travel reading – Life Off Headset

Books Read, August 2024

I really enjoyed reading in August, and managed to read more than I do most months. Lately, I’m trying to have dedicated reading time. Yes, I still always have a book (or four) on Libby to pull out when I’m standing in line or waiting for something, but I’ve realized that for me, reading breeds reading; the more uninterrupted reading time I have, the more I enjoy books. And in turn, the more I enjoy reading books, the more I want to read books and the more likely I’ll reach for a book when I have pockets of time.

Not getting interrupted allows me to get into the flow of the story and remember details. There are books that are good adventures, propulsive plots of which I don’t have to remember all the details – these often make good audiobooks for me and I can tune in or out but still get the gist of the story. But a books that a rich in detail and character, books that I like to savor and think about – these books for me benefit from having uninterrupted reading time. I’ve read a few books this year that I’ve really liked, and I think I would have liked them even better if I had gotten to read them in more concentrated chunks, if I had been allowed to sink into them more. Not necessarily in one sitting – I don’t by any means read that fast – but maybe twenty or thirty minutes at a time.

When I only get to read here and there, in the grocery line, or waiting for pick up, or when I’m constantly interrupted by sibling squabbles – I find I don’t connect with what I’m reading as much. I think some of it is an attention span thing- I just get out of practice of concentrating for longer than a few minutes at a time. Maybe, also, I don’t let myself get too invested because I know I will only get to read a small chunk? Perhaps it’s like with any hobby – doing it in an unhurried manner, giving an activity your time and attention allows savoring and makes it more fulfilling. Investing in something you enjoy means not just investing money but also investing time. Anyhow, I’m trying to invest more of my time to uninterrupted reading so that reading may beget more reading. Because books are really awesome.

Anyhow, on to August Books:

Swept Away by Beth O’Leary read by Conor Swindells and Rebekah Hinds: This novel tells about a one night stand on a house boat that becomes a twelve day stand when the boat is swept out to sea. I really enjoyed this book – the characters were smart, with just enough baggage to be interesting, but no so much that it weighed down the story. I enjoyed following the perils and adventures as Zeke and Lexi worked together to survive with dwindling food, no cell service, and no power. There is also a seagull that figures prominently. There is some typical romance novel third act silliness, but not silly enough to bother me. The audiobook narrators were fantastic and full of personality.

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good – This novel by a British Columbia author of Cree and French Canadian heritage tells the interconnected stories of five teenagers who struggle to rebuild their lives after leaving an Indian residential school in British Columbia. I thought these were important stories to tell and that each character has an interesting arc – the stories are heartbreaking and at the same time filled with little triumphs. However, I didn’t enjoy the writing. I thought the prose was very stolid and plain, almost stilted, and the structure of the book was a little confusing at times, jumping back in forth in the timeline. I couldn’t tell if these things were signs of a specific writing technique or a lack of writing technique, but I wanted the writing to sing a bit more than it did.

Knockout by Sarah MacLean – this is the third book in the Hell’s Belle’s series, about a quartet of women out to bring down the scum of high society. I think it’s my favorite so far. Lady Imogen Loveless is an explosives expert. Tommy Peck is a brilliant detective. Of course their paths intersect. I really liked these two protagonists – Imogen was just a bit daffy, but not enough to be annoying, and she was brilliantly smart. Tommy’s working class background is a nice departure in a genre that is often full of dukes and aristocrats. But I will say, when you have a book series centered around a group of very strong willed, independent, ass-kicking women, their heros all kind of start feeling the same. As much as I enjoyed the chemistry and antics of Imogen and Tommy, Tommy had the same “I’m exasperated by your antics and am going to try to come to your rescue all the time,” air that all the other men in the series had so far. But then again, romance novels often thrive on familiar tropes. The writing, as always, is reliably solid and witty and I can’t wait for the fourth book to come out.

The Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki – The Husband recommended this novel – it’s set in the part of Southern California where I grew up and where my parents now live. And a donut store features prominently. I thought this book was fantastic. The plot features so many threads that you wouldn’t think it would work, but it does. There’s the trans teenager running away from home, with just her cheap violin and her wits and courage. There’s the brilliant violin teacher who made a deal with the devil. There are the refugees from another galaxy who run a donut store as it is the key to returning home. There is the potter who is running the family’s violin repair store, a store that has been in their family for generations. There are tangerines. I thought this was a beautiful book, and I want to read it again to sink into all the details – the book is feel good, cozy, smart but also doesn’t shy away from pain and difficult situations. Also when I figured out where the titles came from I gasped in wonder – the writing is pretty beautiful, each word or phrase or image so precise and well suited. Also – Bartok’s sonata for solo violin plays a big part in the book, which the music nerd in me just loved. Science fiction isn’t really a genre I read a lot of, but this one was so grounded in things that I know and love, and the writing was so good, that it felt really accessible to me.

