Happy hump day reading! Taking on a World of Words is hosting this fun meme, which I first discovered at Coffee and Cats. It asks three simple but ever alluring questions: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
They’re alluring questions because … because … oh well, I can’t help myself:
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a book lover in possessions of three current reads and 500+ of her own damn books* must be in want of more book suggestions. Or something.
Now that’s out of the way…
What are you currently reading?
I have three books going at the moment, all my own (*flashes victory sign*).
My current nonfiction read is The World Between Two Covers: Reading the Globe by Ann Morgan, which I bought when it first came out. So far, she’s mostly discussing the world literature market forces and how little world literature makes it into the anglosphere. Though it’s not quite what I expected – I’d been hoping to hear more about the books themselves – it’s interesting and thought provoking.
I’m also reading Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein for teaching purposes. Fun fact: This was one of the first books I bought on my Nook. It’s a sneaky book (in the best way possible) that plays with the reader’s head in a big way. This is why I chose it for a teaching text: It rewards the careful reader.
I seem to need always to be reading a Harry Potter novel. This month, it’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Rereading tends to work for me at bedtime, when I don’t want to get sucked into the “just one more chapter” scenario. Knowing what happens in the next chapter makes it (somewhat) easier to turn off the light and go to sleep.
What did you recently finish reading?
On Sunday, I finished Brooklyn by Colm Toibin, which we’re reading for my book group meeting this Friday. I’d heard mixed reviews about it, and opinions seem to be sharply divided into “love it” or “hate it” camps. Reading the first page, I was skeptical that the style would hook me, but the more I read on, the harder it was to put the book down. The prose had a mesmerizing rhythm. I also found the narrative structure fascinating for its meaningful gaps, where what we’re not shown becomes as significant to how we understand the main character as what we’re shown.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Next up is A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy O’Toole. This is my dear friend Jessica’s favorite book, so there’s some pressure there. But I trust Jessica and her awesome taste in books. She is currently reading Harry Potter on account of being gently nudged (or relentlessly badgered – one or the other) about it for months. So basically, we’re trading reading each other’s favorite books.
I’d love to hear thoughts, reflections, suggestions, and lists of what you’re reading in the comments!
*A gross understatement since the figure only represents e-books. Gulp.
Related
Happy hump day reading! Taking on a World of Words is hosting this fun meme, which I first discovered at Coffee and Cats. It asks three simple but ever alluring questions: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
I loved Brooklyn, too! Glad you enjoyed it. Happy reading and thanks for participating in WWW Wednesday!
So fun – thank you! 🙂 It’s great to hear another positive response to Brooklyn too! We’re planning to watch it at our book club meeting on Friday.
I love this idea, and I am so excited to read your thoughts on “Brooklyn”! I can totally understand it being a divisive book, and that makes me all the more agreeably surprised that I actually felt the same as you. The style was so spare and even a bit off-putting at first, but yeah, it totally roped me in, as well. Even though I couldn’t help (quite stupidly, since both books have such different goals) comparing it to one of my all-time favorite books EVER, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”, merely because of the title. That is so sucky on my part, and it made me expect this epic time capsule of a read, and of course, “Brooklyn” had a somewhat different agenda – or at least a different approach to it.
I’d love to hear what you thought of the movie. It came out here and left in a flash and I wasn’t able to see it in theaters – am trying to figure out the best (honest) way to see it otherwise.
As for WWW – love this idea, and am sorry to be so late to the game – work, life stuff, and so on, kept me away, but here goes….
Currently reading/slogging through; “She Captains” by Joan Druett”; “Les hommes viennent de Mars, les femmes viennent de Vénus” (“Men are from Mars, Women are From Venus”) (long story).
Recently finished reading: “The Hidden Life of Dogs” by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas; Toddlers are A**holes: It’s Not Your Fault” by Bunmi Laditan
What I think I’ll read next: I’m searching for a great, engrossing, stimulating fiction read. I have a few books on my list that look like they might fit the bill, or I might follow your noble example and dig into the many e-books I’ve downloaded and never read, to find an unexpected one.
Thanks for sharing this – it was fun, and I hope you enjoy “A Confederacy of Dunces”. I’m curious to see what you think of it!
Hi Alysa! I’ve never read “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”! I borrowed it from my library a while back but never actually found the time to crack it open before the due date. I need to add that one to my list. It’s nice to hear your thoughts on “Brooklyn.” We had an interesting discussion about it. One of the things that came up is that the main character becomes less sympathetic as the story continues, and the ending feels a little too ambiguous for some readers (especially in terms of her motives – very interesting!). For me, it was so fascinating structurally, and that made me appreciate having read it. The film was, for the most part, faithful to the book not only on the plot level but also in terms of the texture of the storytelling. The pacing was slow and, I thought, highly stylized and very pretty. The biggest divergence was with the ending – I liked what they did with it (though I won’t say any more since you haven’t seen it).
Thank you for sharing your reads! It’s fun, isn’t it? I love hearing what everyone’s reading. 🙂 Have I mentioned Station Eleven? I found it very engrossing and thought-provoking, and I have a feeling you’d appreciate it!
I’m reading HBP right now, too, but in Spanish. It’s a fun way for me to remember the language and also remember Harry! I was in the ‘love it’ camp of Brooklyn. I adored the book. My mom, funny enough, hated it. We’ll have to talk about it sometime. Don’t forget to share you link on my post from today so others can find your post. Happy reading and thanks for participating in WWW Wednesday!
That’s a great way to remember the language! I’ve read several of the HP books in Greek for the same reason. 🙂
With Brooklyn, I did appreciate reading it but can see why others might not enjoy it. My book club’s reactions were mixed.