A Week in the Books: Links I Loved the Week of 1/18/19
Bookish links I loved the week of 1/18/19, including a sequel from Ken Follett, things to learn from readers, a reading speed test, and remembering Mary Oliver.
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Just a few links to share this week–I’m a little behind on my blog reading (and commenting–sorry to all who have commented here for my lack of replies!), and bookish news seemed a little slow.
Hope you’re reading something great this weekend!
Links I Loved
Ken Follett Announces ‘Pillars of the Earth’ Prequel – BookBub
I love Follett’s soapy, epic historical fiction trilogies, so I will be ready for this Pillars of the Earth prequel when it comes out–likely in 2020.
10 Things You Can Learn from People Who Read a Ton of Books – Apartment Therapy
I agree with all of these!
This Test Will Tell You How Many Books You Can Read in a Year – Mental Floss
My speed was about average (with a loud cartoon playing behind me–so I’m thinking it might be a little faster otherwise). I try not to pay too much attention to how many books I read, but it’s still interesting to see how long it takes to get through an “average” book.
Mary Oliver: Pulitzer-winning poet dies aged 83 – BBC
I don’t read much poetry, but the loss of the woman who penned the words, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” is a great one indeed. Here are a few more beautiful lines she wrote (from BuzzFeedNews).
On the Blog
January 2019 Mini Reviews
Eleven new reviews this month, with something for everyone–historical fiction, lighter reads, thrillers, and literary fiction.
Book Review of The Dreamers
New speculative fiction by Karen Thompson Walker, author of The Age of Miracles. This one is getting a lot of buzz!
Last year: 10 Great Books About Loners and Endearing Misfits
Happy weekend!
OMG – I loved Pillars and the sequel, but I know I do not have a 1,000 page book in me anymore. Could he please write something of manageable length?!
I know it! Last year, I read the third in the series, A Column of Fire. I liked it–maybe not as much as the first two, but he tells a good story and I always learn something about the history. But it is hard to dedicate that much time to just one book. My TBR is calling!
Thanks for the link to the reading speed quiz! If I can just find an hour everyday to read, apparently I can get over the 100-books per year mark. That’s an hour without being distracted by Instagram, Twitter, the kid, etc. hahaha
Haha! Easy enough, right? I know how understanding kids are when we want to sit quietly and read for a while!
I love Ken Follett and can even handle how long his books are, but I’m struggling to think of the time period for a prequel to Pillars of the Earth. It’s going to be so long ago and if it’s still set in England there wasn’t a lot beyond killing going on. I’m intrigued…
To be fair, there’s a whole lot of killing in the later books as well–lots of burning at the stake in A Column of Fire. It will be really interesting to see where he takes it!
Have you read Follett’s Century trilogy (starts with Fall of Giants)? I got a little bogged down in Pillars of the Earth but was completely enthralled with these books!
I have! I liked that trilogy as well, though it was opposite for me–I found Pillars of the Earth to be riveting and that one less so.