What I am Reading - 7/21/26

 It has been over a month since I sat down and wrote this "column", and it's not like I have had no time. The girls went to camp - all of them. And, then one returned. The "easy" child - the one who doesn't complain. But, I missed her. And it has been hot outside.  Excuses, excuses.  

Currently Reading

Pride and Prejudice.  My fourteen year old daughter read this and now wants me to read the book and watch the movie with her.  Well, I accept!!  It is great, and I can't believe I never read it before.  

Ghost Town, Tom Perotta.  Easy prose, comfort reading.  Know what to expect.  

Recently Finished 

(this will be a long list, because it has been a month)

Land, Maggie O'Farrell.  I am the only one who was not blown away by this book, and it depresses me. My mom loved it, Kate Baer loved it. All those screaming about great literature LOVED it. I slogged through it, and I don't know why.  Maybe it was the deep description of the Irish Landscape and the spirituality of the old Irish religion, or maybe the pace. Anyway, I was more dissippointed in myself rather than the book.  

The Things We Never Say, Elizabeth Strout.  Her new book. It was great. But, I did not like it as much as Tell Me Everything.  

Lady Tremaine, Rachel Hochhouser.  I did pick up this book again (Kindle, actually) and truly enjoyed this book.  A bit far fetched, but fun to read.

Whistler, Ann Patchett.  Another great author and another new book.  This was a great story.

The Gulf of Lions, Caitlin Shertterly.  This is the sequel to the author's previous book, Pete and Alice in Maine.  I enjoyed the scenery descriptions of southern France, and the mother daughter relationships.  I didn't love the main character, which made this book a bit of a slog.  

Under Water, Tara Menon. The author's debut novel. This is about a woman who grew up in Thailand, survived the 2004 Tsunami, and lost her best friend.  I would have liked more details of the Tsunami and less of the main character's inner thoughts.  

The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Volumes 3-8.  I could not stop reading these. These are going to be the books of the year, I believe.  Can't wait for Vol. 9 to return to Emma's world.  

What will I read next:  

I will probably read Jenny Jackson's new book, Shampoo. Or a Madeline L'Engle I found on my parents bookshelf in Cohasset.