Stacked-Up Book Thoughts: My Reading, Listening, & Viewing Life

Where does the time go? I was busy with work this week, but still took advantage of the mild days to do some yard work in between the rain. The weekend was gorgeous, and I loved spending time on the deck reading and relaxing.

In other news, I went on a book organizing binge. Boy is it hard to make decisions about what to keep and what to donate. By the end of the weekend, I had culled print books that I know I'm never going to read, books I'm never going to read again, and books I also own as eBooks or eGalleys. Although painful, it's satisfying to see the pile of books I plan to share with friends and family.

What I Read Last Week

Kiss Carlo by Adriana Trigiani (Harper, 2017): First, a minor disclaimer: I've met Adriana several times, and although I'm not sure she'd remember who I am, I like her and enjoy her company. Her newest book revisits many of her beloved themes--the Italian-American experience, family, food, and romance. I love Trigiani's sense of humor and her easy-to-connect-with characters. There are a several plot lines in Kiss Carlo, including a family feud, a struggling theater, and a slow-burning match made in heaven. I also liked the post-WWII time period and love the Philadelphia setting, both of which informed the atmosphere of the novel. Start your red sauce, prepare your pasta, and get ready to be embraced by all things Italian! This is a fun read, perfect for a summer afternoon. The audiobook (Harper Audio; 16 hr, 2 min) was read by Edoardo Ballerini, who toed the edge of being overly enthusiastic but still put in a listenable performance (more on the audiobook at AudioFile magazine).

The Confusion of Languages by Siobhan Fallon (Putnam, 2017): I have nothing but good to say about Fallon's debut novel. I shouldn't have been surprised because I loved her short stories (You Know When the Men Are Gone). Cassie and Margaret have little in common except their husbands are in the military and both are stationed in Jordan. Cassie, who understands how it is for American women in a Muslim country, takes newcomer Margaret under her wing, and the two become friends of a sort. The novel explores Americans overseas, religious and cultural differences, women's roles, marriage, parenthood, friendship, and secrets. You might not like the women--they're certainly not perfect--but I found it difficult to put the book down. It's emotionally strong and I liked the details of what it's like to be a soldier's wife in the Mideast. I was quickly invested the friends' fates, opting for a combination read / listen of the novel because I couldn't put the book down. As for the audiobook, I enjoyed the performances by Jorjeana Marie and Lauren Fortgang (Penguin Audio; 10 hr, 21 min), who worked well together, increasing my connection to the characters and their individual perspectives on life in Jordan. Highly recommended in either medium.

Miscellaneous

ON TELEVISION, we've finally finished Bloodline. The series is set in the Florida keys and focuses on the Rayburn family in all their messed-up glory! I'm not at all sure what I thought about the final episode. No spoilers, but I was confused most of the time, and I have only a vague idea of what happened to the Rayburns at the end. I'll have to watch that episode again. Still, it was a series worth your time, especially if you like dark themes and a very dysfunctional family. We started Shetland, which is a mystery series set in, well, the Shetlands (duh!). So far we like the characters and love the scenery. We have several streaming shows to catch up on, including Bosch, Orange Is the New Black, Frankie and Grace, and House of Cards. We'll chip away at them slowly ...

AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE: Penguin Random House Audio thinks everyone should be familiar with the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence and so is offering a free audio stream of both founding documents, which you can listen to anytime between June 27 and July 31. According to their press release, the project is in partnership "with numerous bestselling authors and organizations, including PEN America and the National Coalition Against Censorship," and they plan to use the hashtag #WeThePeopleListen across all their social media. Narrators Frank Langella and Boyd Gaines bring these documents to life. Click on the link to learn more about this project and to listen in.