WWW Wednesday: October 26

WWW Wednesday answers the book lover’s three favorite questions and is hosted by Taking on a World of Words. Follow the link to read more about it, and see how your TBR pile explodes (wheee). Thank you to Coffee and Cats for introducing me to WWW Wednesday!

What are you currently reading?

I have been neglecting my own books lately in favor of new borrows and buys. To visualize how I feel about this, picture that emoticon of a melting face. There is no good reason I’m not reading my own books. Reasons, yes. Good, solid, evidence-based arguments, nah.

So. Back to my library I go with Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. 

What did you recently finish reading?

My reading tally is higher than usual this week. This is because Dewey’s 24-Hour Readathon, one of the best days of the year, took place on Saturday.

I finished Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger on Monday. The series is about a young girl, Sophie, who discovers she’s not who she thinks she is, and the world is much bigger than she thought. Here’s what I can say without giving away spoilers for those who haven’t read the first book: Though we get one tiny step closer to learning who Sophie is, the mysteries continue to pile up. The action is edge-of-your-seat.

On Saturday, I read The Mothers by Brit Bennett. It’s the kind of book I love: It begins with a major decision, and the rest of the novel explores the implication of that decision on all involved (and on some who had nothing to do with the decision at all). It explores large and small choices, some that are carefully considered and some that are made in the moment, and the ways they reverberate across our lifetimes. We’re not propelled through the story by plot but by the elegant writing and startling insights, which are as immersive and compelling as any mystery.

I also finished When Books Went to War: The Stories That Helped Us Win World War II by Molly Guptill Manning. Manning tells the story of a World War II initiative to get books into the hands of American GIs. I never knew such a program existed, so it was a pleasure to discover it. She traces the story of books in the war from 1930s Germany to the post-war era. We learn how the book program first began and how it evolved over the course of the war. Manning also explores how it impacted soldiers and helped shape the post-war years. It’s a fascinating, poignant story, especially for a book lover.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Sigh. It’s anybody’s guess. My new book purchases and borrows are piling up. My own books have already piled up. My to-read list is piling up. What I’m saying is, piles. Many, Many piles. I’ve been thinking about getting back to Dickens, who I haven’t read in months. Luckily, my library is full of Dickens.