August Reading Focus: Classic Literature

August will be a hot, muggy, busy, and stressful month. Going into this acknowledging this, is quite powerful.

Lots of hospital appointments, long nights, and pounds of coffee is on the horizon.

This means... classics and more classics. I have a plan to read and switch between lots of the classics left on my list to read in 2023. This list is as loose as a goose and I don't take any reading plans seriously. I'm not earning karma points for these reads. 

First up on the massive reading mashup is to continue with Mistress and Maid by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (loving this with all my heart). I will also be starting Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. And in true me fashion, I'll add some comforting re-reads. Mansfield Park and Thomas Hardy's 1874 novel Far From the Madding Crowd.

What's exciting about my re-reads is that I never tire of looking forward to them. I always finish a re-read by watching my favorite screen adaptation as well. It's a truly comforting and cozy way to enjoy my reading life. 

August classics to start of with

It's book prize season and instead of having FOMO, I am going to focus on the books and authors that bring me joy and comfort. 

OH....and I'll be adding some reads from Anita Brookner as well. I am so happy to get back on my project of reading most of her oeuvre. 

Pizza Girl a Book Review

Take this review with a grain of pink salt, because I'm starting to think this whole grouping of "sad, deeply reflective, navel-gazey with no purpose" sort of meandering female protagonist is written for other people than me, but nevertheless...

ANY novel that leaves me thinking, "What was the point?" is one that I just can't stand behind or ever recommend.

I'm ALL for unhinged women. I'm ALL for weirdly attached friendships. But, to WHAT end? For WHAT purpose?

And if you're thinking, "Well you DNFed it, you would have gotten the point if you finished it?" Um... nope. There has to be more holding the story together for me than just wondering if Jenny wants another gross pizza for her son.

I honestly feel like literary fiction is falling apart and every time I use my "deep" reading space for literary fiction, rather than classics, I'm disheartened mainly.

If you want a meandering protagonist try Kitchen or Convenience Store Woman. If you REALLY want an unhinged stalker type of female lead, try The Woman in the Purple Skirt.

Women In Translation Month (August 2023) TBR

I am always reading women in translation, but I love helping to bring attention to them during the month of August.

I'm pretty removed from the online book world, but I don't see many announcements for it. It's okay, I won't be doing any prompts. :) 

I'm having a really tough time in life and I am working to make my reading as relaxed and am only seeking 5 star experiences.

I actually loathe the star rating system, but that's another story for another time :)

There are 23 weeks left in this year and I have a ton to do before the  year is out. I am being very particular about what books I am choosing during the next 5 months.

I'm excited about each one of these...

If you don't normally seek out female translated authors, see this as an invitation to do so. 

I'll make sure that I make suggestions of previous books I've read during the month of August.

Happy translated reading 

Deeply Reading A Debut Novel (Update: DNF)

 

I am loving this novel right now
DNF'ed at 48% review added below

I remember why it's so important to read great literature. 

I am really loving Adelaide and it feels deeply uncomfortable to be inside of the protagonist's mind, but I love it.

It feels so real. So true to the young dating hetero female experience of some women.

I am reassessing reading lots of books at one time, and am instead cultivating a list of what I want to read by the end of the year. 

Things I am considering:

1. Reading less books at a time
2. Deleting Goodreads reviews
3. Using my space here to review books 
4. Slowing down my reading for the second half of the year
5. Giving up on reading romances that are recommended to me (those are most of my DNFs)

Off to drink coffee and read for the 30 minutes I have that are free. 

Update: Review after my DNF

It started off strongly to me, but quickly became "quirky relatable girl meets damaged guy" and it's ALL we really focus on.

Is she working on a dissertation? Yes. Are we more focused on how many times Rory has or hasn't called? Also yes. 

Take this with a pinch of pink salt because I DNFed at 42%, but I am only here for 5 star reads, and no no no no. 

This whole "meandering, desperate, emotionally tortured" girl literary fiction novels are always missing something. I love the concept of of giving voice to that young adult female experience (which can be painful to read), but we have to take more care with it. Give some substance to the wandering Give some guts to the journey... geez HAVE a journey.

Okay rant over. I'll watch out for this author in the future, but an auto-buy she is not.

Caught Up On a Sunday: Hot Coffee, Pajamas, and Charged Kindles

The kindle collection is a bit obsessive. It really sucks because Amazon has been annoying me to no end.

I cancelled Kindle Unlimited this past week. Not sure if I will sign back up, but am working to just purchase from authors I enjoy.

My life has been so darn overwhelming and I am making space for my emotional experiences. It hasn't left me in the mood to write things that should be consumed by the public, but alas here we are.

I want to continue to use this 4th iteration of a book blog as a book diary and that means I need to work on capturing my thoughts on what I'm reading and organize it better.

True... this blog doesn't get many readers, but it's purpose is to have a reading diary that I can go back and look at. Perhaps I'll recreate a BookTube channel that will catalog my reads, but until then this is all I have and I will work to invest just a little into it from now on.

Last nite, I cleaned up my currently reading and put a few titles in "soft DNF" status. I just needed to clear them from my "currently reading". I will return to them (I'm looking at you Trollope), but the mental energy to tackle an 820+ page book right now WHILE reading 5-7 others was just too much.

My current classic re-read is Sense and Sensibility. I'm about 25% of the way through. I need to finish it so that I can move onto Mansfield Park in August.

Otherwise, I'm just organizing my book life and making a slight TBR for the second half of July.

I am missing my quiet novels (think Ferrante and Brookner), and am having an overwhelming desire to ONLY read books that feel transformative to me. This may cull the never ending TBR for sure. 

I'm off to finish my second aeropress and read a bit. 

I hope your Sunday is as quiet as mine.

July Reading Plans Are All Over the Place

Okay.... I am DNFing all over the place.

My life is just in shambles. And therefore also is my reading. 

It infuriates me honestly.... 

For July I will:

1. Finish up all my classics that I am currently reading
1. Mistress and Maid by Dinah Maria Mullock Craik
2. The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope
3. Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell
2. Have an audiobook going all the time
1. For cleaning, for cooking, but not for driving
3. Use my new coffee grinder and make cold brew
1. Had to order a new grinder because I threw my other one away in a cleaning fit

my reread for Jane Austen July

5 stars ⭐️  thriller