Greetings dear Unravelers!
Another Wednesday means updates on knitting and reading! This week one is sorely lacking, but the other is overflowing!
Such is life, amirite?
I have been doing bits of knitting here and there – I am about to start Day 8 of my ADVENTurer wrap (so yes, I am 4-days behind). But really, I have been knitting on more portable, less pattern intensive knitting over the past week – I have had some meetings and holiday-ish things to do where a more portable and conversation friendly project is better suited. Enter one Sockhead Hat. I almost have 4 inches of ribbing knit!
But, really… it is all about the books this week! I have so much fun to share with you all!
First up, I this article in The Guardian caught my attention. First because I have not read Fifty Shades – and really, I have zero desire to do so. I found Jeanette Winterson’s comment perfect: “Are straight women really having such terrible sex and terrible lives?” Ummm… exactly. But then as I read about the other books – my reading list grew in a most wonderful way! I have added Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino to my read list. Italo first came on my radar thanks to Michael Ondaatje who wrote that The Baron in the Trees was a book he read more than once! I loved The Baron in the Trees and I am looking forward to Invisible Cities soon! I have added a book or two of Janet’s to my read list as well!
I finished several books this week… several really good books!
I am on a bit of a George Saunder’s kick! I read Pastoralia and was rather amazed at this little collection of stories. I generally don’t like collections of stories, but this little book wowed me! The writing is brilliant! I stayed with Saunder’s and read Fox 8 and fell utterly in love with it! These books got 4 and 5-stars respectively! I highly recommend both of them! (My Saunder’s kick is not over yet as I am reading 10th of December currently!)
I simply devoured Delights & Shadows by Ted Kooser. Delightful. Moving. Thought-provoking. 5-stars!
In case you need more to worry about, pick up Michael Lewis’ The Fifth Risk. He lays out the massive ineptitude of the Trump administration in regards to the things that run our country and keep us safe. It is the stuff of nightmares, honestly. 3-stars.
I listened to Stay with Me by Ayobamy Adebayo and it was the most moving book this week! This story is not linear but as the story unfurled, I was wowed, floored, shocked… and the writing – beautiful! This was not what I expected, it was so much more! 5-stars – I highly recommend!
I also listened to Matt Haig’s How to Stop Time. What a fascinating idea… a person who ages s-l-o-w-l-y. Lots of food for thought in this tale about aging, life, relationships, and self-preservation. I enjoyed it tremendously and it got 4-stars.
Finally, I finished listening to the first book of The Dresden Files – Storm Front by Jim Butcher. This was recommended by my neighbor and I loved it! I am on the wait list for the second book in the series – and I think this series will carry me through a good bit of 2019! If you liked The Magician series, I highly recommend this series and I gave it 4-stars!
That is all I have for this week – what about you? What are you making and reading this week?
If you wrote a post to share, please leave your link below!
There have been some updates to Inlinkz, if you have problems leaving your link – let me know! Thanks!
Your ADVENTurer is so lovely! It deserves (needs?) focused, mindful knitting, so there is no being four days behind, just beautiful knitting.
I had a productive day planned, but you may have slowed it down a bit. Jeanette Winterson has some great comments, and now I fear I’m going to be reading many other Books That Made Me columns. (Also a chocolate leak into the street in Germany and Mike Pence during the yell-at-each-other meeting.) Good stuff!
A very nice list of books, I shall look promptly on Goodreads.
Just a pinch of unraveling for me; a big knitted hat for my son – it’s double stranded and nicely thick, but my decreasing number has one extra lost soulful stitch – where-or-where did it arise from? Plus a sock for my granddaughter, her feet are growing by bounds and I have to guess on the size, cautiously.
It’s always dangerous to read your book posts — I find my to be read list growing longer every time!
I’ve started Michelle Obama’s book and while it’s going slowly (I’m reading the hard copy, so can only manage a handful of pages a night), I’m really enjoying it. I’ve loved her as a person for years, but she’s also a wonderful writer.
What a lovely wealth of books! Thanks for this post – it reminds me of some books I had lost track of (so many books, so little time). I enjoyed the Jeanette Winterson column and your shawl is just so beautiful and soft looking. As I said to Mary, enjoy the slow knitting on it – it could be a form of meditation. Updates for moi are on my blog.
Oooh, your knitting is looking gorgeous!
How. Do. You. Do. It. All? The shawl is gorgeous!
Your ADVENTurer is coming along beautifully (I’d rather be knitting REALLY slowly instead of risking ripping that KSH!!) and I’d say you’re going to end 2018 on a huge reading High Note! I’m saving that linked list for later … I have PLENTY on my reading plate right now 🙂
The Adventurer Wrap looks beautiful. I say make it meditative knitting instead of trying to keep up with someone else’s schedule. Calvino is an interesting writer. I read “If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler . . .” and loved it. The other book about slowing down time is intriguing. Off I go to see if it is available at the library. Whatever would we do without our libraries?
Love those colors, Kat! It’s going to be a lovely shawl. . . whenever it’s completed. XO
(PS – Tried to use the InLinkz thing. It sort of worked? But it used a photo from you blog yesterday, which was very weird. So I deleted my link. Maybe I’ll try next week?)
Ah! the Adventurer Wrap and the books! So many good suggestions in the read category…adding to my queue… glad you are enjoying Ted Kooser…such a treat!
Knit on!
Cheers~
Adding several titles to my TBR.
Working my way through Kingdom of the Blind-I promised my mother in law she could read it next as it’s a book-book which is what she prefers. Hoping to have more time for reading and knitting in the coming weeks since the holiday stuff will be done.
Love your ADVENTurer and the colors! Your reading took off like a rocket! All good recommendations!
the shawl looks so wispy and pretty! I crave simple knitting these days – I guess my head is swimming in holiday details.
I just finished The Fifth Risk. I think I could read anything written by Michael Lewis.