Good morning, and welcome to another Monday, in which we celebrate our reading, blogging, and life. Mailbox Monday is hosted in August by 5 Minutes for Books; and Book Journey brings us another edition of What Are You Reading?
MAILBOX MONDAY:
This week’s mailbox brought one review book, and I received one download for Sparky.
1. We Sinners, by Hanna Pylvainen
This stunning debut novel—drawn from the author’s own life experience—tells the moving story of a family of eleven in the American Midwest, bound together and torn apart by their faith
The Rovaniemis and their nine children belong to a deeply traditional church (no drinking, no dancing, no TV) in modern-day Michigan. A normal family in many ways, the Rovaniemis struggle with sibling rivalry, parental expectations, and forming their own unique identities in such a large family. But when two of the children venture from the faith, the family fragments and a haunting question emerges: Do we believe for ourselves, or for each other? Each chapter is told from the distinctive point of view of a different Rovaniemi, drawing a nuanced, kaleidoscopic portrait of this unconventional family. The children who reject the church learn that freedom comes at the almost unbearable price of their close family ties, and those who stay struggle daily with the challenges of resisting the temptations of modern culture. With precision and potent detail, We Sinners follows each character on their journey of doubt, self-knowledge, acceptance, and, ultimately, survival.
2. You Are the Love of My Life (e-book), by Susan Richards Shreve
For fans of Sue Miller, a finely wrought novel of family secrets and the desire for sustaining love.
It is 1973 and Watergate is on everyone’s lips. Lucy Painter is a children’s book illustrator and a single mother of two. She leaves New York and the married father of her children to live in a tightly knit Washington neighborhood in the house where she grew up and where she discovered her father’s suicide. Lucy hopes for a fresh start, but her life is full of secrets: her children know nothing of her father’s death or the identity of their own father. As the new neighbors enter their insular lives, her family’s safety and stability become threatened.
From a writer whose “unique presentation of human experience makes reading a delight” (Elizabeth Strout), You Are the Love of My Life is a story of how shame leads to secrets, secrets to lies, and how lies stand in the way of human connection.
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WHAT ARE YOU READING?
Welcome to another great week to share thoughts on reading and blogging. If you stop by the other blogs in our community, you might just find your next favorite read.
Assorted Stuff On the Blogs:
Over at Creative Journey, I posted my check-in for Row 80; at Snow Chronicles, I posted an excerpt from Interior Designs; and my Weekend Potpourri took us on a journey via photos, books, and movies.
Reading (Click Titles for Reviews):
Grace Grows, by Shelle Sumners
The Next Best Thing, by Jennifer Weiner
Where’d You Go, Bernadette, by Maria Semple
Safe Within (e-book), by Jean Reynolds Page
What’s Up Next? (Click Titles/Covers for More Info)
1. You Are the Love of My Life (e-book), by Susan Richards Shreve (I couldn’t wait to dive into this one, even though I just got it!)
2. Small Damages, by Beth Kephart
3. Drowning Ruth, by Christine Schwarz (From Mt. TBR)
4. Jackie After O, by Tina Cassidy
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That’s it….I think! I have lots of books just waiting, so if I finish these, I know where to look! What are the rest of you reading this week? I hope you’ll stop by and chat.