Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

That is the question everyone is asking all over. When? When will things reopen? In California, there are plenty of protests about the current restrictions but none like the ones I see in Michigan.

In my city, I realized that a lot of people aren’t aware of what IS open. They are protesting saying that they are stuck inside their homes but no, you are not. You can go out, walk, run, hike, go the market and pick up food. Some small businesses opened last week after putting some safeguards in place. We were not barricaded by plywood over our front doors. What is the deal? Things are open and other businesses are opening weekly.

Right Now:

Church and youth group online. Bacon and hash browns might happen.

This Week:

I was very excited to see our local used bookstore open for curbside pick up. They share photos of their shelves and then you tell them what you want. I saw an entire shelf of Harlan Coben books. I have loved the Netflix shows so reading his books should be next. I will probably order a few this week.

My daughter’s sign language class ends this week. Thank God! High School classes go on for a little longer. My son’s spring quarter doesn’t end until July.

Classes at the university I work for will be online for fall. My work told me to continue working from home, for now.

Summer camp for my high school group was cancelled. I knew it had to be. No way to social distance in a cabin, chapel or the dining hall but it was still a hard pill to swallow.

And my tickets to see Hamilton this August? Cancelled. We are looking for another date. BUT, did you hear about it being streamed on Disney Plus July 3rd? The original Broadway cast!

Reading:

I am reading Dead To Her. It’s not at all what I expected. Quite racy, actually. I am flying through the pages though.

Watching:

We finished Season One of Broadchurch. Really good. Can’t wait to begin the new season.

New Things I’ve Tried:

We tried a new-to-us Gastropub for dinner last Friday. We picked the food up, of course but the gourmet burgers were so delicious and they had a gluten free bun for me. We ate in the car. We will definitely go back.

Grateful for:

Good TV to keep my mind off of the news
That I am still employed and able to work from home
That our re-fi closed when it did

How are you? Going crazy? Doing okay? I know those of you with younger kids really need a break.

The Swap
By Robyn Harding
Gallery/Scout Press, 9781982141769, June 23, 2020, 336pp.

The Short of It:

In a pandemic, you need quick, fast reads that take you out of your current situation. The Swap accomplished that.

The Rest of It:

Swallow, “Low” for short, is an awkward teen whose family is polyamorous. Meaning, she has more than a mom and dad. More like an entire support team who have agreed to live as one happy family. No jealousy. No competition. She lives on an island that is open to these types of relationships. She thinks it’s a little weird but kind of gets it too. As for herself, she has no idea what she wants.

In walks Freya. She’s blonde and beautiful and magnetic. She’s also a grown woman. After she posts a flyer about pottery classes Low decides she’s buying whatever Freya is selling. As their pottery sessions turn into more than a friendship, at least in Low’s eyes, Freya begins to pit Low against another close friend of hers and the two compete for Freya’s attention which begins a dangerous game of tug of war.

Harding knows how to tell a story. She loops you in no matter how far-fetched the plot is. I read this in two sittings. Had it not been for work I would have finished it in one day. It ended in a surprising way and was a little over-the-top but that didn’t prevent me from savoring those last few pages. Have you read Harding before? I really enjoyed The Party a few years back.

The Swap comes out June 23rd but do add it to your list.

Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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