There was one other thing that happened this weekend that I left out of yesterday’s post. I got my first Bingo of the summer!

And with that I will update you on the books I have finished since I last shared a post about reading.

Burntown by Jennifer McMahon
4 stars, Bingo square: Thriller
Part mystery, part thriller, part fantasy, this is McMahon’s finest work yet, in my opinion. The story is compelling, the writing is good, and there’s a circus. Highly recommended.

The Nix by Nathan Hill
5 stars, Bingo square: With an unreliable narrator
I adored this book! It’s long and full of a lot of ideas and characters and story lines but Nathan Hill ties them all together in a perfectly satisfying way. In some ways it reminded me of both A Little Life and The Goldfinch but it’s not as gut wrenching as either of those and there is a lot more humor in this one. Highly recommended!

An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor
4 stars, Bingo square: About art/artist(s)
The premise of the book is that altars and opportunities to worship are everywhere and found in every day moments. I think that’s a wonderful premise, particularly as someone who has drifted pretty far from organized religion. Some of it was a little preachy to me but still, the premise is terrific, the writing is great, and the author is extremely likable and wise.

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
3 stars, Bingo square: Number in the title
Set in a bookstore of old, mysterious books, this story is fun and intriguing. The characters are quirky and diverse, it’s a bit of a mash up of Harry Potter, The Historian, and the Jasper Fforde Thursday Next series. Plus, there’s a knitting museum! Recommended for an easy summer read.

Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver
5 stars, Bingo square: Wanted to read for more than a year
These poems are gorgeous, focusing on the beauty of nature and the importance of gratitude. They are very accessible and easily read but can be studied and read over and over again for even deeper meaning. Highly recommended.

The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
4 stars, Bingo square: Banned in a country outside the US
Dark and twisty is done so well by Shirley Jackson. These tales will make you uncomfortable at best and creeped out and downright scared at the most. Definitely recommended!

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman
5 stars, Bingo square: Person on the cover
There is so much wisdom packed into this little book. It’s a story of love, devotion, loss, the frailty of the body and the triumph of the spirit. Poignant and deeply moving, it’s a must read.

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian
4 stars, Bingo square: About a person with a disability
I tend to love anything Chris Bohjalian writes and this one is no exception. It’s a haunting tale and suspenseful right up to the very end. I couldn’t put it down and the ending was a complete surprise but still very satisfying. Highly recommended.

The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve
4 stars, Bingo square: Set in a different season
I enjoyed this book very much, it was accessible and a quick read. I do feel it’s lacking some of Shreve’s typical depth, I could have used a little more detail to help me connect better with some of the characters. It almost felt choppy at times but the plot and setting descriptions kept me engaged and wanting to finish.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
5 stars, Bingo square: Set in a country you’ve never visited
Amazing, difficult, beautiful, horrific, important, historic, and a must read. I have too many feelings about this to say more, just know that it’s highly highly recommended.

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
3 stars, Bingo square: ANY BOOK
I enjoyed this book and read it from start to finish in one day. The story is great and it’s very well written. I was slightly annoyed by the way Patchett would drop really significant events into the plot as an aside rather than giving some plot developments their proper due and that’s what kept me from giving it 4 stars. I mean, seriously, is it so hard to just tell a story from start to finish on a straightforward timeline? Maybe that approach isn’t artsy enough for literary writers but it would be refreshing to read a book like that now and again.

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
5 stars, Bingo square: That you want to read in spite of the cover
A short but meaningful book about a young black woman and her friends growing up in Brooklyn in the 1970s, I couldn’t help but compare our childhoods while reading it. We grew up in the same years, listened to the same music, and thought about boys but the similarities end there. This book packs a punch and captures the time period exceptionally well. Highly recommended.

We Were On A Break by Lindsey Kelk
3 stars, Bingo square: Set in a different country
A bit drawn out and contrived but still a light and entertaining summer read. Think Bridget Jones crossed with Love Actually, it contains great British words and humor. Not fine literature but recommended for something easy and fun.

Woot! That’s a lot of books since June 7th. I did read a whole bunch on vacation (5 total, to be specific) and some of those were audio and a couple were quite short. I feel mostly confident in saying I’m on track for my cover all.

How’s your summer reading going?

We are just over a week into Summer Book Bingo and I thought I’d catch you up on what I’ve read since early May.

The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
4 stars
The writing is excellent and the story is intriguing and I was really engrossed in the whole thing but the ending fell a little flat for me. I was hoping for a full circle moment and I didn’t get one but that’s just me. The rest of the book was wonderful and the ambivalent ending means I can make up my own to suit myself.

Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
2 stars
This book came highly recommended by people I respect and admire and I feel like I should be rating it higher because of that but honestly, there wasn’t much new here for me. Shame is bad, being vulnerable is good, experiencing joy in everyday moments is the goal. Got it.

The Shadow Land by Elizabeth Kostova
3 stars
I enjoyed this book and the story, set in the present day and in the past, is entertaining. Honestly, though, the historical parts are far better and more interesting than the present day wild goose chase that is the set up for the whole book. Recommended for the history of Bulgaria and the heart wrenching story of Stoyan and his family but be ready to suspend your belief and accept a lot of unlikely coincidences.

The Sellout by Paul Beatty
4 stars
An amazing and biting satire on race in America. The writing is brilliant and funny and sometimes very difficult. An important and worthwhile read.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
3 stars
I enjoyed this memoir, even the parts about science. That’s saying a lot coming from a very non-scientific person. And now I want to plant a tree!

I finished 3 of those after 5/27 so they count as Bingo squares and here is my updated Bingo card.

Set in more than one time period: The Shadow Land
Recommended by a friend: Lab Girl (recommended by Vicki)
Prize Winner: The Sellout

My GoodReads reading challenge tracker (you can see if over there ==> in the sidebar) says I’m 1 book behind my goal for the year but I have a feeling Summer Book Bingo is going to guarantee that I catch up to where I should be and probably even put me ahead of the game.

What are you reading these days?