Reading Lately #10
I’ve been a reading machine lately, and all of the books I’ve finished these past few weeks are wildly different from each other. I read science fiction, historical fiction, and nonfiction. I enjoyed most of the books I read (or listened to), too. I’m not really one to DNF a book (never say never… that said, even though I suck at finishing most things in my life, I will eventually finish a book I started).
Since the last Reading Lately update, I finished SIX books (!)—three of which were audiobooks. I think I’m convinced about audiobooks now and have many more waiting for me on my library wish list. I realized I can get through one 8ish-hour audiobook in a week so I will likely exceed my goal of reading 24 books this year thanks to audiobooks! I’ll be able to get through my TBR faster than I thought, haha. I’m using StoryGraph to track my reads as well as my always growing TBR list. Add me as a friend: my username is cottoncashmerecathair!
Browse all of my Reading Lately posts!
For ease, and especially for my fellow Kindle readers, all of the links below go to Amazon. If you are able, please support your local bookstores right now (and always)! Bookshop.org donates a percentage of sales to local bookstores, and if you’re local to me, check out Rediscovered Books—I buy physical books there. There are also a number of Black-owned bookstores that need support. Find one near you in this list of over 50 Black-owned bookstores arranged by state (all have online stores and a couple are online only).
Reading Lately #10
Recently Read: August—September 2022
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Reading this book at the same time the new deep space images are being released from the NASA Webb Telescope makes for a very interesting experience! Lol. Sooo many people recommended this novel—enough that I opted to buy a physical, hardcover copy (and I generally prefer paperback!) because I figured I’d like it, too. This novel follows Ryland Grace, a science teacher tasked with saving the sun, Earth, and life on Earth from impending doom—only he doesn’t realize it right away. He wakes up on a spaceship light years away from home with a slowly-returning memory, and with his crewmates gone, he must complete the mission and save Earth all on his own…or does he? This is a long book (for me), and it took me a while to get through it, but I ended up really enjoying it and plan to read Andy Weir’s other novels!
Divergent Mind by Jenara Nerenberg
This is a nonfiction book about neurodivergence in women and how it is often overlooked when we are young compared to our male counterparts. Jenara shares the experiences of women with ADHD, autism, synesthesia, high sensitivity, and sensory processing disorder and also shares how society can benefit as a whole from our neurological differences instead of trying to squeeze everyone into a narrow definition of what’s considered “normal”. I thought this book was super interesting and well researched and now really want to get tested for at least ADHD myself.
Cultish by Amanda Montell
Ever wondered about the curious language of cults? Cultish dives into the power of language and how it has fueled countless cults through the past few decades. The first half of the book is basically all about religious cults (Jonestown and Scientology), which was interesting, but I was more excited for the parts about MLMs, ha. There’s also a section on the rise of fitness cults over the past decade or so. This book explores how cults are able to gain traction through the language these cult leaders use. Super interesting!
Circe by Madeline Miller
I had a long solo drive to Utah and back at the end of July, so I borrowed this audiobook from the library! Circe got excellent reviews, so I decided to give it a shot. Honestly: I could NOT follow along, LOL. For some reason my brain really only remembers the birthing scenes, which were described in great detail. Otherwise, I had a really hard time following this story. I was forced to listen to it because I wasn’t going to stop just to turn on something else, but I literally could not tell you what happened otherwise. I listed to the Bad on Paper book club episode to figure out what actually happened. Turns out I’m not a huge fan of ancient Greek mythology…
This book follows the story of Circe, an ancient Greek goddess that was banished to an island by her father because she wasn’t quite one of them and he felt threatened by her. Turns out she does have powers—witchcraft—and she spends her time honing her powers while interacting with whoever stops by her island. She then finds herself a target of dangerous gods and goddesses as she tries to figure out what matters most to her.
Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My first TJR novel! I was so excited when my audiobook library hold became available early. I had a much easier time following this audiobook because it’s read by a full cast. The format was interesting: an interview format that switched between each character, so you got to here what happened from multiple perspectives. The story felt so real that I had to double-check if it was nonfiction or fiction!
This novel follows Daisy Jones, a child of the 60s growing up in LA with parents that weren’t really involved and didn’t really care that much about her. Even though she enjoyed her wild life drinking and doing drugs, she really loved music and started singing. Around the same time, a band called The Six was starting to get popular. Daisy performs a song with The Six, and after touring with them, that they realized they would be much better all together as one. The story follows the rise and fall of the band, and there’s a fun twist at the end with the narrator that I wasn’t expecting. I will say that the ending was kinda meh for me—I needed more!
Signal Moon by Kate Quinn
This is a short story that I borrowed via Prime Reading, and the audio version was included. It’s a short audiobook at about 1 hour 20 minutes. This story follows Lily, a woman in England in the 1940s who intercepts calls during the war and somehow intercepts a call from an American soldier’s ship being attacked in 2023. The situation in 2023 felt eerily like something that could happen (there were references to COVID in the story). The two connect and Lily does everything she can to save the American soldier from what she knows will happen.
Currently Reading
The Unbalanced Equation by H.L. Macfarlane
This is my very first ARC via NetGalley! I was drawn to this book because it featured a women in STEM and an academic setting; a postdoc thinks she’s free of her terrible PhD advisor until a series of unfortunate events led to them working in the same lab AND becoming step siblings. But, there’s also this undeniable chemistry between the two of them. It’s got the classic enemies-to-lovers trope with a side of academia told from two perspectives. It’s long (for me) at over 400 pages, but so far I’m enjoying it and it’s going by quickly! It’s the first book in a trilogy of standalone books that are all connected. The Unbalanced Equation will be out September 15th.
To Be Read
Here are a few books that I plan to read sooner rather than later. Check out my entire growing TBR list (which also includes the books on my wish list through the library) on StoryGraph!
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Cover Story by Susan Rigetti
Decluttering at the Speed of Life by Dana K. White
Family Trust by Kathy Wang
The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory