Reading for Me

The Books I Have Read…..Just for Me

Nov 19

#26: 22 Seconds (James Patterson)

by kennithfreeman

Once again, I have failed to keep up with my blogging on this site. Part of the problem is that I am more interested in reading than writing at the moment. The other issue is that my keyboard has become sticky and typing is very slow. I end up getting frustrated instead of feeling productive and just skip the writing process. Hopefully, the keyboard situation will correct itself in the weeks ahead.

22 Seconds is the latest installment in Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series. The story is predictable, yet entertaining. Lindsey finds herself in danger when she and Joe are on the trail of gun runners. The book was a quick read and just what I needed during a really stressful time at work.

fiction Series thriller

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Oct 28

#25: The Innocent (David Baldacci)

by kennithfreeman

As things got more hectic in the office, I realized that my reading needed to become more relaxing and less intellectual. So I looked for thrillers and beach reads. I realized that I had picked up this Baldacci paperback in the bookstore earlier this year, but had never gotten around to reading it.

The Innocent is an introduction to Will Robie, a hired gun with a conscience. When an assassination goes bad, Robie finds himself as an outcast in his own organization. In his attempt to get to safety, he becomes linked with a runaway foster child. The unlikely pair partner up when they learn that both of their lives are in danger. Is this a coincidence? Or is there a larger plan at work? Is this about Will or the young girl that dropped into his life? Will they find out in time?

In normal Baldacci fashion, The Innocent was a fast-paced read that kept me coming back for more. There were constant plot twists and plenty of excitement to keep the reader’s pulse pounding. While exciting, the story was not challenging to follow….and that was exactly what I needed at this point in my life.

What am I reading now? I’m sticking with the light reading and returning to James Patterson’s Women’s Murder Club series. 22 Seconds is not disappointing at all either!

fiction thriller

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Oct 22

#24: The Carnival of Wishes and Dreams (Jenny Lundquist)

by kennithfreeman

With all of my recent travel and performances, I failed to write a review of this charming middle grade novel that I read earlier this month. While looking for something to read that featured a carnival to share with some children I mentor locally, I stumbled upon this novel and was very intrigued by the plot summary. I was very pleased with the reading experience during a really busy season.

Here’s the basic story of Lundquist’s novel. A small community has been traumatized after the local factory was destroyed by fire. Many jobs were lost. Lives were lost and friendships were destroyed. As part of the fallout of the fire, a group of young girls find themselves estranged and searching for understanding in a time of unimaginable confusion and personal pain.

When each of the girls receive an unsigned invitation to meet at the Ferris wheel at midnight at the annual carnival with a magical carousel, things are certain to be mysterious and exciting for all involved. The story was suspenseful, heart-warming, and fun.

As an adult reader, I especially appreciated the statements about the number of young people who find themselves forced to hide behind masks in order to gain social approval. The role of social media is prevalent and a great reminder of the hazards that come with it. I was really thrilled to see that there was much more here than just a cute story. Definitely plenty of things that can serve as discussion starters for these middle grade students.

Uncategorized

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Oct 9

The View From My Reading Chair – Oct 9, 2022

by kennithfreeman

If you read last week’s post, there was only one question. Will I make more progress on The Attic Child by Lola Jaye? The answer is “yes” and “no.” Yes, I made progress but not in actually reading the book. The book made progress from my messenger bag back to the bookshelf in my apartment. I’ve added another book to my DNF list — and I’m happier because of it.

Since I was struggling to read, I made my way to middle grade literature and started The Carnival of Wishes and Dreams by Jenny Lundquist. It’s a cute story about a group of girls who are all struggling through middle school drama for different reasons and find themselves together at the carnival. There are powerful conversations to be had around this novel about being yourself, hiding your true self behind masks, and the negative use of social media. I wish I had a class of middle school students to explore this novel with.

I anticipate finishing The Carnival in the next few days. Then I’m gonna move to some short stories by Poe — seems appropriate for the month of October — before starting my next novel.

Children’s literature fiction Reading Chair update

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Oct 2

The View From My Reading Chair – 10/2/22

by kennithfreeman

Last weekend, I began reading Lola Jaye’s The Attic Child. The novel was one of my September selections from The Book of the Month Club and I was very intrigued by the premise of the novel. Throughout the week, I’ve found myself struggling to sit down with the book and actually dive in. I’ve been shocked that I’m not pulled into the story.

