Thanks Jenni. I’m sort of a homebody these days too. We are in the thick of summer heat now. Tomorrow could hit 95F which is hot for here. I just try to get out either early in the day or later in the evening. Good luck with your summer and Happy July.

My Sunday Post

Hi Stargazer, good hearing from you. Sorry to hear about your weather there. Wimbledon is about to start so that doesn’t bode well. We had a deluge of rain the other night and more thunderstorms to come. Hmm.
I’m still wondering about what I thought of Kindred a bit — on the one hand I was interested in Dana, the protagonist, but perhaps could’ve used more in the present. It was dark and the relations with Rufus were so up & down. I tired of him and the plantation, which was a horrible place. So I had qualms about it.
The Women’s shortlist was so good and I’m curious now about Brotherless Night. I liked River East. & want to read more of the list. Enjoy your weekend.

We did have a few days with relatively warm weather here in the UK, but I’m afraid it’s over already. I need to book a holiday, it seems, to get some nice weather. 🙂

Hi Judith — thanks, so glad you like my blog, very kind. And us retriever / book people need to stick together 🙂 The dogs rule, lol.
I hope you like The Road to Dalton — pretty seamless storytelling and set in northern Maine too.
I think the Carol Shields Prize includes U.S. & Canada authors … though when I think of Carol Shields I think of Canada … but I think she might have lived for a time in the U.S. too. But check me on that. I miss Carol Shields. I loved The Stone Diaries. But I should read more of her. She was the real deal.
I hope you leave that heat dome behind. Enjoy your days.

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Hi Stacy, thanks for your thoughts on Kindred. It wasn’t easy for me, but I liked Dana’s first person narration in it which made it worthwhile … as well as the time travel from 1976. Quite a juxtaposition. It is pretty brutal and I need a happy read now. Enjoy your week.

Hi Shelleyrae, thanks, the dogs are loving the sunshine. It’s hard to imagine winter again after we just came thru it. I hope it’s not too bad there now.
Glad you liked The Road to Dalton too. The storytelling in it seemed so nice to follow. Looking forward to her new one in Sept. Kindred was a bit rough but see what you think sometime. Have a great week too.

Hi Helen, I didn’t realize Parable of the Sower was a graphic novel. Good to know. This was my first Octavia Butler book and it was quite grim. But I will try another one of hers another time. She had an interesting career and seemed a pioneer of sorts in sci-fi. Have a great week.

Hi Deb, this was my first Octavia Butler read … and it was quite grim. The only way I managed was Dana the protagonist in 1976 is pretty interesting and what she brings to visiting such a bad plantation. I have not heard of the one you read. Her books are worth exploring further, although some are not easy.
And yes I was quite impressed with River East, River West. It’s sort of a coming-of age – clash of cultures story. And it seemed pretty accomplished for a debut.
Hope your week ahead is good. Enjoy your reads.