Hello! I know, I know, it's been almost six months since I last wrote. But I did tell you I had a big year coming on. As of right now, I am in the final stages of my PhD (finally) and today I am writing to you from Amsterdam while waiting for my connection to England, where I am giving a talk!
But enough boasting, let's talk books. This morning...well, I guess yesterday's morning, when I was still home, I was trying to decide what to bring in this trip, and by that off course I mean reading material. While my trip is relatively short, only a week really, it includes long waiting times between flights, some of them already long and most importantly, I am looking at my first time traveling alone since I was 22. And so, I ended up with three physical books and downloaded two audio books...at the time of my landing I learned that another audio book I had reserved at the library was now available. So, yeah, I now have six books with me, one book per day, sure, why not. What did I bring with me do you ask? let me tell you:
Audio
I downloaded The Secret History by Donna Tart, a book I've been dying to try since I listened to The Goldfinch. Haven't started yet, but I'm quite excited about it. From my library I got A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab. I finished a Darker Shade of Magic last week, and while I wasn't crazy about it (I suspect it was the narrator effect, we will see) I've heard wonders about the series, so I figured, I would continue it. And the other book I received from the library is The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee. I remember reading good things about it, so here we are.
Physical
I started Woman from Shanghai: Tales of Survival from a Chinese Labor Camp by Xianhui Yang. This is a collection of short stories I've had with me for a couple of years now, and since I am trying (trying being the key word here) to read more of my already owned books, and I was looking for some short stories to take with me, this one was an easy choice. Besides this I took with me Mr. Fox by Helen Oyeyemi and When Women Were Birds: Fifty-four Variations on Voice by Terry Tempest Williams, both books that have been on my shelf for a while now.
Is it an ambitious plan to read them all this week? Maybe. I do have plan to visit and a presentation to work on...but still. It's been so long since I have so much time on my own and I had an itch to read my eyes out, the same way when I sat down at this waiting lounge all I could think off was sharing this reading plans with you.
I've missed you, book blogging community. I've been around, mostly through BBI and I try to keep up with most of you through every platform I can think off, but I know you'll be the first ones to understand that sometimes life gets needy and sucks all the time you have (so selfish, am I right?) and then some side projects have to be put on hold.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted on my reading endeavors along with my visit to England. What are you guys reading??
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