Sunday, October 4, 2020

The Sunday Post #244

 

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The Sunday Post is a chance to recap the past week, talk about next week, tell you what I’m reading, and share news. It’s hosted by The Caffeinated Book ReviewerReaderbuzz, and Book Date.

 

 



The Sunday Post #244

 

 



On The Blog Last Week

 

 

 



On The Blog This Week

 

  • On Tuesday I recommend some books for fall.
  • On Wednesday I show you my most-anticipated October book releases.

 

 

 

 

In My Reading Life

 

I encountered an excellent problem last week. I started reading two books and loved them both so much that I couldn’t decide which one to pick up. I wanted to be reading both at the same time!


The book I ended up reading most often was Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. I guess it’s a retelling of Antigone? I don’t know that story, and I didn’t know Home Fire was a retelling until I got to the author note. It’s about 3 British Muslim siblings. The brother runs away to become a jihadist like their father, but then he changes his mind and wants to come home. Unfortunately, it’s not simple to escape from a terrorist group and re-enter the UK without serious legal trouble. While he’s running for his life, his two sisters befriend the son of a politician. Do the sisters actually care about the son, or are they just using him to get their brother home?


I have to admit that I had a hard time getting into the book. The beginning is very focused on college life and casual sex, and I just didn’t care. After about 50 pages, the story shifts to family drama. Then I was hooked.


The relationships are spectacularly complicated. You can’t trust anybody’s motives. The characters seem honest, but are they? Who are they most loyal to? They get themselves into giant messes. There’s causal racism and hypocrisy. Then the end . . . I did not see that coming. I couldn’t put the book down because I needed to know how all the problems would be solved. They’re solved in the most shocking way possible. If you enjoy literary fiction about complicated families, add this book to your list.




The other book I’m reading and loving is Beasts Of Extraordinary Circumstance by Ruth Emmie Lang. It’s quite bizarre. It’s about a man who thinks his pet pig can stop tornados and hurricanes. I have no idea where this story is going, but I’m excited to find out.




 

 

In The Rest Of My Life

 

Five things that made me happy last week:

 

  1. I had an excellent reading week, even though I only finished 1 book.
  2. Hockey! Congrats to the Lightning for winning the whole thing. Now that hockey is over, I don’t know what to do with my life.
  3. I have now done yoga every single day for 8 months. I’m still terrible at it. If I do yoga for a year, do you think I’ll be able to do crow pose? I have doubts.
  4. Fried chicken and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. I cheated on my diet and have zero regrets.
  5. I spent a whole day deep cleaning my bedroom, TV room, and bathroom. I hate cleaning, but I hate dog hair even more. It’s still mostly hair free in here!

 

 

 

 

I try not to be obnoxious!

 

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Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other! See you around the blogosphere!






33 comments:

  1. I commend you on the deep clean. Maybe I will be inspired by this (probably not). A pig who can stop tornadoes. That definitely sounds intriguing. Yum! If you're going to break your diet, do it right, and you sure did.

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  2. Home Fire sounds like a fascinating read - not one I would normally go for, but I'm intrigued by your mini-review! Deep cleaning is not fun, but there is some sense of satisfaction from doing it.

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  3. Our problem isn’t pet hair, it’s people hair! We all have so much and it ends up everywhere!
    Home Fires does sound good, I’m not so sure about a pet pig that can predict bad weather.

    Wishing you a great reading week

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  4. I feel the same now post-hockey season. If I'm not cheering on the Lightning what am I doing with my life? Hooray for such a awesome reading week! Fried chicken... I would love fried anything about now. But I've been killing it this week (eating-wise) and weigh-in is tomorrow, sooo...

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  5. HOME FIRE!!!! *miscellaneous fangirl noises* That's such an awesome book!!!! Salt and Saffron by Kamila Shamsie is worth a read too (imho) :)

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  6. I love the graphic at the top of the post. 2020 has been... if it were fiction, it would be unbelievable.

    Home Fires sounds interesting, although probably not a book I will pick up. I'm glad you enjoyed it, though, and hope the next one is equally engrossing.

    Well done on the deep cleaning! I'd be happy with a casual clean. There always seems to be something more important (or more fun) to do LOL!

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  7. I should do a deep clean too. But no energy at all to do that too after coming in from the garden. Glad you are mostly dog hair free now *smile* Happy reading and stay safe and well.

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  8. It's great that you were able to read one book for the week! I still got some books that I need to read! Have a great week!

    Here’s my Sunday Post!

    Ronyell @ Rabbit Ears Book Blog

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  9. Your plot twist graphic is entirely accurate. No one could have written a book about the craziness of 2020. I had to read Antigone in high school. That teacher was supposed to teach us World Literature but she loved Greek mythology and plays so much, that's pretty much all we got. I'm glad you enjoyed Home Fires and I can see how the Antigone plot would fit that framework. Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance sounds intriguing. I'll be curious to see what you think when you finish it.

    Enjoy your week!

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  10. That's great that you found two books at once that you liked. I really need to do some cleaning around here, but I'm very good at finding excuses not to. LOL Have a great week!

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  11. I'm so happy you found some great books. I also hate cleaning but love the results. It's a little more than hating it, my allergies were so bad as a child (dust, mold) the doctor's written instructions were to clean when I was not home. Also pollen so no lawn mowing for me. Now as an adult I take allergy pills and I do all that work. I completely agree after 2020, what could be unrealistic?

