Gentle Readers… we have arrived at the final day of June…sigh. It gives me a tiny pang in my heart to say that and despite a week of 90+ degree days…life is just so good!
On the making side of my life… I am progressing on my Test Knit… this week the three tubes shall merge into a sweater! I am loving the fabric of this sweater so much that I am contemplating knitting another one… perhaps pale grey and pinks this time! This will be the perfect layer for fall/winter/spring weather! (and fall will be about the time I can reveal it to you all!)
But never fear! I do have a little something to share with you all today, I just eased into the third clue of Anne Hanson’s mystery shawl. I had forgotten how much I love to knit Anne’s patterns. They are truly a wonder… and it has certainly been magical to see the “honeycomb” come to life in the knits, purls, and twisted stitches! I was looking for a “neutral” shawl and I could not have picked a more perfect pattern! It is a joy to knit!
But let’s close out the month with a bit of a Summer Bingo update, shall we? I read 17 books in June!! (which is just insane!) No new bingos this week, but I just have seven squares left to fill my card… and it is not July yet! (at least not quite July yet!!) I have some excellent finishes this week though! And a couple of books that will be with me for a very long time and one of which will quite possibly be the best book I have read all year.
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“I realised that the search for the Knowledge has encouraged us to think of the House as if it were a sort of riddle to be unravelled, a text to be interpreted, and that if ever we discover the Knowledge, then it will be as if the Value has been wrested from the House and all that remains will be mere scenery.” ― Susanna Clarke, Piranesi
This book. Oh.My.Gosh! I don’t even know where to begin to describe to you this story, but it is incredible! A book that is a labyrinth about a labyrinth… reading it was like working peeling an onion layer by layer…And just when you think X is happening, you discover that it is really Y and there is not one second of disappointment! But rather joy at the brilliance of the writing! If you read no other book this summer, read this book! I highly recommend!
Summer Book Bingo Square: Originally published in the 21st century
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“This story is about a lot of things, but mostly about idiots. So it needs saying from the outset that it’s always very easy to declare that other people are idiots, but only if you forget how idiotically difficult being human is.” ― Fredrik Backman, Anxious People
I did not think it was possible for a Backman book to surpass my love for Ove, but Backman has made the impossible possible! This book is just so good… no one does character development like Backman does! And then when he weaves these tiny threads to connect the characters to each other, and then reveals the connections with each page of the story.. it is just a joy to read. But I warn you… this is a book that requires a box of tissues and involves some ugly crying (I cried for the last hour of listening!) This just might be my favorite book of the year thus far. I cannot stop thinking about it! I highly recommend it!
Summer Book Bingo Square: Translation
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
If you think this book is just about a pandemic, you’d be wrong. It is full of so much more and has incredibly beautiful twists and turns. The ending was beautiful, but getting there had me in stages of disbelief… but still the ending made up for that.
Summer Book Bingo Square: An author from a country you’ve never visited
I am going to take a wee break from Book Bingo next week (and probably the week after as well!) because I just got Beach Music from the library and I want to settle in, listen, and not feel any pressure to rush through it! (It is 31 hours of listening!) I was inspired by Bonny to find something to re-read this summer and I think Beach Music will be the perfect thing to listen to in July! (so I might not have many book updates next month! Be warned! lol) I have one book to finish before I can start it, but it is a good bit shorter than 31 hours! Ha!
That is all I have this week… how about you? What made your June sing?
As always, if you wrote a post to share please leave your link below and thank you!!
You sound so happy, Kat! I can’t wait to see your test knit – you’ve made it so intriguing. And I haven’t knit a pattern by Anne Hanson in at least a decade and she used to be my favorite designer… Hmmm…?
What a week for reading! So glad you loved Piranesi – it was a lot of fun. Anxious People wasn’t for me when I first tried to read it, but I’m always willing to go back and try again 🙂
Enjoy your nice, long read in July! I hope it’s as wonderful as you remember it being. Take care and thanks for the link up!
I’m loving the texture on your mystery shawl – very, very nice. And looks like a great week for reading (again) for you. I had forgotten about “Anxious People” and have added it to my TBR pile. I can’t believe you read 17 books in June!!
That shawl is just lovely! I love the patterning and wish I could feel it. I don’t think I’ve ever read Beach Music, but it might make another fine book to listen to on our drive from CO. Thanks for the recommendation (and now I also want to re-read Anxious People)!
Lovely knitting, as always. 🙂 And . . . I think Beach Music is the PERFECT summer re-read! I did that very thing a couple of summer’s ago, and I was completely carried away by the magic (yet again) of Pat Conroy. A lot of times, I find that my re-reads are a bit of a disappointment to me. But NOT Beach Music! It totally lived up to my self-maintained hype. Enjoy!
Sounds like it has been a very happy week of knitting and reading, and the three books you’ve finished this week were also among my favorites this year! I’m amazed that Beach Music is a longer listen than Obama’s book, but I know it will be an enjoyable (if long) listen. I am currently listening to Americanah, which is longer than I realized, but I am so glad that I am listening to it because the reader is wonderful at doing all the different accents and voices. It’s been great company for my walks and while I’ve been crafting.
I’m sad to see June go, too, although it’s felt more like July around here this week anyway. You read some great books this week and I think Beach Music will be a wonderful re-read, it’s such a great story and perfect for summer.
I can’t wait to dig in to the books you’ve recommended. I also LOVED Anxious People.
I read Anxious People and Pull of the Stars, too — they are among my favorites that I have read so far this year.
You remind me I haven’t knit an Anne Hansen pattern for a long long time. She is a brilliant designer. I really enjoyed The Pull of the Stars. Piranesi sounds intriguing enough to add to the library hold list. Thanks Kat.
fabulous knitting … Anne’s patterns are a joy and your WIP is stunning! and woot for that reading update! Piranesi was a favorite of mine last month; one of my on-line bookclubs discussed it a few weeks back and I fell even more in love with it. It is indeed magical! and Beach Music is one of my very favorite books. ENJOY!!!
Congrats on your reads! And the knitting – superb! Piranesi appears to be a winner – adding to my list. Enjoy the holiday.
Cheers~
Beach Music-can’t wait to hear your thoughts on that one-so good. Can’t wait to see the knitting results as well.
Wow–31 hours! That DOES require a bit of a leave-of-absence 🙂 But sounds like it’s going to be a wonderful one in audioland. (I have never read Pat Conroy. Maybe I should!)
Funny enough…Anxious People is my least favorite Backman book. (I hesitate to even say it! And I was SO excited to read it, because I’m passionate about Ove. But, no.) However–I admit to loving dramatically different reactions to books, and I always wish for a book club chat when that happens!