This week I finished a great book! The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michel Richardson had all the things that hold your attention -- a great lead character, well developed minor characters, an interesting story (which in this case happens to be based on history), some interesting plot twists with a little romance thrown in for good measure. I'll be reviewing it later in the week, but trust me, if you enjoy historical fiction, write this one down for your TBR list!
But the thing with reading a great book is that sometimes you need an emotional break. I was getting so into the book that starting another book wasn't going to be easy. It's almost like breaking up with your book because sometimes you become so invested in the characters and story that when it ends you are just so... alone, lonely, spent.
How do you recover? Big breath and then I try to read something "light". Maybe a graphic novel, some poetry, a funny book... I need to go thru a detox. So, here are some "inbetween" books or books to lighten your emotional load...
Strange Planet by Nathan Pyle...
"Nathan Pyle fills the pages of his new book Strange Planet with big eyed, bright blue aliens from a planet that shares a lot in common with Earth. These aliens sunbathe, sneeze and even wish each other sweet dreams like us, but they describe these practices with deadpan technical terminology like "sun damage" and "face fluid explosions." The lifegiver aliens even implore their offspring to "imagine pleasant nonsense" as they tuck them in for the night."...NPR's Liz Metzger.
A friend of mine recently shared this graphic novel that he received as a Christmas present. He's not really the graphic novel kind of guy, but he loves humor and that is exactly what Nathan Pyle dishes out in 144 pages. Nathan started drawing Strange Planet and sharing it on Instagram, where he has his aliens exploring all of our human emotions and explaining them in their own "alien" terms. Follow the link to his Instagram page and check it out. Little tidbits of human wisdom on each page. I love reading them! This book is on its way to me! Published by MorrowGift.
Another artist who posted her comics on social media before releasing her popular humorous books. She really hits the nail on the head sometimes with her poignant funny cartoons. She has a big following too. Lighten up with Sarah's Scribbles! Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy... Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book based on his famous quartet of characters. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse explores their unlikely friendship and the poignant, universal lessons they learn together.
This book won Barnes & Noble's Best Book of the Year 2019 award! It has rave reviews and there is and was a lot of buzz about it after it was published in October by HarperOne. Sit down and relax with this one and slowly take it in. A great book to reset your mindset with. And this book is on it's way to me also. Published by HarperOne.
Now those were some sweet, fun reads to enjoy while getting back to the business of serious literary reading, but what if you wanted a little bit more to sink your teeth into? Well, my last recommendation is a 180 from these others...
Batman: The Killing Joke written by Alan Moore, illustrated by Brian Bolland... "For the first time the Joker's origin is revealed in this tale of insanity and human perseverance"I started reading this after I watched the movie Joker starring Jaoquin Pheonix. Have you seen that movie yet? I am not really a superhero kind of girl, but this movie had gotten so much buzz (and a few awards) about the performance Jaoquin Pheonix did that I just had to rent it. I have to say it is depressing. Really depressing and sad. And it's not really a superhero movie. This movie is really about the person the Joker was before becoming notorious and how his circumstances created the crazy evil guy that we know today. This is the comic book that the movie is based on and it really is a great story. Read the deluxe hardcover edition, the artwork is amazing and the story is so interesting. This edition also shares the process of story boarding and developing the actual drawing of the story. I really only knew the Joker based on the Batman series on TV. This graphic novel really puts a human face to the criminal we all thought we knew. Not a "light" read, but not a complex literary tomb either. Published by DC Comics.
Weekly Update...
Memoir Monday... highlighted Hill Women by Cassie Chambers and tells the story of the strong Kentucky women who helped shape her and how she left her humble beginnings to find a different way of life
First Lines Friday... highlighted Ordinary Grace by William Kent Kreuger, and his beautiful opening lines for Ordinary Grace.
Saturday I shared my Book Bingo Card for 2020! Ever play Book Bingo? Every year I create a Bingo Card with bookish squares that my reading group tries to fill in during the year. The squares range from reading a MYSTERY to Read a Book Whose Author's Last Name Starts with the First Letter of Your Name. Want to play along?? Follow the link and print out the Bingo Card!
Do you need a break after reading a really good book?
...or do you dive right into your next read?
I've got quite a few books to choose from to get back to "literary" reading this week. One of which is a WWII tale of a girl and her mother hiding from German soldiers in a barn... and there is a Barbara Delinsky eBook I just got from the publishers too. I always love reading Barbara Delinsky! and this one will be released May 2020. (I also love Barbara Delinsky because she was also sweet enough to Skype with my reading group once).... What are your plans this week? What great books have you been reading?! Share in the comments because I would love to know!!
Happy Reading... Suzanne
10 comments:
Sometimes I realize that a book I'm reading isn't the right book for the time I'm reading. Example: I started reading Becoming by Michelle Obama, but realized now wasn't the right time...and it might not be for a long time, but especially now. So instead I slowly read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius and now I'm going to take a break and read a murder mystery before delving back into some serious reading tomorrow on the Civil Rights era, in honor of MLK Day.
I know exactly what you mean. It's difficult for me to move on after I close the covers of a great read. The next few books I try never seem to measure up. I feel impatient with the new books...Why aren't they more like the book I just finished? It's tricky.
I have put on hold from my library everything you mentioned today (though I wasn't actually able to request Book Woman as all nine copies are checked out). Isn't that crazy? I set my requests to activate when I return from Paris in a few weeks. I am eager to read the graphic novels especially.
Have a wonderful week!
You're right, Bryan, timing has a lot to do with what we read sometimes. It's frustrating sometimes, when I really want to delve into a book, but I'm really not enjoying it and I know it's really not the book. That's how some of my TBR pile has formed. ;-)
Have a wonderful trip, Deb! And when you come back I bet that stack of great books to read will be even larger!
I have a hard time getting into another book right after I finish a good one. It takes me at least a day or more.
HI Harvee,
Yes,Ii always need to take a break. I think doing that also "respects" the book you just read.
I love how you describe the breaking up with a book! The number of times I've had to do that - mostly because it's taking me too long to read this otherwise amazing book. I just had to do that yesterday and I think that helped. :-)
Thanks for sharing Nathan Pyle's works. Off to follow his Instagram account. I loved Sarah's Scribbles!
I move between genres as I finish books to avoid that hangover feeling. My weekly update
I think a change of genre helps a book hangover
Strange Planet is so fun :) Since I've started reviewing books, I've gotten much better at stepping away when I'm done - which is good, since I often don't get to choose what to read next!
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