Bits and Bobs for the Weekend

Just a few things for the weekend.  I will be spending most of my reading time with Kate Quinn's The Alice Network which I have been reading for my bookclub.  I was hesitant to pick it up as war stories tend to wear on me, but this has a slightly different spin and I am really quite enjoying it.  It is a dual narrative set in WWI France and post-WWII London and France.  Whenever I think of the French Occupation by the Germans I always think of WWII, but this is a story of a women's spy network in the First World War.  There is a dash of humor in the more contemporary setting, but a loathsome hotelier and collaborator in the earlier thread which feels pretty smarmy.  I am looking forward to seeing how it all comes together!

B&N announced their next Book Club read (I've been going to my local B&N's book club and we choose other books to read in between the 'big reads'.  Marie Benedict's The Only Woman in the Room will be discussed February 5.  I'll start it as soon as I finish the Quinn.  It had been on my wishlist, so it was bumped up the list and I've already got my copy.

I've got a few other books I'll be dipping into as well this weekend.

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I've come across oodles of interesting things online to read in my 'spare time', so perhaps I'll corral them here.

If I do a little double dipping (or maybe triple dipping between my prompts and Read Harder and now my library's challenge), I might be able to complete my public library's 2019 Reading Challenge.  It is actually pretty low key and I think they might have been inspired by Book Riot's challenge but left the tasks a bit broader.  Another list to tick away at.  (Oh, and I think I am going to invest in the Read Harder log book, because it just looks like a fun journal to have).

You know how I like to anticipate new forthcoming books.  I already have been eyeing a number of these on The Millions Most Anticipated list.

And I am all for adding more works in translation to  my reading list!

And yes, more new and forthcoming books.  Because you really can't have a wishlist that is too long.

I think I need to listen to this new podcast about libraries!

I want to diversify my reading this year and read more authors of color or #ownvoices authors (see Read Harder Challenge tasks), so this discussion of the Changing Face of Crime Fiction will likely give me a few new authors to add to my list.

The Costa Book Awards were announced and I think I need to read a few of them (most notably I need to get around to reading Sally Rooney).

I am currently (probably only temporarily) streaming HBO (so I can watch the first season of My Brilliant Friend) and I want to finally watch Big Little Lies.  I love this promo shot they have of season two.  It makes me think I have been missing out on something good.  I have not yet read Liane Moriarty (Should I?  In this case I think I am just happy watching the TV series)

I think I am going to follow this feature over at Criminal Element-they are revisiting all the Edgar Award winners for best novel from 1954 to present.  I might add a few new books to my TBR pile, I think.  And I am always interested in finding new crime novels that I have not yet come across.

So much reading to get caught up with, right?  Is there such a thing as being caught up on your reading, though?

Comments

[cathy]

I enjoyed The Alice Network. When I read about courageous women like these, I always wonder what I would do in similar circumstances. Step up to the plate, I hope.

The Only Woman in the Room is on hold for me - 4 people ahead. That's OK, gives me time to finish some of the other books already beside my chair. Marie Benedict will be coming to a local bookstore. I'm hoping I can make it there to hear her. I've enjoyed her other books.

[LizF]

I'm on the waiting list for The Alice Network as it looks fascinating. My want-to-read list gets longer by the minute which doesn't exactly fit with my need to start making inroads on my shelves and shelves of unread books!
I haven't made any reading plans for this year apart from the usual one of trying to read more of the classics - I'm currently embarked on Les Miserables so heaven knows how long I will take to read that at 10 pages a day!
I'm going to give Elena Ferrante another go - maybe this year I will manage to get along with her!
I actually really like Liane Moriarty's work - I did like the first TV series of Big Little Lies but I actually preferred the book which I had read a year or so before. I think the books have that Aussie edge to them which I really like and she is a compelling story teller.

[Jeane]

The Room of Requirement podcast is very, very good. I listened to it twice while working a puzzle this week. I still can't decide which segement I liked best- and I definitely added a book to my reading list, and possibly a visit destination for one day!

[Danielle]

Lucky you to be able to meet Marie Benedict. We rarely get authors coming through Omaha. I am looking forward to reading her book, though. I am nearly finished with The Alice Network and have enjoyed it very much--I will say, though, I find Rene pretty repugnant and my 'enjoyment' for reading the war sections sagged a bit since he was so much in the picture. I am not sure I could do what Eve did--she has moxie, that's for sure. I had not realized there was such a spy network during WWI and am hoping there is more information at the end of the book on how Quinn did her research!

[Danielle]

I think you will like The Alice Network--it is a bit longer than most of the books I am reading at the moment but it moves quickly. I have totally maxed out the number of holds I can have at the library. If there is something that comes up that I *really* want I have to look at the list and take something else off. Of course this means that everything is going to come in at the same time. I am with you on wanting to read more classics. I have started Their Eyes Were Watching God, which is really good, but it is written in a Southern dialect that has been really slowing me down. I used to be able to read doorstoppers like Les Mis but I cannot seem to make it through classics of any length so I am just trying for shorter books right now. The first time I tried My Brilliant Friend I just could not get into it. But something clicked this last time. I just flew through it surprisingly. I have sort of started the second book--I want to read it, but I need to finish a few other books (book club book) first. I wondered if Big Little Lies would be set in Australia, which I was actually hoping for, but it seems to be set in California. It is kind of quirky so I will keep watching--or chipping away at it anyway--I have a long movie streaming list, too....

[Danielle]

I need to get Room of Requirement set up on my ipod. I sometimes listen at the gym or when I am making dinner. The episodes don't look too long, so the time commitment will work! (I am bad about wanting to do several things at once...or just reading--too much to do and not enough free time--though I know multitasking is not really a good thing from what I hear.).

[iliana]

How large is your book group? My mystery book group is hosted at B&N too and we've been going strong for about 10 years. Really enjoy the group. Thank you for all the cool links. I am definitely going to check out the translation books. Last year I didn't get to read as many books in translation and want to make sure I don't let them slide off my radar!

[Heather Bond]

I just listened to the This American Life episode about libraries. Don’t miss it. You will cry, I guarantee it.

[Danielle]

The book group varies in number. There are a core few of us--maybe five or six who go to most of the meetings. It is the BN book club, so they have their big read--the nationally chosen book, and there are always a few community drop ins but they don't usually come to the in between meetings. We pick a book to read on our own on those months. It is fun and they are all nice ladies. It is just an hour so not too much of a commitment. I think it has not even been a year now since we have started meeting--so cool that your group has been together for so long. I wonder how many books you have read over all that time?

[Danielle]

I have it saved on my podcast list. I guess I shall save it to listen at home and not at the gym! Thanks for the heads up.