Focus on Reading - Week 45 - Next Up

[Booknblues]

When you finish what you are reading now, what do you plan to read next? Why? What do you think will be interesting about it?

[Meli]

I am about to finish The Other Black Girl, such a propulsive and suspenseful thriller, and after that I am not sure. I will be off for 2 weeks on vacation so I love to have big reading sessions during this vacay time.

I have Iron Widow, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and When Women Were Dragons.

I plan to read The Book Woman's Daughter the 2nd week in July because I booked an airBNB in the Appalachia area of southern Kentucky.

[Amy]

I cannot wait to be done with this horrible audio! Marrying the Ketchups! Like I’m wondering now about the idea of DNFing an audio. I always know what’s next up. Playing with my list is one of my favorite pastimes.

Well, I have a whole lineup for July. There is the tag and Trim. I am attracted the book for Jewish Book Club for July, and it’s high priority on my TBR - Unorthodox by Naomi Raven. Also, I had planned to read the Invisible Life of Addie La Rue for June for LGBTQ. But then decided to read it instead with my local book club that I run in July. So I’m sort of saving it for them. Those are the first four. Then there’s all my summer books that I’m really excited about, some poolside reads, a bunch of which I think I might pick up with our HayJay. I have Women in Fire out from the library and that is happening in July for sure!

But what is after Madame Fourcade and Abigail? Well I think it might actually be Jodi Piccoult’s Wish You We’re Here. I think that those 3+ the horrible audio I’ll probably be the only able to knock those off if I’m honest before the end of June. But here’s another interesting thing about July for me. I’m going to Israel for 10 days. Now normally when I travel I take like six bucks with me

[Amy]

My phone is making me break up my post. So as I was saying, when I travel I took like six books with me. But this one is a long 10-12 hour flight. And expect there will be a lot of travel within Israel somehow. Plus some downtime because we’re traveling with my parents. So what I tend to do on trips is take books that I own, so when I am done with them, I gift them, leave them, etc. I can think of six books already that are high up on my TBR that I actually own, that will encompass some of those ten days of the trip. Easy, unless I’m sleeping or watching movies, to knock off a book each other way there on the way back home. So this will be a great catch up time, I hope, with owned books!

[Meli]

Oh wow, that will be a fun trip, Amy!

[Heather Reads Books]

Booknblues wrote: "When you finish what you are reading now, what do you plan to read next? Why? What do you think will be interesting about it?"

Right now I'm reading Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age, for my trim read and Walk Down History Lane, which I am enjoying quite a bit. After that I'm planning to get back to our A Song of Ice and Fire reread and read the next section of A Clash of Kings. Then I've got The Song of Achilles for my book club pick. I think that will definitely get me into July, after which my schedule is a bit more nebulous...

I've also got Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic still floating around - I wanted to read it for LGBT but I've found two other books fitting that tag and at about 40 pages in I'm not sure it's for me at the moment. It's very good but the subject matter being the death of the author's father is maybe a bit too heavy for me right now. I was thinking it might be cathartic, but IDK. I may circle back around to it, especially if "memoir" wins for July, but we'll see.

I've also got Assassin's Apprentice checked out from the library as one of my trim reads, but I think that's going to have to wait until July also – if "high fantasy" wins, I'm golden there!

[Joanne]

I have 5-6 books always on the nightstand. When I finish one, another one takes it place. Next in line for me:

Remember Me: A Spanish Civil War Novel-I am hoping this is a good one. I know very little about the Spanish Civil War and the non-fiction ones I found were too dry for me. Switching my focus to fiction and hope it it pays off. This is a new to me author

The Race for Paris-I picked it because it will fit in a challenge I am doing-no idea what to expect

[Booknblues]

Joanne wrote: "I have 5-6 books always on the nightstand. When I finish one, another one takes it place. Next in line for me:

Remember Me: A Spanish Civil War Novel-I am hoping this is a good one..."

