Hello, friends. We've finally had a week of normal Florida winter weather... breezy morning walks, cool evenings, and plenty of sunshine! We checked a few more seasonal maintenance chores off our list last week, plus I had my annual physical. The highlight was a glass of wine on the beach at sunset with friends!
Recent reading//
by Hwang Bo-Reum, translated by Shanna Tan
I cannot resist books about books and reading. Every Day I Read consists of fifty-three short (often just 3 or 4 pages) essays about various aspects of the reading life. This book, originally published in Korean in 2021, was just recently translated into English. I enjoyed the thoughtful, often philosophical, essays about books, reading, and finding ways to incorporate more reading into our daily lives. One of my particular pleasures with this type of book is encountering titles I've read, or at least sampled, over the years. However, since these essays were written in Korean, many (most?) of the books mentioned were, disappointingly, unfamiliar to me. I'm glad I read this one, but also glad I borrowed it from the library.
⭐⭐⭐💫
A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella
This is my latest "read the books I own" selection. Ethan Joella has been on my list of authors to try for several years and I picked up this title on a kindle deal last fall. It's about three people, each going through a difficult time in their lives, whose paths intersect in unexpected ways and, as a result, their lives are all better for the experience. They face challenges, sadness, and struggles, and eventually each character finds happiness or a new path forward. This was a quick, enjoyable read.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Current reading//
This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman
This novel published on Tuesday and I was first on the library hold list. It's a multi-generational family drama told in connected short stories... basically my catnip. I'm really enjoying it so far. (50%)
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Year-long slow read with Footnotes and Tangents
On pause for now//
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
The writing in this novel shines... it is positively gorgeous. But unfortunately, it's not the story I want to read right now. While in the process of trying to commit suicide, a young man named Hai is deterred by an elderly woman with dementia. In exchange for basic living assistance, she takes him into her decrepit home. I was finding their stories to be profoundly depressing and, after 30%, decided to set it aside for now.
The week ahead//
Today I'll check out a craft show on the island, and then I have plenty of cleaning to do. Our NYC daughter and son-in-law arrive tomorrow for the week, then an old friend from central NY arrives the day after they leave! The first neighborhood gathering of the season is coming up and I'm really looking forward to it. There are still a few people we haven't seen yet this year.
I'm hope to squeeze out enough reading time this week to at least stay current with the W&P !
How was your week? What have you been reading?
The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.
