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The Sunday Post #339
On The Blog Recently
- Best Books Of 2023 (So Far)
- Attention-Grabbing One-Word Book Titles
- Really Good Books That Need A Bigger Spotlight
- August 2023 Book Releases
- Recent Additions To My Book Wish List
In My Reading Life
Here's what I've finished reading recently:
I'm confused by Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. I loved it at first because it's a vivid, nightmare journey across 1920s-1950s America. The main character is a young Black man who badly wants a college education, but it seems impossible for him. In the book's version of America, he has to fight Hunger Games style to afford college. Then a random encounter with a pedophile sends his life spinning in another direction. The reader can feel his frustration. Every time he comes close to achieving something, society knocks him off-course.
Then the plot kind of crashes and burns. The character gets involved with a communist (I think?) cult. He tries really hard to make a place for himself in this cult, but since it's a cult, the leaders just use him. Nothing he does is good enough to please them. Then the plot stalls. Nothing happens for hundreds of pages! It all rambling and long speeches. What the heck happened? I got irritated and bored and had to force myself to finish the book. It was disappointing.
Then I read Joyland by Stephen King. I've never read one of King's Hard Case Crime books, so I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised! I flew through this book because it's pure entertainment. I could shut off my brain and enjoy the story.
The plot follows Devin, a college student who gets a summer job at Joyland Amusement Park. Devin is easy to love. He's a hard worker and a good friend. His summer job becomes more complicated when he befriends a mother and her terminally ill son. The three of them inadvertently solve a cold case murder that happened at Joyland years ago.
If you want to try Stephen King but don't like horror, then start with this book! It's a mystery. It's not scary or gory at all. (Actually, I would have like more blood and guts because I'm a weirdo.)
I had a great time with this book. It's charming.
Speaking of charming books, I read The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham. If you like Tim Burton's movies, you need to read this middle grade fantasy novel. It spooky, but in a whimsical, quirky way that won't give you nightmares, but will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Rye lives in a not-so-great little village that's about to get a lot worse. It's going to be ransacked by giant monsters called Bog Noblins. Rye thinks she can save the village if she can locate and befriend a legendary band of outlaws called The Luck Uglies.
I would have been obsessed with this novel as a kid. It has nonstop plot twists and characters who are too adventurous for their own good. The world-building is fantastic. It's easy to picture the depressing little village and its strange inhabitants.
I'm interested to see where the series goes next.
In The Rest Of My Life
Five things that made me happy recently:
- Pizza!
- Whose watching Miracle Workers: End Times. I love this series. It's so stupid.
- I reached 7000 followers on Pinterest. (I'll love you forever if you follow me on there.)
- I got to ride the UTV at work. UTVs are way more fun than regular cars because you can drive them on anything, and it always feels like you're about to crash and die.
- Speaking of work, I got to help with the kids' fishing clinic. The kids were stoked to learn how to fish, and every kid caught something. And we saw a massive snapping turtle. It was fun. Here's my supervisor holding the biggest fish the kids caught. (Don't worry. All the fish made it back into the pond.)
Do People Still Use Social Media?
Pinterest || Bloglovin' || Goodreads || Instagram || Twitter || TikTok || Facebook || Donate || Book Wish List
Take care of yourselves and be kind to each other. See you around the blogosphere!
Your review of Invisible Man is interesting. I wonder if that’s what happened to me when I tried to read it. That was so long ago that I don’t remember anything, including whether I finished it.
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I read Invisible Man some time in the late 80s for school. I cannot remember a thing, though I don't remember hating it. The fishing clinic sounds like fun, and pizza makes me happy too
ReplyDeletePizza makes everything better! The fishing clinic sounds fun, glad it was a success for all the kids!
ReplyDeleteOur naturalist group hosts fishing clinics and kids always love them.
ReplyDeleteI have not read Invisible Man, but I have it on my someday list. And The Luck Uglies sounds like fun.
The Luck Uglies sounds awesome! Pizza is always a win.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand pinterest or I'd follow, lol.
I am on Pinterest but don't really do much there. I do still use Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, but I use them all differently, LOL!
ReplyDeleteI spent a lot of time fishing with my dad when I was growing up and family camping. Now I just like to garden and walk the dog for outside time.
ReplyDeleteAnne - Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
I really enjoyed Joyland, and I agree it's a great place to start!
ReplyDeleteI read and enjoyed Joyland a while back. The Luck Uglies sounds like a fun one. That's nice about the fishing clinic! Enjoy your week ahead.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of jobs could be improved with UTV usage, honestly, And I may have to get that King book.
ReplyDeleteI didn't make it through Invisible Man... even picked it up a second time (last year?) and failed again. Congratulations due for finishing it!
ReplyDeleteI've never read Invisible Man, have wanted to the last few years, but your review makes me think I'd feel the same way. I only used to read the King horror stories, never got into those, although I did like the tv show they based off of his book Colorado Kid which I never read, lol. Also love the meme you shared at the beginning! Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteLisa Loves Literature
I loved Joyland. I've just started the Bill Hodges Trilogy this year and read Finders Keepers last week. I can't believe it but its now one of my favorites! I'm trying to get ready for his new Holly release.
ReplyDeleteInvisible Man sounds like a good that tries to cram too much into the book. I've read (or seen it in movies) several times. It just doesn't quite all work.
ReplyDeleteI’m already following you on Pintrest, but I really only use it to search for recipe ideas.
ReplyDeleteDid you know they are remaking Burton’s Beetlejuice?
Wishing you a great reading week
Sounds like you had a good week. I didn't know Stephen King had ever written anything that wasn't horror. I'll have to look for that mystery. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
ReplyDeletewow, quite a diversity in reading, enjoy!
ReplyDeletehttps://wordsandpeace.com/2023/08/13/sunday-post-91-08-13-2023-a-bit-of-everything/
Social media. I am on Facebook since I run my high school reunions, but don't check it regularly or post. I am on Instagram and still love seeing people's photos.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read a King hard case crime book and didn't even know they existed, I'll have to check them out.
Invisible Man doesn't sound like anything I'd want to read. Sorry it was a disappointment. Joyland looks so retro I wouldn't have guessed Stephen King wrote it, but it sounds like my kind of book! Glad you got a couple of winners here!
ReplyDeleteA snapping turtle? Fun! Enjoy the rest of your week!
Adding Joyland to my TBR. I listened to A Good Marriage (? or something like that) and liked it but the page count and gore have scared me away from his other books. Hope you're having a great week!
ReplyDelete