Still here, still reading, although sometimes life gets in the way of posting. This is a fun bit of fluff to read in front of a terrific view.

A book where I loved the themes more than the execution. While it explored three generations of women and their tension with motherhood and abortion, many times it felt like the story never quite got there and came across at points more like an overwrought chick-lit style book.

My bad habit is starting books and then setting them aside to languish for weeks, months, uh… years. I have an entire shelf devoted to these endeavours. This was started in 2019 and finished today. The story, set during Prohibition and the building of the Ambassador bridge, was fascinating but went on a little long for my liking. Still, an intriguing story of a different time.

Apologies for the cursing, but this is a profoundly fucked up, nearly nonsensical story. CW for basically everything from abuse, incest, violence and cannibalism. While the themes of loneliness and social conformity, particularly in Japanese culture, may be relevant it felt like too much of this book was written purely for shock value. If you are looking for another Convenience Store Woman, go elsewhere.

Set in 1960s Britain, this book was a bit of Anna Karenina, a bit of Madame Bovary but with a modern twist in a very British style similar to Ian McEwan or Alan Hollingsworth. Some interesting twists. My first Tessa Hadley, but won‘t be my last.

On to this book which has a very retro, classic feel to it, as though it could have been written 100 years ago.

After all the hype, thought I would start this this morning. Love that the cover matches my bedding. First chapters pulled me right in, but I‘m hoping the case of deliberately quirky, whimsical characters doesn‘t become a bit much too quickly.

Sometimes you start a book in 2018 and you finish it in 2022. An unusual story about a married woman who starts an affair with a woman she meets at the local pool. Rather charged and more erotic than the cover would suggest.

This was a fun bit of summer fluff. It is your friends-to-lovers story, done with a bit more panache than your average teenager romance. It skips back and forth in time and is set in Canadian cottage country and Toronto, which made it highly entertaining as someone who has lived in Ontario her whole life. A very solid beachside book.

A quick read as I nearly forgot I had book club tomorrow. Some stories were better than others, but I couldn‘t help but feel like many of these wouldn‘t stay with me long. The last story, in particular, irritated me in the same way that The Giving Tree did when I read it years ago.

Was excited to read this follow up to Evan‘s A Visit From the Goon Squad. While not necessary to read the prior book, I think it is definitely more enjoyable if you do. I particularly enjoyed finding out a bit more of the lives of each of the characters from the first book. Told as a series of interlinked short stories, this is an examination of social media and the “outsourcing of conscientiousness”. Thought provoking.

Today‘s finish. Some moments I really enjoyed here although the parts that should have meant the most - the interaction between mother and daughter - were the ones that oddly, felt most forced and fell flat.

The cover belies what is inside. This is a story of a woman with an unnamed mental illness and mis-diagnosis, the impact it has on the protagonist‘s life and those around her. While it doesn‘t shy away from the darker moments, it also doesn‘t indulge in prurience and there are also genuine moments of humour. Thoughtful.

A story of the fraught relationship between mother and daughter. Appropriate for Mother‘s Day.

I read this 10 years ago and cannot remember a lot about it, so decided a refresh was in order before jumping into Candy House.

An interesting pairing of the books I‘m reading for two different book clubs right now.

Some fun Sunday morning reading in bed.

Devouring this while waiting for my copy of her newest to arrive.

Loved this book. Looks light and fluffy but there is a depth and sadness here. Ties up a little neatly at the end, but overall a gem of a book.

One of the stranger things about this pandemic has been turning my car into a home office. Since my kiddo, as an elite athlete, was allowed to return to training, but the waiting room/gallery where I usually sit is closed up, I‘ve had to resort to working and spending a lot of time in my car. The good thing is the large amount of reading time I have. Today, it will be finishing this book, which is riveting.

It‘s been a long time since I posted here. Like many I‘ve been tucked away at home, reading like crazy. This is a small sample of what I currently have on the go (as I am not a book monogamist at all) although I can feel I will be giving Hidden Valley Road a lot of attention as it is so compelling. Hope everyone is keeping well!

After school pickup reading. Really looking forward to this one.

A gorgeous gem of a book about love and friendship and
missed opportunities. Winman is sparing in her language, allowing readers to find the story in careful sentences without imposing needless detail or melodrama. Gentle and heartbreaking.

Been a long time since I posted here. In the last year we bought a condo, sold out place, and moved (repeatedly) while we renovated the entire place and then life just got chaotic. Finally starting to feel settled. Kicking off my long weekend with this, in my favourite place.

It‘s been nine months since we made the decision to uproot our lives, sell our house, buy and fully reno a condo from the studs out. This weekend we finally moved in and started to unpack. Our dog moved back home with us. And while there is still a lot to do, the mere act of unpacking my books and starting to settle in has me itchy to read again. So this is where I‘ll start.

Quickly becoming one of my favourite places. I can supervise Bee while she swims and the place is light-filled. While we haven't moved in yet, we swing by whenever we can and when we need to supervise renos. So far this book hasn't completely pulled me in, but I am hopeful.

I did it! I finished a book! A long book! It wasn't the best book, but I finished it! I have enjoyed previous Moriarty books but I found this one ran far too long and many of the reveals just a little too convenient. But given my long break from reading, this was a quick and engaging story. (Shown alongside a recent knitting project that is half completed.)

