3 Recommended Books + Travel Reading
I've had a crazy spring. Between travel, my lace workshop, and the
holiday, I feel as if I haven't worked a full workweek since mid-April.
It's all a lot of fun, but I'm really ready to just say no to squeezing
five days' worth of work into only three or four.
On
Monday, I shared my thoughts on some of the audiobooks I've listened to
lately. Today are brief musings on some of the print and digital books
I've read or am still reading.
How Not to Die Alone by Richard Roper
(Putnam, May 28): I'm a huge fan of quirky premises and characters, so I
pretty much knew I'd really enjoy this novel. Andrew works for the
government, trying to track down the next of kin when a person dies
alone without any obvious clues to friends or family. He's a loner and
is mostly okay with that. There's only one hitch: his work colleagues
think he's a happily married man with two kids. Even that's okay . . .
until he meets the new employee, that is. Peggy reawakens Andrew's
ability to connect with others, but how will he be able to reveal all
his secrets? Fun and different with characters that are easy to root for
or boo at. (print copy provided by the publisher)
Time Museum Volume 2 by Matthew Loux
(First Second, June 11): This is the second entry in the Time Museum
series starring a group of kids who work at a natural history museum.
This isn't your usual museum though, it's a portal to different worlds
and different time periods. Each member of the youthful squad has a
unique skill, and together they manage to get out of scrapes. In this
installment they are sent to the French court of 1778, where they have
to correct a glitch in time. The fun starts when the squad is given a
new instructor--none other than Richard Nixon. The series is geared to a
middle grade audience and is filled with action, humor, good art, a
recurring bad guy, and (a little) young love. The time loop theme was
sometimes hard to follow, but I still liked the story and artwork and
seeing how the kids are maturing and learning to work as a team.
(digital copy provided by the publisher)
The Weather Machine: A Journey Inside the Forecast by Andrew Blum
(Ecco; June 25): I've always been interested in the weather and
forecasting, and since moving to same county that houses AccuWeather's
headquarters, my interest has only increased over the years. I've been
reading this book slowly (a chapter every few days) and haven't finished
yet. I've learned a lot about the history of forecasting, the science
of meteorology, and the technology that drives them. The weather is one
area in which countries throughout the world freely share knowledge and
data. Blum visits weather stations, talks to weather experts, and tells
us about the art and science behind the daily forecast. Try to imagine
living in the days before the telegraph or telephone, when major storms
could hit at any time, giving you absolutely no warning or time to
prepare. Fascinating stuff. (digital copy provided by the publisher)
And here's what I've loaded onto my phone for listening and onto my tablet for reading as I get ready for yet another trip.
- The Shepherd's Hut by Tim Winton (Picador, June 11): a kind of coming-of-age story set in Australia. This is my first Winton novel, and I have high hopes for this book, which has won much praise. (print review copy)
- With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (HarperTeen, May 7): The author, the food aspects, and the message to trust one's talents all call to me. Also part of #WeNeedDiverseBooks (digital review copy)
- Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips (Knopf, May 14): This is a totally new setting (Kamchatka) for me and promises to be a combo thriller and community story. (audiobook freelance assignment)
- Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear (Gallery; March 5): Now that I know I like science fiction, I thought I give this much, much, much praised first in a new space opera series a try. (audiobook review copy)
5 comments:
I think I'd like to read How Not to Die Alone as well. The Weather Machine sounds interesting even though they never seem to get the forecast right around here.
How Not to Die Alone sounds fun.
I’ve always meant to read more of Tim Winton than I have.
Have a great reading week
I've heard such great things about the Elizabeth Acevedo book!
Tim Winton was on my radar too. I had signed up for an Aussie Reading challenge so that would certainly fit in.
I have How Not To Die Alone and With the Fire on High on my TBR pile as well.
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