One of my favorite passages was this one, when Lan (the alien captain) and Shizuka (the violin teacher) meet at an Olive Garden:
Lan ate one, [bread stick] then the other. She looked at Shizuka in horror.
“Oh no! I ate your bread stick, too.”
“Don’t worry. They’ll bring more.”
“Really?”
Shisuka tilted her head. “Lan, haven’t you traveled the galaxy? I mean, surely you’ve been to much nice places than an Olive Garden in Cerritos.”
Cerritos is a very Asian, very bland, very functional suburban area in Southern California, near where I grew up. This comment made me laugh.

Or this one, the potter training her son on how to mend a violin:
“Andrew, careful means watch what you are doing. Careful does not mean be indecisive.”

I need to embrace that more.

The Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne Long – The latest in her Palace of Rogues series that takes place in a boarding house along the Thames. I didn’t love this book as much as My Season of Scandal, but I did like it a lot. This is a second chance romance between two people who are married, but have been separated for five years because of things that happened on the night they got married. The story of how Alexandra and her husband Magnus get back together is classic Julie Anne Long- well-written angst and longing with an incandescent resolution. That part of the story I really loved. I have a few quibbles though – first of all, the story starts with Alexandra in jail which lent a certain humor and quirkiness to her character that is never really explored. She turns out to be a little dull, which is actually kind of the point of her character, but I wanted her to be a little less dull. Also most of the story is told from her POV, so Magnus remains in large part a mystery, and I kind of miss getting to understand his transformation from the inside out the way that we see Alexandra’s. Also while I love the antics of the Grand Palace on the Thames, it really threw the pacing off in this story. The parts that didn’t feature the main romantic couple were all well written and funny, but I think in past books, the antics meshed more seamlessly with the main love story, and in this one they didn’t. Having said all that though, I thought the story of Alexandra and Magnus was really well crafted and the conflict was thoughtfully laid out. The cover, though, doesn’t really have a lot to do with the book. I think her covers are getting worse and worse as the series goes on.

Tru Biz by Sara Novic – I thought that this novel set in a boarding school for Deaf teenagers was pretty great. First of all, the plot is interespersed with chapters that explain parts of Deaf history and culture. As someone who is unfamiliar with any of that context, it was so eye opening. The sections that talked about the nuances of sign language were fascinating. Also Alexander Graham Bell had so much more going on than just inventing the telephone. The actual story itself was absorbing too – the story tells the story of two students at the school, and the head mistress of the school. Their stories seem very separate at first, but then come together as plot like things happen. There is some very risky teen behavior going on, and some grown up problems involving the complicated world of running a deaf school, and things like cochlear implants. I thought the ending felt a little unresolved, but in the notes at the end, the author says that she left the end a little open because she wanted these characters, these Deaf characters, to live on in the reader’s mind, so that the reader doesn’t just leave them in the book, but takes them, and Deaf culture, out into the world. I really loved that thought and it makes me see unresolved endings in a whole new light.

On my proverbial Night Stand

Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage by Jonny Steinberg – still working my way through this biography of Winnie and Nelson Mandela. There is some seriously messed up shit going on that certainly didn’t make it into Nelson Mandela’s autobiography.

Hum in You Don’t Know the Words by Bianca Marais – A ten year old girl and Xhosa widow’s lives come together in the aftermath of the 1976 Soweto uprisings.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett – Curmudgeonly academic goes to a remote Northern Island to research faeries. Breezy and ironic in tone, but moving at a slow pace. Or maybe I’m just reading it at a slow pace?

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, read by Ray Porter – I don’t pretend to understand the science bits, but the human bits are really wonderful.

How was your reading life last month? Are you able to find satisfaction in reading in fits and starts, or do you find you need longer uninterrupted time for reading?

Books Read, June and July 2025

I’m fitting two months in this reading recap, since I didn’t get around to writing June’s run down. I managed to read a lot in June, mostly because I wanted to finish the Mandela autobiography before I went to South Africa, so I was very disciplined about it, reading 15 pages a day for two month. July has been mostly audiobooks because of having a long commute.

