kay's week - 1.7.17

Welcome to 2017 and a new feature here on the blog - kay's week.  I am shamelessly copying several of my blogging friends and determining to do a weekly roundup of various things.  Hopefully, I can share what I've been reading or doing or watching or imagining in a semi-coherent format.  Formal reviews seem a little tiresome to me now, but a short paragraph is possible.  Same goes for other pursuits.  We'll see how we fare.


Goals for 2017...

Honestly, I don't have formal goals.  I shared my 'One Word', which was BREATHE.  So focusing on breathing (i.e. relaxing) is good.  When I was sick recently, it became apparent that I had lost my appetite for food for a bit.  I also seem to have lost my appetite for spending money on new books.  We'll see how long that lasts, but my quasi-goal is to read the books I already own.  If a new book is desired, the library is the place to find it.  That being said, right now, I'm not really interested in taking home books that have 'lived' with someone else for a while.  I need a break from germs.  The library will still be there when I feel like checking things out or there are always library e-books.  So, in reading the books I already own, I think you'll find that I may be doing more rereading and also reading books that are not the most current.  And I'm happy with that.


I've been reading... 

This category will also include 'I've been listening to...'.  For me, reading in print or reading by listening is all one and the same.  I'll try to note whether it's a print or audio or even a combo type read.

River Road by Carol Goodman - An author that I've meant to sample for a long time.  I think I've owned several of her books over the years.  This was an audio and was narrated by Madeleine Maby.  Nan Lewis, a college professor, is driving home after a faculty party when she hits a deer.  She searches for the deer, but doesn't find it.  Next morning, she's awakened by the police telling her that one of her favorite students was victim of a hit-and-run on River Road the night before.  Nan's car is damaged and the officers have questions.

A good enough read.  Not very enthusiastic am I?  I liked it, but didn't love it.  It was a slow moving story and Nan was hard to sympathize with at times.  I figured out the solution pretty early on, but this audio suited me for listening while I wasn't feeling well.  And yes, I'd read another of this author's books.  I think I own at least one more of them.

The Pact by Jodi Picoult - This was a reread for me.  I first read it many years ago and think it was the first Picoult book I read.  At that time, her way of telling a story was quite unique or at least it was to me.  Read this on my Kindle and was glad to have it in e-book format as it is over 500 pages.  The issue here is teen suicide.  A boy and girl who live next door to each other all their lives, families are best friends, kids get to the teen years and start dating.  Boy is athletic and a gifted writer.  Girl is artistic.  One dies.  One is accused of murder.  Probably one of the first books I read that proposed the idea that you don't always know your family as well as you think you do.  Definite Picoult book, if you know what I mean.


I've watched...

As to TV watching - first episode of the new season of Sherlock - boy, was it dark!  The last season of Bones and also of Grimm begins this week.  I'll miss those shows.  We saw Rogue One on Christmas Eve - very good - loved it!   I'd like to see Sing - great music!  We also watched the Miss Peregrine movie and Fantastic Beasts.  Liked the Peregrine movie.  Loved Fantastic Beasts.  Hope there will be more of those.


Book Groups...

I missed the Mystery Book Group meeting this week because of illness, but I heard that it went well and the group pretty much universally liked The Lake House by Kate Morton.  Glad to hear it.  We'll be reading Redemption Road by John Hart for February.  There is another book group that I attend occasionally that will meet this next week to discuss Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris.  I haven't read this book, but I'm considering attending the discussion anyway.


Personally...

I'm feeling much better after my flu episode.  The coughing still lingers, but the energy level is better and the appetite is returning.  Am planning on going back to walking next week, hopefully.  And returning to yoga perhaps the week after that.

And that's all folks!  See you next week!