Hello, friends. It's Monday... and I completely ran out of blogging time over the weekend. We did lose an hour though, right? Today I've just got a very quick reading update, then next weekend I'll be back with a regular Sunday Salon.
Recent reading//
The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz
I really enjoyed this unusual family drama and am planning to write a review post this week. For now I'll just tell you it was a 4.5 star read for me, but Julia Whelan's narration bumped my rating up to 5 stars!
Current reading//
by Maya Angelou, narrated by the author
This is a slow read/listen combination for me ... just a chapter or two a day.
by Rebecca Makkai
My library ebook hold arrived yesterday, so I just started this book... and it's probably the reason you didn't see a post from me yesterday!
That's my abbreviated reading update. What are you reading this week?
Nice assortment of books. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy. I've been enjoying my books lately.
DeleteI'm glad you were able to pop in, JoAnn, for a quick update. The Latecomer and I Have Some Questions for You are both books I am curious about. I look forward to hearing more about the books and more about what is going on in the other parts of your life next week.
ReplyDeleteDeb - Hope to get a review for The Latecomers up within the next few days.
DeleteI like the description of The Latecomer and have added it to my Goodreads list. Our library has a copy so will request once I see the order of incoming requests. I noticed the author's middle name of Hanff. Wonder is she is a relation to Helene Hanff who wrote 84, Charing Cross Road?
ReplyDeleteTina - The Latecomer was definitely a unique family drama! I see Las beat me to googling, but yes Jean Hanff Korelitz appears to be a cousin of Helene Hanff.
DeleteThe Latecomer sounds good, especially on audio with JW narrating! I'll take a look for it on Libro.fm. I already have Makkai's book ready to listen to once I get caught up on some other audiobooks. I'm listening to Cutting For Stone (2nd reading) for book club and it's a bit slow going since it's been too rainy to get outside for my walks. I finished Dani Shapiro's Signal Fires a couple of days ago and thought it was fantastic!
ReplyDeleteTina, I did some research and found out that Jean Hanff Korelitz is Helene Hanff's cousin. You can read more here.
Les - I've enjoyed several of Julia Whelan's audio lately! It's too soon to listen to her again though, so I Have Some Questions for You will be all in print for me. So glad Signal Fires was a hit with you... it was one of my favorites last year. Shapiro has become one of my favorite authors.
DeleteI love that photo! I'm looking forward to your review of The Latecomer. Thought I had read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings but after clicking your link to read see what it's about I realized I hadn't. I Have Some Questions for You sounds good!
ReplyDeleteVicki - I've been meaning to read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings for years! Last week Laurie mentioned it on her blog and it was available at the library, so here I am ... at last!
DeleteI just got The Latecomer in print from the library, but I love Julia Whalen as a narrator, too, so maybe it would be worth the wait for the downloadable audio to come in! Your photo of the beach is making me jealous. I can't wait till we have some nice weather for walking on the beach again!
ReplyDeleteLaurie - If Julia Whelan is a favorite, I'd definitely recommend waiting until you can get the audio...the read/listen combination elevated what might have been a 4 or 4.5 star read to a 5 for me.
DeleteJW also narrates I Have Some Questions for You, but it's too soon for me to listen to her again. I feel like I'm still listening to the Oppenheimer's story! Instead I'm listening to Maya Angelou... thanks for reminding me of this book!
The audio was available from the library network that has a check-out period of 21 days instead of 14, so I've just snapped it up! I can do a read/listen combination.
DeleteGreat!!
DeleteThank goodness for your sunsets, so beautiful and inspiring. Well you'll have to let us know about the Makkai novel. It's hard to get a library copy of that. I'm reading Hang the Moon right now and hope it'll turn out to be good. Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteSusan - We keep telling ourselves that those sunsets are why we stay!The Makkai novel is off to a good start, but at this point very different from The Great Believers. That novel was a favorite the year I read it.
DeleteOh, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is so powerful and good. I hope you're enjoying your read of it.
ReplyDeleteHelen - I am! Listening to Maya Angelou read her words definitely adds to the experience.
DeleteI've only read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and it was a wonderful book. But an audiobook narrated by Maya Angelou herself added the charm to your reading, no doubt. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteFanda - It's a little slower listening rather than reading, but Angelou speaking her own words is worth it!
DeleteAlso reading I Have Some Questions for You (a read/listen combo for me) and LOVING it. You're right, it does have a different feel than The Great Believers, which was one of my favorite books that year. And Signal Fires is up next on my list.
ReplyDeleteMelissa - The Great Believers was a favorite the year I read it, too. This one is so different, but I'm fully invested now. I'm considering making it a read/listen, but I just listened to JW read The Latecomers and am wondering if it's too soon to hear her again. Might be a good experiment...
DeleteI LOVED Signal Fires and will be interested to hear what you think. BTW, I just got a copy of Demon Copperhead and plan to read it next month.
I don't do well with the time change on this side of things. I'll be groggy for at least a month! I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings in high school but I really should reread it. I'm sure I'd get so much more out of it.
ReplyDeleteKatherine - I really hate time changes... especially the spring ahead. I'm still trying to get back on schedule. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is even better than I was expecting!
DeleteI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings became available for me last week, but my present book to listen to is intense and 17 hours long to I delayed it til the next person is done with it. Hope you are enjoying your reading this week.
ReplyDeleteCheriee - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is excellent on audio. You are in for a treat when you're ready for it!
DeleteThe first few days of Daylight Savings Time are rough aren't they? Hope you've been enjoying your reads! I read I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings so many years ago and should probably re-read.
ReplyDeleteIliana - I don't seem to mind the fall time change, but spring is really tough. It's SO dark in the morning...
DeleteI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is such a powerful book!