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Welcome to my weekly update for January 10, 2021!
Well. This week in the US was more exciting than I would have liked. I don’t even know where to start. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the Capitol Police officer who was murdered in the line of duty and also the families of the other people who died there. I hope all those hate-filled faces that have been splashed across my TV for days now are found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I hope that President 45 is stripped of power, hopefully formally but at least behind the scenes. I hope that law enforcement officials have realized that the threat we’ve all seen growing for months and years is real and have ample security in place for the inauguration. I pray that Biden and his team find a way to heal our country and lead us forward. Together.
Posted:
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline, read by Wil Wheaton
Read:
Homelands: Fables Volume 6 by Bill Willingham
Goldie Vance Volume 3 by Hope Larson, illustrated by Noah Hayes
Currently Reading:
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia, read by Amir Abdullah
Fathoms: The World in the Whale by Rebecca Giggs
Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Every Day by Clemency Burton-Hill
Watching:
Scrubs on Amazon Prime–My husband and I both worked night shift when Scrubs was on network TV so we weren’t able to watch it then. We’ve managed to watch seasons here or there as our streaming platforms have picked it up and dropped it. We recently found it on Amazon Prime so we’re busily trying to finish it before it disappears from us again!
Up Next:
I need to read a “truth bomb nonfiction” book for The Uncorked Librarian reading challenge and that topic has me stumped. “January’s theme is ‘Truth bomb nonfiction’ — books that teach you something new, inspire, drop truth bombs, or make you think differently.” Any suggestions?
What did your week look like?
Deb Nance at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon and Kimberly at Caffeinated Book Reviewer hosts Sunday Post. Kathryn at Book Date hosts It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?
I have an affiliate relationship with Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site.
19 Comments
It’s been unbelievable and sad to see the events of Jan. 6th. I wholeheartedly agree with your thoughts! On the book front, have you read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks? Such an amazing read. Might be a good one for your “truth bomb” challenge. Hope you are having a great week!
I just finished the End of the Universe (Astrophysically SPeaking) by Katie Mack and I learned a ton on ways the Universe could end! It was a great read to start the year off.
I want to listen to Ready Player with Wil Wheaton narrating!
I’m also reading The Snow Child! I’m really enjoying it. I hope you are loving Tristan Strong. I just picked up the second book and am looking forward to it.
The 20th can’t come soon enough. I hope you enjoy your week and stay safe.
Here’s to healing indeed.
I think “truth bomb” will depend so much on the individual reader that it’s hard to say what yours will be. Last year Oluo’s So You Want To Talk About Race was a truth bomb for me, but I don’t know that similar books will be as much of a “bomb” this year since I’m more aware of the issues. (Not fully aware, don’t get me wrong. Just the more read you are on a subject, the less likely it will be to be a “truth bomb”.)
I am so glad you asked the Q about truth bomb NF. I have several ideas but none of them were hitting the mark. But I see a ton of recommendations in the comments here and several books I want to read. Also, I’m new to the term ‘truth bomb NF’. Was that always a thing?
I was so frustrated with what happened last week in the US. Really looking forward to Jan 20 and I hope nothing worse happens and these threats are stopped before they become something.
Have a great week, Jen!
Watching the events in Washington from the UK was so surreal. I empathised with those saying that something like that happening was unbelievable. It just seems like the culmination of the horror that has been the last few years since 2016. Hopefully things calm down now, and as you say, people are held accountable for their actions.
I really want to read The Snow Child. I read an extract ages ago, and have been meaning to read it ever since. Hopefully soon. 🙂
I want to read Ready Player Two but have so many books on my stack right now that I just can’t fit it in. I’m hoping this week is quieter and less stressful but have my doubts. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
I am so eager for that horrible man to be gone, and I hope and pray that there is enough security for the Inauguration!
Enjoy your books and your viewing, and here are my WEEKLY UPDATES
Oh, do I have a truth bomb nonfiction book for you: Dark Money by Jane Mayer. You will learn so much about what led us to the events of this week. It’s disturbing but essential.
Here’s hoping for progress in the next days and weeks. Make America sane again!
It’s been ages since I thought about the Fables series. I need to check where I got in the series!
I too hope for peace and healing for the US. I can’t imagine how hard these weeks must have been.
Amen to all of that! This past week was shocking on so many levels. I hope we can move beyond it but also hold those people accountable.
Take care and be well this week!
This week really was horrible. I’m still processing what I saw and I pray that Biden can help our country heal!
Yes it has been a very tough week for you in the USA and the anxiety from the political situation and Covid is very real. My thoughts are with you, you have expressed yours very well. Let us live in hope. Enjoy your current reading.
The events of January 6th were horrifying and I am very worried about the coming weeks. I wish the Inauguration would be held virtually in an unknown location. I don’t think 45’s cretins are anywhere near finished with their riots and violence. He and his cronies need to be held accountable and expelled from the political arena for the rest of their lives. No pension, no security, nada.
I hope you enjoy The Snow Child as much as I did. It made my Top Ten list for 2020.
Totally agree with your sentiments!
I am looking forward to what you find as your truth bomb nonfiction read!
I’ve seen Year of Wonder on Debbie’s blog and been interested ever since. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand has been on my TBR for a couple of years… Gosh. I need to read it!
My husband enjoyed Ready Player Two, I will have a look at your review.
Have a good week and take care of yourself!
Elza Reads
Washington last week deeply angered me. I have had enough. I want that man out of there.
I saw your review of Ready Player Two, but I tried not to read it too closely yet, as we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the audiobook.
I do hope you enjoy Year of Wonder. I knew so little about classical music that this book was a revelation to me.
I recommend anything by Robert Reich. Last year I read The Common Good, and it was a truth bomb for me. I will get his latest book on Monday, and I look forward to that.
Have a good week, Jen!
My sentiments echo yours.
To choose a nonfiction book, think about a social issue you want to be more informed about, be it systemic racism, gender politics, disability access, domestic violence etc. Almost any of the books on these topics are likely to surprise you.
Wishing you a great reading week
I really hope that this past week’s events were a wake up call to those who have been in denial all this time. Like you, I also hope security will be tight for the inauguration.
I hope you are enjoying your current reads! I have been wanting to read The Snow Child. What do you think so far?
I hope you have a great week. Hopefully it will be a better one all around.
Truth Bomb is a great topic. I suggest How to Be Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi or So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. They are both really good nonfiction and definitely drop truth bombs.