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Welcome to my weekly update for March 20, 2022!
We decided to spend last weekend in Columbia, SC. It’s the capital of the state, but–most appealing to me–it’s also next door to Congaree National Park. We’ve visited national parks in Alaska and Hawaii but we’ve never visited this park, located only about three hours away from our home base in Asheville, NC. It wasn’t my favorite park but it was still a nice place to hike. I’m glad we went in March; I can’t imagine the heat and mosquitoes in this swampy area in the summer! Columbia is legendary in the Carolinas for its intense heat and humidity. We also went to the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, the State House grounds, and Sesquicentennial State Park while we were in the area.
Slideshow:
All images © Jennifer G. at Introverted Reader 2022
- Congaree National Park. I think I took this picture at Wise Lake.
- The mosquito meter at the Congaree visitor center. I don’t know if they actually change the meter with the weather, but it gives a taste of what this hot, wet, humid area can be like.
- The South Carolina State House
Posted:
Nothing posted this week but I’m getting back on track in the upcoming week.
Read:
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.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman 🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Princess Beard (The Tales of Pell #3) by Delilah S. Dawson and Kevin Hearne, read by Luke Daniels 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds: 100 New Ways to See the World by Ian Wright 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Paperbacks from Hell: The Twisted History of ’70s and ’80s Horror Fiction by Grady Hendrix 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Currently Reading:
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré, read by Adjoa Andoh
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, created by Nikole Hannah-Jones
The Columbia Anthology of American Poetry, edited by Jay Parini
Up Next:
I need to choose an unfinished classic for the March prompt in the Classics Reading Challenge. I think I might read Sanditon by Jane Austen since I’ve read most of her other works. My in-laws arrive here Thursday for a few days so I’m not sure how much reading I’ll get done. We haven’t seen them since we left Sarasota last June so we’re looking forward to their visit!
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?
22 Comments
Beautiful photos; what a lovely place to visit. I am glad you liked Eleanor Oliphant, it’s a book I loved. And The Girl with the Louding Voice is also excellent. I listened to it and the narrator does a superb job.
The narrator for The Girl with the Louding Voice was amazing. I’m so glad I listened to it.
We haven’t been to Columbia since our son graduated from basic training. My husband liked visiting as his family lived there for years while his father taught school. Lots of memoires.
I enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant and the ending was a big surprise. Have not read any of the others you mentioned.
Surfing in from Sunday Salon 🙂
Tina
We had a good time in Columbia! I’m glad we visited in early spring though. It’s so unbearably hot and humid in the summer. We always watch our car’s thermometer rise as we pass through, no matter which direction we’re driving.
Mozzies and flies are the bane of every outdoor activity here.
I hope you enjoy your visiting in-laws
Wishing you a great reading week
Loved GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE and ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE. Great choices. My Monday reading list
I listened to Girl with the Louding Voice based on your glowing review. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!
I really need to read Under the Whispering Door. I preordered it, but haven’t picked it up yet. Is Paperbacks from Hell a non-fiction book? (I ask because I have had a hard time pinning down Hendrix’s books’ genre in the past.) It certainly sounds like an interesting title, even if I would be too scared to read any of the books written about in it.
Paperbacks from Hell is nonfiction. Hendrix explores a little bit of the current events at the time the books were written, writes about the cover art, and also writes several detailed plot synopses. I know you dislike horror so I wouldn’t recommend this book to you because of all those synopses. I love Hendrix’s work but I would call it all horror, even though I think they have more depth than that label implies.
I think you’ll like Under the Whispering Door. I liked The House in the Cerulean Sea more but it would be hard for Klune to write something I liked even more than that one. Under the Whispering Door tackles a more difficult subject but still has a lot of heart.
Thanks for the tips. Hendrix’s writing always sounds so interesting, but too horror for me. I wasn’t sure if Paperback From Hell might be less horror and more non-fiction. Oh well.
I’m looking forward to Under The Whispering Door for sure!
Love the mosquito meter! Your books look interesting too. I hope you find time to read even though you’ll be having guests. Come see my week here. Happy reading!
Great slides! The visit to the park sounds wonderful.
Your books look good, and I am curious about The Girl with the Louding Voice.
Enjoy your week, and here are my WEEKLY UPDATES
I have a relative living in SC but near the coast. I like the mosquito meter, because it’s needed there 🙂 The 1619 Project looks like a good read to me.
That mosquito meter is hilarious, and I want one at my job. I work at a lake and get eaten alive by bugs during the summer. I’m glad you enjoyed your trip.
I really need to read TJ Klune at some point!
Have a great week!
Oh wow, good time to visit the park, you wouldn’t want to go when it was teaming mozzies. Good looking books as usual. Glad you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant, I loved it on audio.
I’ve never visited SC. It is on my bucket list. Not sure how I would deal with that hot and sticky weather.
Great books this week. The Princess Beard and Under the Whispering Door caught my eye. Hope you enjoy all your books.
https://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2022/03/its-monday-what-are-you-reading-and_20.html
It’s always enjoyable to hear about your adventures. We went to Riverbanks Zoo over spring break in 2009 I think it was. It was April and there was some pollen which I was sick the whole time, drinking slushies for my sore throat. We loved the zoo though.
Anne – Books of My Heart This is my Sunday Post
Thanks for sharing your adventures again. Looks like a great reading week. Enjoy your week and good luck getting caught up!
I’m sorry you didn’t like Congaree National Park as much as other parks you’ve visited. I haven’t been to SC, so I don’t know what it’s like. I have been to NC and thought it was beautiful there, other than the oppressive humidity and heat. I live in an arid state so I’m not used to humidity. My state also has a ton of National Parks and they’re all very beautiful.
My Sunday Post
That mosquito meter is great! We’re pretty lucky to have very few mosquitos here on the coast.
Eleanor Oliphant is one of my favorites from a few years ago. I can still picture where I was walking while I listened to specific chapters.
TJ Klune’s books are on my radar. I need to get to the library and check out the first one.
I’d love to visit Congaree National Park. The mosquito meter is hilarious. We need one of those here in most of our parks!
I’m glad to see that you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant and Curious Maps. I did, too.
I hope you have a great week.