This month I did a little better in the book department.
A friend gave me this book and I really enjoyed it. I probably wouldn't have found it myself. A husband on life after children and a failing marriage. It's first person and I think that's an interesting perspective. I'm very close to all my kids leaving home, one went a few years ago and 2 will go by next year. It makes for a strange space, physically and mentally. Not that our situation is the same (thankfully) but you do wonder what it will be like. I also liked that you could be 50 something and still so lost in who you are and what you want to do. As are the people he meets up with from his past, or they aren't but they've created a funny life for themselves.
This was for the
podcast bookclub - I do love reading what they choose and then listening to their discussion. I think I had read this long ago - I find all the Christie's vaguely familliar but I never remember exactly what happened. I did know who did it as I read along but I couldn't quite remember the how and why. Or maybe if you've read enough of her books you start figuring it out, even without following the clues. As I've said before, I'm more Poirot or Tommy & Tuppence than Miss Marple but I didn't find Marple as annoying as I normally do - maybe because she was in it less than in the short stories. As an aside, last month I read one of
Christie's thrillers (not mystery) and it's really different and great fun.
I didn't love this - I didn't really learn much so for me it's not a must read. I think a lot of it is intuitive. As we have a lot of friends retiring, it was interesting though, as a lot are struggling with it. One went back to work after a few months! So the book is good if you've not really thought about things or if you wonder why you do the things you do. The starting point is the 110 year olds on Okinawa. I thought there would be some great insight there but I guess it's real life and that's made up of a million little things.
This was a book club book. I thought it was going to be terrible by the cover so I listened to the audio on Audible. You could say it was a little derivative - I had the feeling I was familliar with the story, but can't place exactly which book I was thinking of (so maybe that was just in my head). I was engrossed and really enjoyed it. It's a creepy, uncomfortable read. Definitely a great page turner!
This was mentioned by
Kwarkito and I was intrigued. A few decades ago I started the New Words Dept and from time to time I would call out for the creation of a wrod among friends - it's a sort of game I play with my friends. This is the perfect book for me. I am carrying around when I go to plays by myself*, as it's the perfect dip in, dip out book. Really enjoying it. It's part poetry, part philosphy and part humour. It's also pop culture and art history and literary references too...I don't think it would work in audio but what do I know?
*I have a little theatre club and four of us go to plays together but I booked one and realised I was at Ultra so had to move my ticket, and then for the next play they all had to move their tickets due to work travel and I was already at a different play the night they moved it to, so again went solo. I think next play we are all together again though!
This was picked at random because I liked the cover. I was checking the library audio selection for The Others and this was on the landing page of BorrowBox. It's a young adult book but I'm really engrossed. There's a lot in in about happiness, mental health, fitting in and LBGT issues - predominately the bit that is really making me uncomfortable is the character who has not really come out and his internal monologue everytime everyone makes comments assuming everyone is heterosexual. I have to admit, even as a ally, I recognise I do this too. It's interesting the feeling Silver is creating in me. But that aside, it's also a rollicking action story. Creepy undercurrent of unclear intent and the reader is trying to figure out what exactly is going on, along with the characters.Would recoomend both for late teens and adults.
As an aside, Josh Silver is out for the Writers Festival at Marrickville Library on the 24th of May. It's free but you need to reserve a spot. He's talking about his new book, Fruit Fly. I would def go except I'm already at another ticketed event, which is disappointing.
Bookings are here.
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