I am currently reading After Story which is on the Miles Franklin longlist and The Race for Paris is one that I am considering reading next.

Other's in the running are The Other Man for the LGBTQ tag , The War in Venice which I had preorder and I like to read those right away to justify the preorder and The Lost Ones because I recently rediscovered it.

Editing in, I may also read On Juneteenth as it seems appropriate.

[Patricia]

Booknblues wrote: "When you finish what you are reading now, what do you plan to read next? Why? What do you think will be interesting about it?"

I'm currently reading Wonder and The Sun Down Motel. I'm planning to read the next is The Once and Future Witches and The Great Gatsby. Both of my books are from my buddy reads and one of my books is from my BOTM. In The once the and the future witches I think about childhood abuse, betrayal, abortion, romantic love (between two women and a man and a woman), transgender identity, racial segregation, and plenty of social justice. And the great gatsby is the character to explore themes of materialism and the American Dream.

[KateNZ]

I hope you love Wonder, Patricia. A little treasure of a book, I think.

Next up for me is to catch up on my Trim books including Women of Troy, and Autumn. I am so far behind!. Addie La Rue is on my Trim list (number not drawn yet, but since it fits the month’s tag, I might skip it up.

[Theresa]

I've got some Feminerdy Book Club reading to catch up on, and I am excited about them! They are a bit quirky and definitely different. I am in the mood for just that. Which means I am probably not reading either June Unofficial Trim option yet, or anything else lingering next to the couch, on the nightstand, or for any challenge, after I finish my 2 most active current reads - The Unfinished Clue and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan.

Feminerdy July pick is A Master of Djinn, P. Djèlí Clark's first full length novel set in his alternate history steampunk Cairo full of Djinn and mystical elements. I have loved his short stories and novella in this world. Plus it fills one of my 12 lingering Popsugar prompts.

I am also eager to read Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Feminerdy read this when I was a less dedicated clubber or had a conflict (Proust sidelined several reads), and a few months later Harrow the Ninth. My Feminerdy gals just love these necromancers and there are plans to read the third, which means I need to catch up soon!

I decided a couple months ago to read all the Feminerdy picks which I missed before I became committed to the group, especially since we are talking about continuing a few of the series (not just the necromancers) where we read and liked the first. One that has really appealed to me is The Black Tides of Heaven.

Best part: every single one of these Feminerdy reads fits LGBT. Feminerdy gravitates not only to books exploring women and feminism, but also gender in its broadest terms. We have really lively discussions, even virtually.

[Joy D]

I read many books at once. I used to single thread my books but found reading multiples help me get through them quicker.

I decide on them based on the challenges I have ongoing. I also do a "pick it for me" every month where a person picks a designated number, usually three, from a short list of options. I put books on this that I will be reading for challenges or those that qualify for the chosen PBT tag. I also have several "trim the TBRs" going on where a random number will select my next read.

I also sometimes get a "wild hair" and randomly decide to read a given book. For example, NetGalley recently offered me two books - Lessons by Ian McEwan and How We Disappear by Tara Lynn Masih - and I am going to start both of these soon.

[Theresa]

Joanne wrote: "I have 5-6 books always on the nightstand. When I finish one, another one takes it place. Next in line for me:

Remember Me: A Spanish Civil War Novel-I am hoping this is a good one..."

I know what you mean about knowing little about the Spanish Civil War. I have definitely learned quite a bit from Paula McLain's books on Hemingway's wives, and another fiction about Martha Gelhorn and Hemingway, Beautiful Exiles. I wish some of those writers so busy with WWII historical fiction woukd turn their research and pen to the Spanish Civil War.

[Robin P]

I will be reading The Vanishing Half for my local library book group and Belinda for my GR classics group. I recently finished the audio of The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue and plan to listen to the sequel, The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. I am rereading the Lord Peter mysteries of Dorothy L. Sayers and am on Gaudy Night, so next I will read Busman's Honeymoon.

