No update photo of Black Hole Lace this week, but yes… that is the last ball of Lopi!! Yes, I have made some progress – really significant progress because I just have roughly 3 inches more of the lace to knit and then I move on to the finishing bits of the sweater! Progress at last! Wooo!
In my heart of hearts, I want to order yarn and cast on Romi’s shawl next…BUT!! I am going to be patient and first pull out my Tegna to finish it up and then I have plans to knit a second Morinne Short and Sweet! I might work on these two things concurrently – Tegna is at the mindless knitting point and I think the second Morrine will go quickly now that I understand how the puzzle all comes together!
Then I will be ready for Romi’s shawl!
However, first I am staying the course with my Black Hole Lace knitting.
The reading this week was simply magnificent and I have three books to share with you!
First up: Louise Penny’s A Better Man. This is book fifteen in her Three Pines series and it was just brilliant. Armand and Jean-Guy are brilliant together and their moments brought tears to my eyes more than once. This was the best book of the series and I know I say that about each of Penny’s novels, but it is impossibly true! This one tugs at the heart strings and even introduces a new Three Pines resident, I hope! 5-stars and this is a series that I strongly recommend!
Next: Say, Say, Say. I am not sure where I saw this book, but I was surprised by a very short wait list at my library. It was a quick read and I enjoyed it, but I think it could have been so much better. Still, it is a lovely story about a 30-something unmarried woman and the couple she works for – she cares for the wife, who has a catastrophic brain injury. I think this story had amazing potential to really take off, but for me it really never did. Still, there were some wonderfully tender moments in the story. 3-stars.
Finally: The Summerlings. This book will easily be in the top five books I have read all year. It is wonderful, witty, and so charming. The writing is spectacular: “In our old neighborhood, steps and walks crumbled and mold grew on the walls. We didn’t worry about things like mold back then; we worried about polio and radioactivity.” This story takes place in Washington D.C. in the summer of 1959 – the cold war is on, the Nazi’s have been defeated, and life is simpler – or is it? Potato Chip Sandwiches, Watermatoes, and an epic spider invasion and this story is off and running. I really tried to slow down and savor this story, but I just could not put it down! 5-stars and I urge you to pick up this brilliant little story!
As you can see… I have one more book on my stack to go – Red at the Bone is up next, and I am eager to read it!
What about you? How is your autumn reading unfolding?
As always, if you wrote a post to share, please leave your link below and thank you!
You have a great knitting queue planned that will yield some wonderful FOs and provide plenty of motivation to arrive at Romi’s lovely shawl. Your patience and focus (and knitting and reading speed) are admirable!
BUY the yarn! I will be your enabler 🙂 I finished a shawl and now I’m mulling over what is next in my knitting queue. I’m reading Glass Houses right now in hopes of getting caught up.
YAY for nearing the end of your lace knitting. Like Bonny, I admire your persistence, patience and focus!
It’s so hard to ignore the voices in your head (and heart!) that tell you to buy-the-yarn-and-cast-on-right-NOW! I’m of mixed opinion on the matter. Sometimes I think it’s best to follow inspiration . . . and sometimes I think it’s best to stay the course. Really, though . . . you can’t go wrong either way! XO
I am in a serious non-fiction reading season. I’m going to stop fighting it. But I do keep making not of your fiction recommendations
Go, Kat, go! I’m sure that with your focus, you’ll finish up those last three inches of lace in no time. There’s nothing like the desire to cast on something new to motivate you to finish what’s already on the needles.
My to-read pile gets longer by the day! I still have quite a lot of Gamache to read to get to the latest book, but I enjoy them so much that I do not mind.
I think you will love Red at the Bone, I know I did. And I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the latest Penny as much as the others. I’ve heard mixed reviews from people at the library and online – sort of along the lines of it’s still great but it’s losing some of it’s sparkle.
Oh, how I LOVED the latest Penny. I cried at the ending. Adding other books to my list. Thank you, as always.
I am so far “behind” – late to the party – with Louise Penny, I’ll never catch up…having said that, I’m debating if I will continue reading the books in order or just read/listen to this one … ah, I love a conundrum!
Kudos to you for staying the course… I think as Kym sez: whatever you choose to do is win/win.
Cheers~
You continue to amaze me! Thanks for the recommendation of The Summerlings…added to the queue!
Ah – it is interesting how new knitting designs tug at our hearts and hands. Sounds like you have a good plan. I am listening to A Better Man and enjoying it. I always wonder how Penny can come up with a new twist on the story but she does. I am off to investigate The Summerlings.