Unraveled, Week 30/2021

We have made to Wednesday, which is also my Friday this week (I'm taking the next two days off from work). It's time to join Kat and the Unravelers to talk about what I'm making and what I'm reading.

What I am making will be no surprise at all; it's still all ADVENTuresome Wrap, all the time. I got a lot knit yesterday, though, and I have just three stripes left to knit (plus a bunch of ends to weave in). I think getting it done today might be a bit of a stretch, but with the rest of the week off, I can confidently say it will be done and blocked before the week is over.

I've had another pretty good week of reading, with three books finished. I think I might have gotten another book in, but Monday was a crazy busy day (I ended the day with 20.5K steps!). And three books finished in a week is still great!

After I mentioned it last week, I remembered that it was Juliann who brought The Heart to my attention. This was a quick read, which makes sense given that it follows the events of one day. It is a work of fiction, but much of it reads like nonfiction as it explains the process of the donation of a heart. In addition to the medical details, it also focuses on the individuals involved -- the donor, his parents, and his girlfriend; the doctor who treats the donor; the nurse who coordinates the donation process; the surgeon who performs the transplant; and the transplant recipient -- and explores their thoughts and feelings in depth. I was most touched by the coordinator and his respect for both the process and the donor, and the writing (or perhaps the translation?) is really beautiful. I gave it 4 stars.
Bingo square: Translation

I heard about Infinite Country on the Novel Pairings podcast and luckily did not have too long of a wait at the library. This short novel follows a Colombian family and their struggle to make a new home in the United States. At the opening of the book, they are separated, with the mother and two children in the U.S. and the father and youngest child, Talia, back in Colombia after the father was deported and Talia was sent back to be raised by her grandmother so that her mother could work to support her two older siblings. The book goes back and forth in time, telling the story of how the parents met and fell in love, how they made the journey north, and how they struggled to make a life as undocumented immigrants. It also explores the relationships between parent and child and how that relationship can be tested by politics and distance. I highly recommend you follow this one up with the nonfiction The Undocumented Americans.  I gave it 4 stars.
Bingo square: Set in a place you'd like to know more about

When I had a little break in my library holds, I decided to work on catching up with the Gamache series before the newest one comes out. I didn't think A Better Man was among Penny's strongest in the series, and frankly I still don't think that the resolution of the murder investigation really made complete sense, but I do always enjoy the time I spend with Gamache, Beauvoir, and Lacoste and all the residents of Three Pines, and frankly I'd be happy to read a book about them all just hanging out in the absence of any murder or investigation. I gave this 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4 because Goodreads doesn't do half stars).

Bingo square: An author you love

I still haven't completed my cover-all on my first bingo card because I am still reading Beloved; it sadly gets pushed to the back burner every time a library hold comes in. I am going to try to set aside time on my days off to read it, though, and I don't think it will take me that long to finish. I also started and got more than halfway through The Whispering House yesterday, and depending on how this afternoon plays out, I may very well finish it.

How about you? What you making and reading this week?