April had a bit of everything: rain, clouds, sun, heat, virus, flowers and ended up with a green world in my neighborhood. Similarly my reading was all over the place, a good thing since I was stuck at home. I just fell into reading and had a good time!
Stats: 12 books read. 10 fiction. 6 by women. 2 thrillers. 3 for My Big Fat Reading Project. 1 poetry. 1 speculative. 2 translated. 1 history.
Places I went: Russia, Turkey, Vietnam, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Spain, France, United States.
Authors new to me: Alex Gilvarry, Serge Pey
Favorite books: The Glass Hotel, The Robber Bride and Unsheltered.
Least favorite: None, I liked them all.
I hope you are surviving this brief breath in eternity, however long it may seem. I hope reading was a solace or escape or even a source of wonder in April. We will get through this.
Another impressive bunch of books. The only one that I have read is Howard Zinn’s famous one. I would like to read all the rest however.
ReplyDeleteAs I am getting a bit less busy with work, I am finally getting to read a bit more.
Zinn's book took some doing. I read a chapter a day. I knew much of what he was saying but to have it all there in one book was almost overwhelming. Still I am glad I finally read the whole thing.
DeleteI am happy for you that you are having more time to read.
That's definitely a good month when you liked them all!
ReplyDeleteIt's the best!
Deletethe Zinn was a rave a few years back; i've never read it but i remember it was controversial... the Pey looks interesting... was it?
ReplyDeleteIt well should have been controversial: good lefty socialism stuff! The Pey book was quite good. I will try to do a review of it.
DeleteThank you for sharing your reading experience. I am new to reading. I've only been at it for maybe ten years, mostly because I did not read well enough to manage a book until I was 40. When I read from people who read, I am encouraged that I wasn't late, but early, because I might never had read at all if I hadn't learned at 40. Thank you for your blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your reading journey. I am late to reading. I did not have sufficient reading skills until i turned 40. More than twenty years have passed since I learned how to read a novel, and yet I still feel like a novice. Your blog encouraged me to want to read those books.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Penny. It is never to late! I hope you do get to read these books.
DeleteYou've had a great month if you read 12 books that you all liked!
ReplyDeleteI hope May has much of the same in store for you and I hope the pandemic will slow down, like over here in The Netherlands.
Thank you, Esther. I expect the slow down in May and I will keep reading books I like!
DeleteI read Unsheltered and liked it and have Akin and The Glass House on my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteI liked Akin too.
DeleteTwelve books and you liked them all? What an amazing month of reading, bordering on the fantastical! I hope May turns out as well.
ReplyDeleteWell, these are fantastical times!
DeleteI've been sad not to have read The Station Eleven yet, but recently also read many suggesting not to read it at the moment. One of these days hopefully.
ReplyDeleteLoved the list of countries you've travelled to this past month. I need to stop randomly choosing a book to read because I'm getting very little armchair travel done that way.
I have a thing for Emily St John Mandel. I have been reading every book of hers as it comes out since her first one. She has a sensibility that resonates with mine. Station Eleven has a way worse pandemic than we are having; it is also full of hope. Don't fear it!
DeleteJudy, in the current times I agree it is best to go with the flow with your reading and it's great to hear you enjoyed your reading so much and got to travel so much in it. And yes, thank you, my reading was a source of wonder and escape during April. Take care and happy reading in May!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jessica for your understanding. May can only be better.
DeleteIt's great that reading lets us visit so many different places, even while we're all stuck at home! I'm glad you enjoyed all of your April books.
ReplyDeleteYes, one of the many benefits of being a reader!
Deletequite an interesting group, so glad you liked them all. I need to dive into Stephenson, don't I?
ReplyDeleteYes, you do need to dive into Stephenson! Beware, because his books are so long, it requires a deep dive. Start with Cryptonomicon and come forward. You have not have had this much fun except maybe with Murakami!
DeleteAnother excellent reading month, Judy! Unsheltered was one of my April favorites, too. I was hoping to reread The Robber Bride after seeing your review, but ended up with Cat's Eye instead since my library had both the ebook and audio. Zinn's book has been on my list for a very long time, but I haven't been in the mood for nonfiction lately. Looking forward to The Glass Hotel. Happy May.
ReplyDeleteCat's Eye is a great Atwood novel. I think it was one of the first I read. I hope you enjoy The Glass Hotel. And have a happy May!
DeleteA strong mix of books! I read The Robber's Bride long ago .... and I'm interested in the Kingsolver & St. John Mandel books ... right now I'm mid-way thru Last Night in Montreal ... and there are some interesting similarities with Station Eleven .... traveling circuses, Shakespeare and journeys. Hmm. a bit curious of The Glass Hotel. April was a strange month .... but will May be any different?
ReplyDeleteYes, a dull month called for a strong mix. I await your review of Last Night in Montreal. As for May, I am planning to stay home and watch the numbers. I fear the reopening is premature but you know, capitalism always wins. (I learned that from Howard Zinn, ha ha. )
DeleteYou read a lot more than I did! And some great titles too!
ReplyDeleteI just pretty much ignored everything and read books. That is how I deal with anything hard.
DeleteWow, sounds like you read a lot last month... Good for you!! Plus you read a lot of diverse reads too.
ReplyDeleteLisa, I did! I like to mix it up.
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