Stillborn by Guadalupe Nettel, translated by Roslind Harvey – This novel tells about two friends, Alina and Laura – they are independent career driven women whose have to learn to navigate their friendship when Alina decides to have a baby and her pregnancy develops complications. This is very much a character driven book – it’s one about life just happening and explores issues of friendship, motherhood, aging, and what we owe the young people in the world. Its a quiet book – just life being lived, but also profoundly touching as well. The lack of propulsive plot made the book feel a little slow at times, but I thought it was such a thoughtful, meditative book as well. I highlighted so many passages in this book, but two of my favorite:

“Dogs are low-intensity children: they give you love, joy and loyalty. They are affectionate creatures which need to be taken care of, but which in no way stop you from living your life. If you go on a trip or if they annoy you you can just send them away to boarding school. It makes me angry to think that some people even beat them without the risk of being sent to prison. Dogs do not ask questions. If they take offence, they show it timidly and it doesn’t last long. In any case, they can’t sue you, nor demand that you pay for their therapy. Instead of needing a babysitter, it’s enough to have someone take them out for a walk for a few hours. It’s true they never become independent, but it’s also true that they live for only a short time, eighteen years or so if you’re lucky. When they get ill or grow old, many owners opt for euthanasia they prefer to say they have them ‘put to sleep’ without facing legal problems or anyone questioning them about it. I know that there are also many people who treat them well and care for them as if they were a member of the family, but this does not diminish how sad their lives make me feel.”
-I’m not really a dog person, but I completely see how dogs can worm their way into one’s heart.

She doesn’t seem ill,’ I said.
The doctor assures me that this little girl, as well as being healthy, is determined to live.
‘That’s because she doesn’t read the newspapers yet. As soon as she sees the state the world’s in, she’ll change her mind.’
Alina looked up at me and said: ‘It’s so strange, don’t you think? Why would someone who has never lived want to do so?’ I recalled something I had read years ago, in the Buddhist books I had bought on my last trip to Nepal. According to those writers, who had been born many centuries before Inés and us, the emotion that most characterizes our species is desire, and it is desire, too, that makes us reincarnate as human beings.
-I often think about this instinct to live that children have. I mean I want to live because I know about music and love and chocolate. But babies? They know nothing about these things. And then, also, our instinct to nurture children, even those that we know will not survive.

Forever Your Rogue by Erin Langston, read by Justine Eyre and Will M. Watt – I tried to read this book last year, but couldn’t really get into it, but then I saw that the audiobook featured Will Watt, one of my favorite narrators, so I decided to give it another try. This is a sweet and funny fake engagement romance novel about Cora a widowed Countess who bribes her childhood friend and current wastrel Nathaniel to pose as her fiancé so that she can win custody of her children from her evil sister in law. There were some cute touches – each chapter opens with a letter, and I do love epistolatory novels – and Nathaniel’s arc of turning his life around is quite lovely to watch. But I will say the children in the story felt utterly unrealistic to me. All in all, not earth shattering in the genre, but a perfectly pleasant historical romance novel. I wasn’t crazy about Justine Eyre’s narration – it just sounded forced and strangled. Will Watt, though was perfection.

The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, read by the author – I picked this book up after reading about it in an interview with Jose Andres where he cited this book as one that he thinks the President should read. Villavicencio is herself an undocumented immigrant and her book is part journalism part personal essay, as she travels across the U.S. to tell the stories of the undocumented immigrants who are embedded in the very fabric of our lives here in America. Undocumented immigrants live in a permanently liminal space – here and working, but with no access to safety nets – and Villavicencio details a lot of those lack of safety nets, from those in New York who responded to 9/11, to immigrants in Flint Michigan who were unaware of the water crisis there. Intertwined with the stories of others is her own journey and feelings about being a immigrant in America. This is a hard book in a lot of ways, and it made me realize how lucky I am because my immigration story, and that of my parents’ is very different from what it could have been. I will say, I listened to this on audio because it was the only version I could find; I might have preferred reading this to listening to it – Villavicencio’s narration is a little dry.

Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela – I read Mandela’s autobiography in anticipation of my trip to South Africa. Mandela is a legendary leader, a prominent figure in modern South African history despite being in jail for almost thirty years. I found reading Mandela’s words riveting; his childhood and schooling, the injustices he suffered as a Black man in South Africa, his daring and illegal political work, the dehumanizing conditions of prison, his capacity for forgiveness and peace-making – I found all of it inspiring. Even though this is a very large book (clocks in at almost 600 pages), it is very readable, and moves quite quickly. I was very determined to finish this book before we left for South Africa so I imposed a very disciplined reading schedule for myself – 15 pages a day. I know it’s just one man’s story, but what a story he had to tell. I highlighted the heck out of this book too.

