot of good books published in 2017? I felt like I was buying something or adding something new to my list every time I turned around. I bought a lot of current books in 2017, which is unusual for me. I tend to buy more backlist titles, probably … Continue reading Top Ten Books I Missed in 2017
The Evening Reader 