Summer Reading Wrap-Up

Fall is here. The meteorologist says it arrived at 8:05 PM on Tuesday, but for me autumn always begins with my first pumpkin spice latte! That happened last Saturday. So before I get too carried away with the colors and flavors of the season, l'll pause for a summer reading wrap-up. As you can see from the photo, I had the extra pleasure of late August and September reading on the rooftop of our NYC rental.

Here is the original list I posted in June, along with a note on how I fared with each title:

BOOK CLUB

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan  ✅   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)

Sisters of a Halved Heart by Nayantara Roy ✅   ⭐⭐⭐⭐  (my review)

AUSTEN IN AUGUST

The Annotated Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, David Shapard ✅  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (my review)

Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley - In progress, 70%, now on the back burner 

The Other Bennett Sister  by Janice Hadlow ✖ - I wasn't in the mood for a retelling.

NEW RELEASE PRIORITIES

Whistler by Ann Patchett ✅   ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  (my review)

John of John by Douglas Stuart ✖ - I'm still on the library hold list

Villa Coco by Andrew Sean Greer - DNF, 20%

Summerland Cove by Ellen Baker ✅   ⭐⭐⭐⭐  (no review yet)

ONGOING GROUP READ

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy ✅ - 78%, still on schedule

I'm happy to have finished so many books on that original list. In addition I also read two early fall book club selections and several impulse reads. Those included:

Troika by Irena Smith  ⭐⭐⭐💫 (book club, my review)

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild ⭐⭐⭐💫  (book club, my review)

Murder takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman ⭐⭐⭐💫 (mystery, my review)

The Death of the Heart by Elizabeth Bowen ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (classic, my review)

Departure(s) by Julian Barnes  ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 (literary fiction, my review)

Kin by Tayari Jones ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (literary fiction, my review)

Daddy Long-Legs by Jean Webster ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (classic, my review)

How was your summer reading? Did you stick to your original list?

A Sunday Salon from NYC

Hello, friends and happy Sunday from NYC! We've been here for a couple of weeks and have settled into a comfortable city routine. Baby Aaron is thriving, his parents are adjusting to their new lives, and we help out most days. I've also enjoyed exploring the neighborhood, spending some free time on our rooftop, and discovering new restaurants. This is the view from our apartment looking west to the Hudson River.

I've finished a couple of books and am still keeping up with the War and Peace reading schedule. This afternoon I'll walk to the massive Upper West Side Barnes and Noble... as soon as the rain lets up!

Recent reading//

Troika: Three Generations, Three Days, and a Very American Road Trip by Irena Smith

On the surface Troika is the story of a three-day road trip along the California coast, but it's actually much more. Irena Smith uses that trip with her mother and daughter as a vehicle (😉) to tell a larger story. She delves into her family history in Soviet Russia, their immigration to the US in the 1970s, plus her own life story. Along the way, she weaves in parallels with The Odyssey and discusses The White Lotus television series. I have not watched the show, but imagine these references contain spoilers. The memoir is well-written, creatively constructed, and I enjoyed listening to the author narrate her own story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finding Grace by Loretta Rothschild

I'd decided to skip this debut novel when it was published last year for two reasons. I don't like the cover - shallow, I know - and I wasn't up for a domestic page-turner centered around a tragedy and reproductive technology. Then MMD book club announced its October selection.

 Since it was immediately available on Libby, I decide to dive right in. It was indeed a page-turner and I enjoyed it more than expected. I won't say anything more about the plot, but there is certainly plenty to discuss with book club!

⭐⭐⭐⭐  (3.5 stars, rounded up)

Current reading//

The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen

I've been craving another Elizabeth Bowen novel since I finished The Death of the Heart a few month ago. Just started this coming-of-age story set in Ireland yesterday.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

The epic year-long group read continues...

How was your week? What have you been reading?

The Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at Readerbuzz.

 

He's here!!

Happy September from NYC. Baby Aaron (named after my father-in-law) has arrived! He checked in a few days early on August 28th weighing just over 7 pounds. Mom and baby are fine, Dad is as proud as can be, and Winnie-the-Whippet, initially suspicious, seems happy with her expanded pack. Grandma and Grandpa can't stop smiling!

I'll get back to books in another week or two, but for now I'm preoccupied with this little guy. 😍