Hello, friends. It's been a beautiful week here with comfortably warm temperatures and low humidity - perfect for morning walks on the beach, afternoon reading on the shaded lanai, and catching the sunset after dinner. And that's pretty much what I did last week!
Recent reading//
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
“If you don’t have love, you don’t properly exist. If you don’t properly exist, you don’t have love.”
This a stunning novel - expansive and immersive. From grand overarching themes of culture, identity, and belonging, to more minute details of food, clothing, plants, and animals, plus numerous references to art and literature - there is just SO much here. And in addition to all that, there's a really good story, too! Desai is undoubtedly a brilliant woman and I can see why this book took her ten years to write. Every sentence is painstakingly perfect.
Did I catch all of it? Absolutely not. With 670 pages, I'm sure plenty went over my head. But I was fascinated by what I did absorb. I could have (should have?) spent twice as much time on this book - googling all those minute details, consulting maps more often, and looking up historical background information. This is a book which begs to be reread... though I'm not sure I'll have the stamina anytime soon.
This was a read/listen combination for me and the audio edition narrated by Sneha Mathan enhanced my reading experience.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Snow in April by Rosamunde Pilcher
After all the effort required to read Sonia and Sunny, it was a pleasure to settle into Rosamunde Pilcher's cozy world of 1970s London and Scotland. However, with only 257 pages, I wasn't there nearly long enough. The plot felt rushed and the characters were not fully developed. Still, I enjoyed every page and wish there had been more of them.
⭐⭐⭐💫
Current reading//
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 8 by Beth Brower
Volume 9 has yet to be released and I don't want my time with Emma to come to an end! I'm slowing down to make this last...
The Irish Goodbye: Micro Memoirs by Beth Ann Fennelly
I found this audiobook, narrated by the author, on hoopla. 17%.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
The year-long slow read continues. 35%
We have two weeks left of our Florida season, so I'm hoping for one more peaceful week of beach walks, reading, and sunsets before the packing begins!
How was your week? What have you been reading?
Love the wispy clouds in your sunset photo! I'm glad you're getting some decent weather.
ReplyDeleteI've read a few reviews for Desai's novel and I don't think it's for me. I'm glad you had a good reading experience with it. And, I agree about the Pilcher book. I'm pretty sure I've read it, but I definitely prefer her longer novels. I might even be ready for another reading of Coming Home or Winter Solstice. Her books are so comforting.
I'm always surprised when you announce that you are getting ready to head back up north! If you didn't have family commitments, would you stay longer in Florida?
I'm STILL reading The Lacuna, but I'm really loving it. I should make time to read it during the day since I've started falling asleep earlier and only get a few pages in each night. The other night, after watching The Pitt, I read for a bit and wound up having a dream about an assassination attempt on Trotsky's life, and the staff from The Pitt were on hand to help with the injured. Lol!
Enjoy your week, JoAnn!
Les - As impressed as I am by Desai's novel, I can't really think of anyone I'd recommend it to. I would suggest borrowing it from the library and reading a sample to anyone who is interested.... it's a lot!
DeleteI've loved all of Pilcher's long novels and have read a few of them multiple times, but this is only the second or third of her short novels I've tried. She seems to do better with a larger canvas, doesn't she? I have one more short novel on my kindle, The Carousel. We'll see when I get to it.
After we sold our NY house, we were in FL Oct 1 through July, then rented in CT for Aug/Sept. We bought in CT in 2022 just months before Ian - what a blessing! Now, with my FIL gone and the kids in CT, it feels like our base is shifting again. When we lived in NY, May was nicer in FL, but May in CT is perfect. It's good to experience spring. Fingers crossed the fowering trees are still in bloom when we get back!
Glad you are loving The Lacuna! I'm sure I'll read it at some point :)
I read The Irish Goodbye yesterday, and I loved it. I hope you enjoy it, too. I went to see Kiran Desai in Houston when The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny came out, and I immediately bought the book and read it. I agree with you; it was an excellent read.
ReplyDeleteDeb - The audio was available on hoopla and it's really good! I'm going to the library to look for a print copy, too. I'd love to hear Kiran Desai talk... will see if I can find a video interview.
DeleteYour review of Sonia and Sunny convinced me to pick up this book and give it a go. It is so long I feel myself shying away from making a commitment to it, but now I'm all in.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Brace yourself, Sonia and Sunny requires effort and concentration, but I thought it was excellent. Have you read her before? This was my introduction and now I want to search out her backlist.
DeleteSounds like a great week of reading and enjoying life. Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteHelen - Thanks . The winter season has flown, but this has been the best year since before Ian!
DeleteSounds like a relaxing week. Your books look like good ones. Hope you have a great week!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Yvonne. I got all my errands done today, so I'm looking forward to a low-key week.
DeleteOh no only two weeks left there (sad) ... seems time passed quickly. Love the beach photo up top, beautiful. And glad for your Sonia & Sunny review, yay! You did well to get through it ... I'd like to read it but not sure when. That's a commitment, and things are busy for spring. Pilcher could be talking about the snow in April here, ha ha.
ReplyDeleteSusan - There has been snow across central and western NY, too... winter doesn't want to give up yet! Sonia and Sunny is really wonderful, but I'd have a hard time recommending it to anyone, if that makes sense.
DeleteAgain, the picture is lovely. That is a Pilcher book that I haven't read. One day, maybe. Only two more weeks for you guys. Enjoy them very much!!
ReplyDeleteKay - I really love stepping into Pilcher's world, but this one was just too short. I keep taking photos, but they never really do justice to how beautiful the sky actually is!
DeleteI'm reading the first Emma Lion book next month and am really looking forward to it. I have mixed feelings about Pilcher's shorter books. They just don't have quite the same magic as her longer books though I do love her short stories.
ReplyDeleteKatherine - I didn't realize Pilcher wrote short stories, too! I'll look for them. Thanks.
DeleteI hope you get good weather!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your week
Thanks, Shelleyrae. Hope your week is off to a good start.
DeleteOur library has the Desai book but there is a bit of a wait. I went ahead and put a hold on it because it will be a while before i can get to anyway. Not sure it will grab me after reading some comments but, who knows.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I had plans for some books then the newest Jane Harper book came in so I jumped on it and ened up bored. I've loved her Aaron Falk series and The Lost Man but this one wasn;t for me. Funny how that happens with favorite authors.
Tina - I know you're a fan of Jane Harper, so am glad you got her new book! Like I said, I really can't think of anyone I'd recommend Sonia and Sunny to, despite being so impressed by it myself. It's probably one of those books a reader just needs to sample and see whether it appeals. It seems like it doesn't for most people, but I found it fascinating.
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