What’s the problem? I’m not entirely sure. Jaye’s writing is beautiful and the story is compelling. I found the opening scenes with Dikembe in Congo riveting and wanted to know more. I cried with the young boy as he boarded an ocean freighter to begin a “short visit” to England. I want to know what happens to this child who is now on display for all to watch in the mysterious house at 109 Ranklin Road.

Then there are the chapters focused on Lowra….and I find myself confused. Who is this young woman and why has she inherited the mysterious house? The only items that she seems to care about in the home are a few items hidden beneath the floorboards of the attic that were clearly left behind by Dikembe. Was he the attic child or was Lowra a victim of abuse and locked there against her will? This is where Jaye’s book is frustrating me. I don’t necessarily want all the answers immediately, but I do want some sense that I know something about what is unfolding on the pages. In my opinion, Lowra’s chapters are getting in the way of a wonderfully wrought story about Dikembe. When I get to Lowra’s story, I am suddenly struggling to press on because I’m not invested in her story.

I’ve been tempted to skip the chapters titled Lowra, but I want to trust that the author is eventually going to reveal an important fact that links the two stories into this single novel. Now that I’m over 100 pages in, I’m losing patience though. My Story Graph account tells me that I’m only 23% into the book at this point, so I’m willing to give Jaye a little more latitude, but I don’t know how much longer I’m willing to wait for the payoff. My reading time is valuable. However, I don’t have enough of it to waste if an author is not going to hold up their end of the bargain and provide a fulfilling experience.

For now, I’m going to continue making my way through The Attic Child. Visit me again at the end of the week to see if things have improved in this reading experience.

update

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Sep 24

#23: The Hotel Nantucket (Elin Hilderbrand)

by kennithfreeman

A recently restored historic hotel staffed by people who have lots of secrets to hide. Sounds interesting, huh? Toss in a super critical hotel reviewer and a ghost who was murdered in the hotel 100 years ago and you have the key components of Elin Hilderbrand’s latest novel, The Hotel Nantucket.

I have seen Hilderbrand’s books on the bookstore shelves for years, but I’ve never taken the time to pick one up. I suppose I assumed that they were strictly fluff pieces that were not worth my time. When The Hotel Nantucket showed up as an option of the Book of the Month club, I decided it was time to give this author a chance. I found myself laughing out loud at the outrageous storyline and rooting for this charming cast of underdogs.

The Hotel Nantucket was mysteriously destroyed by fire nearly a century ago and a chambermaid died in the inferno. Since the disaster, the hotel has been poorly renovated and been the subject of much negativity by the community. The fact that the building was haunted did not help the hotel’s marketing either. Now that the place has been bought by English billionaire Xavier Darling, Hotel Nantucket now has a second chance at a new life.

When he hired Lizbet to serve as general manager, Xavier told her that he was trying to impress two women. One of those women was Shelly Carpenter, the author of the monthly blog Hotel Confidential. Shelly is notoriously picky and has never given an establishment the coveted five key rating. Xavier (and Lizbet) are determined to earn that distinction for Hotel Nantucket.

Finding a qualified staff on short notice proves to be more challenging than Lizbet imagined. Despite her best efforts, her staff turns out to be a gaggle of misfits — from the frat boy housekeeper to the unethical night clerk and the gold-digging front desk manager. While trying to keep these problematic people in check, Lizbet doesn’t need anything else to go wrong. Once the hotel guests begin to arrive, things go from bad to worse and the antics really begin.

The Hotel Nantucket was an engaging read with its witty writing and loveable cast of characters. Now I have to figure out a way to go to Nantucket for a visit during the summer season.

What’s next in my reading list? I’ve begun another selection from the Book of the Month club — The Attic Child by Lola Jaye. I just started the novel this morning and I am already HOOKED! I’ll let you know how things go with this latest read next week.

2022 Reading Challenge Book of the Month fiction

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Sep 15

#22: A Separate Peace (John Knowles)

by kennithfreeman

This week, I returned to a classic novel that I first read the summer after my freshman year of college. One of my roommates had a copy of the novel nestled on a shelf above our shared desk and he regularly commented how this was one of his favorite books of all time. Since I hadn’t read the book in high school, summer break sounded like the perfect time to read about the fictional school of Devon and the events that occurred in the summer of 1942.

