Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

It goes without saying that time is flying. I’m not sure where it began to speed up but the school year is nearly over. After a year on pause, here we go. Are you ready? The one thing that this pandemic has done is carve out for me what is NOT important in my life. I’ve always wanted to live simply. I tend to not need much. I like it that way. I think that mindset bothers my kids though.

Right Now:

My Sundays are pretty set. Church, youth group, a walk with the Hub and pup and then maybe some takeout later or dinner out.

This Week:

It’s time for cap and gown pick-up for my high school senior. She will drive down to get that and some other grad items on Monday.

Thursday, The Hub gets shot #2 (Moderna).

I have a couple of items for work but doable. No biggies.

I will be spending some time this week trying to find another hair stylist. After not hearing from her for ages, and my hair being totally out of control, I contacted her and she is out of business. I am kind of hurt that she didn’t tell me. I have been going to her for about 12 years now. I knew all about her kids and she knew about mine. I know her situation cannot be fully known by me but man, it made me sad.

Reading:

Because of that wave of sadness that hit me, I gave up on Good Neighbors. Those opening pages took a lot of work to get through and I was not feeling it. Maybe I will pick it up again some other time because it’s pretty well-reviewed.

Instead, I picked up Broken by Jenny Lawson. I received a review copy and although I am not a huge fan of funny books or memoir type books, I opened it up to the first story and it immediately pulled me out of my pathetic (I lost my hair dresser) funk.

Also, you have today and tomorrow to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Promises to Keep!

Watching:

I thought we had watched Marcella on Netflix but then I realized we had not so we have been watching season one and it’s very good. A serial killer returns, it’s British, it’s good.

Will you all be watching the Oscars tonight? I’ve not seen any of the movies but it is usually a fun event to watch. I’ll give it a go and if it doesn’t do it for me I will watch Fear the Walking Dead which I still hope redeems itself.

Grateful for:

Service opportunities. More on that later.
So grateful that the pup is not allergic to bees. She stepped on a bee again on one of her walks and instantly thought I did something to her which is so weird. She has since forgiven me.
Antibacterial anything. Something bit my hand after some yard work. It got infected. I am self-treating it but it’s turning a corner. Thankfully.

What are you doing today? What do you have going on this week?

Northern Spy
By Flynn Berry
Viking, 9780735224995, April 6, 2021, 288pp

The Short of It:

I had no idea what I was stepping into but surprisingly, this spy story was very readable and held my interest.

The Rest of It:

Tessa is the mother of young Finn. While at work in Belfast, news of a raid comes on the air. Bomb threats and security checkpoints have become the norm as the IRA makes themselves known after being underground for years. Tessa’s main concern is the safety of her young son but Belfast has been home to her, her sister Marian and her mother for as long as she can remember. She wants to be safe, but where can they go?

Then, one day, a robbery takes place and the security footage clearly shows her sister as one of the robbers. Donning a black ski mask, Marian gazes at the security cameras. Tessa is sure that her sister has been kidnapped and is being used by the IRA. What other explanation could there be? Tessa finds herself being questioned by the authorities and when her sister fails to return home, Tessa can only imagine the worst.

This was a unique story and one I was not expecting. It takes common, every day folks and puts them in extraordinary circumstances, politically. There’s some action and many dangerous moments as Tessa and her family find themselves in the middle of the fight for freedom. Her ties to her young son, not even a year old yet is what keeps her grounded but out of concern for her sister, Tessa makes some dangerous decisions and it’s those situations that she puts herself into that keep you turning the pages. I finished this book in one sitting. If you are looking for an adventurous read, this is it.

I do have a couple of criticisms though. As a reader, I absolutely wanted to know that Tessa was safe. Her commitment to her son Finn is what strings you along but I don’t feel as if I spent enough time with Marian for me to care a whole lot about her safety. Besides her being Tessa’s sister, she seemed very disposable to me. I didn’t feel her passion for the movement come through at all. You should know right off that I enjoy a good spy movie and yes, a good spy story now and then but all the politics go over my head and perhaps that is why I could not connect with Marian on the same level as I did with Tessa.

This is an interesting choice for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. I’ve read many of her picks and enjoyed many of them including this one. I can totally see this being adapted for the big screen.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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