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann, translated by Anthea Bell – This is a mystery novel featuring crime solving sheep. It was hilarious – I laughed out loud many times. The sheep casually eavesdrop on conversations in search of clues, sneak into churches and pubs and other mundane village fixtures. They are delightful. Seeing the world of humans though their eyes was a lot of fun – humans are quite incomprehensible to them. I will say, the actual mystery itself wasn’t very interesting to me, but I would read the sequel just to see what the sheep get up to next.

The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso – I picked up this book because it was on a list of books set in South Africa, and I like reading books set in my destination when I travel. This novel tells the story about two eighty year old widows, neighbors in Cape Town, one White and one Black, who do NOT get along. Then things happen and they are forced to put up with each other. This book also deals with the legacy of Apartheid in today’s South Africa as Hortensia and Marion are both touched by events in the past. Read this if you want a book about crochety 80 year old women with razor sharp tongues and complicated histories.

Bombshell by Sarah McClean – The first book in McLean’s Hells Belle’s historical romance series (I’d read the second one already, and decided to start with the start of the series.) The main characters Sesily Talbot and Caleb Calhoun were side characters in another McLean novel/series, so this book felt a little bit like being dropped off in the middle of a series, even though it was the firs book of this current series. Sesily and Caleb have long been attracted to each other, and this book is a lot about them fighting that attracting while Sesily tries to covertly bring about the downfall of a dastardly Duke. (I think it was a duke?) To be honest, Sesily and Caleb were the least interesting part of the novel – they fought, made out (and then some), had misunderstanding and secrets and a little bit of martyr syndrome. Pretty standard romance stuff. The best part of the book was the friendship between Sesily and her fellow female vigilantes – their honest, loyal, bantering friendship made this book sparkle. I’m sticking to this series to read more about the female friendships.

The Red Notebook by Anton Laurain, translated by Jane Aitkin and Emily Boyce read by Alex Wyndham – (Interesting… this is my third novel in translation in this post…) I got this book because I needed a new audiobook for the car and a bunch of people on Reddit recommend Alex Wyndham as an audiobook narrator. This novel tells the story of Laurent, a bookseller, who finds a purse in the street and searches for the owner. The owner, Laure, had been mugged and is in the hospital. The books kind of feels like a Hallmark movie – predictable, warm, and a full cast of family and friends to meet and meddle along the way. There are lots of fun literary references and there is also a grumpy cat that I enjoyed. All in all, a sweet, pleasant read/listen, though not terribly memorable.

Drop Dead by Lily Chiu read by Philippa Soo and John Cho – Two rival journalists compete for the chance to write a tell all about a famed reclusive author. This enemies to lovers novel is a little different in tone from Chiu’s other books I’ve read; first of all it’s in third person alternating narratives when her past novels have been in first person. I miss a little of the quirky first person voice, to be honest, and the book also felt a little unresolved in terms of the BIG SECRET that the reclusive author was hiding. I would read this book for Chiu’s witty insights and banter, the cats, and the glimpses into the newsroom, particularly obituary writing.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie, an Audible Original – Not strictly an audiobook, rather this is a dramatized audio version of Christie’s first Poirot novel. I thought this was really really well done. The voice acting was spot on (Peter Dinklage was Poirot, Phil Dunster, who plays Jamie Tartt on Ted Lasso was another character, Rob Delany from Catastrophe played the American husband), and the writer/adaptor punched up some of the WWI aspects to create more atmosphere and tension. There was an original score that was by turns creepy and nostalgic. I don’t remember if I’ve ever read this mystery, but I was for sure as invested in finding the murderer as I was in the lives of everyone in the story.

On my Proverbial nightstand:

Nelson and Willie: Portrait of a Marriage by Jonny Steinberg – This dual biography details the relationship of Nelson and Winnie Mandela. There is a lot in this book that didn’t make it into Mandela’s autobiography. Understandably so. It’s all quite scandalous.

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good – Novel about five teenagers who struggle to adapt to life in Vancouver after leaving the church-run residential school they were forced into as children. So far it’s been grim but engrossing.

Tru Biz by Sara Novic – I started reading this book a while back, but then it went on the back burner while I finished some books that were actually due back at the library. I’m really loving this book about a high school for Deaf teens trying to live their teenage lives, and the headmistress trying to keep everything together.

The Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne Long – the next book in the Palace of Rogue series. It’s pretty swoony so far.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, read by Ray Porter – This book is a lot of fun and Porter is a great narrator.

Books Read November 2024

Only three books read in November, which is not terrible considering what a packed month November was. But, I have cross the threshold of 50 books this year – I think I might be closer to 60 books for this year, depending on how December shakes out.

