Reading Wednesday
What I finished:
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. For tonight's book club. This is a book about a failed bank robber taking a bunch of people hostage, which makes it sound like some sort of thriller, but it's actually a quirky and ultimately rather sweet story about a bunch of, well, anxious people working out their various personal issues. I wasn't sure I'd like it at first, as I tend to get annoyed with books where the author breaks the fourth wall to address the reader directly, especially if the author then makes sweeping statements about the human condition; but the more I read, the more all the characters grew on me. I ended up getting really sucked into the story, and even teared up a bit at the end.
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia Manansala Fairly light murder mystery about a young Filipina-American woman who moves back from Chicago to her small home town to help her aunt run the family restaurant, and becomes a murder suspect when a nasty restaurant critic -- who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend -- is killed. The mystery plot is pretty thin, as most cozy mystery plots are these days, but the characters are likable, and the author's genuine affection for Filipino food and culture really shines through. I enjoyed it, and plan to read the next book in the series when it comes out.
What I'm reading now:
I finished the chapter on "Gotz von Berlichingen and the Military Revolution" in The Verge and am taking a break before I start in on "Aldus Manutius and Printing". The military chapter really did drive home how the past is a foreign country sometimes. These days, mercenary soldiers are considered pretty unsavory, but back then it was apparently a perfectly respectable, even prestigious occupation for sons of noble families to take up. Fighting for a country not your own was perfectly normal, and so was switching sides if somebody offered you more money. It was all interesting stuff, but I think I need a break for some lighter reading before I move on.
I'm also breezing my way through The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, which was recommended by
lizbee, and which I'm greatly enjoying so far.
What I'm reading next: Who knows, my plans always seem to be changing. This entry was originally posted at https://marinarusalka.dreamwidth.org/668274.html. You may comment there using OpenID.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. For tonight's book club. This is a book about a failed bank robber taking a bunch of people hostage, which makes it sound like some sort of thriller, but it's actually a quirky and ultimately rather sweet story about a bunch of, well, anxious people working out their various personal issues. I wasn't sure I'd like it at first, as I tend to get annoyed with books where the author breaks the fourth wall to address the reader directly, especially if the author then makes sweeping statements about the human condition; but the more I read, the more all the characters grew on me. I ended up getting really sucked into the story, and even teared up a bit at the end.
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia Manansala Fairly light murder mystery about a young Filipina-American woman who moves back from Chicago to her small home town to help her aunt run the family restaurant, and becomes a murder suspect when a nasty restaurant critic -- who also happens to be her ex-boyfriend -- is killed. The mystery plot is pretty thin, as most cozy mystery plots are these days, but the characters are likable, and the author's genuine affection for Filipino food and culture really shines through. I enjoyed it, and plan to read the next book in the series when it comes out.
What I'm reading now:
I finished the chapter on "Gotz von Berlichingen and the Military Revolution" in The Verge and am taking a break before I start in on "Aldus Manutius and Printing". The military chapter really did drive home how the past is a foreign country sometimes. These days, mercenary soldiers are considered pretty unsavory, but back then it was apparently a perfectly respectable, even prestigious occupation for sons of noble families to take up. Fighting for a country not your own was perfectly normal, and so was switching sides if somebody offered you more money. It was all interesting stuff, but I think I need a break for some lighter reading before I move on.
I'm also breezing my way through The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, which was recommended by
lizbee, and which I'm greatly enjoying so far.
What I'm reading next: Who knows, my plans always seem to be changing. This entry was originally posted at https://marinarusalka.dreamwidth.org/668274.html. You may comment there using OpenID.