Happy Wednesday, book friends! We’re a full week into our academic semester at the the university where I work, but because classes are virtual, it still feels a bit like limbo.
At home, wedding planning is ramping up because apparently April isn’t that far away. Thankfully, there’s not much else to do or anyplace to go since working in person these days means a lot of potential exposure to good old Omicron.
In short, I’ve still had plenty of time and energy to get some reading done, and I’m excited to announce that I’ve finished my first few reads of 2022! Let’s dig in to the good stuff, shall we?
(Full disclosure: Links to specific books are Bookshop.org affiliate links, which earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you, should you choose to purchase. Book of the Month links are referral codes.)
Recent Reads
Last week I finished two of my first reads of 2022, coincidentally on the same day!
I wrapped up the first book in my Book of the Month stack of shame, The People We Keep. In all, I really enjoyed this one, though I don’t know that it’ll go down as a top favorite read of the year (is it too early to say that?). You can check out my full review (and get a close-up on those spectacular donuts) here: “The People We Keep” Will Keep Hold of You
Also finished last week was Stanley Tucci’s food memoir, Taste: My Life Through Food. I wanted to love this food memoir meets celebrity memoir mash up, but something about it just didn’t work for me. Read my attempts to parse out why in my review, here:Stanley Tucci’s “Taste: My Life Through Food” Didn’t Suite My Tastes
Current Reads
Next up for Book of the Month bookish bingo, How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days.
I struggled with whether or not I was interested in this book because, on the one hand, I do not comprehend our cultural obsession with Keanu Reeves. I don’t have a problem with Keanu, it’s just that I’m also not lining up waiting on instructions for how to marry him. On the other hand, though, it’s a friends to lovers romance which I can never resist, weird premise or not.
So far I am not loving it. It’s fine, but the pacing is a little weird for me and I think the Keanu thing is a bit too intense for a protagonist of any age, let alone one who is meant to be 40. We’ll see if my opinions change I wrap up reading this one in the next day or so.
Audiobook-wise, I’m working on Elissa Washuta’s White Magic. Washuta’s prior book, My Body is a Book of Rules, was on the bibliography for my MFA thesis, so suffice it so say I love her work.
I decided to do this one on audio for something different, and it’s incredibly well performed (though, sadly, not by the author). I’m taking it a bit slower than I often do with audio because 1) my favorite podcasts are back from holiday hiatus! and 2) the content i s heavy and I need to sit with it a while.
Next Up & On to You
I owe myself some NetGalley shelf time next, so I’ll be reading Rachel Krantz’ memoir, Open, which comes out January 25th.
Also hoping to tick off the next BOTM bookish bingo read, though I’m undecided on which one to tackle next. Leading contenders at the moment are Project Hail Mary and Beautiful World, Where Are You? Let me know if you’ve got thoughts on which one I should hit up next!
That’s my week in books and reading. Now it’s your turn. What’re you reading this week, book friends?
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