What have you been reading this week?

It’s been a bit of a quiet week on the blog. I don’t know what happened but I just couldn’t find the energy to watch a film and then review it. So, I decided to give myself some time off. I’ve already mentioned that my heart isn’t really in the film side of this blog at the moment. It’s possibly a consequence of lockdown and not being able to actually go the cinema. Or it might just be that I’m stretching myself too thin. It’s always a bit exhausting trying to get every new post ready and find time to read/watch everything I need to. Sometimes, a person just needs to take a break and chop some trees in Animal Crossing for a bit. I’m still trying to decide what my strategy will be for 2021 but I’ll get there. At the very least, there will still be book posts going up every week. I’m weirdly in a reading mood right now.

Weekly Blog Posts

• BOOK REVIEW – Jonathan Unleashed by Meg Rosoff

My second book down for 2021 and it’s one that’s been on my TBR since December 2016. Part of my 2021 Reading Resolutions was to read more of the books that I already own, so this seemed like a decent one to start with. This was one of those cheap Kindle buys that I buy on a whim and then forget about. I guess I was intrigued by the dog angle but, when it came down to it, just didn’t care enough to read it. Have I been missing out for all these years? You’ll have to head over to my review to find out.

• BOOK REVIEW – after the quake by Haruki Murakami

Last Tuesday was Haruki Murakami’s birthday and, consequently, a lot of people I follow on Instagram have been reading his books this month. I decided against spending the whole month reading/rereading his novels but I felt that it was only fair to read something. I’m not as well-versed in Murakami’s short stories as I’d like to be and this is something that I’ve never read before. Why not give it a go? Head over to my review to see how it went.

Just Read

• after the quake by Haruki Murakami

I picked this up last Saturday but only just managed to finish it in time. I was still going right up until the end of Tuesday. It meant I had a bit of a late night when writing my review. It’s a problem that I have with short story collections. It takes more effort to read multiple stories in one sitting than just reading one long novel. Still, it’s another unread book from my shelf to cross off my list.

Currently Reading

• The Unadoptables by Hana Tooke

I started this on Wednesday because I expected it to be a pretty quick read. So far, it’s taking me longer than I’d thought but that’s mostly my fault. As I had a bit of a break from blogging, I’ve spent a few nights playing Animal Crossing quite a bit. So, I’ve wasted a lot of the time I could have spent reading on something that’s very distracting. I’ve only given myself an hour or so to read every night, so I’m going to have to knuckle down today to get it finished in time. Thankfully, I have a back-up for tomorrow’s review if necessary.

Book Haul

Last week, I suggested that there would be a big haul coming and there was. I spent the book vouchers I’d got at Christmas and took advantage of Waterstones’ sale. It seems like a lot but, price wise, it’s not too bad. So, please don’t judge me too harshly.

• The Incendiaries by R. O. Kwon – This wasn’t part of my pleasure haul because it was something of a necessity. This is our book club pick for January. The meeting is on Thursday and I haven’t started it yet. Just another reason why I need to read lots today.
• Ex Libris by Michiko Kakutani – A book about books. Is there anything that a bookish person loves more? I’ve had my eye on this beauty for a while and managed to find a cheap secondhand one this week. No regrets.
• The Death of Francis Bacon – Max Porter – This is the book that started it all off. I’d seen the Signed Edition on Waterstones and decided that I’d try and get one. Of course, I left it too long in the end and missed out. Still, I wanted to read it and it’s a very handy size if I need a quick read.
• The Valley of Lost Secrets by Lesely Parr – This was recommended on the Waterstones website and sounded too good to miss. It’s a children’s book set in Wales during 1939. An evacuee finds a skull and ends up on an adventure. Sounds great.
• Lanny by Max Porter – I’ve been meaning to read Lanny for ages. Well, as soon as I’d finished Grief is the Thing With Feathers anyway. As I was buying his most recent book, I decided that I might as well buy Lanny too.
• The Mystery of Love by Andrew Meehan – A book about Oscar Wilde’s marriage to Constance? How could I resist this one? I’ll be honest, I didn’t know this existed until I was browsing Waterstones but I’m looking forward to it.
• Dear Edward by Ann Napolitana – Another book that I’d never heard of but one with a premise that I couldn’t resist. After a plane crash there is only one survivor. A small boy called Edward. This book explores his life following the tragedy. Sounds great, right?
• Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart – I’d bought the audiobook version of the Book Prize winning novel in the January sale this year. However, I was worried that it might be the kind of book that’s better to read as well. I’m very excited to get to this one even though it’s longer than most of the books I’ve been reading recently. I hope I can cope with a “proper” book again?
• Betty by Tiffany McDaniel – I’ve seen this book everywhere and been interested to read it. I don’t know what stopped me. The Signed Edition was in the January sale so I decided to just go for it.

Recently Watched

• TV:
  • The Simpsons– Still watching these when I get the chance. They’re an easy watch but we’re getting into more murky territory now. It’s not quite as funny anymore.
  • The Boys – A friend of mine has been telling me to watch this for ages and I’ve always put it off. I binged nearly every episode last weekend and I’m obsessed. Karl Urban is phenomenal. Series 2 is so good. I’m not desperate to read the comics.
• Movies: