I should maybe refrain from talking up books before I finish them, because I wrote about Mislaid at the best part, when I was really into it, and then it sort of spiralled down into blah.
Next up was Palace of Treason, and I would love to know who recommended this book to me. It was either my dad or Oprah. It seemed right up my ally – a spy novel with a recipe at the end of each chapter? Hello? Perfect combo… but it was a little too tortury for me. I have loved spy novels since I took Espionage Folklore in college and I spent too long this evening trying to remember the course syllabus from 21 years ago. I’ll spare you the torturous details, but the book I was trying to remember was The Miernik Dossier. Let me know if you want the story of the rabbit hole I had to go down to remember that. Speaking of torture, back to the Palace of Treason. After someone eats pickled herring, then tortures someone, I don’t need the recipe. Besides, if I wanted pickled herring, which I don’t, I would eat it once a year at the school international festival. Give me something I can use, people! The other problem with this book was that it was book 2, and I hadn’t read book 1. There was enough exposition to bring me up to speed, but then I thought, well shoot, now I don’t have to read the first book. But it was very interesting on the subject of Iran – not to get into politics, but I think we can assume Iran is going to do what they want and we can trust the CIA to “handle it”. Around chapter 13 I almost gave up, and I read another book instead. But I picked it up again, and ended up getting really into it, and now I plan to read book one as well. (Sparrow School) I guess I became desensitized to the torture, or the storyline overrode it.
In the middle of Palace of Treason, I read A Window Opens which is about an overworked mom with a crazy job trying to figure out how to find balance, etc. I couldn’t put it down, I HAD TO KNOW what is the ANSWER?!?! I enjoyed the book, but I am sad to report that the answer remains elusive.
Then I started the 5th Game of Thrones book, and during the prologue Dave told me he was going to pick up Jack from a birthday party and I didn’t hear him say that, and I didn’t see him walk past me to leave. So I also went to the pickup and that was a little embarrassing . Fortunately, before I got totally sucked into GoT, a new book arrived at the library – The Luckiest Girl Alive. I’ll write about that when I finish it, as long as I don’t start GoT and give up on all things aside from reading.
What are you reading?
And now an outtake from our photo session:
MetaMegan 
Megan, I am reading The Secret Place by Tana French. It is a mystery – fifth in a series…takes place in Dublin. She is a fantastic writer
Should you start with the first book in the series or do they stand alone?
It wasn’t me. Never heard of this book. I do however, recommend THE BOYS IN THE BOAT. A fascinating account of a group of young men struggling to make their way through college in the Depression and to reach their goal the Olympic Games in Berlin. The narrative puts you in the boat.
It must have been Oprah’s recommendation then! I put the Boys in the Boat on hold at the library.
I am dragging through Circling the Sun about a female aviator who flew from europe to the Us in ’36.Its by Paula Mcain who wrote The Paris WIfe. But today I heard the author of Dr. Mutter’s Marvels talk. She wrote a book about one of the first plastic surgeons. There’s a Mutter museum in Philly which focuses on medical oddities. I cant wait to read it!I think it was on the New York Times bestseller list.
Let me know how you like that one. If you want to read about a female aviator, I recommend West with the Night.