When it rains it pours… new books! After two weeks of a no new books dry spell, this week I got ALL the BOOKS! Just in time for the holiday weekend! Hooray! (enough exclamation points yet?)
Inbox (books acquired)
- Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed (Kindle, library) — This one has been on my list for a while, and I’m so excited that I timed my hold right at the library so now I can read it over the holiday weekend. I’ve heard it’s a fast read, and tense. This one is going to be my diverse book pick for July.
- Thinking Fast and Slow by by Daniel Kahneman (audiobook, library) — So, I already own this on Kindle, but I’ve found that I enjoy listening to non-fiction books more than reading them… So, I put the audiobook on my hold list at the library.
- Vicious by V. E. Schwab (Kindle) — Holy crap! Amazon must love me. I mean, I am a pretty excellent customer… Still, I’ve been wanting to read this book FOREVER, and it FINALLY went on sale. So, I bought it. Immediately. So excited. Reading this next.
- Fourth of July Creek by by Smith Henderson (Kindle) — At the end of every year, the Powell’s staff each do a “top five” list of their favorite books released that year. Last year, Buzzfeed used some “top-secret scientific algorithmic process” to create a summary list compilation of the top thirteen of across all the staff lists. This book is on that list. So far this year, I’ve read several of the books on that list, and so far I’ve been in agreement with all their choices. So, when I saw this book go on sale, I grabbed it.
- A Bollywood Affair by (Kindle) — Over lunch a few weeks ago I was telling some work friends who come from India and China/Taiwan about the book I was reading at the time, Crazy Rich Asians. This led to my telling them about my 2015 reading project. Which led to me having to answer: what book was I planning on reading from India… I got a recommendation for A Fine Balance, and I’ve added it to my list. But then, this week I saw A Bollywood Affair recommended by one of the Book Riot editors, and noticed it was on sale for $2.99. So, I think this will be my “book from India,” for now. It fits with the “love story” theme that seems to be carrying across many of my diverse book picks this year (ex: Americanah, Crazy Rich Asians, Written in the Stars), and I think it fits my requirements for a “summer read.”
Outbox (books finished)
- On the Steel Breeze by Alastair Reynolds (Kindle) — Why did I wait so long to read this sequel to Blue Remembered Earth? Maybe I was worried that it wouldn’t be as good, or that there wouldn’t be any elephants. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a book *about* elephants. The main characters are all humans. But still, who has ever heard of a space opera that includes wild elephants in the plot? I think Mr. Reynolds should get stickers for the covers of these books that say “Includes Elephants” or maybe “Elephants Inside” (like the “Intel Inside” sticker). I think it would increase sales with non-sci-fi-geeks. Anyway… enough about the elephants… this book is did not disappoint, and if you are looking for a solid and highly imaginative, yet also thought-provoking, space opera, you should definitely check out this series. The final book just came out in the UK, but I have to wait until February before Amazon will sell it to me on Kindle in the US. Publishing is so weird.
Queue (what I’m reading next)
- Oh man… so many good books to choose from… where to start? Maybe one of the books I got this week? I already started listening to Thinking Fast and Slow… but I’ll probably stretch that out across most of the 21 day hold period…
- I’ll probably read The New and Improved Romie Futch since it’s a paperback and I want to pass it on to a friend I’m going to see soon…
Hope you survived the fireworks and are enjoying your holiday weekend (if you live in the US).
(Reminder: the format for my weekly inbox/outbox posts was adopted from Book Riot’s weekly column of the same name…)
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