In Which I Share That I Will Be Visiting Paris in April...

 

I finished two very good books for Black History Month last week. Native Son tells the story of a young Black man in Chicago who accidentally kills a white girl. Parable of the Sower is the story of a post-apocalyptic California in which killing and stealing are commonplace.

I read two light nonfiction books last week. Subpar Parks is a tour of America's national parks, each led with a review by a disgruntled park visitor and followed by information about the park. Wisdom from a Humble Jellyfish shares self-care tips from nature. 

I listened to a much-abridged version of The Decameron. It's about a group of young people who go out in the countryside of Florence, Italy, to escape the plague. They tell stories to pass the time. It was first published in 1353, but I think you can see why I chose to listen to this one now.

And, finally, I wrapped up Edith Wharton's The Custom of the Country. Thank you, JoAnn of Gulfside Musing, for your review of this book that led to me reading it. There's no doubt that Undine Spragg beats Scarlet O'Hara for the Biggest Spoiled Brat Award.

What I Read:

The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton (Classics Club) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (Black History Month) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wisdom from a Humble Jellyfish and Other Self-Care Rituals from Nature (Nonfiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Subpar Parks: America's Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors (Nonfiction) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio (Classics Club) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Native Son by Richard Wright (Black History Month) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What I'm Reading:

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants 

by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Naturalist Book Club)

Another Year of Wonder: Classical Music for Everyday by Clemency Burton Hill (Nonfiction)

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis (Narniathon)

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien (Book Club Read)

Yes, the big game is on, but I don't know who's playing. What to do? What to do? How about spending the time in a The Big Game's On Read-a-Thon? 

The details:

• No rules, no guidelines, just read
• No start/end times, just read at your leisure.
• Mini-challenges will be created to break up your reading time. Participating in these challenges is not mandatory, but you will be eligible for a number of great prizes!

Here's my stack of potential reads.

Join us at Jenn's Bookshelves for some excellent reading time.

We are having a fabulous discussion about Braiding Sweetgrass in our Texas Master Naturalist Book Club. We will conclude with the last third of the book for discussion next month.

The Cybils Awards winners will be announced Monday, February 14th!

Last week I posted here at Readerbuzz:

Broken-Winged, Yet Still Beautiful, Butterflies

Best Love Stories in Books You'd Never Call Romance Novels

My sister and I in Paris in February of 2020, just before the pandemic hit

I've been trying not to jinx it by talking about it, but it looks like I will be going to Paris at the end of March. My sister and I will spend two weeks in Paris and then our husbands will join us for a week in the Loire Valley. Please keep your fingers crossed for us!

Good Thing #1

Paris 

Good Thing #2

Paris 

Good Thing #3

Paris 

I'm happy you joined us here at the Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is a place to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. It's a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

• What was your week like?
• Read any good books? Tell us about them.
• What other bookish things did you do? 
• What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

        

My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.