I have checked several times this morning to make sure it's Wednesday (Monday holidays always throw me off!), because that means it's time for my weekly check-in with Kat and the Unravelers!
I utterly failed at getting my sister-in-law's socks done on Monday, and as of this morning, I still have about 1.5 inches of foot and a toe still to knit on the second sock.
I've decided I'm just going to give these to her on Friday as a belated birthday present, and that should be plenty of time to finish the second sock and block them. I'm hoping that I can actually finish this sock today, though work has gotten a bit chaotic again (remember the big project that sucked up my time last week? turns out I got sent copy that wasn't final).
It has not been a super-productive week of reading for me, but I did finish two books.
After recently reading so much Elizabeth Strout, I couldn't resist requesting her next Lucy Barton book, Lucy by the Sea, from Netgalley. I think this may be my favorite book of hers yet, though I don't know if it's this book specifically or the fact that I have now gotten very used to Lucy's voice in my head. In any case, you should know that this is a pandemic book, and if you're not someone who wants to relive the past couple of years, stay away from it. That didn't bother me, though, and I think reliving the experience from Lucy's point of view was, in a way, comforting to me because it all seemed very familiar and relatable. Lucy and her family members are starting to feel like old family friends to me, so it felt natural to want to know how they've experienced the pandemic. I gave it 4 stars.
Just last night I finished Trust, which was on the Booker Prize long list but didn't make it to the short list. This is a strange book. The writing is good, but I'm still a bit confused about some things and about the point of it. This is one I think I'll need to think about for a while and also read some reviews about to fully make sense of. I suspect my wondering about what the "real" story was is sort of the point -- that in presenting several versions of the same story, we readers are supposed to examine what we believe and which narrator we trust to tell us the truth. I think this was worth the read but would hesitate to recommend it to anyone who wasn't already interested in it. I gave it 3 stars.
I'm currently reading The Plague of Doves (still) and have been listening to Sharks in the Time of Saviors, which had been on my TBR list for a couple of years but was recently bumped to the top when Mary mentioned she'd really enjoyed it -- as luck would have it, I needed a new audiobook to listen to and it was available without a wait!
What are you making and reading this week? If you've been following the Booker Prize, what do you think about the short list?
The yarn for your SIL's socks is just so pretty - I really like the way it has knit up. I keep reading mixed reviews about Trust. I have it on my TBR list...but not at the top. Sharks in the Time of Saviors looks interesting! I'm knitting (occasionally - work gets in the way) on a sock and reading Remarkably Bright Creatures.
ReplyDeleteI do love the colors in those stripes and would be very happy to receive them anytime! I'm glad you enjoyed Lucy By the Sea. I felt much the same way about it and found William's knowledge and planning comforting. I was surprised by the short list. I didn't think Small Things Like These was quite enough to be on the list, and the only other book I read was Oh, William! It will be interesting to see who wins.
ReplyDeleteYou know I'm rooting for Seven Moons all the way! Your sock heel is ingenious!
ReplyDeleteI still love the colors of those socks! And I loved Lucy by the Sea. You are correct about it being so relatable. I liked Trust, too, but agree that it's a bit odd.
ReplyDeleteTrust!!! I totally think we are supposed to believe the final story and isn't it interesting that we're questioning that?!
ReplyDeleteI imagine your sister-in-law will be happy to receive those socks whenever they arrive. They sure are pretty. I may try to get this latest book by Strout.
ReplyDeleteThose are fabulous socks, Sarah . . . belated or not. I'm sure your sister-in-law will be thrilled to received them. (And I loved Trust. Although it didn't seem Booker-ish to me at all.)
ReplyDeleteI really love those stripes - so pretty. And I'm excited that you enjoyed the newest Lucy -- I can't wait to read this whole series. I still haven't gotten Trust from the library despite it being due back on 8/30. My librarian called me and filled me in: it's been out on interlibrary loan! And the borrower asked to extend the loan for another month and she wanted to make sure it was okay with me. Of course I said yes (begrudgingly.)
ReplyDeleteI join everyone in loving those socks! They are all kinds of stripey goodness! :)
ReplyDeleteLike, Kym, I loved Trust... but it really did not seem very Bookerish at all. (And I also loved Small Things Like These... but again, not very Bookerish either!) And Oh, William! Well... that was the perfect precursor to Lucy by the Sea! :) Good reading for you this week!