August in nearly over, and I find myself reluctant even now to post a reading update because, honestly, it just hasn’t felt like I have made a lot of progress. As I mentioned in July, summer is actually a hard time for me to get a lot of reading in because I am busy working on other projects. I have, however, made a concentrated effort to use audio books as much as possible to get some titles finished. I also am in trying very hard to keep up with my son’s school books, but only pre-reading one week in advance. So much of what would be my personal reading time otherwise has turned into pre-reading time in many cases. The books are definitely good and very much worth reading, but it isn’t what I would call leisure reading, either. All that being said, let’s see what I have been able to read since last month’s update…
Finished Books:
Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury: interesting sci-fi novel imagining what it might look like to settle Mars, written in an episodic style. I actually think that Bradbury was using the setting of Mars to make some important social commentary on his time. It was less science and more fantasy in a lot of ways, but definitely dealt with a lot of heavy topics for the 1950s, many of which are still very relevant today. It does feel pretty dated now, especially since he set the dates for settling Mars in the 2000s-2020s but so much of the technology and culture was noticeably mid-century. Still, I think it was a worthwhile read and gave me a lot of think about. I read this as part of the Tea and Ink Society Classics Challenge for July.
The Gate, the Girl, and the Dragon by Grace Lin: The kids finally finished this read-aloud/audio book together earlier this month. We did enjoy the story, but not as much as Lin’s other books we have read. I was able to predict a lot of plot points from very early in the book, which is not really a flaw since it is written for elementary age readers. But I think some of her other books were less predictable and more enjoyable. It wasn’t a bad book, and the messages in the story were good, but it also wasn’t one of the best books we have read this year. I think it would probably be a better choice for kids to read and enjoy on their own rather than it being a family read aloud.
Brighty of the Grand Canyon by Marguerite Henry: This took much longer to finish that I expected, but we just haven’t been reading together as a family (outside of school). We did finally get all the way to the end, though! I had forgotten how the story wrapped up, and it was more suspenseful and satisfying than I remembered! I really do love everything about this book. Marguerite Henry never fails to write an engaging story with characters (human and equine!) that touch the heart.
Currently Reading:
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton: This is a multi-purpose read for me this month. The Literary Life Podcast covered this Golden Age story this month, and I wanted to at least try and keep up (I failed!). I also needed a title for August’s Tea and Ink Classics Challenge prompt of “a classic by an author you’ve only read once.” I had previously read Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth, and I have had Age of Innocence on my TBR for several years. I am in the last third of the book now, and I hope to finish it by the end of the month, or at least close to that!
Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift: This is a pre-read, but I am also reading it for fun because I have long wanted to know more of the story than just the little bits gained from pop culture references. Even though I know there are layers to this book that I am not getting because I don’t have the full cultural context, it is still an entertaining story nonetheless.
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas: This will be a LONG term read for us which we are listening to on audio as a family even though it is technically one of my son’s school books. Clocking in at just under 53 hours total, I know that we will need all the car rides to and from activities to finish this by the end of the school year!
What the Robin Knows by Jon Young: What was supposed to be a quick summer read has turned into a slow one for this book. Some of the moms in our nature group have already finished it, though, so we set a date by which we should all have it finished. With that in mind, I really need to get cracking and focus on this book for the next couple of weeks. I think I will go try and finish a chapter once I am finished writing this post!
What’s Next:
The fall is going to be exceptionally busy around here because of activities my kids and I are involved in, so my personal reading time is probably going to be paired down even more than normal. I will need to prioritize pre-reading, which means I probably won’t be finishing books quickly at all. I do want to continue to keep up with the T&I Classics Challenge, and September’s prompt is a WWI or WWII title. Elsie had a few suggestions, including one of Agatha Christie’s Tommy and Tuppence mysteries (which I love!) called N or M?, so I might pick that one if I can find a copy through my library. Coming up in November, The Literary Life is going to cover Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, so I think I need to plan to start reading that one in October so I am not behind when they start airing episodes.
