Greetings Unravelers!
Happy Wednesday… or Happy Autumnal Equinox Eve Day! Haha!
Yes, it’s the time of year when a knitters heart begins to think Winter Is Coming… and the urge to cast on all the woolly things takes over!
Or, in my case… the urge to get a woolly thing off my needles so I can cast on something new! Haha! But I have departed for sleeve island and it is smooth sailing! Decreases for a bit then on to the Sleeve Straits before I reach the 2×2 Ribbed Shores and then begin again to complete the second sleeve! We are heading to Erie the end of October and this sweater will be a welcome addition on all the walks around Presque Isle! So it needs to be done!
The next sweater I am tumbling about in my mind… well, it will be one that I knit from my handspun! Yes, I am making headway on the spinning portion and in a couple more weeks (maybe??) it will be a Plying Fest! Then I can swatch and see what my gauge is (which will absolutely have an impact on what sweater I pick!) I’d like to knit DRK’s Everyday Sweater…so keep your fingers crossed I get gauge! If not, then perhaps a Weekender might be the one – since she has 2 versions in 2 different yarn weights… that gives me some wiggle room! Ha!
The reading this week was stellar. A new Keven Wilson book (coming out in November) and another Strout… Olive finally settled in for me! And!! I am listening to the most incredible book…I am almost done and but it was released yesterday! The Book of Goose by Yiyum Li is something you should put on your radar. I am listening to the audio version and the narrator (Caroline Hewitt) is excellent.
Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I first encountered Kevin Wilson’s writing in Nothing to See Here, which was a curious tale of children that catch fire. The writing was fun and engaging and the story made me think… lots.
So when I saw that he had a new book coming out, I requested it from Netgalley and was happy that I was given the opportunity to read more of Wilson’s work.
This story is just as engaging and I have thought lots about it since I finished the book this week. It is a bit of a coming of age story… and while that is generally not my first choice in reading, this coming of age story pulled me in. It is also about not fitting in… feeling different than everyone around you. It touches on divorce, single parenting, and more.
I loved Frankie… so very much. She is a tester of the waters, a try-er of new things, and yes… a budding writer! So Frankie and Zach (the other odd boy out in the town their mothers returned to after leaving their husbands) spend a summer by creating what turns out to be a very controversial bit of art… art they reproduce and post anonymously all over town. And they keep the fact that they were the artists for 20 years.
“The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us.”
I wish I could have seen the artwork, although I have a picture of it in my mind, I am left wondering if the book will have an image of it.
This story also touches on what happens when people don’t understand something… and the way that people can cause each other to panic. (The title is just so brilliant!) I truly appreciated Wilson’s forward to the book, which explained why he wrote it. He had my attention from the first page!
I highly recommend this story!
I would like to thank Ecco and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I had originally tried to read this with my eyes… and gave up quickly. I then went on to discover my joy of Strout’s writing by listening and so I thought I’d give Olive another chance in my ears and am I glad I did!
Confession… I really found lots to like and and even more to hate in Olive. She has the biggest chip on her shoulder (perhaps I could recognize that because I do as well?) and *everything* wrong is never her fault. But the story draws you along, and I ached for Olive… her frustration with herself that she takes out on everyone else. But when Henry has a stroke, I began to cheer for her… her humanity begins to shine through. I had thought this was a solid 4-star book… and then the ending just blew me away. There was no way that ending could not bump this up to 5-stars.
If you have tried reading Olive and gave up… I’d suggest you give her a listen.
I highly recommend!
There you have what is on my radar this week! What about you?
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I love the pattern on your jumper. You are right , Autumn is the time for knitting and good books. I found it hard to warm to Olive too. How lovely to have a holiday to look forward too. I hope to visit family in Cornwall next month.
The cololrs in your sweater are marvelous Kat. Can’t wait to see the finished piece!! I read Olive Kitteridge years ago and enjoyed it, but when I tried it again more recently I couldn’t read it. I do want to try the Lucy books in audio format. The Book of Goose looks really interesting! Adding that one to my TBR list.
Your sweater is looking beautiful, Kat! I also enjoyed Now Is Not the Time and your review of Olive inspired me to re-listen. I’ve got quite a few hours in the car and this will be just the thing. I’ve got the Book of Goose on hold and can’t wait!
I am trying my best to finish two projects so I can start some Christmas projects!!
You’re so close to finishing off that VERY-wearable-on-Presque-Isle sweater, Kat. So close! And I vote Weekender all the way!!! I love my Weekender, and I am always plotting my next one . . . (I love Olive Kitteridge, although I’m really glad she wasn’t my mother. . . ) 🙂
I have just wondered whether I would enjoy Olive more if I listened to her (I did read the book with my eyes the first time and was unimpressed). Can’t wait to see your sweater and am even more excited to see the next one in handspun!
Your sweater looks beautiful. I am glad the sleeves are going so well. I too am excited to see what you knit from your handspun. I’m trying to think how many oz. of fiber it takes to spin enough yarn for a sweater. The Wilson book sounds very intriguing. Thanks for the review. I’m about ready to ply some yarn and I’m working on two Christmas gift knits.
I feel your ache to cast on everything right now! But I can’t seem to make any progress on the projects I have on the needles… maybe it’s a sign that I should be stepping back a bit? Ugh – who knows.
Your reading was SO good – yay! Olive was the first Strout book I read and I was pretty new to short stories — so it was quite the experience for me! But I remember feeling blown away by it, especially by Strout’s ability to write such an UNLIKABLE character. I think if I read it again, I wouldn’t find Olive unlikable, but just utterly human.