Whew – time be flying that fast. It’s already midweek, and the second day of enhanced community quarantine in Northern Philippines. Staying home does have its advantage but instead of working, my body gravitates towards my bed more. Haha. I am just hoping that the spread of COVID-19 will be stymied. I miss the days when I can just go out and explore without having any worries at the back of my mind.

Before I get carried away and start talking about anything under the sun, let’s go back to this fun bookish meme, which was originally hosted by SAM@TAKING ON A WORLD OF WORDS. The mechanics for WWW Wednesday is quite simple. You just have to answer three questions:

  1. What are you currently reading?
  2. What have you finished reading?
  3. What will you read next?

www-wednesdays

What are you currently reading?

download (18)

My immersion into the world of European literature brings me to Austria with 2019 Nobel Prize in Literature Daniel Handke’s Slow Homecoming. He’s the third Nobel Laureate in Literature I a reading this month after Rudyard Kipling and Olga Tokarczuk. I do realize that his selection was rather heavily criticized by many literary pundits, including one of my favorite authors, Salman Rushdie. However, I am choosing to be objective and judge his work outside of his political views.

What have you finished reading? 

This past week, I’ve had two very excellent reads. The first one is Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s The Shadow of the Wind. I bought the book over three years ago but I never got the chance to read it because I do one other thing better than reading – buying more books. But after encountering numerous positive commendations for the book, I finally resolved to read it. And wow! It was one of the very rare books that truly blew me away. Although their are some WTF moments, it was nonetheless an excellent experience – the premise, the writing, and the setting. Ruiz Zafon gifted the world with a stellar story. I am just wondering if the sequels to the book are any better though. Any thoughts?

From Barcelona, Spain, my reading journey next brought me to Sweden with Fredrick Backman’s A Man Called Ove. Just like The Shadow of the Wind, this book comes in highly recommended as well. Unlike the former, it was one of tbe books I was ambivalent about purchasing as no matter how many times I’ve encountered it in the bookstore, I was never curious enough to buy. That was until last year when my interest in KPop also piqued my interest in the book. The rest, they say is history. A Man Called Ove is a funny but heartbreaking story that packs a healthy dose of positive vibes.

What will you read next? 

I am actually unsure what books to read next but maybe Robert Tressell’s semi-autobiographic work, The Ragged, Trousered Philanthropists and Carlo Collodi’s Picocchio might be wonderful options. The former is part of my 2020 Top 20 Reading List so just maybe. Nothing is ironed out yet as it will ultimately depend on my mood. One book I am also considering is Peter Nadas’ Parallel Stories but it is over a thousand pages long so…. Come what may.

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! Happy reading everyone!

Advertisement