With all of our activities lately, I suppose it was bound to happen... and it did. I got Covid, again. I started feeling rotten Monday, tested Wednesday morning, and finally began feeling more like myself again by Friday night. Today I'm almost back to normal, but it's been a long week.
Recent Reading//
by Claudia Piñeiro, translated by Frances Riddle
This novel really got to me. Several days have passed and I can't seem to shake it. The author was able to do so much in just 150 pages - truly masterful. Let me warn you thought, it's a difficult novel to read, especially if Parkinson's Disease has impacted someone in your life.
Elena is an elderly widow suffering from Parkinson's Disease. Her daughter, and full-time caregiver, is found hanging in the church bell tower one morning. The death is ruled a suicide, but Elena knows this can't be true and sets out to prove it. I thought this was going to be a murder mystery, but the novel evolves into an examination of their mother-daughter relationship instead.
I read this book for Women in Translation month. The ebook and audio are both available on hoopla.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Current reading//
by Jane Austen, David M. Shapard
This is a reread for me, but the first time I've ever read an annotated edition.
Dayswork by Chris Bachelder and Jennifer Habel
This is such an unusual novel! Strangely interesting, but I have to keep reminding myself that it's fiction. I've read about a third of it.
In the endless days of the pandemic, a woman spends her time sorting fact from fiction in the life and work of Herman Melville....Absorbing, charming, and intimate, Dayswork considers the blurry lines between life and literature, the slippage between what happens and what gets recorded, and the ways we locate ourselves in the lives of others. In wry, epigrammatic prose, Chris Bachelder and Jennifer Habel have crafted an exquisite and daring novel.
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
I didn't had the brain power for this book while I was sick, so set it aside for most of the week. With about 200 pages to go, I'm hoping to finish this week.
The week ahead//
This will hopefully be a low-key week. I'll be happy get the basics accomplished (grocery shopping, cleaning, laundry, etc.) and spend the afternoons reading.
How was your week? What have you been reading?
The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
Impressive book list! I’ve read Team of Rivals and learned a lot from it.
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Mae - Team of Rivals is making me want to visit several Civil War battlefields on our dive to/from FL this winter. We visited several years ago, but there are more I'd like to see.
DeleteOh no, I am so sorry to hear you got Covid. Hope it wasn't a severe case and you'll be better soon.
ReplyDeleteElena Knows sounds like a tough read but I may add it for next year's WIT. Dayswork is getting added to Goodreads. I am almost done with A Girl Returned for WIT and will see what is next. Feel better!!
Tina - I felt pretty rotten for two days, and was really glad to be over the worst! Elena Knows is, as far as I can tell, that author's only novel that's been translated. She's such a talent... I sure hope we get English versions of more of her work! A Girl Returned is on my shelf (think I got it from a library book sale) so I'll be curious to hear what you think.
DeleteSorry to hear you got Covid again, glad you are getting better. It's making another round where I love too and I don't want it to come anywhere near me or my family! I'm still ordering groceries and only go into stores one in a while.
ReplyDeleteVicki - Thanks, it's been a tough week and now I am so far behind on everything... sigh. We've had so many weddings and family events, it almost seemed inevitable that I'd get it again. I'm just glad to get it out of the way before our daughter's wedding next month!
DeleteThat's rotten, JoAnn, but I'm glad you're feeling better. I'm having some construction done in my house, which has been a distraction from reading this week. Hopefully we'll both have good book weeks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa. I hope your construction isn't too much of a disruption. Good luck!
DeleteI'm so sorry to hear about your Covid. I'm glad you are starting to feel better. I hope this is a better week for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yvonne.
DeleteAdding Elea Knows to my TBR. I am trying to make a list of books which are less than 200 pages to read during Novella November.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Hope you get a chance to try Elena Knows. I keep a running list of short books, too.
DeleteI'm glad you're feeling better now!!! The Elena book sounds good!
ReplyDeleteJinjer - I am so impressed by this author's skill... hope you get a chance to take a look at it.
DeleteMy husband got sick, and then I got sick a week or so before I left to sit with the chickens. We never thought to test for Covid, and we didn't have any of the key Covid features; it could have been a cold or flu. But I still have a bit of lingering congestion. I'm sorry you got sick. Somehow it doesn't feel right to get sick in summer.
ReplyDeleteI'll add Elena Knows to my list. Maybe I will find a copy of it.
Deb - I still had a bunch of covid tests, so thought'd I'd use one. I was purposely waiting until the updated booster comes out to get another shot, too...
DeleteSorry about the Covid!! I loved Dayswork. Unusual indeed. I just finished Fresh Water for Flowers, which I loved, but there's so much sadness in it that it's hard to recommend. But a beautiful book nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteAmy - Dayswork actually has me interest in *possibly* reading Moby Dick... something I NEVER thought possible! Fresh Water for Flowers is is my summer stack, but it looks like I won't get to it before Labor Day.
