The queen of mystery, why did Colleen Hoover stop writing, & favorite links
Plus what I thought of the new book Sandwich
Hello!
I hope you’re having a great weekend? Are you finishing up reading anything good for this last day of June? My reading is back on track this month! Although I continue to be a bit all over the place in what I decide to pick up, almost every book has been enjoyable this month. I’ll take it. I “may” attempt to read more new and upcoming releases in July, but then again my mood can change on a dime so I say that loosely. One reading mood that continues for me this summer is arm chair travel, specifically outside of the US. I love to be transported to places like France and Italy in the summer. This podcast continues to be an absolute delight and is providing me with plenty of books that I anticipate will fulfill my arm chair travel mood.
In other weekly news, I continue to struggle with Instagram. Specifically, my desire to spend less and less time on the platform. I don’t use Facebook, I deleted Twitter off my phone, but Instagram is the remaining social media I have conflicting feelings about. I love seeing what my favorite book people are reading, I love finding interesting, new accounts to follow, and lately I’ve been loving learning how to watercolor from several amazing watercolor artists on the platform. But….I also feel annoyed a lot when I’m on there. Sometimes I see people here on Substack who say they’ve left IG and are so happy they did. I wonder if that could be me too. If you’ve left IG let me know in the comments how you feel being off the platform.
Recent Reads
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to an isolated mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die
I FINALLY read my first Agatha Christie and I loved it! I thought the setting was fantastic, there was the perfect amount of isolation and atmosphere. The characters were intriguing which equaled plenty of suspects, and the puzzle/whodunit was world class. I’m thrilled that my lack of detective skills made the reveal in this one so great. Also, why has it taken me this long to read one of her books🙈
PS the audio 🎧 is excellent. Bookshop.org
Sandwich by Catherine Newman
For the past two decades, Rocky has looked forward to her family's yearly escape to Cape Cod. This year's vacation, with Rocky sandwiched between her half-grown kids and fully aging parents, promises to be just as delightful as summers past--except, perhaps, for Rocky's hormonal bouts of rage and melancholy. (Hello, menopause!) It's one precious week: everything is in balance; everything is in flux. And when Rocky comes face to face with her family's history and future, she is forced to accept that she can no longer hide her secrets from the people she loves.
I loved this family drama! There were many, many parts I loved so much because I felt SEEN. I’m a mm in my 50s with grown children and aging parents and there were times I felt like the author was in my head reading my thoughts. I love when that happens. I listened to most of this, the audio is great. There were times I laughed out loud and then later would be brought to tears. And also, there were a few times I cringed during scenes involving nakedness and explicit sexual talk between parents and the kids (granted the kids are adults but still). If you read this I suspect you know what I’m talking about. Those are minor critiques because I really did love the story. The grandparents were especially great characters. I think middle aged protagonists are having a moment in literature and I’m all for it!
Links I Loved
Stephen King shares what he’s learned
6 books the NYT recommend this week
Colleen Hoover is a wildly successful author. Why did she stop writing?
The best bios and memoirs of 2024
Why You Should Read What You Love
The literary film & tv you need to stream in July
30 short books to read in a day
Have a great week!
I left Instagram / bookstagram in November last year, and honestly its been such a relief to not be on there anymore. The first two weeks I was really contemplating if it was the right choice - I had a small account but I really did enjoy discussing books with other users and even got a few friends out of it. What made me leave, was how the app had changed, how it felt like it was a constant uphill battle to get my content out there - and the fact that I was now less about books but more worried about getting content that the algorithm would "like".
I have to say I am happy I left when I did, I do not think I knew how much stress it was causing me when I was in it
Yay for Sandwich - I loved it too ♡ I do think maybe I loved We All Want Impossible Things even more though because it was more nuanced / complex?? As for Instagram, I still have my personal account on which I only follow a few family members and very close friends ...... and dogs - ha! I quit bookstagram back in October and am so so grateful I did. It wasn't just a case of diminishing returns every time I posted, but plummeting returns, and I was always left feeling empty and frantic when I was in that world scrolling. So happy I walked away!