Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Winter Book Report



I guess it's no big surprise that I didn't get to many of the books on my Winter Reading list. I seem to write up these lists and then promptly forget about them. And I must admit that none of the books I did make it through were really winners for me. I did, however, manage to fit in some reading (and even found some gems) so I thought I would share a little book report of what I did manage to get to. 

Let's start with the books from that list:

The Goldfinch // Donna Tartt

So I was slightly disappointed by this one. I did think it was well written, and it was certainly an interesting story but I guess I just found it a little depressing.

Great Expectations // Charles Dickens

I'm sort of on the fence about this one as well. As I mentioned in that original post, I picked this up after realizing that the only Dickens I'd ever read was A Christmas Carol. While I didn't love it, I'm not quite ready to give up on Dickens yet and hope to pick up another one of his books at some point in the future.

Tender Hooks // Beth Ann Fennelley 

Again, I was a bit disappointed with this one. This is a book of poetry by the same author who wrote Great with Child (which I LOVED), covering a range of topics but centering mostly around motherhood. There were some gems in here, but overall just not one of my favorites.   

Just a note on two more books from the list: I've still got both All The Light We Cannot See and Career of Evil on my radar. Just waiting on Waldi to finish one and my library to get the other and then I'm good to go! 


And here's what else I've been reading:

The Rosie Project // Graeme Simsion

I really enjoyed this one and tore through it in just a few days. It was funny, entertaining and endearing. 

Call The Midwife // Jennifer Worth

Waldi gave me this for Christmas and after watching the BBC series, I couldn't wait to pick it up. I really enjoyed both the story and the author's writing voice. It's also special to me since my own Grandmother was a midwife in the UK during this same time period, though she didn't work in London's East End. This adds just an extra layer of meaning to an already excellent memoir.

A Homemade Life // Molly Wizenberg

I first heard about this book through the WSIRN podcast, and ordered it immediately based on the way it was described. I throughly enjoyed it. I certainly always enjoy a good book about food, and this one had it all- laughter, tears, and plenty of delicious recipes to try out. Plus, it's set partly in Paris, San Fransisco and the PNW- all places I know and love.  

The Paper Sky // El Gruer

This was one of the best books I read over the winter months. I've mentioned it several times before (and even interviewed the author here) but I thought I would throw it into the mix one more time. 


I've also been reading several books on pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, which I'm thinking of sharing in a separate post soon. And there will most likely be a new reading list for Spring/Summer soon because even if I don't manage to get all the way through them, they still are fun to write! 

If you're curious, currently I'm reading The Alchemest by Paulo Coelho, and I've just checked out The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith from the library. 

3 comments:

  1. always enjoy seeing your reading list....adding a couple to mine for our book club to consider!!! thanks

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  2. So nice to hear what others are reading! I think I have The Goldfinch on my shelf from a coworker, but haven't cracked it open yet. And if you're looking to give Dickens another try, I really enjoyed Bleak House. The title put me off for the longest time, but it was a great read.

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  3. I'm a new reader to your Blog - enjoying your photographs and your knitting a lot. "All the light we cannot see" is a really good book ...... keep it on your list. That's a gorgeous blanket you're knitting.

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