DeleteOh no! I am glad to hear that you are feeling better. My dad actually had it two weeks ago!
ReplyDeleteErin - It seems like there's so much of it around right now! I was waiting for the updated vaccine before getting another one... sigh.
DeleteI'm glad you're feeling better!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jen.
DeleteI'm sorry to hear about the covid. Ugh. Hope you get plenty of rest. Sounds like you're almost done with it now. I had it once after our trip to Italy last Oct. and man for two days I was out with a fever. I look forward to your thoughts on Team of Rivals. Enjoy your week.
ReplyDeleteSusan - I feel so much better, but am left with that nagging cough. But two days were pretty rough...
DeleteOh, bummer! I'm sorry you got covid again. My aunt just got over it, as did my brother. Our numbers are super high in our area right now, but I hope we continue to remain covid virgins since we have a big trip coming up in a few weeks. I'm glad you're feeling better and that it didn't last too long.
ReplyDeleteElena Knows sounds like a powerful read, and with your 5-star rating, I'll have to give it a try someday.
Take care and get some rest!
Les - I hope you continue to avoid covid, I'm just glad we got it before the wedding. That would have been a disaster! Elena Knows is such a well-constructed novel... as the notes at the end say, we observed Elena's transition from hubris to humility. Pretty impressive.
DeleteI'm glad that you're feeling better from COVID. A friend of mine got it for the first time this summer. It exacerbated a bunch of symptoms from her chronic illnesses. It's been weeks and she's finally starting to feel a bit better.
ReplyDeleteJoy - I think folks with chronic illnesses are in a tough spot right now. Many are trying to wait until the updated vaccine is out this fall, while weighing the risks of their conditions. I'm glad your friend has turned the corner.
DeleteI hope you're feeling better! Elena Knows is one I need to read. Everybody seems to love it.
ReplyDeleteAj - Elena Knows is really a stunning novel. I hope more of her work gets translated.
DeleteI am so sorry that you got Covid, but am glad to hear you are starting to feel better.
ReplyDeleteMy best friend's mom (like my second mom) has Parkinson's so that novel might be a tough one. It is such an unforgiving disease.
Helen - I really feel like this book is almost too hard to read if Parkinson's has hit too close... it's such an awful disease.
DeleteOh no for Covid! I hope you're feeling better. I'm not sure on Elena Knows. It sounds wonderfully powerful and poignant but I've recently found out I've got a few genetic markers that indicate an increased risk for Parkinsons so I'm not sure taht would be a good read for me. I hope you're having a wonderful week!
ReplyDeleteKatherine - Last night was the first time I didn't cough as much, so that's progress. I'd recommend you skip Elena Knows.
DeleteI am sorry to hear you caught COVID! I have been counting the days since our visit to the amusement parks, praying we won't get sick. It's been on the rise again from what I've heard. I am glad you are starting to feel better and hope you feel completely better soon.
ReplyDeleteElena Knows sounds like it would be a very emotional and worthwhile read. I will have to look for it. I hope you are enjoying your current reads!
Have a great week, JoAnn! I have one more day of vacation before I have to go back to work. I feel like my daughter getting ready to go back to school--I don't want to! Haha.
Wendy - I hope you all manage to remain covid-free after your visit to the parks. Enjoy your last week of vacation!
DeleteOhhh I adore those annotated version of Jane Austen's books.
ReplyDeleteBrona - I'm loving the annotated edition, too. Can't believe I haven't tried one until now!! Of course, I'm going to need the others...
DeleteGreat blog
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteElena knows would be a difficult read for me. We have a good friend suffering from Parkinsons.
ReplyDeleteJudee - You'd probably wise to give this a pass for now...
DeleteSo sorry to hear that Covid has hit...again. Such a drag to the end of your summer. Hopefully you're on the mend. Elena Knows sounds powerful but rough going, although the discussion of mother/daughter does appeal to me. Maybe someday I will tackle it--thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteJaneGS - We finally have Covid behind us, but it did give me enough reading time to finish both Persuasion and Team of Rivals. I'm on a roll with 5-star reads this month!
DeleteCan't believe I'm just seeing this...so far behind on blog reading at the moment. I suppose (and hope) that you are all better by now and that things are getting back to normal for you. I'm especially intrigued by Elena Knows because my best friend's wife has been suffering from Parkinson's for the last few years, and it is truly heartbreaking to watch what is gradually happening to her.
ReplyDeleteSam - Yes, I've finally recovered from Covid. The cough lingered longer than I would have liked, but it gave me some extra time at home to just relax and read. Yesterday I finally finished Team of Rivals and think it's one of the best books I've ever read! Elena Knows turned out to be something completely different than I was expecting... and I'm still thinking about it.
Delete