Here we are in Connecticut! In late June, we spent most of a week driving up from Florida, visiting friends and family. Along the way, we discovered a new-found love of Chapel Hill, NC and an urge to further explore Beaufort, SC. We ended up in Central New York where we spent two and a half weeks with my parents... and loved every second of it!
Now we are at our rental in Connecticut... a charming cottage near the shore. I envision many happy hours reading on the porch or walking down the street to sit by the shoreline!
RECENT READING
by George Packer, narrated by the author
This insightful and thought-provoking book examines our current national situation, how we got here, compares it to past times of turmoil, and offers thoughts on a path forward. I read Packer's The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America in 2017 and was interested in what he had to say about where things stand today.
I kept coming back to the idea that the destruction of a shared reality has done the most damage.
I listened to the audiobook, read by the author, but there was a lot to digest. I plan to purchase a print copy to reread and have also signed up for a free virtual event with the author at a nearby indie.
I'd never read Joshua Henkin and was thrilled to receive this ebook in a Goodreads giveaway. There was so much to enjoy... the NYC setting, complicated family dynamics, and interesting, well-drawn characters. But what I found most fascinating was how Henkin portrays the stress and changing dynamics of a marriage in which one partner develops a serious progressive illness.
Pru Steiner arrives in NYC in the late 1970s, falls in love with and marries her young Shakespeare professor at Columbia, Spence Robin. They have a daughter together and Spence has a son (with whom he has minimal interaction) from a prior marriage. While still in his 50s Spence is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease.
The novel is written with striking tenderness and compassion. It is heart-breaking, funny at times, and filled with love. I look forward to exploring Henkin's backlist.
This just-released (July 6) debut novel is the type of character-driven story I tend to love. With complicated family dynamics, complex characters, and a secret or two, I was completely engaged from the very beginning. The name "Paper Palace" refers to a rustic family compound/camp on Cape Code and the author takes full advantage of that setting with lush descriptions of the physical landscape throughout the novel. The structure adds even more interest. Most of the action takes place over a single weekend, but we gather the backstory through a series of frequent flashbacks. I really enjoyed the writing, too. My only complaint, and it's a big one, is the ending. It left me scratching my head in aggravation... ugh.
by Alexander Lobrano, narrated by Robert Fass
I finished this audio memoir for Paris in July yesterday and will write about it in a separate post. It was, as the title promises, delicious!
CURRENT READING
Diane convinced me to try Joyce Maynard and I was thrilled when this library hold arrived a couple of days ago. Just a chapter or two in, but am enjoying it already!
by Patrick Radden Keefe, narrated by the author
I started this audiobook on my walk this morning. It's over 18 hours long and will take a while to finish, but it's already captured my interest.
The week ahead//
One of our daughters is taking the train up from NYC later this afternoon. She is working remotely this week and will stay through next weekend. The other NYC daughter will arrive with her boyfriend on Friday, and will stay for the rest of the month. My birthday is Thursday, so we will all celebrate together next weekend!
How was your week? What have you been reading?
It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at
Book Date.
