What I'm reading this week (4/18/16)

 Last week I finished:

Never have I been more happy to be wrong than when reading A Man Called Ove. I wasn't sure I was going to like it based on the snippet I read online, but right around page 50 I admitted to myself that I loved this book as much as everyone else. There's something a little irresistible about curmudgeonly old men, for one thing. But in addition, the writing is good, it's well-plotted, and the author doesn't fall into many of the traps most writers would when dealing with a man like Ove. I was so happy that Ove didn't do an about-face at the end--a lesser author would have written that in. Backman let's Ove be Ove throughout. I was a teensy bit disappointed in the ending, but I was expecting it.

I also finally finished my reading of the Bible. I'm not sure when I began reading it (2013?), but I took off the better part of a year when I got bogged down in the early old testament. I read the old testament first, then the new, because I really had only been planning to read the gospels, but then kept going. I plan to write a complete post about this soon, but suffice it to say, I'm glad I finally finished it, and I'm not sure I'll do it again any time soon. :)

I found Dana Gioia's 99 Poems better than most poetry collections. There were sections of the book that I didn't enjoy much at all, but I also ran into old friends and made some new ones. This is a book of poetry I'd consider buying for my collection. He writes in form some, and I'd often find myself reading iambic pentameter and thinking, "this is so familiar." Iambic pentameter is sort of like a lullaby to me.

The Story of Diva and Flea was a sweet story of a scaredy-pup and a street cat who become friends in Paris and show each other things the other has never experienced. It's a sweet children's book which I recommend. The illustrations are very nice, too.

Last week I began:

Actually, I started The Soul of an Octopus during my March readcation, but I'm finally getting back to it. If you haven't read anything by Sy Montgomery, you're missing out. She's passionate about animals and that passion is contagious. While I have very little interest in octopuses (it's not "octopi" I learned), she's so enthusiastic that I'm fascinated too.

My audiobook:

 

I didn't realize just how unappetizing listening to a memoir about fileting and cooking fish would be first thing in the morning until this week. Same for blood sauce, lamb, calamari, and even minestrone. Still very much enjoying the book, but there are some things I may not do again, and cooking memoirs at 5:40am might be one of them.  

This week I continue reading:

 

Harriet the Spy. My goodness am I enjoying this book. It's very well written, which shouldn't surprise me since it is a classic, but it seems more intelligent than most middle-grade fiction I've read. I've been reading a chapter each night before bed, and I can't wait for the next night. So glad I picked this one up.