[Sallys]

I am reading To Paradise which I love, love love. Next is my History Walk book, which is the Alice Network. I'm very excited about my reading plans since I'll be off for the summer and I have several others on deck including The Secrets Between Us, Where te River Ends and They Called It Camelot.

[Joanne]

Sallys wrote: "I am reading To Paradise which I love, love love. Next is my History Walk book, which is the Alice Network. I'm very excited about my reading plans since I'll be off for the summer and I have sever..."

I read The Secrets Between Us early this month and loved it Sallys, hoping you do too

[Patricia]

KateNZ wrote: "I hope you love Wonder, Patricia. A little treasure of a book, I think.

Next up for me is to catch up on my Trim books including Women of Troy, and Autumn. I am so far behind!. Addie La Rue is on..."

Thanks! It gets interesting to me now:) I love August, Summer, Jack Will, Charlotte, and Daisy(August dog)

[Jgrace]

I've been in a slump, dragging my way through The Thirty Names of Night (very sad) and Fingersmith (sad and disturbing). I haven't been tempted to leave them unfinished; both books are well written and thought provoking, but far from cheerful. I've finally pushed myself to finish Fingersmith and hope to finish the other today. After that I NEED something lighter.

I'm thinking I'll try The House in the Cerulean Sea

[Theresa]

Jgrace wrote: "I've been in a slump, dragging my way through The Thirty Names of Night (very sad) and Fingersmith (sad and disturbing). I haven't been tempted to leave them unfinish..."

Go for The House in the Cerulean Sea! It is EXACTLY the right antidote for all the sad and depressing but still excellent you have been reading! My reading of it a few months ago came at a point where I was bogged down in too much -- especially work -- and it lifted me right up.

[Meli]

@Jgrace, I second Theresa, The House in the Cerulean Sea is just what you need! It is so cute and heartwarming. I absolutely loved it. Very uplifting.

[Joy D]

I am reading it now (The House in the Cerulean Sea). What a sweet story!

[Rachel N.]

I echo everyone else in saying definitely read the House in the Cerulean Sea. It is definitely lighter and heartwarming.

[Charlotte]

The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of those books that I wish I could read again for the first time!

[Robin P]

Jgrace wrote: "I've been in a slump, dragging my way through The Thirty Names of Night (very sad) and Fingersmith (sad and disturbing). I haven't been tempted to leave them unfinish..."

I loved Affinity and expected Fingersmith to be similar. But when it got to the 3rd or 4th plot twist, I wanted to throw the book across the room, and I stopped reading. I guess it is more in the genre of a thriller, where people have the ability to carry out incredibly elaborate deceptions over time, but it became ridiculous to me.

[NancyJ]

Jgrace wrote: "I've been in a slump, dragging my way through The Thirty Names of Night (very sad) and Fingersmith (sad and disturbing). I haven't been tempted to leave them unfinish..."

I started the month with those two books too. I struggled with Thirty Names of Night. The writing is lovely but the story was like water - very hard to hold on to. It took two tries to get through it. I felt so burnt out after May (which was probably a record month for me due to a readathon), I couldn't stay awake to listen to Fingersmith. It's long so I set it aside for a time when I could get excited about it. I'm in a slump right now, and I'm having a hard time getting excited about all the other books I had planned for this month. I've started and stopped several books, but I'm going to try Beartown, and Agatha of Little Neon next. The print book of The Guncle is waiting for me at the library too.

My brain was so foggy, I downloaded Behold the Dreamers, when I meant to get The Great Believers. I was 3 hours in when I realized it was not going to be an LGBT book.

[Jgrace]

NancyJ wrote: "Jgrace wrote: "I've been in a slump, dragging my way through The Thirty Names of Night (very sad) and Fingersmith (sad and disturbing). I haven't been tempted to leav..."

I'd say you need something lighter as much as I did. I started listening to The House in the Cerulean Sea and haven't yet returned to Thirty Names of Night. I had some hours of driving and Cerulean Sea grabbed my attention. It was so much fun!