The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver
I finished You Lucky Dog quickly so I could bring a new book to Winter Park. I love having a new book/story for a new adventure. The Motion of the Body Through Space isn’t a catchy title. But the cover shows a runner and that’s what made me read the inside flap and ultimately check it out from the library.
It’s about a (earlier than expected) retired guy who decides to run a marathon after a mostly a sedentary life. Based on the description I thought this was the plot, but he finished his marathon in the first 100 pages. The next ~50 pages are about why he retired early, his poor relationship with his children, and issues in his marriage. After chapter 8, I skipped to the last page, read it, and promptly closed the book. I really wanted to read an uplifting book about how a 60-something set out to run his first marathon. Instead I got a book about government work drama and marriage strife. Boo.
To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins {audiobook}
One of my friends on The Book recommended To Shake the Sleeping Self. I downloaded the audiobook and liked it almost immediately. It’s a true story of how Jedidiah road his bike from Oregon to Patagonia. It’s just as much a memoir of his life as it is about the thousands of miles on his bike.
Jedidiah is also the narrator which I find brings it to life better than a hired narrator. He has a good story-telling voice- literally and figuratively. Highly recommend, even if you’re not a cyclist.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betsy Smith
I started reading the classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. The further I got into the book, the less excited I was at night to pick it up. I ended up on Instagram too many nights instead of reading when I decided to stop reading it. Instead, I downloaded the audiobook. I completed it, but never really got into it. It just didn’t have a good plot that I could follow.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
Unlike A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue grabbed and kept my attention. It’s not something I would normally gravitate to, but it topped a bunch of bestseller lists so I gave it a whirl. It’s about a girl who trades her soul for immortality in 1714. What she didn’t know what that she also became forgettable. As in, everyone she interacts with forgets her as soon as they turn away. A concept that’s hard to wrap your brain around, but intriguing. If you enjoyed The Time Traveler’s Wife, you’d like this.
Next up Mexican Gothic by Olivia by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes audiobook.
