Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
While I do love this series, this one just didn’t grab me like the others have. It’s needed to keep the series going, and we need to know what is going on with the characters, but the other books in the series were better.
The above linked article is a list of books to read to make yourself well-read. I personally think there are others that one could read, also, but this is a start.
I know I’m not as well-read as I could be, and the fact that I have only read a few of these shows me that. I truly disagree with the fifty shades series being literature and I will continue to refuse to read them. I think that they make no one well-read.
The author’s point, though, was to give the idea that it’s not what you read in certain genres that make you well read, it’s reading across many genres. You don’t want to read just one and say you’ve read a lot.
Another point that the author makes is that the more a person reads, the more that person realizes that she isn’t well- read. There’s always more to read.
Here’s a list of some of the genres the author recommends reading. I disagree with the actual book suggestions, but they are just suggestions and the author’s attempt to get the point of the article across.
Western Classics (Ancient & Modern): to give you a good foundation for the who’s who of Western literature.
Dystopia: the stuff of our worst fears and nightmares.
Science Fiction & Fantasy: we can’t overlook the geeky cousin of the classics, can we?
Great American Novels: these zeitgeist works practically defined a time period of U.S. history.
Literary Heavy Hitters: books that make people go “Whoa, dude!” when you say that you’ve read them.
Popular Fiction: those guilty indulgences that everyone has read (but won’t necessarily admit to it). Warning: this is U.S.-centric, feel free to indulge in your country’s guilty pleasures.
Immigrant Experience (U.S./U.K.): ah, the magical experience of being thrust into a new culture.
Non-Western Classics (Ancient): if Westerners get theirs, so should the rest of the world.
Non-Western Classics (Modern): the stuff that you should read to feel worldly and well-read. (More applicable if you’re from the U.S. or Western Europe.)
Satire: throw in a little giggle into your reading list.
The above linked article is a review on the series, The Watch. It’s based on Terry Pratchett’s writings. I haven’t read very many of them, but I’ve enjoyed what I’ve read so far. It sounds like the reviewer isn’t so fond of the series, but I plan on watching it anyhow.
The series beginning is on BBC America January 3.
Coming Out Party by Nikki Levy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I picked this up to read during Pride month, but I didn’t quite get there. I finished it this week. I loved the stories, but the intro to the book and the intro to each story left a lot to be desired. I would recommend the stories, but skip the intros.
The actual question should be, “what kind of bookworm are you?” I did score a 20 here. What about you?
I was looking at the bookshelf inserts in the above linked article. I decided that I wanted one. They are adorable! Then, I started looking at prices. Nope. Not happening. While they are beautiful, I just can’t justify spending that much money on decorations for my book stack. I still enjoy looking at the photos of them, though.
Angie Thomas has a new book coming out! It’s set for release in January 2021. The above link tells about the book, and what we should expect. It sounds like it is a prequel to The Hate U Give. I am excited!
Again, I missed Wednesday’s post, so Friday will have to do.
I am finishing up Magic for Liars which was for bookclub last week. It’s on audiobook, and I am thoroughly enjoying it.
I am finishing up my Kindle book, Enchanted Ever After. It’s the latest in the Enchanted, Inc series, and I have loved every one of the books so far, including this one.
I am still working on the library book about Alcatraz. I may finish it this weekend.
I have to choose a book stack book to get done. They are starting to take over. It kind of reminds me of The Blob.
I decided to go to this book signing last week. It sounded interesting, so I preordered the book, so I wouldn’t back out.
I had had a long day at work, so I took myself to dinner at Parada 22, which is a Puerto Rican restaurant, with delicious food. I had a glass of wine and read a bit.
It was still early when I left the restaurant, so my book and I wandered over to the Alembic, next door to the bookstore. This is a brown butter old fashioned. It was better than I thought it would be. Delicious.
Amanda Rosenberg came out and announced that she hated doing these events and even though she looked calm, she was a wreck. Instant sympathy from me.
Casey Childers came and announced that he never leaves the house, so they were not paired up well for this event. They actually worked beautifully together.
After the Q&A portion, there was a book signing. I got in line and found that the author was chit chatting with everyone. My anxiety kicked in. I didn’t have anything to talk about. I got distracted by the fact that I had had a seat reserved in the front row, because I had preordered the book. No one told me I had a seat saved. I was glad I didn’t know, because it was in the front row. I picked up the note with my name on it and stuck it to the paper I already had stuck in the book.
I started thinking about how anxious I would have been in the front row, so I was distracted when it was my turn for my book to be signed. I said hello and thanked the author for coming. She thanked me and told me she was surprised there were so many people there and it made her nervous. She saw my note from my seat and asked if that was my name. Yes, it was! I didn’t have to spell it for her or anything.
On my way out, I bumped into her husband and he thanked me for coming, and then the other author thanked me for coming. I didn’t sneak out undetected.
I am glad I went and I’m looking forward to reading the book soon. It’s in the book stack at the moment.
I got a notification that yesterday was my anniversary with WordPress. I had started the blog on another site, but moved to this one after a few months.
Many posts and many books later, we are still here, and still having adventures.
I hope to get to the gym more, and travel some more. Many more books are going to be read. Hopefully many more adventures will be had, too.
Maybe more guest bloggers, but I sure hope that there will be more guest blog posts.
Here’s to a new year!
