My Last 2 Weeks in Books {12/28/20}

Reading has not been good for me lately (hence the two week wrap up instead of one like usual). I’m not sure if it’s the books I’m picking up, my mood, or the craziness of the holiday month, but nothing I pick up is even remotely engaging to me. I’ve decided to throw in the towel on many of the books I was trying to finish…and try some upcoming 2021 releases!

Instead of reading, I’ve been binging Netflix and Amazon shows. I watch and enjoyed Hanna (Amazon) and I’m almost to Season 4 of The Crown (I can’t wait to see Diana!).

I also compiled my “Best of 2020” lists. You can read them here!

What have you been enjoying these past few weeks – whether that be books, movies, baking, or anything else, I’d love to hear about it!!

Last Week’s Reads:

*** At the Edge of the Haight by Katherine Seligman

I absolutely love San Fransico…it’s my favorite city in the United States. For that reason alone, I was immediately drawn to this book, but I was also curious about 19-year-old Maddy who is homeless and living in Golden Gate Park. When she accidently witnesses a murder, her life is upended as the police and the victim’s parents all want answers from her. Ultimately, I was completely let down by this story. I found it hard to finish (but as you’ll see below, this seems to be a theme for me lately), so I forced myself through this one. It read more like YA and I think it would be a better book for that genre. The story felt very chaotic and disjointed, and it ended very abruptly. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave by Joanna Gaines

This is a pretty good indication of where my reading life is lately! And while this one didn’t take a lot of brainpower, I found a lot of insightful things within its pages. It was the perfect escape for my unfocused brain right now and I’m definitely going to incorporate some of the suggestions in my own home! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Current Reads:

*** Apollo’s Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus On the Way We Live by Nicholas A. Christakis

Still tackling this one!!

How To Argue With a Racist: What Our Genes Do (and Don’t) Say About Human Difference by Adam Rutherford

I don’t know a thing about this one, but it was available on the Libby app so I thought I’d give it a try!

DNF (aka: Not For Me and/or Skipping For Now):

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

Sadly I’ll never know if this one didn’t work for me because of the reading slump I’m in, or if I really just wasn’t into the story. I tried so hard to love this book (it won the 2020 National Book Award for fiction after all!), but, for me, it was pretty boring and uneventful. I definitely wouldn’t trust my opinion because it’s got great ratings on Goodreads and a lot of people are raving about it, so seek out other reviews before deciding whether or not to read it.

DNF at 62%.

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Cannot spend one more second on this book. Try as I might, I just couldn’t finish it.

DNF @ 63%.

*** To Wake the Giant: A Novel of Pearl Harbor by Jeff Shaara

Unfortunately, just when we’re about to get to the bombing of Pearl Harbor (which is all I’ve been waiting for), I’m just too burned out on the story to care anymore. Initially, I was totally into this one because it reminded me of my grandpa who was in the Merchant Marines back in the late 1940s. I figured it was giving me a glimpse into what it must have been like for him. And I was really curious about the Pearl Harbor bombing, but there was just so much detail and cheesy narration that I ultimately lost interest.

DNF @ 52%.

🎧 ***  The Office of Historical Corrections: A Novella and Stories by Danielle Evans

I loved the first story, can’t remember the second one, and no longer cared after the third. 🤷🏼‍♀️

DNF @ 24%.

(#partner #freebooks: All books noted by asterisks (***) indicate I received the book for free from the publisher, the author, or another promotional company to review. All opinions are my own.)