    Anne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post

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  12. Never, never, never try crow pose. I tried it once and fell on my nose. Painful.

    That's a happy feeling, trying to decide between two great reads. If it turns out that the man's pet pig really can stop hurricanes, would you send him over?

    I'm a clean freak. One good thing about 2020: time to thoroughly clean.

    Have a great week.

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  13. Loving both books you're reading and wanting to read both just as much is definitely a good problem to have!!!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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  14. You've done a lot of yoga! I haven't done as much as you, but some, and I'm not good at either. I need to look up crow pose.

    That's a nifty problem to have. Hope you got time for both. :)

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  15. I decided to de-junk my bathroom this coming week. I buy so many creams and potions in hopes they will solve all my skin, hair, personal problems. When I don't like them, they just get junked to the back of the drawer or counter. I am going to be ruthless. I want to try yoga. I am so old and stiff, it should help me, right? It was a weird week. Here's what I have to say about it on my blog

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  16. Mmm yummy food haha! And yay for the Lightning! I didn't see much of the playoffs sadly but there are few things more exciting than the stanley Cup when it really kicks into gear. I'm glad Tampa Bay won.

    I have a feeling me and crow pose would probably not go well together. :)

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  17. Wow, it sounds like you had a great week! Well done on the deep clean. I really have some places I need to spring clean and declutter here but... Yeah. I need to try yoga! I can barely touch my toes though so it's rather intimidating! A pig who can stop tornadoes and hurricanes?! That will be interesting to see where that one goes! Hope you have another lovely week this week.

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  18. We spent a big part of our weekend cleaning and getting rid of things - mostly clothes. Why did we have so many clothes that we never wore, from like 15 years ago? Lol.

    Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance has caught my eye before, I look forward to your thoughts!

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  19. I loved Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstances. It was a great read. Let me know what you thought when you are done!

    Love your opening picture. Wha ha ha!!! That is so good and so true. You can't make this plot for 2020 up you know...

    Have a good week!

    Elza Reads

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  20. Congrats on that cleaning! I am very glad that we have a housekeeper to clean for us here. LOL. Whenever I miss being back in my previous apartment, I add up things here that make life easier.

    I am curious about Home Fire. It does look good. Enjoy your week, and here are MY WEEKLY UPDATES

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  21. YAY One book is better than none! :)
    I really want to deep clean my house but I hate cleaning and I am lazy so maybe one day...2021.
    Fried Chicken and Pumpkin Cookies sounds fantastic

    Have a great week, AJ! Happy Reading!

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  22. I tried yoga and developed a splitting headache. I tried again - headache again. I gave up on yoga. I'll stick to walking for exercise and stress relief thanks. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

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  23. I get tired even thinking about you doing those yoga poses! My idea of exercise is chasing the cats slinking into our garden to try and kill our squirrels!

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  24. Congrats on our yoga goals! I don't think I'd ever be able to do most of those poses after a whole year. I'm like genetically allergic to flexibility! Ha.

    Glad you are enjoying Home Fire. I've heard good things and it's on my list.

    Enjoy your week!

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  25. Ive been cleaning too but it’s led to a decluttering spree which has led to a hall filled with rubbish to be sorted!

    Have a good week!

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  26. I like your lesson at the top. I'm trying to get the house throughly cleaned before I need to close the windows and turn on the heat but it is so nice outside and I have so much yard work to do. Check out what I read last week.

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  27. The crow pose is the most complicated or at least one of the most complicated! I have a very good balance and can barely hold it for three seconds! Have agreat week AJ (yoga and all)

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  28. I have had that dilemma before--and it really is the best kind to have. I am so glad to hear you are enjoying Beasts Of Extraordinary Circumstance. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies - yum! I hope you have a great week, AJ.

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  29. Oh nice that you loved the books too much to choose! Nice conundrum to have! I also had to laugh at your graphic at the top, how true is that!? As for yoga and cleaning, bravo to you because I would (and do!) fail at both! I never tried yoga, I think I am a coward hahah. Hope you have a great week!

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  30. Yeah! Home Fire was probably my favorite book in 2017 ... quite intense with that ending. So glad you liked it. Here's some of my thoughts on it at : https://www.thecuecard.com/books/home-fire-ethan-frome/

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  31. I remember that I really enjoyed The Beast of Extraordinary Circumstance but don't remember a whole lot about it. Cleaning is no fun but having a clean house is lovely. Dog hair seems to work its way into just about every little area, doesn't it? I hope that you are having a great week!

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  32. That is the best reading problem to have! Love when I love all the books I'm reading! I'm pretty sure the crow pose is absolutely impossible. I've been doing yoga fairly regularly for years and don't feel any closer to it now then I did when I first started. I've made lots of progress on other difficult poses but am no closer to crow. Do you use Yoga with Adriene's channel on YouTube. She has a video on the crow pose that might help. Hope you are having a great week!

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  33. Congratulations for doing yoga for 8 months, that's huge! And pumpkin chocolate chip cookies are the best, totally worth breaking healthy eating to taste those yummy cookies.
    Jen @ Star-Crossed Book Blog

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