This morning, I woke up with a message from my mom asking if I wanted some books. She had picked up some from Half Price Books (one of my favourite stores in America). Of course I said yes. I thought it was funny. Little did she know I was planning on writing about books for today’s post.
I love reading. I taught myself how to read before I started Kindergarten and excelled past most of my peers. I was always in a separate reading group from the rest of the class. I remember feeling special that one other girl and I got to read different books from everyone else.
I remember teachers not believing that I had read x amount of pages in a night – all to win a free pizza. When we had to do testing in school, I was reading at university level when I was 12. Summers were spent going to the library and picking out books to read for a couple of weeks. As I got older, reading became more of a “requirement”, especially for university studies. But without fail, I would pick up reading for fun over the summer.
Since COVID started, I’ve been spending a majority of my time reading. I’ve been wanting to save money and visit a library, but our closest library has been turned into a COVID testing clinic. Therefore, I try to make my books last. It’s really nice not having to read as much academic material, now that I am finished with my master’s.
I’ve decided that I will be doing some “book briefs” in future posts – talking about what I am currently reading, what I recently finished, and what I hope to read next. I don’t know how often I will write these, but I’m hoping it will give you some reading ideas!
Currently Reading: Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher
Rosamunde Pilcher has become one of my favourite authors. The first book I read by her was The Shell Seekers. My mom sent it to me in a package a year ago, telling me how much I would enjoy reading it. It is definitely one of my favourite books and I have recommended it to a lot of my friends. Right now, I am reading her 1995 novel, Coming Home. This edition has a hefty 1,016 pages and I’m on page 281 – I have a ways to go. The setting takes place in Cornwall during the mid-1930s. It mainly centers around Judith, a fourteen year-old girl, but also offers glimpses into the other character’s lives. One of my favourite things about Pilcher’s writing style is her use of description. She can paint pictures of places I’ve never been to before and make my feel like I’ve known it my whole life. I’m really enjoying this novel so far and can’t wait to see what twists she will add.
Recently Finished: A Place Like Home by Rosamunde Pilcher
Yes, another Pilcher book, but this one was filled with some of her short stories. I have only read her novels, so it was nice to read something different by her. Some of the stories I wanted to continue. Some she wrapped up nicely. I went through the book in just two days. It is definitely light reading and would be perfect to take with on a trip. Her description is just as rich, even with fewer words.
Want to Read: Girl A by Abigail Dean
I’ve read some good reviews about this book and it has piqued my interest. It is about a girl named Lex Gracie and how she escaped her parents’ “house of horrors”. She finds out her mother dies in prison and has left the house to Lex and her siblings. So, she must confront her past by coming to terms with it and along with her six siblings. It sounds like it will be an emotional and very raw book to read.
Have a great week of reading!
xx Hannah
Idealistic Iowan 