Weekly Book Recap #72

Welcome summer!  A more relaxed time of year, with extra reading time and fun outdoor activities.  It's what I tell myself at this time every year, as I envision going here and there; doing this and that.  Then reality sets in and the summer flies by, and I discover I haven't done half the things I wanted to do.  Maybe this year will be different.  Oh well, hope springs eternal.

Anyway, just when I thought I had organized all my BEA goodies, I came across another tote bag of books.  I'll be sharing these in today's post, as well as the books I've downloaded and borrowed from the library over the past couple of weeks.

These book updates are being shared on the following blogs:

 

 Sunday Post hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer  

Showcase Sunday hosted by Vicky at  Books, Biscuits, and Tea
It's Monday! What Are You Reading? hosted by Sheila at Book Journey 

Finished reading . . .

  Dollbaby by Laura Lane McNeal.

Dollbaby is a touching debut novel and coming-of-age story set in New Orleans during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.  Although the setting may draw comparisons to The Help, the relationships between characters and the story itself take on different dimensions and focus.  Dollbaby revolves around two families, the Bells and the Trouts, whose histories and fates are intertwined over a number of generations.  Their triumphs and tragedies, both shared and separate, along with strong female characters, deliver a moving account of the human experience.  This book will be available on July 8, 2014 and I highly recommend it.

    Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill

Dept. of Speculation is the story of a married couple that chronicles the ups and downs of their relationship. After adjusting to characters without names and a mostly stream-of-consciousness narrative style, the 177 pages flew by, hitting their mark. I am still thinking about these characters and how they navigated the challenges of contemporary life and love.

Currently reading . . .

The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger; Chestnut Street by Maeve Binchy

Listening to . . .

      Death on Demand by Carolyn G. Hart 

More books from BEA . . .

 

Madame Picasso by Anne Girard

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

Lucky Harbor by Jill Shalvis (This is actually three novels in one volume:  Lucky in Love, At Last, and Forever and a Day)

 

The Saint  by Tiffany Reisz

Mistress of Night and Dawn by Vina Jackson 

The Best Kind of Trouble by Lauren Dane

Borrowed from the library . . .

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones 

Hedy's Folly by Richard Rhodes 

Scoop! by Hannah Dennison 

                                  

The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide . . . How cute is this cover????

Books downloaded . . .

True North by Marie Force 

Safe by the Marshal's Side by Shirlee McCoy 

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater 

The Intercept by Dick Wolf 

Night Swim by Jessica Keener 

The Flyer by Stuart Harrison

Out of Focus by Nancy Naigle 

The Murder at Sissingham Hall by Clara Benson 

Where There's Smoke by Jodi Picoult (short story)

Reading next . . .

   The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide

What did you read this week?  

. . . What did you add to your shelves or wish list?  

. . . . . . What are you reading next?

Enjoy life with books . . .

Catherine

Weekly Book Recap #72 was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.