Our trip last week included a stop at Wool & Honey – the most amazing yarn shop in the middle of nowhere! This shop is really spectacular and their array of yarns is really wonderful. Oh, and they have the Sleeping Bear Yarn Club! I did do a little stash enhancement and I also picked up the latest issue of Laine (which is an incredibly purchase-worthy magazine!) There are at least 3 things I want to knit from it…asap. Great incentive to get my in process things done so that I can cast on! (Wool & Honey also has a Knit-a-Sweater-in-a-month-along starting October 31st with discounts on yarn through the 13th!!) I am so happy to be back to my regular routine – which will see a return to my regularly scheduled knitting time. So, if there are some “knitting bandwagoner’s” thinking it might be fun to knit a sweater together in November, let me know. I have not pulled the trigger yet on a SQ of Quince Owl, but with a joiner or two, I could be convinced to participate!
Even though there was little to no knitting on vacation, there was so much reading!! I finished Paul Auster’s 4321. Oh.my.gosh. This is an incredible book and it is one that I have been mulling over in my head since finishing it. Especially since the ending is one that makes you replay the book in your mind. I gave it 5 stars and I highly recommend this book! Really… look beyond the number of pages and settle in for an amazing journey! And, I am really pulling for this to win the Man Booker Prize!
I also finished John le Carre’s latest book; A Legacy of Spies. I kind of chuckled to myself that this book is less than 300 pages and my brain said – oh wow, this will be a breeze to read! Ha! A 4-star read!
AND, I finished Moshin Hamid’s Exit West, another 4-star read. Man Booker short-lister’s FTW, although – I am still hoping that 4321 will win!
I am also listening to Rae Meadow’s I Will Send Rain (The library has been very good to me lately and it looks like this will continue as I am suddenly very close on several holds!)
And, I started reading Emily Fridlund’s History of Wolves…
I did have one “epic fail” book this week; The Widow by Fiona Barton. Bad. So, so bad. I gave it more than a fair turn as I listened through chapter 19…it did not engage at all. Life it too short to read bad books.
That is all I have this week. What about you? Is your knitting and reading engaging?
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That’s a terrific amount of reading! I’m really going to have to try 4321; I love a book that makes you continue to think about it long after you have finished. Just curious – do you really have “regularly scheduled knitting time”? I don’t and just knit when I have time instead of making time. I’ve been thinking that I need to change my approach. Maybe if I make it more of a priority I’ll actually do more of it. Thanks and welcome home!
Knitting more than expected while camping! Also finished History of Wolves which I liked and am about 3/4 through I Will Send Rain which I really like. Makes me want to read Grapes of Wrath sgain.
I have the Georgetown sweater on my list. It would be fun to have a knit along.
Oh I could probably talked right into attempting a sweater in a month! I am loving the “Straits” color of blue. Or maybe “Boysenberr”… Or perhaps “Cranberry”… Owwww…twist my arm… 😉
Looks like you got a lot of reading done while on vacation. Yay!!!
I’m drooling over the yarn on the right…. I don’t get nearly as much knitting done as I’d like when I travel. Welcome HOME
I am on the forever-list for 4321 on Overdrive. I think I’m going to just break down and use an Audible credit for it instead. I’ve been wanting to read it for a long time! And I am never daunted by the page numbers. 😉
Wool & Honey is an awesome yarn shop. I stop in and drool whenever up in the Leelanau area.
If you can’t knit… read! I looked up your books on Goodreads and found that I already had History of Wolves and The Widow in my want-to-read list. That list grows and grows.
We are leaving today for a few days on the North Shore and I’m not going to get a post done for today, sadly. It would have been an actual Unraveled post, too, because I unraveled the potholder last night in preparation to use the yarn in a crochet project, e.g., something that won’t make my thumbs sore 🙂 But of course I had camnesia and didn’t get any unraveling photos.
I have done very little knitting or reading this week. Thank you for your reviews of the books.
I really enjoyed History of Wolves and loved Exist West. I’m on hold for 4321 and can’t wait to read it even more now that I’ve read your excellent review.
Would 4321 be a good audio? 🙂 It’s the only one on your list that isn’t on my TBR.
Wow, what a yarn shop. I may need to visit Michigan soon — even though I giggle when lower Peninsula locations think they are they north! To me, the UP is the real north!
Paul Auster is an amazing writer. Isn’t 4321 incredibly long? You make it sound worth it. Maybe next summer!
Welcome home!!
I picked up the audio of 4 3 2 1 based on your 5 stars. Auster narrates it himself (all 37 hours of it 🙂 I am definitely planning to knit sweaters in November (December, January and February) – I counted up what’s in my queue/stash – TEN!! (Yikes, I know!)
Looks like you made some beautiful acquisitions!
I’m glad to hear your book recommendations. I am still slogging through the last Outlander book (not that I’m not enjoying it, but it’s slow going when it’s 1,100+ pages and can only manage a handful on an average night), but I’ve acquired a few new e-books that I’m anxious to read.
It is always great incentive to finish the WIPS to be able to start a new project that excites you. I am in the same boat too, there are lots of things I want to knit and need to finish as well. That’s great you go so much reading done, I hope to finish a couple of books soon too. I am enjoying my knitting and reading right now too 🙂
OK! 4321 is on The List!! The “mulling over” is the best recommendation!
I saw a few of the projects from that issue of Laine and agree that it would be purchase worthy (though I have not purchased). My copy of Stillness arrived and I’m itching…
Adding 4321 to my list of someday/maybe to read – forget the maybe…for sure someday. And when I am cloned, I’ll certainly do a month-long sweater knit along…until, I’ll stick to my ‘top this hats.’ That seems to be a speed I can manage..;-)).
Glad you made it home A-OK. Welcome back.
Cheers~