Monday again? There is nothing like a vacation filled with family, momentous occasions (high school graduation, reunion with college friends) to dynamite even the best of reading intentions. What I mean is: I didn’t finish Everybody’s Son until last night. Yes, I only read one book last week, which is…bizarre. OK, I binge watched the new season of Orange is the New Black, but don’t hold that against me, all right?! I have television addiction issues. Not really, but being in Cleveland also meant being caught up in the Cavaliers basketball fervor so I watched basketball for the first time in I-don’t-know-when. Which, again, cut into my reading time
Television excuses aside, it’s Monday and even though I’m still in Ohio, I’m getting back on the reading trail. This week I decided to dip back into historical fiction with an author whose last book I thoroughly enjoyed even though it was about a dark time in U.S. history—the 1950s and the fear of Communism. Much has been written about Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, but author Jillian Cantor focuses on Ethel in her novel The Hours Count. The female perspective made it that much more interesting to me. I’m hoping she does the same thing in her new novel, The Lost Letter, which is set in Austria during World War II—a subject I return to time and again in my fiction reading. I’ve not read any fiction about Austria at that time so am looking forward to that.
I’m also hoping to finish Katherine Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity. I have the audio version and listened to the majority of it on a three-hour road trip I made to Buffalo. It’s a stark reminder of the levels of poverty that can exist in the midst of prosperity and growth.
Hope you’re having a great vacation! I have The Hours Count on my TBR.
Look at you, blogging on vacation!! Hope you’re having a great time.
I just finished The Prince of Tides and I’m just so newly and completely in love with Pat Conroy now I can’t bear to start another book. I tagged you and April on instagram to recommend Tides if you haven’t read it before.
When I finally get it together, I will get back to what I’m reading for book club, Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. It has quite the “Stand by Me” feel to it so far.
Wasn’t it gorgeous?! He had such a beautiful way with words. I liked his other novels but Prince of Tides was far and away my favorite. I also really loved the movie.
I haven’t read anything by Krueger but know people who love him so I’ll be interested to see what you think!
I’m glad you’re enjoying your vacation. Not reading can be a very good sign! I struggled with The Hours Count, so I’ll be curious what you think of The Lost Letter.
I’m enjoying it so far. I may get tired of them someday, but for now I am still drawn in by WWII stories!