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The House on the Hill was in a tizzy.

#firstlinefridays
@ShyBookOwl

Oomph…I can see why this book has a low rating on Litsy! I was so tempted to increase the listening speed just to get through the book at times. It has a good premise - friends quarantining together, and said friends have lots of issues. Not very likable characters, and that did not bother me. But, the last part of the book was like reading something completely different and just randomly added.

Using this for #BBRC #Adult #RainOnMyParade

3.75⭐
This was a decent YA viral-induced dystopian where the world is not much different than what it is now….except a section of Texas was quarantined due to a viral outbreak 20 years ago and it was never lifted. They were walled off and left to fend for themselves. It's an interesting concept that was executed well with plenty of witty banter. Everything about it is kept strictly in the YA genre and overall, it was a worthwhile listen.

Book 2 ✔️ for #DiseaseoftheMonthBookClub
(Prompt: Read a book about a virus)

Fascinating look at the scientific research that was being conducted on coronaviruses after the SARS and MERS outbreaks, which enabled scientists to quickly pivot to create a vaccine when COVID-19 spilled over into the human population. A bit technical so I‘m glad I had at least a semester of college-level biology.

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This month‘s #bookspin is a proper lockdown book. The first I read and I don‘t know how to feel about it. I like the idea - in lockdown, people can mail in with their problems/situation and the bookshop „prescribes“ them some books. But there were too many character so the storylines stayed on the surface. And those who went deeper seemed too extreme. Also some of the backstories weren‘t resolved? ⬇️

A book about an older woman facing changes in herself and her family while sequestered in lockdown during Covid with her ex-husband. I do enjoy Strout‘s writing and the rich interior life of her characters.

Another lovely installation by Elizabeth Strout. I love the pandemic-timeliness, the love story of Lucy and William, all the recurring Maine characters.

I finished this three months ago and loved it so much that I haven‘t shelved it. It just sits here on my desk - hogging up room I don‘t have.

Enjoyed this a lot - even though its probably my least favourite of the four Lucy books. I was ready to look back on the pandemic through the eyes of this character i have come to know so well. I really appreciate that writers like Strout have captured the variety of reactions and impacts of this period for future reference. (Albeit just in one family in one city in this book) Quiet and subtle, but with plenty to think about.