© 2016 Book Chatter | Book Chatter

Sunday Matters

All I can think about these days is what my big summer read will be. I like to pick a challenging book for the summer because I seem to have more time to read but I can’t really zero in on a good one . Seveneves? What else is out there? I’m blanking.

Right Now:

Today, my day starts and ends with church . First, we will attend the service. Then, I am attending a mandatory camp meeting as both a parent and group leader. My daughter and I have never attended camp so we are pretty excited.

This Week:

The only thing I have going on this week, is a dental appointment. That’s it! I really need to do some stuff around the house. I said that last week and some of it got done but not much. I plan to make more of an effort this week. My closets are a mess and my drawers are kind of a mess too, as is the garage. The last time I cleaned the garage I broke my foot so I must be more careful this time.

Reading:

After a slump ( I guess it was a slump) reading has been going really well. Amazingly well. I’ve been plowing through my review pile and reviews are scheduled and everything. I feel so accomplished.

The only sad thing, is that with all my reading I managed to drop my Kindle and it is now no more. It was an old Kindle but a great one and included 3G which you have to pay extra for now. Anyway, after much thought I went with another basic model. I was reading Wintering by Peter Geye when I dropped the darn thing. I got the new one yesterday but it won’t let me transfer my review copies and my library books are no more. Sadness.

In the mean time, I’ve read two actual books, My Last Continent by Midge Raymond and Firefly Summer by Nan Rossiter.

Watching:

I haven’t been in the mood for TV but I feel like watching some 80’s flicks. Oh, and the Tony Awards. HUGE in my house, as you can imagine. The Teen is very excited for tonight’s show.

Making:

It was a good week for cooking. Tonight? We may pick up Chinese take-out so we can just kick back and watch the Tony Awards. I will be working at the church until right before they start so there won’t be time to cook much.

Grateful for:

So grateful that the beach is just a short road trip away. We hit Santa Barbara yesterday and I’ve never eaten so much food. It was all so good though and even though it was overcast and raining (rain? really?) none of us cared. We hit the zoo, did a little shopping and just roamed around town.

What are your plans for today?

Father’s Day
By Simon Van Booy
Harper, Hardcover, 9780062408945, April 2016, 304pp.

The Short of It:

A quiet non-traditional story about a father’s love for his daughter.

The Rest of It:

Harvey is just a young girl when her parents are killed in an accident. After the accident, Harvey is placed with Jason, her uncle, who was recently released from prison for a crime he committed as a teen. The two have a lot to learn and with the help of his social worker, Jason learns that fathers aren’t perfect and that the love of a child is something you have to hold dear.

I really enjoyed this story even though I found it to be very different from what I’ve previously read by this author. The language isn’t as poetic as his short story collections. The story is told plainly but the tone and quiet nature of the story really appealed to me.

I enjoyed reading about this unlikely pair. Jason is a little rough around the edges but charming and remorseful for his past actions. He comes across as very genuine and sincere. Harvey is mature and wise and the two seem to understand each other, which makes the story work so well.

In the end, all the pieces come together and what you have is a satisfying read.

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

Chatting with friends about books and life…