A Separate Peace focuses on the friendship between Phineas and Gene as they deal with the horrors of war and their imminent call to serve in the American military. Gene is a scholar; Phineas is the epitome of an athlete. The two should not have the makings of such a strong friendship, but that is exactly what happens. Phineas finds his identity firmly planted in his success in his various athletic pursuits. Gene, on the other hand, seems to only have an identity as the friend of Phineas. When tragedy strikes, the boys each find themselves in an unexpected search for self-identity.

Themes of fear, athletic competition, self-identity and self-worth run throughout the pages of the novel. These themes are heightened by the looming background of the Great War in the lives of these impressionable adolescents. Honestly, I had forgotten how much of the novel involved athletic pursuits and dreams of success above all else.

I expected a quick read since this is a relatively short novel, coming in at just under 200 pages. Instead, I found myself reaching for my pen regularly to underline passages that spoke to me and filling the margins with questions to consider as I continue reflecting on Knowles’ story. I enjoyed a slower pace of reading and the opportunity to once again question the text.

What’s next in my reading life? I picked up one of this month’s selections from the Book of the Month Club this afternoon. I’m just a few pages into the novel, but I am enjoying Elin Hilderbrand’s The Hotel Nantucket so far. I’ll let you know next week how it’s going.

classic fiction

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Sep 8

The Wanderer Has Returned

by kennithfreeman

Hello, fellow Reader! I have missed sharing my reading adventures with you, but I needed to take a real break this summer. So I put a pause on EVERYTHING and enjoyed some time in meditation, personal reflection, and watching baseball. (Go Braves!) I didn’t completely stop reading this summer, but I did stop providing weekly updates on that portion of my life. Now that I have recovered from COVID — yeah, that wasn’t how I wanted to begin the fall semester — I’m finally ready to begin blogging again about my reading life. So here is a list of the books that I read this summer and a brief description of my thoughts on some of the works.

#12: Shuggie Bain (Douglas Stuart) – Not one of my favorite reads and not something I would recommend to anyone else.

#13: They Both Die in the End (Adam Silvers) – This was a recommendation from one of my students and turned out to be a very enjoyable YA read. The title says it all, but there is SO MUCH that happens before they both die. Check this quick read out for yourself.

#14: Pick Me (May Archer) – I enjoyed the other audio book by Archer that I listened to earlier this summer. Her attention to romance details are astounding. Not for the faint of heart though; read this as part of the LGBTQ+ challenge for my 2022 reading project. Things get steamy…..you’ve been warned.

#15: The Messy Lives of Book People (Phaedra Patrick) – Several months later I don’t remember a lot of the details about this book, but I remember that I liked it.

#16: Big Little Lies (Liane Moriarty) – Fun mass market read. Trigger warnings for domestic abuse, but wonderfully written.

#17: Miller’s Valley (Anna Quindlen) – This was probably my favorite read of the summer. Amazing story about a small forgotten town and the people who populate it. Worth taking a look at by any lover of literary fiction.

#18: The Lifestyle (Taylor Hahn) – This was NOT what I expected when I read the book jacket, but I laughed out loud throughout this cute romance. A marriage on the rocks decides to explore the lifestyle of swingers in order to fix their problems. Once again, not for the faint of heart, but not as graphic as Pick Me.

#19: The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle (Jennifer Ryan) – This novel from the Book of the Month Club looked like something I thought my mother would enjoy. Of course, I had to read it first. It was a beautiful story of friendship and survival set against the Nazi bombings of London and the English countryside in the days of World War II. Possibly a little longer than it needed to be, but an enjoyable novel nonetheless.

#20: A Single Man (Christopher Isherwood) – This short novella explores a single day in the life of a man after the death of his longtime partner. Considered one of the important early works of gay fiction, I was asked to read this alongside a young man I mentor who is struggling with his self-identity. There were some beautiful expressions of friendship, community, and the desire to be accepted expressed in this short work.