Hopefully I’ll get to do a 2024 reading recap of favorite reads soon – I always want to do this every year, and never find the time….

The Unlikely Thru-Hiker: An Appalachian Trail Journey by Derick Lugo – Whenever I read about someone doing some kind of thru hiking achievement, it makes me want to also take five months of my life to do the same thing. Especially when it’s someone like Lugo who, when he set out to hike the AT, had very little experience hiking, and no experience at all camping. I always think, “Hey if he can do it so can I!” The “Unlikely” part of the title refers to the fact that Lugo is Black and there are very few Black people thru hiking the AT, something that led to the occasional comment to him while on the trail. Lugo’s memoir is a pretty fast and easy read – his recounts his time on the AT with humor and a sense of ease – I would almost called relaxed, even when he isn’t sure he is going to make it. Lugo doesn’t focus on the hardships of the trail – though he does go into details about those – rather he focuses on the kindness and friendships he encounters as he makes his way from Georgia to Maine. This book is also a good reminder for me why time outside is so important with this:
”Out here, I’m able to have long and complete thoughts. When I”m in the city, if a creative idea pops into my head… there always seems to be interruptions. I’m often up late working on them because one, the new ideas keep me up like a hungry newborn baby, and two, that’s the time when I have the fewest distractions. But out here in the great outdoors, nothing is pressing, nothing is more important than walking on the trail. Out here all I do is hik and think, think and hike.”

The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz – This novel came up on a list on the site Five Books: “The Best Romance Books with a Twist.” The premise of this book is that Nick writes and angry email that accidentally ends up in Bee’s inbox. The two start corresponding, growing more and more attracted to each other. When they finally agree to meet, however, it becomes clear that something is a little off. Turns out Nick and Bee exist in parallel universes, only able to communicate via email because of some time/space glitch. There were times when I thought Nick and Bee, while likeably and charming characters, were making some truly terrible and selfish life choices, but over all there was a lot I liked about this book – the epistolary nature of it, the angsty impossible relationship, the humors writing, the details of the paralleled universes – in Nick’s universe, men can take a vasectomy subsidy when they no longer want to have kids. Bee lives in our universe and Nick is flabergasted about the whole Trump is President thing. (The book came out in 2022, and there was one bit where Bee says something to the effect of “Don’t worry, Trump is leaving office” which I think landed quite differently in mid-November for me than Lotz clearly expected/hoped it to.) The other thing, though – and this might be a bit of a spoiler – is that this book is marketed as a romance novel, and it really wasn’t in that there wasn’t really a Happily Ever After ending. Or not one that feels like it’s part of the story the novel is telling. So actually this book made me think a lot about what exactly a romance novel is and why so much of the genre hinges on the HEA ending.

Waiting for the Flood by Alexis Hall, read by Will Watt – I was looking for a cozy romance novel on audiobook for my commute, I had loved Will Watt reading Hall’s Ten Things That Never Happened (Still love that book, Engie!). So when I saw this book, the same author/reader paring, I immediately borrowed it. It’s actually a short novella that tells the story of how heartbroken Edwin, mourning a breakup, meets and falls in love with emergency aid worker Adam during a gigantic rainstorm. It’s a really sweet story, and I love how Watt blends the humor and vulnerability of the characters. There was another book included with this audiobook, Chasing the LIght about the man who broke Edwin’s heart, but I didn’t finish that one yet.

Bibliophile Diverse Spines by Jamie’s Harper and Jane Mount– This was a visually beautiful book:

This is a book created with the hope of encouraging people to pick upmore books by diverse authors. It features book lists by genre as well as reading recommendations from BIPOC writers themselves. Actually this book is where I found out about The Unlikely Thru Hiker. I don’t know if I would count this as a book I “read” because I didn’t pick it up and read every word cover to cover. Rather, I would leaf through it every so often, jotting down ideas of books to read, putting things on hold when they sounded good. I got so many good book recs from this book that I didn’t want to ever return it. I would highly recommend this book if you like beautiful illustrations, but even more so if you are looking to read more books by undereepresented voices.

On My Proverbial Book Shelf:

Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan – novel about a family in Taiwan that is torn apart by the brutal 2/28 uprising of 1947, an anti-government rebellion against the Chinese government occupying the Island. My parents have often talked about this massacre, a brutal suppression of the Taiwanese people that has been often described officially as merely an “incident”, if it is even talked about at all.

The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw – novel set in 1940s Malaysia when it was under British rule.

My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long – Part of the Palace of Rogues series that I’ve been binging this month.