Dipping my toe back in here and finally looking to finish a book - my first in months. We're hoping to be in our new place by the end of the month, and end our six month odyssey of house sales/moving/moving/moving/renos/moving. I miss my books (99% of which are in storage) and I miss my routine.

Another book finished! And what a lovely one it was. This book can best be thought of as a companion piece to My Name is Lucy Barton, as it is tells the stories of the people from her hometown. I particularly enjoyed how each story was rarely about the protagonist of that story, but rather a device to tell the story of another character. Our stories are never just our own, but merely a thread in a larger tapestry. A lovely, quiet, thoughtful book.

I did it! The longest stretch in my life that I've gone without finishing a book, and I finally did it! While I've been reading here and there, this is the first book I've completed since March. I saw the ballet of this last week, and decided I had to read the play, and I'm so glad I did. Absolutely fabulous take of desire and madness, family and betrayal.

Confession: it has been more than two months since I last finished a book, possibly the longest I've gone in my entire life. Part of that is directly attributable to the insanity of preparing our house for sale and a bad time at work. Part of it is due to resurrecting my knitting hobby. During the last few months it has grounded me, providing row by row evidence that I can be successful at something at a time when I control little else.

When you've made it through the marathon of preparing your house for sale, there is nothing more to do than hope that the vagaries of fate treat you well, all your books are in storage and you have a moment of exhausted weakness at the drug store. ::insert grand sigh here::

Empty bookcases are the saddest bookcases. Struggling with the fact that every book I own will be in storage for a minimum of five to six months.

So we made a momentous decision and have bought a condo! The next few months are going to be a whirlwind of preparing our house for sale, renovating our new space and moving our little family. I think reading is going to be minimal, but soon I'll be back and enjoying a book and this view!

Following up on my earlier post, I'm finally posting my dismal February reading stats. This doesn't cover the several books I have in progress (including Infinite Jest, the Bible, The Nix and Lincoln in the Bardo). Really hoping to bounce back this month!

So February is when the wheels came off. (I sense a theme - last year I got laid off and had a major renovation ongoing). I re-homed on of my three kitties (my beloved sucky boy) with my MIL because he just can't live with other cats and that has been really hard. And after much discussion my husband and I are on the cusp of a big life decision to move on from our house that we don't love. The ship is righting itself but it was rough going.

That moment when you realize the cover of your audiobook perfectly matches the piece you are knitting.

A busy weekend with friends meant not a lot of reading time, but I'm eagerly gulping this book down now prior to watching the HBO series. (I generally prefer to read the book before the movie/TV show. What about you?)

Long weekend views. Glorious light.

Now really sure what to say about this except that they were so SO weird. I admit, sci-fi is not a genre I gravitate to, and graphic novels are new to me, so perhaps I am not the target audience, but I was drawn in by the movie adaptation association. I had a hard time suspending my disbelief for so much of this and found the books deeply disturbing in their depiction of post-apocalyptic social hierarchy. That said, I DID finish them. 🤔

Another night, another trampoline practice, another book. Watching my kid kick butt on her new routines and skills for her upcoming competition (she's just above the "H"). I'm amazed at her strength and resilience. ??

The level of irritation when you get home from the library only to find out your audiobook is missing the first disc. 😡😡😡

Thank you so much to @melissajayne for the lovely #cupidgoespostal gifts. I love the bookmark and I haven't read The German Girl yet (and have been eyeing it in the bookstore). Thank you soooo much to @BookishMarginalia for organizing once again! ❤️❤️❤️

Woohoo! My husband doesn't really do Valentine's Day, so I'm going to take this as a karmic Valentine's gift from my local library. Have been very excited about this audiobook, and am getting right to the business of listening to it.

So these are the three books I'm currently working my way through (yes, I'm finally reading the bible all the way through). Given that all three are fairly complicated and significant investments of time, I have to say I'm really struggling. With the ongoing news and a bad case of the Februarys, I'm feeling like I might need to pick up a lighter read for balance, and just accept I might not be able to stick to timelines for these three. 😔

Finally got this to the post office today (after pulling together all the items the first weekend - sigh!), but am assured that it will arrive in time. Apologies to my #cupidgoespostal match for my terrible wrapping skills. Pretty packages are just NOT my specialty (especially during year end and reporting time at my job) 😂 Hope my match loves the items!

Although this book was already on my list, after hearing the author on Bill Maher last week, I knew I had to read it immediately. Written as a sermon, this is a raw and gut wrenching and should be required reading, particularly in the wake of yesterday's AG confirmation.

Getting to the end of the first #infinitejestbuddyread section for this week and I'm finally starting to find a rhythm. This book is definitely challenging, but fortunately the humour makes it worth it. Trying to get this week's last few pages in on a quick lunch break so I don't have to drag this with me to my daughter's practice tonight. 😂

I'm rather late on the monthly roundup for January, but here are my reading stats for last month. Despite all the terrible news, I managed to finish a fair number of books. Unfortunately I had quite a few meh books in there. February's finishes are definitely going to decrease as I have a few extensive long term reads that I've started. I've started Infinite Jest as part of the read-a-long, and I'm finally reading the Bible cover to cover.

If I wasn't seeing the author speak this week, I would have thrown this book out the window. The "über-feminist" male character has just told a female (lawyer) character he is impressed she correctly used "phalanx" and "spelunking" correctly in a sentence. How FEMINIST of him.

Let it never be said that a man can't write cliché-filled, suspension-disbelief stretching, shitty chick-lit (for sadly, that is where this book fits) as well as any woman.