Wednesday, May 26, 2021

WWW Wednesday – May 26, 2021

WWW Wednesday is run by Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you'll read next?

Currently, I am reading Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix.  It’s a feminist version of what happened to Cinderella after the ball – did she live happily ever after with Prince Charming?  Or did she want more?   I picked this up more than ten years ago but it just came to the top of the pile like potsherds.
I just completed Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín for my book group. We had read and enjoyed Brooklyn several years ago and have not read anything that really stirred us this year since The Splendid and the Vile.   I think we are slightly Zoomed out but are not quite ready to meet in person yet.  However, this was a highly enjoyable story about a recent widow carving out a new life for herself and interests that do not depend on her four children or deceased husband.
I also just finished The London Restoration by Rachel McMillan.  I had heard the author speak on a panel about one of my favorite books, Rilla of Ingleside, so wanted to read something she had written and just picked this based on the title!  I had assumed it was set during the 17th century when Charles II regained his throne but, in fact, it takes place right after WWII when heroine Diana, who spent the war working on top-secret decoding at Bletchley Park, agrees to work on one final project that puts both her and her husband into danger.   The story was a little spoiled for me by finding her husband to be an incredibly condescending jerk.  All he seemed to want in a wife was a housekeeper.   As a big fan of Bletchley Park, I would have liked more scenes set there and fewer in London’s great churches, attractive though they may be in person.
Next up is Haven Point by Virginia Hume, being published in June by St. Martin’s.   This is a delicious-looking family saga that stretches from 1944 Minnesota to the tumultuous 1970s to 2008 in Haven Point, a small community in Maine.  

Are any of these on your radar?

4 comments:

Cath said...

Two of these appeal to me, Nora Webster and Haven Point. I've read nothing by Colm Tóibin which is not good, I should do something about that. And as to Haven Point, well it's Minnesota and Maine... what's not to like?

CLM said...

Nora Webster was very readable but I kept waiting for something to happen. When it ended, I realized that was the point - that the small things Nora did to change her life were momentous to her (and to the community watching her). But I think I liked Brooklyn better and the movie of Brooklyn was also very good, so I would recommend starting there.

I'll let you know what I think of Haven Point. I decided to join in on the 20 Books of Summer and I am including that in my books.

Cath said...

OK, I will investigate Brooklyn at some stage. (Not familiar with that one.)

Look forward to your post on your 20 Books of Summer... delighted you've decided to do it too!

Lex @ Lexlingua said...

Just Ella looks like good adorable fun. I haven't come across too many Cinderella retellings, especially from the older lot. Reminded me a bit of Ella Enchanted actually.