Sunday Salon --- All About Books!

Weather: We woke up this morning to the sound of rain hitting the skylight in the master bath off our bedroom. It is supposed to warm up and dry up later in the week but we won't be here to appreciate the arrival of spring...we're heading south tomorrow.

General Grant

Road trip: Tomorrow we leave for for a road trip heading to several points south: Ashland, Oregon for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks both in California; Las Vegas, Nevada, from which we hope to make a day trip to Death Valley National Park. We hope to see some of the largest trees in the world but past snowy weather in the parks may curtail our plans to see many of these big tree. (Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park Largest Trees.) We will be visiting family on both ends of our trip. Doubtless I will stay connected, as I'll have my computer with me.

Books and blogging: Here's what I've been reading and blogging about the past two weeks (click on hyperlinked titles to read reviews and more):

• Blogging:
•  Sunday Salon, April 7th --- Hope Edition
  
• TTT: Books with Animals in the Title
• Let's Discuss--- Reading Selections
• National Poetry Month
• Two books, Almost Identical Reviews (Such a Fun Age; The Reading List)
  
• Excellent Poetry Book Selections to Read in April, National Poetry Month
• Three Short Book Reviews (A Thousand Steps Into Night; Malibu Rising; The Hero of This Book.)
  
• Review: Bewilderment
• Classics Club Review: Romeo and Juliet
• Review: Spine Poems
   
• Currently reading/listening to:
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Chabon -- We will finish the audiobook of this Pulitzer Prize winner from 2001 the first leg of our road trip. We've been working on it since March and I'll be glad to finish it. Audio. 80%
• Made to Explode: Poems by Sandra Beasley -- I actually purchased a copy of this collection. Print. 20%
• When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sasha Lamb -- A Printz Honor book from 2023. I am enjoying this story which has surprised me as to it's topic and humor. I may not be able to finish it, however, before it will be returned to library automatically. I'll have to get back in line to finish it up after the road trip. Audio. 34%
  
• A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende -- a book club selection that start in Spain during the Civil War and then moves to Peru. I just started this last night so I may switch to the audio. We'll see. Print. 5%.
   
• Completed the past two weeks:
• Bewilderment: A Novel by Richard Powers -- a modern retelling of the Flowers for Algernon type story which addresses the limits of technology and asks us to be aware of how we can help make our world a better place. Heart breaking and heart warming. Audio.
• In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak -- got to love the art work by this guy! Print.
• Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare -- my first time reading (listening) to the Bard's most famous work. Loved it. Audio.
• Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie -- this is the first book with Miss Marple. E-book.
• Lucy By the Sea by Elizabeth Strout -- for an upcoming book club. The author won the Pulitzer for her book Olive Kitteridge. That character made a cameo in this book. Audio.
• Gmorning and Gnight!: Little Pep Talks From Me to You by Lin-Manuel Miranda -- Based on the author's tweets by the same name. Inspiring. Print.
• Such Colors: New and Collected Poems by Tracy K. Smith -- a poetry collection which contained many of the poets best. I didn't have time to finish the book before having to return it to the library. Will finish up next time! Print.
• Spine Poems: An Eclectic Collection of Found Verse for Book Lovers by Annette Dauphin Simon -- A new poetry favorite! Print.
  

• Possible reading choices for road trip (I will not finish all these books, they are options):
• Audiobooks
• The Amazing Kavalier and Clay
• The Long Petal of the Sea
• The Mountains Sing
• Black Cake
• The Fox and I
• When the Angels Left the Old Country (if I have any time alone during our trip)
   
• Print
• The Long Petal of the Sea
• Made to Explode: Poems
• The Return of Jeeves
• The Financial Life of Poets
  

 Off to finish laundry and start the process of packing. Bye!

-Anne