I feel like my reading life has become very joyful since I finished Pillars of the Earth. It’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders and I can read anything I want- I can read something funny, or silly! I can read something short! Ah, freedom.
For our trip to Waco, I brought along these books:
On the Currently Reading podcast, A Most Agreeable Murder was promoted as “If you loved Pride and Prejudice but wished someone had been murdered, this is the book for you.” WELL! I think Pride and Prejudice is perfect as is, no murder needed (although if someone HAS to be murdered, maybe Lydia…) but I do love a good murder mystery. A Most Agreeable Murder seemed right up my alley.
It has all the elements of a Jane Austen novel- an entailed estate, a mother desperate to marry off her daughters, a ball, and an eligible bachelor… who ends up poisoned to death. What more could we possibly want?
The first 3/4 of this book was really fun, and then it just became ridiculous. It’s the first book of a series, but I wouldn’t read any others- it was a fine airplane read though, quick and easy.
The Long Way Home is the 10th Louise Penny book. I know this will be shocking, but I don’t LOVE Louise Penny. I really enjoyed her earlier books, then didn’t enjoy them as much as I went on, and stopped after #9. But lately I’ve been seeing her latest and having FOMO, so I picked up the series again.
I’m about halfway through this one, and I’m enjoying it. I’ll write more about it when I’m done, along with an explanation of what I don’t love about her writing- I know I’m in the minority here.
While we were in Waco we had some time to kill on the morning of graduation, so I took my husband to one of my favorite spots, Fabled Bookshop and Cafe.
We spent a couple hours there- I got a “Waco Fog,” ha ha… Earl Grey, milk (I got almond milk) and lavender brown sugar. I mean… when will I get another chance to drink a Waco Fog??? Never.
I also bought this:
After Kae’s post last week about time, I was thinking of starting a Line a Day journal, in the hopes of slowing things down and putting more focus on each day. What better way to start? Every time I take this out, I’ll remember that I bought it in Waco on the day of Paul’s graduation.
Back to books. Paul gave me three books and insisted I read them before our road trip in July:
AND, I have some books on my library hold list that I’m excited about- a new one by Anthony Horowitz, Marble Hall Murders, (I can’t wait to read that one!) and also a new one by Wally Lamb. Phew! It’s going to be a fun summer of reading.
Do you have anything exciting on your TBR?
17 Responses
I like Louise Penny a lot, but sometimes things get a little carried away. I took a break from her for a while before I read her more recent stories. I hope you enjoy Howl’s Moving Castle- one of my favorites!
My TBR pile keeps getting bigger because of all of the bloggers who list good books! My son gave me Cold Comfort Farm for Mother’s Day- a classic I’ve never read.
My son liked Howl’s Moving Castle so much, he read it twice. So I’m pretty sure I’ll like it! And, I know- every time I read about a book on someone’s blog I want to add it to my TBR. If only I could just read all day and not go to work!
Some nice, smaller, reading there! I’m about to launch into my horrific pile I made MYSELF for 20 Books of Summer … https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/05/10/20-books-of-summer-2025/
Good grief- I looked at your list- you have a lot of heavy non-fiction books there! Well… you’re be even smarter by the end of the summer, whereas I’ll be happily making my way through Stephen King and Anthony Horowitz.
Ha – yes, it is rather large, isn’t it. I doubt I’ll absorb all the information therein!
I like Penny, but the first one I read was maybe number 15, as I didn’t realize it was a series. That one left a good impression on me though and I have started to read them from #1 now, and I think I’m up to #8(?) I don’t read them all in one go, I usually have a few months at least between them so they feel more fresh each time.
I have been hit and miss with reading, often binging and then purging, but I recently listened to the first book of the Fourth Wing, and despite me not always loving fantasy, and there being a bit too much gratuitous sex, I enjoyed it.
Oh that’s interesting- I wonder if things were slightly confusing, starting the series at #15!!! It must have been interesting gong from 15 to #1- I’ll bet there were some stylistic differences.
I have a one-line-a-day journal, and I’m in my fourth year of it. It’s so fun to see what happened on this day in years past. I mean, sometimes it’s boring. But hey, so is my life sometimes!
Oh Jenny, I am on a MEH streak of books right now. I had three not-great ones in a row, and now I’m on another one which is FINE (Animal Vegetable Miracle) but it’s pretty dated and I just want something to dive into. I have to go to the library today to pick up FOUR titles, so fingers crossed they will be good. I don’t even remember what titles came in, so it will be a surprise of sorts when that happens.
Oh, I know that- the library alerts me that my holds are in and I have no idea what they are! It is fun. And- the first couple days of the line a day journal were nice and eventful (there was a graduation! we traveled!) and now it’s been a bit of a struggle because I feel like there’s not much to say. But I’m sticking with it- I’ll be happy in four or five years, even if I’m looking back at mundane, everyday events.
The Waco Fog sounds delicious, and that bookstore is really cute! I recently met a good friend who was visiting from out of town at a local bookstore that has a really nice cafe area. It was morning so I got an iced coffee but apparently they serve beer and wine and margaritas there so I may have to go back later in the day to try their adult drinks!
Ooh! That sounds REALLY nice! It would even be a good spot for a date. Actually, the PERFECT spot for a date. Book browsing and beer- what more could you want.
The 5 year journal was the perfect graduation gift! I need to get one.
After a reading drought, I’m back baby! I had back to back hits with Go As A River and Caroline, and I started a book called Sky Daddy, which is about a woman who is navigating a quarter life crisis and has a fetish for plane crashes. It’s both weird and good. She lives in San Francisco and flies out of SFO every chance that she gets – and hey I’m sitting in SFO right now waiting for my plane home. So the location is perfect.
Yes, get yourself a line a day journal!
Your location sounds good for that book (although I’m not sure I would want to read about plane crashes in that specific situation?) I actually LOVED our travel days- you’re just sitting there in the airport or on the plane with nothing else to do but read. I hope you have an uneventful flight with lots of reading!
I’m reading Crow Mary right now. I just started it, but so far it’s really good. The line a day sounds like a great idea. I have a stack of books on my nightstand, but I allowed Crow Mary to sort of jump the line. I need to go back and see what’s on the book club list for June to be sure I have time to read it before June book club. I typically have more time to read in the summer, if and when pool weather decides to grace the Midwest.
I don’t think I always have a TBR, Jenny. Right now, there are books that I’ve finished reading, there are books that I’m reading right now, and there are books that I’m vaguely examining whether or not to read. I don’t think any of the above belong to a TBR, though. And I don’t think I have a TBR right now. The books that I’m vaguely examining whether or not to read right now are “From Eternity to Here” by Dr. Sean Carroll and “Words on the Move” by Dr. John McWhorter.
I did read one of the three books that Paul gave you, Jenny. And I can tell you that I come from China. So I think that can give you a hint as to which of these three books I read. Nevertheless, I prefer not to insist anyone read any books.
I LOVE the cover of your One Line A Day Journal. I’m on Year 4 of mine and write in it every night!
I have had so much good reading lately. I will share all the deets at the start of June. But spoiler alert that Beautiful Ugly and The Clockmaker’s Daughter have been my favourite so far in May.
I have that same exact Line a Day journal! It’s published by Chronicle Books, my daughter’s employer. YAY!
I didn’t know Howl’s Moving Castle was a book, I’ve only seen the film…