#21: The Viscount Who Loved Me (Julia Quinn) – I just finished the second of the Bridgerton novels early this morning and enjoyed every minute of it. This installment focused on Anthony and his developing relationship (and ultimate marriage) to Kate. I enjoyed the shift to seeing the struggles of romance from a male perspective. I think Quinn was in better form here than in her first novel of the series, The Duke and I. I’m looking forward to making a return visit to Bridgerton before the year is out.

There you have it…..that’s everything I have read since returning to the Geriatric Ward in early May. What’s on my reading table now? I felt a bit of nostalgia as I was selecting my latest read, so I’m heading back to high school momentarily and looking at A Separate Peace by John Knowles. I’ll let you know how it goes in a few days.

Uncategorized

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May 11

#11: Hand-Picked (May Archer)

by kennithfreeman

While driving across Texas to begin my summer break in Arkansas, I picked up another audio book to help with my reading challenge for 2022. Since I was a captive audience for a few hours, I decided to mark off one of the challenges that is not normally a part of my reading routine — a LBGTQ+ book.

Hand-Picked is the second book in the Sunday Brothers series (I didn’t know that when I picked it up!), but the book stands on its own quite well. Set in rural Vermont, the story centers on Webb Sunday, the owner of a local apple orchard and Luke, the new elementary teacher in town. The two men hate each other because of an unfortunate situation involving Webb’s young son who is a student in Luke’s class. When a property dispute further complicates matters, Webb prepares to give Luke a piece of his mind. Instead, the two men discover that their hatred for each other is the result of miscommunication and misunderstandings. Thus begins their friendship.

At least, they think they are “just” friends. Luke, a gay man, does not deny that he is attracted to Webb, but will certainly never pursue a relationship with someone who cannot love him back. After all, Webb is a straight man. Or is he? Webb faces his own attraction to Luke and admits to himself that he is bisexual. The romance novel continues as you would expect with many ups and downs for the new couple.

I was pleasantly surprised by Hand-Picked. I don’t know what I was really expecting, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Archer’s writing was witty and endearing. I found myself laughing out loud several times while listening to the story unfold. I must admit that I was quite uncomfortable when the romantic parts started up. Things were getting graphic. Then I realized that I was letting my prejudices impact my reading. The sexual encounters were no more explicit than what is typically found in a heterosexual romance. When I finally accepted that fact, I found that the scenes were actually tastefully written. As soon as I began to approach the episodes as expressions of love rather than something unacceptable to my palette, I found beauty in the story and the growing love between Luke and Webb.

Will I read more LBGTQ+ romances? I don’t think it will be a standard genre in my reading life. I am currently reading the first book in the Sunday Brother series because I found the characters captivating and delightfully rendered. Beyond that, I’m not making any decisions. I do know, however, that my eyes have been opened to some things by reading Hand-Picked and that I am a better reader…..and quite possible, a better person…..as a result of it.

2022 Reading Challenge romance

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Apr 23

#10: The Duke and I (Julia Quinn)

by kennithfreeman

I thoroughly enjoyed my recent foray into fluff reading. After watching the Netflix’s series Bridgerton based on Quinn’s novel, I was prepared for some raunchy scenes that were going to make me blush. All in all, Quinn’s novel was romantic and sexy, but it wasn’t as graphic as I feared. I found it a pretty good mix of naughty and nice.

If you’ve been living under a rock and have no idea about the plot of this series of books, I suppose some introduction is appropriate. Set in Regency England, the series follows the love lives of the 7 children of the Bridgerton family. In this first volume, our focus is on the oldest daughter, Daphne. Daphne is anxious to be married and have a family. However, she cannot find a suitor who captures her eye and heart. Enter Simon, the dashing Duke of Hastings.

Simon appears to be the perfect match for Daphne. Handsome, social standing, and wealthy. However, because of his childhood experiences, Simon does not intend to wed or bear children. It should come as no surprise when Simon and Daphne enter into an agreement to pretend to be madly in love so they both get what they want during the social courting season. Simon is unapproachable by other young ladies while Daphne is now the center of attention of all of the eligible bachelors! Nothing can go wrong with this plan, right?

Read the book. Watch the outstanding ensemble piece on Netflix — just have whatever you need to cool you down when you do! — and enjoy this charming story of love and intrigue. You’ll be glad you did.

2022 Reading Challenge fiction historical romance

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