TBR-Sept’16
It sure took me a while to post my TBR, didn’t it? Why, you ask? I have two words for you. Summer .Vacation. For my toddler, of course. When does a mom ever get a vacation! Anyway, school starts in full swing next week. I’m going to miss her constant chatter, but honestly, I cannot wait for all that delicious me-time. Writing, here I come! But first, reading.
- The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
Summer before War
I went in blind for this book. Nobody recommended it and I didn’t read any reviews. I picked it up because of the title. Regular readers of my blog will know that I am a historical fiction fan. I will lap up any story set around WWI and WWII. This book is set in East Sussex in 1914, just before WWI. It starts with Beatrice Nash arriving in the little town of Rye as the town school’s new Latin teacher. Agatha Kent, the town leader takes her under her wing, although a woman teaching Latin is for some reason, shocking.
The summer ends, the inevitable happens and the limits of the town and all its residents are tested. I’ve just started reading this book and I’m already loving Beatrice’s bicycle riding, free-thinking, progressive character. It has a very Downton Abbey feel to it. I’m hoping the rest of the book stands up to the promising beginning.
2. The Secret to Hummingbird Cake by Celeste Fletcher McHale
HummingbirdCake
Did someone say cake? The title is delicious and so is the cover! This book is set in Louisiana and claims to be full of southern charm. It is about three friends in a small town and their trials and tribulations with marriage and life in general. The plot doesn’t sound terribly original, but I’m hoping to be surprised.
3. When Breath becomes Air by Dr. Paul Kalanithi
When Breath becomes Air
When Breath becomes Air is a memoir of a young neurosurgeon who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. I’ve heard great things about this book. The reviews tell me it’s moving and life-affirming. On his deathbed, Paul pondered and wrote about what makes life worth living. This is usually not the genre of books I read. I’ll confess, reading about death makes me very uncomfortable and terrified for my own loved ones. But I want to push myself out of my comfort zone. So I will brave through this, in small doses. Hummingbird Cake will hopefully balance out the gravity of this book.
What are you reading these days? Drop me in line if you’ve found anything interesting lately.