Catching Up About Recent Reads

Has it honestly been a month since I've blogged about my reading and entertainment adventures? Wow . . . March really got away from me, I guess! Well, let's get caught up, then.

Oddly enough, I haven't read a ton of books since I lasted posted about Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck. I did begin another adventure with Diana Gabaldon, cracking open The Fiery Cross, the fifth book in her Outlander series. I currently have that book on hold at page 175. I know I've said this before, but those books are very long, very detailed, and require a lot of concentration. Don't get me wrong! I'm a huge fan! But I'm pursuing some other reads while taking a little break from that world.

I tried to read Heads in Bed, Jacob Tomsky's memoir of his time in the hospitality industry, but I was disappointed. The book failed my 60-page rule and I found that I just didn't care to know more. 

The best stuff I've read in the last month has been from Barbara Delinsky, a new-to-me author. I received an advance copy of her soon-to-be-released book Sweet Salt Air and just adored it. I'll be sharing a review of that book in June at the On a Book Bender blog where I'm now an associate reviewer! I'm very excited about that development, as you may well imagine. Barbara Delinsky also has a very sweet short story, The Right Wrong Number, that is free to download and read. I thoroughly enjoyed it, so be sure to check it out.

Which brings us up to what I'm currently reading - and what's next in line. At the moment, I'm currently between two books; one fiction and one nonfiction. The fiction book is by a new author, Tanis Rideout, titled Above All Things. It's a historical, fictionalized account of George Mallory's climb of Mount Everest and it focuses not only on the climb, but also on George's marriage to his wife, Ruth. So far, I'm thoroughly enjoying the novel. The nonfiction book I'm reading is titled Listening is an Act of Love and it's a selection of stories that have been shared in various StoryCorps recording booths. Fascinating, touching, and very interesting stories from all kinds of people from all walks of life.

After those books, I'm reading Tomorrow, When the War Began and P.S. I Love You, as well as returning to The Fiery Cross. (And maybe sprinkling in some stories from Studs Terkel's Working, when that arrives at the library!) 

So, that's what has been and is going on with me: now it's your turn. What have you read that has blown you away? What book are you itching to get your hands on? I'm all ears.